The Shepherd of Hermas
Hermas
Hermas. The Apostolic Fathers with an English translation by Kirsopp Lake. In Two Volumes. Vol. II. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd. 1913
The third vision which I saw, brethren, was as[*](The ancient lady comes again) follows:
I had fasted for a long time, and prayed
the Lord to explain to me the revelation which he had promised to show me through that ancient lady; and in the same night the ancient lady appeared to me and said to me: Since you are so importunate and zealous to know everything, come into the country, where you are farming, and at the fifth hour I will appear to you, and show you what you must see.I asked her, saying, Lady, to what part of the field? Where you like, she said. I chose a beautiful secluded spot; but before I spoke to her and mentioned the place she said to me, I will be there, where you wish.
I went, therefore, brethren, to the country, and I counted the hours, and I came to the spot where I had arranged for her to come, and I saw a couch of ivory[*](The couch of ivory) placed there, and on the couch there lay a linen pillow, and over it a covering of fine linen was spread out.
When I saw these things lying there, and no one in the place I was greatly amazed, and, as it were, trembling seized me and my hair stood on end. And, as it were, panic came to me because I was alone. When therefore I came to myself, and remembered the glory of God and took courage, I knelt down and confessed my sins again to the Lord, as I had also done before.
And she came with[*](The six young men) six young men, whom I had also seen on the former occasion, and stood by me, and listened to me praying and confessing my sins to the Lord. And
she touched me and said: Hermas! stop asking all these questions about your sins, ask also concerning righteousness, that you may take presently some part of it to your family.And she raised me up by the hand and took me to the couch and said to the young men: Go and build.
And after the young men had gone away and we were alone, she said to me: Sit here. I said to her: Lady, let the elders sit first.[*](The meaning is obscure: the elders is often explained as the Elders of the Church, but it is more probably a mere formula of politeness seniores priores. ) She said: Do what I tell you, and sit down.
Yet when I wished to sit[*](Hermas and the couch) on the right hand she would not let me, but signed to me with her hand to sit on the left. When therefore I thought about this, and was grieved because she did not let me sit on the right hand, she said to me: Are you sorry, Hermas? The seat on the[*](The place of the martyrs) right is for others, who have already been found well-pleasing to God and have suffered for the Name. But you fall far short of sitting with them. But remain in your simplicity as you are doing, and you shall sit with them, and so shall all who do their deeds and bear what they also bore.