As the vine is supported by the elm,
so is the rich man helped by the prayers of the poor.
AS I was walking into the field,
and considered the elm and
the vine, and thought with myself
of their fruits, an angel appeared
unto me, and said unto me; What
is it that thou thinkest upon thus
long within thyself?
2 And I said unto him, Sir, I
think of this vine and this elm
because their fruits are fair.
And he said unto me; These two
trees are set for a pattern to
the servants of God.
3 And I said unto him, Sir, I
would know in what the pattern
of these trees which thou mentionest,
does consist. Hearken, saith he;
seest thou this vine and this
elm? Sir, said I, I see them.
4 This vine, saith he, is fruitful,
but the elm is a tree without fruit.
Nevertheless this vine unless it
were set by this elm, and supported
by it, would not bear much
fruit; but lying along upon the
ground, would bear but ill fruit,
because it did not hang upon the
elm; whereas, being supported
upon the elm, it bears fruit both
for itself and for that.
5 See, therefore, how the elm
gives no less, but rather more
fruit, than the vine. How, Sir,
said I, does it bear more fruit
than the vine? Because, said he,
the vine being supported upon
the elm gives both much and good
fruit; whereas, if it lay along
upon the ground, it would bear
but little, and that very ill too.
6 This similitude, therefore,
is set forth to the servants of God;
and it represents the rich and poor
man. I answered, Sir, make this
manifest unto me. Hear, said he;
the rich man has wealth: howbeit
towards the Lord he is poor; for
he is taken up about his riches,
and prays but little to the Lord;
and the prayers which he makes
are lazy and without force.
7 When therefore, the rich man
reaches out to the poor those
things which he wants, the poor
man prays unto the Lord for the
rich; and God grants unto the
rich man all good things, because
the poor man is rich in prayer;
and his requests have great power
with the Lord.
8 Then the rich man ministers
all thing to the poor, because he
perceives that he is heard by the
Lord; and he the more willingly
and without doubting, affords him
what he wants, and takes care that
nothing be lacking to him.
9 And the poor man gives
thanks unto the Lord for the rich;
because they both do their work
from the Lord.
10 With men, therefore, the
elm is not thought to give any
fruit; and they know not, neither
understand that its company being
added to the vine, the vine bears a
double increase, both for itself and
for the elm.
11 Even so the poor praying
unto the Lord for the rich, are
heard by him; and their riches
are increased, because they minister
to the poor of their wealth.
They are, therefore, both made
partakers of each other's good
works.
12 Whosoever, therefore, shall
do these things, he shall not be
forsaken by the Lord, but shall be
written in the book of life.
13 Happy are they who are rich,
and perceive themselves to be
increased: for he that is sensible
of this, will be able to minister
somewhat to others.