by His glorious counsel has surrounded His creation with beauty, and by His strong word has fixed the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth upon the waters, and by His own wisdom and providence[1562] has created His holy[1563] church, which He has blessed, lo! He removes[1564] the heavens and the mountains,[1565] the hills and the seas, and all things become plain to His elect, that He may bestow on them the blessing which He has promised them, with much glory and joy, if only they shall keep the commandments of God which they have received in great faith.” CHAP. IV. When she had ended her reading, she rose from the chair, and four young men came and carried off the chair and went away to the east. And she called me to herself and touched my breast, and said to me, “Have you been pleased with my reading?” And I say to her, “Lady, the last words please me, but the first are cruel and harsh.” Then she said to me, “The last are for the righteous: the first are for heathens and apostates.” And while she spoke to me, two men appeared and raised her on their shoulders, and they went to where the chair was in the east. With joyful countenance did she depart; and as she went, she said to me, “Behave like a man,[1566] Hermas.” Footnote 1537: The commencement varies. In the Vatican: “He who had brought me up, sold a certain young woman at Rome. Many years after this I saw her and recognised her.” So Lips.; Pal. has the name of the woman, Rada. The name Rhode occurs in Acts xii. 13. Footnote 1538: “On my road to the villages.” This seems to mean: as I was taking a walk into the country, or spending my time in travelling amid rural scenes. So the Æthiopic version. “Proceeding with these thoughts in my mind.”—_Vat._ “After I had come to the city of Ostia.”—_Pal._ “Proceeding to some village.”—_Lips._ Footnote 1539: _Creatures._ Creature or creation.—_Lips._, _Vat._, _Æth._ Footnote 1540: _Pathless place._ Place on the right hand.—_Vat._ Footnote 1541: _Lord._ God.—_Sin._ alone. Footnote 1542: _Are you to be the subject of my accusation?_ Are you to accuse me?—_Vat._, _Lips._, _Æth._ Footnote 1543: _How?_ In what place?—_Vat._, _Sin._ Footnote 1544: _Wickedness._ The desire of fornication.—_Lips._ Footnote 1545: Literally, His glory is made straight in the heavens. As long as his thoughts are righteous and his way of life correct, he will have the Lord in heaven merciful to him.—_Vat._ When he thinks righteously, he corrects himself, and his grace will be in heaven, and he will have the Lord merciful in every business.—_Pal._ His dignity will be straight in the skies.—_Æth._ Footnote 1546: