VISION III.

Of the building of the Church triumphant; and of the several sorts of reprobates.

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I. The vision which I saw, brethren, was this. When I had often fasted, and prayed unto the Lord that He would manifest unto me the revelation which He had promised by the old woman to show unto me, the same night she appeared unto me, and said unto me, "Because thou dost thus afflict thyself, and art so desirous to know all things, come into the field, where thou wilt; and about the sixth hour I will appear unto thee, and show thee what thou must see." I asked her, saying, "Lady, into what part of the field?" She answered, "Wherever thou wilt; only choose a good and a private place." And before I began to speak, and to tell her the place, she said unto me, I will come where thou wilt." I was therefore, brethren, in the field, and I observed the hours, and came into the place where I had appointed her to come. And I beheld a bench placed; it was a linen pillow, and over it spread a covering of fine linen. When I saw these things ordered in this manner, and that there was nobody in the place, I began to be astonished, and my hair stood on end, and a kind of horror seized me, for I was alone. But being come to myself, and calling to mind the glory of God, and taking courage, I fell down upon my knees, and began again to confess my sins as before. And whilst I was doing this, the old woman came thither with the six young men whom I had seen before, and stood behind me, as I was praying, and heard me praying and confessing my sins unto the Lord. And touching me, she said, "Leave off now to pray only for thy sins; pray also for righteousness, that thou mayest receive a part of her into thy house." And she lifted me up from the place, and took me by the hand, and brought me to the seat, and said to the young men, "Go, and build." As soon as they were departed, and we were alone, she said unto me, "Sit here." I answered her, "Lady, let those who are elder sit first." She replied, "Sit down as I bid you." And when I would have sat on the right side, she suffered me not, but made a sign to me with her hand that I should sit on the left. As I was therefore musing and full of sorrow, that she would

not suffer me to sit on the right side, she said unto me, "Hermas, why art thou sad? The place which is on the right hand, is theirs who have already attained unto God, and have suffered for His name's sake. But there is yet a great deal remaining unto thee, before thou canst sit with them. But continue, as thou dost, in thy sincerity, and thou shalt sit with them; as all others shall, that do their works, and shall bear what they have borne."

II. I said unto her, "Lady, I would know what it is that they have suffered?" "Hear then," said she, "Wild beasts, scourgings, imprisonments, and crosses, for His name's sake. For this cause, the right hand of holiness belongs to them, and to all others, as many as shall suffer for the name of God; but the left belongs to the rest. Howbeit, the gifts and the promises belong to both, to them on the right, and to those on the left hand; only that sitting on the right hand, they have some glory above the others. But thou art desirous to sit on the right hand with them; and yet thy defects are many. But thou shalt be purged from thy defect; as also all who doubt not shall be cleansed from all the sins which they have committed unto this day." And when she had said this, she would have departed; wherefore falling down before her feet, I began to entreat her, for the Lord's sake, that she would show the vision which she had promised. Then she again took me by the hand, and lifted me up, and made me sit upon the seat on the left side; and holding up a certain bright wand, said unto me, "Seest thou that great thing?" I replied, "Lady, I see nothing." She answered, "Dost thou not see over against thee a great tower, which is built upon the water, with bright square stones? For the tower was built upon a square by those six young men who came with her. But many thousands of other men brought stone: some drew them out of the deep: others carried them from the ground, and gave them to the six young men and they took them, and built. As for those stones which were drawn out of the deep, they put them all into the building; for they were polished, and their squares exactly answered one another; and so one was joined in such wise to the other, that there was no space to be seen where they joined; insomuch that the whole tower appeared to be built as it were of one stone. But as for the other stones that were taken off from the

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ground, some of them they rejected, others they fitted into
the building. As for those which were rejected, some they
cut out, and cast them at a distance from the tower; but
many others of them lay round about the tower, which they
made no use of in the building; for some of these were rough,
others had clefts in them, others were white and round, and
But I saw the other
not proper for the building of the tower.
stones cast afar off from the tower, and falling into the high-
way, and yet not continuing in the way, but were rolled from
the way into a desert place. Others I saw falling into the
fire, and burning; others fell near the water, yet could not
roll themselves into it, though very desirous to fall into the

water.

III. And when she had showed me these things, she would have departed. But I said unto her, "Lady, what does it "You are very profit me to see these things, and not understand what they mean?" She answered and said unto me, cunning, in that you are desirous to know those things which "Yea," said I, "lady, that I may relate to the tower.' declare them unto the brethren; and they may rejoice, and hearing these things, may glorify God with great glory." Then she said, "Many indeed shall hear them; and when they shall have heard them, some shall rejoice, and others weep. And yet even these, if they shall repent, shall rejoice too. Hear, therefore, what I shall say concerning the parable of the tower; and after this, be no longer importunate with me about the revelation. For these revelations have an end, seeing they are fulfilled; but thou dost not leave off to desire revelations, for thou art very urgent. As for the tower which thou seest built, it is I myself, namely, the Church, which has appeared to thee both now and heretofore; wherefore ask what thou wilt concerning the tower, and I will reveal it unto thee, that thou mayest rejoice with the saints. I said unto her, "Lady, because thou hast thought me once worthy to receive from thee the revelation of all these things, declare them unto me." She answered me, "Whatsoever is fit to be revealed unto thee, shall be revealed; only let thy heart be with the Lord, and doubt not, whatsoever thou shalt see." I asked her, "Lady, why is the tower built upon the water? She replied, "I said before to thee that thou wert very wise, to inquire diligently concerning the building, therefore thou shalt

find the truth. Hear, therefore, why the tower is built upon the water :-because your life is and shall be saved by water: for it is founded by the word of the Almighty and Honourable Name, and is supported by the invisible power and virtue of God."

IV. And I answering said unto her, "These things are very admirable; but, lady, who are those six young men that build?" "They are," said she, "the angels of God, which were first appointed, and to whom the Lord has delivered all His creatures to frame and build them up, and to rule over them; for by these the building of the tower shall be finished." "And who are the rest, who bring them stones ?" "They also are the holy angels of the Lord; but the other are more excellent than these. Wherefore, when the whole building of the tower shall be finished, they shall all feast together beside the tower, and shall glorify God, because the structure of the tower is finished." I asked her, saying, "I would know the condition of the stones, and the meaning of them, what it is ?" She answering said unto me," Art thou better than all others, that this should be revealed unto thee? for others are both before thee, and better than thou art, to whom these visions should be made manifest; nevertheless, that the name of God may be glorified, it has been, and shall be revealed unto thee, for the sake of those who are doubtful, and think in their hearts whether these things are so or not. Tell them that all these things are true; and that there is nothing in them that is not true; but all are firm, and truly established.

V. "Hear now then concerning the stones that are in the building. The square and white stones, which agree exactly in their joints, are the apostles, and bishops, and doctors, and ministers, who through the mercy of God have come in, and governed, and taught, and ministered holily and modestly to the elect of God, both that are fallen asleep and which yet remain; and have always agreed with them, and have had peace within themselves, and have heard each other. For which cause their joints exactly meet together in the building of the tower. They which are drawn out of the deep and put into the building, and whose joints agree with the other stones which are already built, are those which are already fallen asleep, and have suffered for the sake of the Lord's name." "And what are the other stones, lady, that are brought from the

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earth? I would know what they are." She answered, "They which lie upon the ground, and are not polished, are those which God has approved, because they have walked in the law of the Lord, and directed their ways in His commandments. They which are brought and put in the building of the tower, are the young in faith, and the faithful: and these are admonished by the angels to do well, because that iniquity is not found in them." But who are those whom they rejected, and laid beside the tower?" "They are such as have sinned, and are willing to repent; for which cause they are not cast far from the tower, because they will be useful for the building if they shall repent. They, therefore, that are yet to repent, if they shall repent, shall become strong in the faith; that is, if they repent now, whilst the tower is building. For if the building shall be finished, there will then be no place for them to be put in, but they shall be rejected: for he, only, has this privilege who shall now be put into the tower.

VI. "But would you know who they are that were cut out, and cast afar off from the tower?" "Lady," said I, "I desire it." "They are the children of iniquity, who believed only in hypocrisy, but departed not from their evil ways; for this cause they shall not be saved, because they are not of any use in the building, by reason of their sins: wherefore they are cut out, and cast afar off, because of the anger of the Lord, and because they have provoked Him to anger against them. As for the great number of other stones which thou hast seen placed about the tower, but not put into the building; those which are rugged are they who have known the truth, but have not continued in it, nor been joined to the saints, and therefore are unprofitable. Those that have clefts in them, are they who keep up discord in their hearts against each other, and live not in peace: that are friendly when present with their brethren, but, as soon as they are departed from one another, their wickedness still continues in their hearts: these are the clefts which are seen in those stones. Those that are maimed and short, are they who have believed, indeed, but still are in great measure full of wickedness; for this cause are they maimed, and not whole." "But what are the white and round stones, lady, and which are not proper for the building of the tower?" She answering, said unto me, "How long wilt thou continue foolish, and without understanding: asking every thing and