The Shepherd of Hermas

I would like, sir, said I, to know in what way I must serve the good desire. Listen, said he, work righteousness, and virtue, and fear of the Lord, faith and meekness, and whatever good things are like to these. For by working these you will be a well-pleasing servant of God, and shall live to him, and whoever shall serve the good desire, shall live to God.

So he finished the twelve commandments,[*](Conclusion of Mandates) and said to me: You have these commandments; walk in them, and exhort those who hear that their repentance may be pure for the rest of the days of their life.

Fulfil carefully this ministry which I give you, and work much in it, for you will find favour with those who are about to repent, and they

I said to him, Sir, these commandments are great and beautiful and glorious, and able to make glad the heart of man, if he be able to keep them. But I do not know if these commandments can be kept by man, because they are very hard.

He answered and said to me, If you set it before yourself that they can be kept you will easily keep them, and they will not be difficult; but if it already comes into your heart that they cannot be kept by man, you will not keep them.

But now I say to you, if you do not keep them, but neglect them, you shall not have salvation, nor your children, nor your house, because you have already judged for yourself that these commandments cannot be kept by man.

And he spoke these things to me very angrily, so that I was confounded, and greatly afraid of him, for his appearance was changed so that a man could not endure his wrath.

But when he saw me quite disturbed and confused he began to speak to me more gently and cheerfully, and said: Foolish one without understanding and double-minded, do you not understand the glory of God, how great and

If, then, said he, man is the lord of all the creatures of God, and masters them, is it not possible to master these commandments also? The man, said he, who has the Lord in his heart, is able to master all things and all these commandments.

But those who have the Lord on their lips, but their heart is hardened, and they are far from the Lord, for them these commandments are hard, and difficult to walk in.

Do you, therefore, who are empty and light in the faith, put the Lord into your heart, and you shall know that nothing is easier or sweeter or more gentle than these commandments.