SIMILITUDE IV.

As in the summer the living trees are distinguished from the dry by their fruit and green leaves; so in the world to come the righteous shall be distinguished from the unrighteous by their happiness.

AGAIN he showed me many other trees, of which some had leaves, and others appeared dry and withered. And he said unto me, Seest thou these trees? I answered, Sir, I see them; and some are dry, and others full of leaves.

2 These trees, saith he, which are green, are the righteous, which shall possess the world to come. For the world to come, is the summer to the righteous; but to sinners it is the winter.

3 When, therefore, the mercy of the Lord shall shine forth, then they who serve God shall be made manifest, and plain unto all. For as in the summer the fruit of every tree is shown and made manifest, so also the works of the righteous shall be declared and made manifest, and they shall all be restored in that world merry and joyful.

g

4 For the other kind of men, namely, the Nations. wicked, like the trees which thou sawest dry, shall as such be found dry and without fruit in that other world; and like dry wood shall be burnt; and it shall be made manifest that they have done evil all the time of their life;

5 And they shall be burnt, because they have sinned and have not repented of their sins. And also all the other nations shall be burnt, because they have not acknowledged God their Creator.

6 Do thou; therefore, bring forth good fruit,

that in the summer thy fruit may be known; and keep thyself from much business, and thou shalt not offend. For they who are involved in much business, sin much; because they are taken up with their affairs, and serve not God.

7 And how can a man that does not serve God ask any thing of God, and receive it? But they who serve him ask and receive what they desire.

8 But, if a man has only one thing to follow, he may serve God, because his mind is not taken off from God, but he serves him with a pure mind.

9 If, therefore, thou shalt do this, thou mayest have fruit in the world to come; and all, as many as shall do in like manner, shall bring forth fruit.

SIMILITUDE V.

Of a true fast, and the rewards of it; also of the cleanliness of the body.

h

AS I was fasting, and sitting down in a certain mountain, and giving thanks unto God With me. for all the things that he had done unto me, behold I saw the shepherd, who was wont to converse with me, sitting by me, and saying unto me, What has brought thee hither thus early in the morning? I answered, Sir, to-day Vid. Not. I keep a station. loc. pp. 72, 2 He answered, What is a station? I replied, it is a fast. He said, What is that fast? I answered, I fast as I have been wont to do. Ye know not, said he, what it is to fast unto

Coteler. in

73.

i

God; nor is this a fast which ye fast, profiting nothing with God.

3 Sir, said I, what makes you speak thus? He replied, I speak it, because this is not the true fast which you think you fast; but I will show you what that is which is a complete Coteler. fast, and acceptable unto God.

4 Hearken, said he; The Lord does not desire such a needless fast; for by fasting in this manner, thou advancest nothing in righteousness.

k

Ibid.

k

te verum

tale. Lat.

5 But the true fast is this: Do nothing Jejuna cerwickedly in thy life but serve God with a pure jejunium mind; and keep his commandments, and walk according to his precepts, nor suffer any wicked desire to enter into thy mind.

6 But trust in the Lord, that if thou dost these things, and fearest him, and abstainest from every evil work, thou shalt live unto God.

7 If thou shalt do this, thou shalt perfect a great fast, and an acceptable one unto the Lord.

8 ¶ Hearken unto the similitude which I am about to propose unto thee, as to this

matter.

9 A certain man having a farm, and many servants, planted a vineyard in a certain part of his estate for his posterity;

10 And taking a journey into a far country, chose one of his servants which he thought the most faithful and approved, and delivered the vineyard into his care, commanding him that he should stake up his vines. Which if he did, and fulfilled his command, he promised to give him his liberty. Nor did he command him to do any thing more; and so went into a far country.

11 After then that the servant had taken that charge upon him, he did whatsoever his lord commanded him. And when he had staked the vineyard, and found it to be full of weeds, he began to think with himself, saying,

12 I have done what my lord commanded me: I will now dig this vineyard, and when it is digged, it will be more beautiful; and the weeds being pulled up, it will bring forth more fruit, and not be choked by the weeds.

13 So setting about this work, he digged it, and plucked up all the weeds that were in it; and so the vineyard became very beautiful and prosperous, not being choked with

weeds.

14 After some time the lord of the vineyard comes and goes into the vineyard, and when he saw that it was handsomely staked, and digged, and the weeds plucked up that were in it, and the vines flourishing, he rejoiced greatly at the care of his servant.

15 And calling his son whom he loved, and who was to be his heir, and his friends with whom he was wont to consult, he tells them what he had commanded his servant to do, and what his servant had done more; and they immediately congratulated that servant, that Just a com he had received so full a testimony from his lord.

mendation.

16 Then he said unto them, I indeed promised this servant his liberty, if he observed the command which I gave him, and he observed it, and besides has done a good work to my vineyard, which has exceedingly pleased me.

17 Wherefore for this work which he hath done, I will make him my heir together with

my son; because that when he saw what was good, he neglected it not, but did it.

18 This design of the lord both his son and his friends approved, namely, that this servant should be heir together with his son.

19 Not long after this, the master of the family, calling together his friends, sent from his supper several kinds of food to that ser

vant.

20 Which when he had received, he took so much of them as was sufficient for himself, and divided the rest among his fellow servants.

21 Which when they had received, they rejoiced, and wished that he might find yet greater favor with his lord, for what he had done to them.

22 When his lord heard all these things, he was again filled with great joy, and, calling again his friends and his son together, he related to them what his servant had done with the meats which he had sent unto him.

23 They therefore so much the more assented to the master of the household, that he ought to make that servant his heir together with his son.

24 I said unto him, Sir, I know not these similitudes, neither can I understand them, unless you expound them unto me. I will, says he, expound all things unto thee whatsoever I have talked with thee, or shown unto thee.

25 Keep the commandments of the Lord, and thou shalt be approved, and shalt be written in the number of those that keep his commandments. But if besides those things which the Lord hath commanded, thou shalt add some good thing, thou shalt purchase to thyself a greater dignity, and be in more favor