The Shepherd of Hermas

I said to him: Sir, I hope that all who hear them will repent. For I am persuaded that each one who recognizes his own deeds and fears God will repent.

And he answered me and said: As many, said he, as repent with all their hearts, and purify themselves from the wickednesses which have been mentioned before, and no longer add anything to their sins, shall receive healing from the Lord for their former sins, if they are not double-minded as

But do you walk in my commandments and you shall live to God, and as many as walk in them and do rightly, shall live to God.

When he had showed me these things and had told me everything, he said to me: And the rest I will show yon after a few days.

After I had written the commandments and[*](Introduction) parables of the shepherd, the angel of repentance, he came to me and said to me: I wish to show you what the Holy Spirit which spoke with you in the form of the Church showed you, for that Spirit is the Son of God.

For since you were too weak in the flesh, it was not shown you by an angel. But when you were strengthened by the spirit, and made strong in your strength, so that you could also see an angel, then the building of the tower was shown to you by the Church. You saw all things well and holily as if from a virgin.[*](The point is that the form of the vision was accommodated to Hermas’ powers. It was at first sent in the form of a human being (the emphasis is on the humanity, not on the Virginity) and afterwards when he was stronger spiritually in the form of an angel.) But now you see them from an angel, yet through the same Spirit.

But