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11 and I know that thou wilt crush all the power of the devil, and we shall be masters over him, and shall
prevail over all his works.
12 And I hope, Sir, that I am now able to keep these commandments which thou hast commanded, the
Lord enabling me.
13 Thou shalt keep them, saith he, if thy heart be found pure with the Lord;
Hermas 58
1 PARABLES WHICH HE SPAKE WITH ME.
2 He saith to me;
3 Ye know that ye, who far from this city.
4 If then ye know your city, in which ye shall dwell, why do ye here prepare fields and expensive
displays and buildings and dwelling-chambers which are superfluous?
5 He, therefore, that prepareth these things for this city does not purpose to return to his own city.
6 O foolish and double-minded and miserable man, perceivest thou not that all these things are foreign,
and are under the power of another?
7 For the lord of this city shall say, I do not wish thee to dwell in my city;
8 go forth from this city, for thou dost not conform to my laws.
9 Thou, therefore, who hast fields and dwellings and many other possessions,
10 when thou art cast out by him, what wilt thou do with thy field and thy house and all the other things
that thou preparedst for thyself?
11 For the lord of this country saith to thee justly, Either conform to my laws, or depart from my
country.
12 What then shalt thou do, who art under law in thine own city?
13 For the sake of thy fields and the rest of thy possessions wilt thou altogether repudiate thy law, and
walk according to the law of this city?
14 Take heed, lest it be inexpedient to repudiate thy law;
15 for if thou shouldest desire to return again to thy city, thou shalt surely not be received [because thou
didst repudiate the law of thy city], and shalt be shut out from it.
16 Take heed therefore;
17 as dwelling in a strange land prepare nothing more for thyself but a competency which is sufficient
for thee,
18 and make ready that,
19 whensoever the master of this city may desire to cast thee out for thine opposition to his law, thou
mayest go forth from his city and depart into thine own city, and use thine own law joyfully, free from
all insult.
20 Take heed therefore, ye that serve God and have Him in your heart work the works of God being
mindful of His commandments and of the promises which He made, and believe Him that He will
perform them, if His commandments be kept.
21 Therefore, instead of fields buy ye souls that are in trouble, as each is able, and visit widows and
orphans, and neglect them not;
22 and spend your riches and all your displays, which ye received from God, on fields and houses of this
kind.
23 For to this end the Master enriched you, that ye might perform these ministrations for Him.
24 It is much better to purchase fields [and possessions] and houses of this kind, which thou wilt find in
thine own city, when thou visitest it.
25 This lavish expenditure is beautiful and joyous, not bringing sadness or fear, but bringing joy.
26 The expenditure of the heathen then practise not ye;
27 for it is not convenient for you the servants of God.
28 But practise your own expenditure, in which ye can rejoice;
29 and do not corrupt, neither touch that which is another mans, nor lust after it;
30 for it is wicked to lust after other mens possessions.
Hermas 59
1 ANOTHER PARABLE.
2 As I walked in the field, and noticed an elm and a vine,
3 and was distinguishing them and their fruits, the shepherd appeareth thinking, [Sir,] say I, about the
elm and the vine, that they are excellently suited the one to the other.
4 These two trees, saith he, are appointed for a type to the servants of God.
5 I would fain know, [Sir,] say I, the type contained in these trees, of which thou speakest.
6 Seest thou, saith he, the elm and the vine?
7 I see them, Sir, say I.
8 This vine, saith he, beareth fruit, but the elm is an unfruitful stock.
9 Yet this vine, except it climb up the elm, cannot bear much fruit when it is spread on the ground;
10 and such fruit as it beareth is rotten, because it is not suspended upon the elm.
11 When then the vine is attached to the elm, it beareth fruit both from itself and from the elm.
12 Thou seest then that the elm also beareth [much] fruit, not less than the vine, but rather more.
13 How more, Sir? say I.
14 Because, saith he, the vine, when hanging upon the elm, bears its fruit in abundance, and in good
condition;
15 but, when spread on the ground, it beareth little fruit, and that rotten.
16 This parable therefore is applicable to the servants of God, to poor and to rich alike.
17 How, Sir? say I;
18 instruct me.
19 Listen, saith he;
20 the rich man hath much wealth, but in the things of the Lord he is poor, being distracted about his
riches, and his confession and intercession with the Lord is very scanty;
21 and even that which he giveth is small and weak and hath not power above.
22 When then the rich man goeth up to the poor, and assisteth him in his needs,
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