The Shepherd of Hermas

Put on, therefore, joyfulness, which always[*](Joyfulness) has favour with God and is acceptable to him, and

But the mournful man always does wickedly. First of all he does wickedly because he grieves the Holy Spirit, which is given to man in joyfulness, and secondly he grieves the Holy Spirit by doing wickedly, not praying nor confessing to the Lord. For the intercession of the mournful man has nowhere power to ascend to the altar of God.

Why, said I, does not the intercession of the mournful man ascend to the altar? Because, said he, grief sits in his heart. Therefore, the grief which is mixed with his intercession does not permit the intercession to ascend in purity to the altar. For just as vinegar mixed with wine has not the same agreeableness, so also grief mixed with the Holy Spirit, has not the same power of intercession.

Therefore purify yourself from this wicked grief, and you shall live to God, and all shall live to God who cast away from themselves grief, and put on all joyfulness.

He showed me men sitting on a bench,[*](συμφέλλιον cannot be here translated by the same word as in Vis. III. i. 4. Here it is the bench of the learner as opposed to the chair of the teacher.) and[*](False and true prophets) another man sitting on a chair, and he said to me: Do you see the men sitting on the bench? Yes, sir, said I; I see them. They, said he, are faithful, and he who is sitting on the chair is a false prophet, who is corrupting the understanding

Therefore these double-minded men come to him as to a wizard, and ask him concerning their future; and that false prophet, having no power of the Divine Spirit in himself, speaks with them according to their requests, and according to the desires of their wickedness, and fills their souls, as they themselves wish.

For he is empty and makes empty answers to empty men; for whatever question is put he answers according to the emptiness of the man. But he also speaks some true words, for the devil fills him with his spirit, to see if he can break any of the righteous.

Therefore, as many as are strong in the faith of the Lord, and have put on the truth, do not cleave to such spirits, but refrain from them. But as many as are double-minded, and constantly repent, practise soothsaying, like the heathen, and bring greater shame upon themselves by their idolatry. For he who asks a false prophet concerning any act is an idolator, and empty of the truth and foolish.

For every spirit which is given from God is not asked questions, but has the power of the Godhead and speaks all things of itself, because it is from above, from the power of the Divine spirit.

But the spirit which is questioned and speaks according to the lusts of man is earthly and light, and has no power, and it does not speak at all unless it be questioned.

How, then, said I, sir, shall a man know which of them is a true prophet and which a false prophet? Listen, said he, concerning both the prophets, and as I shall tell

In the first place, he who has the spirit which is from above, is meek and gentle, and lowly-minded, and refrains from all wickedness and evil desire of this world, and makes himself poorer than all men, and gives no answers to anyone when he is consulted, nor does he speak by himself (for the Holy Spirit does not speak when a man wishes to speak), but he speaks at that time when God wishes him to speak.