The Shepherd of Hermas

What sort of luxuries, Sir, said I, are harmful? Every act which a man does with pleasure, said he, is luxury, for even the ill-tempered man, by giving satisfaction to his own temper, lives luxuriously. And the adulterer and drunkard and evil-speaker and liar, and the covetous and the robber, and he who does such things as these gives satisfaction to his own disease; therefore he lives in luxury from his own acts.

All these luxuries are harmful to the servants of God. Those, therefore, who are punished and tortured suffer, because of these deceits.

But there are also luxuries which bring men salvation, for many who do good luxuriate and are carried away with their own pleasure. This luxury therefore is profitable to the servants of God, and brings life to such a man. But the harmful luxuries spoken of already bring them torture and punishment. But if they continue in them and do not repent, they procure death for themselves.

After a few days I saw him in the same plain, where I had also seen the shepherds, and he said to