f Senses. should be derstand nothing at all: but if at any time they chance to hear any thing concerning the Lord, their thoughts are upon their business. g 13 But they that have the fear of the Lord, and search out the truth concerning God, The Latin having all their thoughts towards the Lord, Habe apprehend whatsoever is said to them, and forthwith understand it, because they have the fear of the Lord in them. Habentes, 14 For where the Spirit of the Lord dwells, Gr. there is also much understanding added. Wherefore join thyself to the Lord, and thou The Lamb. shalt understand all things. Συνεσις νολλη. MS. Omnia acies. j Gr. Contribulat. 15 Learn now, O unwise man! how sadness 'troubleth the Holy Spirit, and how it εκτρίβει. MS. Lamb. Saves. When a man that is doubtful is engaged in any affair, and does not accomplish it by reason of his doubting; this sadness enters into him, and grieves the Holy Spirit, and makes him sad. 16 Again, anger, when it overtakes any man for any business, he is greatly moved; * and then again sadness entereth into the heart of him who was moved with anger, and he is troubled for what he hath done, and repenteth because he hath done amiss. 17 This sadness therefore seemeth to bring salvation, because he repenteth of his evil deed. But both the other things, namely, doubting and sadness, such as before was k in the Greck of Athanasius, follows, nai toinon ti xaxov. And he doth something which is ill. Which better agrees with what follows: Because he hath done amiss. The text in this place being evidently corrupted, it has been endeavoured to restore the true sense of it from the Greek of Athanasius, which is as follows: Пan Xo εισπορεύεται εις την καρδίαν του ανθρωπου του οξυχολησαντος, και λυπείται επι τη πράξει αυτου η επραξεν και μετανοεί οτι πονηρον ειργασατο. Αυτη ουν η λυπη δοκεί σωτηρ αν εχειν, οτι το πονηρον πραξας μετενόησεν. Αμφιτεραι δε των πράξεων λυπουσι, &c. mentioned, vex the Spirit: doubting, because his work did not succeed; and sadness, because he angered the Holy Spirit. ! Antioch. Μη θλίβε, 18 Remove therefore sadness from thyself; Hom. XXV. "and afflict not the Holy Spirit which dwelleth Greek, in thee; lest he " entreat God; and depart from MS. Lamb. thee. For the Spirit of the Lord, which is Greek, given to dwell in the flesh, endureth no such Mni evreversadness. Noli nocere. n ται τω θεώ, Comp. Rom. vii. 27. Το δοθέν εις σαρκα, 19 Wherefore clothe thyself with cheerful-Greek, ness, which has always favour with the Lord, T and thou shalt rejoice in it. For every cheer- raunv ful man does well; and relishes those things pepe. that are good, and despises sadness. 9 λε πην ουκ υπο ? Greek. λυπης. So ο δε λυπηρος Πρώτον μεν 20 But the sad man does always wickedly. First, he doth wickedly because he grieveth 7 so the Gr. the Holy Spirit, which is given to man being arep navior of a cheerful nature. And again he does ill, overa because he prays with sadness unto the Lord, operisal, and maketh not first a thankful acknowledgment unto him of former mercies; and obtains not of God what he asks. 21 For the prayer of a sad man has not always efficacy to come up to the altar of God. And I said unto him, Sir, why has not the prayer of a sad man virtue to come up to the altar of God? Because, said he, that sadness remaineth in his heart. 22 When therefore a man's prayer shall be accompanied with sadness, it will not suffer his requests to ascend pure to the altar of God. For as wine, when it is mingled with vinegar, has not the sweetness it had before; so sadness being mixed with the Holy Spirit, suffers not a man's prayer to be the same that it would be otherwise. 23 Wherefore cleanse thyself from sadness, which is evil, and thou shalt live unto &c. God. And all others shall live unto God, as many as shall lay aside sadness, and put on cheerfulness. the living. COMMAND XI. That the spirits and prophets are to be tried by their works, and of a twofold spirit. HE showed me certain men sitting upon benches, and one sitting in a chair; and he said unto me, Seest thou those who sit upon the benches? Sir, said I, I see them. He answered, They are the faithful; and he who sits in the chair, is an earthly spirit. Church of 2 For he cometh not into the assembly of the faithful, but avoids it. But he joins himself to the doubtful and empty; and prophesies to them in corners and hidden places; and pleases them by speaking according to all the desires of their hearts. • Have the Spirit of God "Something 3 For he placing himself among empty in them. vessels, is not broken, but the one fitteth the Exinanitur. other. But when he cometh into the company was wanting of just men, who are full of the Spirit of God, to make the and they pray unto the Lord, that man is emptied, because that earthly spirit flies from Archbishop him, and he is dumb, and cannot speak any Grabe, that thing. in this place subject clear, and it was suggested to Wake,by Dr. what should have follow ed was trans next Command. Accordingly the 4 As if in a store-house you shall stop up posed into the wine or oil; and among those vessels shall place an empty jar; and shall afterwards come Archbishop to open it, you shall find it empty as you to stopped it up: so those empty prophets, when they come among the spirits of the just, are their true or- found to be such as they came." reduced both places what he conceived should be der, and in that they stand. state now 5 ¶ I said, How then shall a man be able to discern them? Consider what I am going to D say concerning both kinds of men; and as I Vessels. speak unto thee, so shalt thou prove the prophet of God, and the false prophet. 6 And first try the man who hath the Spirit of God; because the Spirit which is from above is humble and quiet; and departs from all wickedness; and from the vain desires of the present world; and makes himself more humble than all men; and answers to none when he is asked; nor to every one singly: for the Spirit of God doth not speak to a man when he will, but when God pleases. 7 When therefore a man who hath the Spirit of God shall come into the church of the righteous, who have the faith of God, and they pray unto the Lord; then the holy angel of God fills that man with the blessed Spirit, and he speaks in the congregation as he is moved of God. 8 Thus therefore is the Spirit of God known, because whosoever speaketh by the Spirit of God, speaketh as the Lord will. 9 Hear now concerning the earthly spirit, which is empty and foolish, and without virtue. And first of all the man who is supposed to have the Spirit (whereas he hath it not in reality), exalteth himself, and desires to have the first seat, and is wicked, and full of words; 10 And spends his time in pleasure, and in all manner of voluptuousness; and receives the reward of his divination; which if he receives not, he does not divine. 11 Should the Spirit of God receive reward and divine? It doth not become a prophet of God so to do. 12 Thus you see the life of each of these kind of prophets. Wherefore prove that man Vid .Anti och. Hom.' by his life and works, who says that he hath the Holy Spirit. And believe the Spirit which comes from God, and has power as such. But believe not the earthly and empty spirit, which is from the devil, in whom there is no faith nor virtue. 13 Hear now the similitude which I am about to speak unto thee. Take a stone, and throw it up towards heaven; or take a spout of water, and mount it up thitherward; and see if thou canst reach unto heaven. 14 Sir, said I, How can this be done? For neither of those things which you have mentioned, are possible to be done. And he answered, Therefore, as these things cannot be done, so is the earthly spirit without virtue, and without effect. 15 Understand yet further the power which cometh from above, in this similitude. The grains of hail that drop down are exceeding small; and yet when they fall upon the head of a man, how do they cause pain to it? 16 And again; consider the droppings of a house; how the little drops falling upon the earth, work a hollow in the stones. 17 So in like manner, the least things which come from above, and fall upon the earth, have great force. Wherefore join thyself to this spirit, which has power; and depart from the other, which is empty. COMMAND XII. Of a twofold desire that the commands of God are not impossible: and that the devil is not to be feared by them that believe. AGAIN he said unto me, "Remove from lxxiv. thee all evil desires, and put on good and ho |