Apocryphal New Testament — Historical English Collection

Apocryphal New Testament — Hone/Wake/Jones — Section 60

82 He said unto me. Whoso- ever shall repent with all their hearts, and cleanse themselves from all the evils that I have before mentioned, and not add anything more to their sins, shall receive from the Lord the cure of their former iniquities, if they shall not make any doubt of these commands, and shall live unto God. 83 But they that shall con- tinue to add to their transgres- sions, and shall still converse with the lusts of the present world, shall condemn themselves unto death. But do thou walk in these commands, and whoso- ever shall walk in these, and ex- ercise them rightly, shall live unto God. 84 And having shewed me all these things, he said ; I will shew thee the rest in a few days. SIMILITUDE IX. The greatest mysteries of the militant and triumphant church which is to be built. AFTER I had written the Commands and Similitudes of the Shepherd, the Angel of Repentance ; he came unto me, and said to me, I will shew thee all those things which the ^Spir- it spake with thee under the figure of the Church. For that Spirit is the Son of God. 2 And because thou wert weak in body, it was not declared unto thee by the angel, until thou wert strengthened by the Spirit, and increased in force, that thou mightestalso see the angel. 3 For then indeed the build- ing of the tower was very well and gloriously shewn unto thee by the church ; nevertheless thou sawest all things shewn unto thee as it were by a virgin. 4 But now thou art enlight- ened by the angel, but yet by the same Spirit. But thou must consider all things diligently; for therefore am I sent into thy house by that venerable ^messen- ger, that when thou shalt have seen all things powerfully, thou mayest not be afraid as before. 5 And he led me to the ^height of a mountain in Arca- dia, and we sat upon its top. And he showed me a great plain, and about it twelve mountains in different figures. 6 The first was black as soot. The second was smooth, without herbs. The third was full of thorns and thistles. The fourth had herbs half dried ; of which the upper part was green, but that next the root was dry ; and ^ See above, Book I.