The suppressed Gospels and Epistles of the original New Testament of Jesus the Christ, Volume 9, HermasWake, William
Religion
The suppressed Gospels and Epistles of the original New Testament of Jesus the Christ, Volume 9, Hermas
Wake, William
Apocryphal books (New Testament)
232 Whosoever shall do on this
wise, are honoured with the Lord;
and their place is among the
angels, if they shall continue
to obey the Lord even unto the end.
233 As to the eleventh mountain
in which were trees loaded
with several sorts of fruit; they
are such as have believed, and
suffered death, for the name of the
Lord; and have endured with a
heavy mind, and have given up
their lives with all their hearts.
234 And I said, Why then, sir,
have all these fruit indeed, but yet
some fairer than others?
235 Hearken, said he: Whosoever
have suffered for the name of
the Lord are esteemed honourable
by the Lord; and all their offences
are blotted out, because they have
suffered death for the name of the
Son of God.
236 Hear now, why their fruits
are different, and some of them
excel others. They who were
brought before magistrates, and
being asked, denied not the Lord,
but suffered with a ready mind;
these are more honourable with
the Lord. The fruits therefore
that are the most fair are these.
237 But they who were fearful
and doubtful, and have deliberated
with themselves whether they
should confess or deny Christ, and
yet have suffered; their fruits are
smaller, because that this thought
came into their hearts.
238 For it is a wicked and evil
thought for a servant to deliberate
whether he should deny his master:
Take heed therefore ye who
have such thoughts, that this mind
Pontinrie not in you, and ye die
unto God.
239 But ye who suffer death for
his name sake, ought to honour
the Lord, that he has esteemed
you worthy to bear his name; and
that you should be delivered from
all your sins.
240 And why therefore do you
not rather esteem yourselves happy?
Ye think verily that if any
one among you suffer, he performs
a great work! Yet the Lord
giveth you life, and ye understand
it not. For your offences did
oppress you; and if you had not
suffered for his name sake, ye would
now be dead unto the Lord.
241 Wherefore I speak this unto
you who deliberate whether ye
should confess or deny him. Confess
that ye have the Lord for your
God, lest at any time denying him,
ye be delivered up into bonds.
242 For if all nations punish
their servants which deny their
masters; what think you that the
Lord will do unto you, who has
the power of all things?
243 Remove therefore out of
your hearts these doubts, that ye
may live for ever unto God.
244 As for the twelfth mountain,
which was white, they are
such as have believed like sincere
children, into whose thoughts
there never came any malice, nor
have they ever known what sin
was, but have always continued in
their integrity.
245 Wherefore this kind of men
shall without all doubt inherit the
kingdom of God; because they
have never in any thing defiled
the commandments of God, but
have continued with sincerity in
the same condition all the days of
their lives.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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