1 The narrative of Charinus and Lenthius commences.
3 A great light in hell.
7 Simeon arrives, and announces the coming of Christ.
O LORD Jesus and Father, who
art God, also the resurrection
and life of the dead, give us
leave to declare thy mysteries,
which we saw after death, belonging
to thy cross; for we are sworn by
thy name.
2 For thou hast forbidden thy
servants to declare the secret
things, which were wrought by
thy divine power in hell.
3 When we were Placed with
our fathers in the dept of hell,
in the blackness of darkness,
on a sudden there appeared the
colour of the sun like gold,
and a substantial purple-coloured
light enlightening the place.
4 Presently upon this, Adam,
the father of all mankind, with
all the patriarchs and prophets,
rejoiced and said, That light is the
author of everlasting light, who
hath promised to translate us to
everlasting light.
5 Then Isaiah the prophet cried
out and said, This is the light
of the Father, and the Son of God,
according to my prophecy, when I
was alive upon earth.
6 The land of Zabulon, and the
land of Nephthalim, beyond Jordan,
a people who walked in darkness,
saw a great light; and to them
who dwelled in the region of the
shadow of death, light is arisen.
And now he is come, and hath
enlightened us who sat in death.
7 And while we were all rejoicing
in the light which shone upon us,
our father Simeon came among us,
and congratulating all the company,
said, Glorify the Lord Jesus Christ
the Son of God.
8 Whom I took up in my arms when
an infant in the temple, and
being moved by the Holy Ghost,
said to him, and acknowledged,
That now mine eyes have seen thy
salvation, which thou hast prepared
before the face of all people; a
light to enlighten the Gentiles,
and the glory of thy people Israel.
9 All the saints who were in
the depth of hell, hearing this,
rejoiced the more.
10 Afterwards there came forth
one like a little hermit, and was
asked by every one, Who art thou?
11 To which he replied, I am
the voice of one crying in the
wilderness, John the Baptist, and
the prophet of the Most High, who
went before his coming to prepare
his way, to give the knowledge of
salvation to his people for the
forgiveness of sins.
12 And I, John, when I saw
Jesus coming to me, being moved
by the Holy Ghost, I said, Behold
the Lamb of God, behold him who
takes away the sins of the world.
13 And I baptized him in the
river Jordan, and saw the Holy
Ghost descending upon him in the
form of a dove, and heard a voice
from heaven saying, This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.
14 And now while I was going
before him, I came down hither to
acquaint you, that the Son of God
will next visit us, and, as the
day-spring from on high, will come to
us, who are in darkness and the
shadow of death.