Of two sorts of voluptuous men, and of
their death and defection; and of the
continuance of their pains.
AS I was sitting at home, and
praising God for all the things
which I had seen; and was thinking
concerning the commands, that they
were exceedingly good, and great,
and honest, and pleasant, and
such as were able to bring a man
to salvation; I said thus within
myself, I shall be happy if I walk
according to these commands; and
whosoever shall walk in them shall
live unto God.
2 Whilst I was speaking on this
wise within myself, I saw him
whom I had before been wont to
see, sitting by me; and he spake
thus unto me:
3 What doubtest thou concerning
my commands which I have delivered
unto thee? They are good, doubt not,
but trust in the Lord, and thou shalt
walk in them; for I will give thee
strength to fulfil them.
4 These commands are profitable
to those who shall repent of the
sins which they have formerly
committed; if for the time to come
they shall not continue in them.
5 Whosoever therefore ye be
that repent, cast away from you
the naughtiness of the present
world; and put on all virtue, and
righteousness, and so shall ye be
able to keep these commands;
and not sin from henceforth any
more.
6 For if ye shall keep yourselves
from sin for the time to come,
ye shall cut off a great deal
of your former sins. Walk in my
commands, and ye shall live unto
God: These things have I spoken
unto you.
7 And when he, had said this,
he added; let us go into the field,
and I will show thee shepherds of
sheep. I replied, sir, let us go.
8 And we came into a certain
field, and there he showed me a
young shepherd, finely arrayed,
with his garments of a purple
colour. And he fed large flocks;
and his sheep were full of pleasure,
and in much delight and cheerfulness;
and they skipping, ran here and there.
9 And the shepherd took very
great satisfaction in his flock; and
the countenance of that shepherd
was cheerful, running up and down
among his flock.
10 Then the angel said unto
me, Seest then this shepherd?
I answered, sir, I see him.
He said unto me, this is the
messenger of delight and pleasure.
He therefore corrupts the minds
of the servants of God, and turns
them from the truth, delighting them
with many pleasures, and they perish.
11 For they forget the commands
of the living God, and live in
luxury and in vain pleasures,
and are corrupted by the evil
angel, some of them even unto
death; and others to a falling
away.
12 I replied; I understand not
what you mean, by saying unto
death, and to a falling away.
Hear, says he; all those sheep
which thou sawest exceeding
joyful, are such as have for ever
departed from God, and given
selves up to the lusts of this
present time.
13 To these therefore there is
no return, by repentance, unto
life; because, to their other sins
they have added this, that they
have blasphemed the name of the
lord: These kind of men are
ordained unto death.
14 But those sheep which thou
sawest not leaping, but feeding in
one place; are such as have indeed
given themselves up to pleasure
and delights; but have not spoken
anything wickedly against the Lord.
15 These therefore are only
fallen off from the truth, and so
have yet hope laid up for them in
repentance. For such a falling off
hath some hope still left of a
renewal; but they that are dead,
are utterly gone for ever.
16 Again we went a little farther
forward, and he showed me a great
shepherd, who had as it were a rustic
figure; clad with a white goat's skin,
having his bag upon his shoulder,
and in his hand a stick full of knots,
and very hard, and a whip in his other
hand; and his countenance was stern and
sour, enough to affright a man;
such was his look.
17 He took from that young
shepherd such sheep as lived in
pleasures, but did not skip up and
down; and drove them into a
certain steep craggy place fall of
thorns and briars, insomuch that
they could not get themselves free
from them:
18 But being entangled in them,
fed upon thorns and briars, and
were grievously tormented with
his whipping. For he still drove
them on, and afforded them not
any place, or time, to stand still.
19 When therefore I saw them so
cruelly whipped and afflicted,
I was grieved for them; because
they were greatly tormented, nor
had they any rest afforded them.
20 And I said unto the shepherd
that was with me: Sir, who is this
cruel and implacable shepherd, who
is moved with no compassion towards
these sheep? He answered, This
shepherd is indeed one of the holy
angels, but is appointed for the
punishment of sinners.
21 To him therefore are delivered
those who have erred from God,
and served the lusts and pleasures
of this world. For this cause he
punishes them every one according
to their deserts, with cruel and
various kinds of pains.
22 Sir, said I, I would know
what kind of pains they are which
every one undergoes? Hearken,
said he; The several pains and
torments are those which men
every day undergo in their present
lives. For some suffer losses;
others poverty; others divers
sicknesses. Some are unsettled; others
suffer injuries from those that are
unworthy; others fall under many
other trials and inconveniences.
23 For many with an unsettled
design at many things, and it
profiteth them not; and they say
that they have not success in their
undertakings.
24 They do not call to their
mind what they have done amiss,
and they complain of the Lord.
When therefore they shall have
undergone all kind of vexation
and inconvenience; then they are
delivered over to me for good
instruction, and are confirmed
in the Faith of the Lord, and
serve the Lord all the rest of
their days with a pure mind.
25 And when they begin to repent
of their sins, then they call to
mind their works which they have
done amiss, and give honour to
God, saying, that he is a just
Judge, and they have deservedly
suffered all things according to
their deeds.
26 Then for what remains of
their lives, they serve God with a
pure mind; and have success in
all their undertakings, and receive
from the Lord whatever they desire.
27 And then they give thanks
unto the Lord that they were
delivered unto me; nor do they
suffer any more cruelty.
28 I said unto him; Sir, I entreat
you still to show me now one thing.
What, said he, dost thou ask?
I said unto him; Are they who
depart from the fear of God,
tormented for the same time that
they enjoyed their false delight
and pleasures? He answered me;
they are tormented for the same
time.
29 And I said unto him; They
are then tormented but little;
whereas they who enjoy their
pleasures so as to forget God,
ought to endure seven times as
much punishment.
30 He answered me; Thou art
foolish, neither understandest thou
the efficacy of this punishment.
I said unto him; Sir, if I understood
it, I would not desire you to tell me.
31 Hearken, said he, and learn
what the force of both is, both of
the pleasure and of the punishment.
An hour of pleasure is terminated
within its own space: but one hour
of punishment has the efficacy of
thirty days. a Whosoever therefore
enjoys his false pleasure for one day,
and is one day, tormented; that one
day of punishment is equivalent to
a whole year's space.
32 Thus look how many days
any one pursues his pleasures, so
many years is he punished for it.
You see therefore how that the
time of worldly enjoyments is but
short; but that of pain and torments,
a great deal more.
33 I replied; Sir, forasmuch as
I do not understand at all these
times of pleasure and pain; I
entreat you that you would explain
yourself more clearly concerning
them. He answered me, saying;
Thy foolishness still sticks unto
thee.
34. Shouldst thou not rather
purify thy mind, and serve God?
Take heed, lest when thy time is
fulfilled, thou be found still
unwise. Hear then, as thou desirest,
that thou mayest the more easily
understand.
35 He that gives himself up one
day to his pleasures and delights,
and does whatsoever his soul desires,
is full of great folly, nor understands
what he does, but the day following
forgets what he did the day before.
36 For delight and worldly
pleasure are not kept in memory,
by reason of the folly that is rooted
in them. But when pain and torment
befal a man a day, he is in effect
troubled the whole year after;
because his punishment continues
firm in his memory.
37 Wherefore he remembers it
with sorrow the whole year; and
then calls to mind his vain pleasure
and delight, and perceives that for
the sake of that he was punished.
38 Whosoever therefore have
delivered themselves over to such
pleasures, are thus punished; because
that when they had life, they rendered
themselves liable to death.
39 I said unto him; Sir, what
pleasures are hurtful? He answered;
That is pleasure to every man
which he doth willingly.
40 For the angry man, gratifying
his passion, perceives pleasure
in it; and so the adulterer, and
drunkard; the slanderer and liar;
the covetous man and the defrauder;
and whosoever commits anything like
unto these, he followeth his evil
disposition, because he receives
a satisfaction in the doing of it.
41 All these pleasures and delights
are hurtful to the servants of God.
For these therefore they are tormented
and suffer punishment.
42 There are also pleasures that
bring salvation unto men. For many,
when they do what is good, find
pleasure in it, and are attracted
by the delights of it.
43 Now this pleasure is profitable
to the servants of God, and brings
life to such men; but those hurtful
pleasures, which were before mentioned,
bring torments and punishment.
44 And whosoever shall continue
in them, and shall not repent of
what they have done, shall bring
death upon themselves.