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| Commandment Tenth. Of Grief, and Not Grieving the Spirit of God Which is in Us.
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Of Grief, and Not Grieving the Spirit of God Which is in Us.
Chap. I.
“Remove from you,” says he, “grief;
for she is the sister of doubt and anger.” “How, sir,”
say I, “is she the sister of these? for anger, doubt, and grief
seem to be quite different from each other.” “You are
senseless, O man. Do you not perceive that grief is more wicked than
all the spirits, and most terrible to the servants of God, and more
than all other spirits destroys man and crushes out the Holy Spirit,
and yet, on the other hand, she saves him?” “I am senseless,
sir,” say I, “and do not understand these parables. For how
she can crush out, and on the other hand save, I do not perceive.”
“Listen,” says he. “Those who have never searched
for the truth, nor investigated the nature of the Divinity, but have
simply believed, when they devote themselves to and become mixed up with
business, and wealth, and heathen friendships, and many other actions of
this world,210
| 210 The Vat. has here
a considerable number of sentences, found in the Greek, the Palatine,
and the Æthiopic, in Commandment Eleventh. In consequence of this
transference, the Eleventh Commandment in the Vatican differs considerably
from the others in the position of the sentences, but otherwise it
is substantially the same. | do not perceive the parables of
Divinity; for their minds are darkened by these actions, and they are
corrupted and become dried up. Even as beautiful vines, when they are
neglected, are withered up by thorns and divers plants, so men who have
believed, and have afterwards fallen away into many of those actions above
mentioned, go astray in their minds, and lose all understanding in regard
to righteousness; for if they hear of righteousness, their minds are
occupied with their business,211
| 211
And … business. This part is omitted in the Leipzig Codex,
and is supplied from the Latin and Æthiopic translation. [Luke
viii. 14.] | and they give no heed at all. Those, on the other
hand, who have the fear of God, and search after Godhead and truth, and
have their hearts turned to the Lord, quickly perceive and understand
what is said to them, because they have the fear of the Lord in them.
For where the Lord dwells, there is much understanding. Cleave, then,
to the Lord, and you will understand and perceive all things.”
Chap. II.
“Hear, then,” says he, “foolish man,
how grief crushes out the Holy Spirit, and on the
other hand saves. When the doubting
man attempts any deed, and fails in it on account of his doubt, this
grief enters into the man, and grieves the Holy Spirit, and crushes
him out. Then, on the other hand, when anger attaches itself to a
man in regard to any matter, and he is embittered, then grief enters
into the heart of the man who was irritated, and he is grieved at the
deed which he did, and repents that he has wrought a wicked deed. This
grief, then, appears to be accompanied by salvation, because the man,
after having done a wicked deed, repented.212
Both actions grieve the Spirit: doubt, because
it did not accomplish its object; and anger grieves the Spirit,
because it did what was wicked. Both these are grievous to the Holy
Spirit—doubt and anger. Wherefore remove grief from you, and
crush not the Holy Spirit which dwells in you, lest he entreat God213
against you, and he withdraw from you. For the
Spirit of God which has been granted to us to dwell in this body does
not endure grief nor straitness. Wherefore put on cheerfulness, which
always is agreeable and acceptable to God,214
and rejoice in it. For every cheerful man does what is good, and
minds what is good, and despises grief;215
but the sorrowful man always acts wickedly. First, he acts
wickedly because he grieves the Holy Spirit, which was given to
man a cheerful Spirit. Secondly, Grieving the Holy Spirit,216
he works iniquity, neither entreating the Lord nor confessing217
| 217 ἐξομολογοὑμενος
one would expect here to mean “giving thanks,” a meaning
which it has in the New Testament: but as ἐξομολογοῦμαι
means to “confess” throughout the Pastor of Hermas,
it is likely that it means “confessing” here also. |
to Him. For the entreaty of the sorrowful man has no power to ascend
to the altar of God.” “Why,” say I, “does
not the entreaty of the grieved man ascend to the altar?”
“Because,” says he, “grief sits in his heart. Grief,
then, mingled with his entreaty, does not permit the entreaty to ascend
pure to the altar of God. For as vinegar and wine, when mixed in the
same vessel, do not give the same pleasure [as wine alone gives], so
grief mixed with the Holy Spirit does not produce the same entreaty
[as would be produced by the Holy Spirit alone]. Cleanse yourself from
this wicked grief, and you will live to God; and all will live to God
who drive away grief from them, and put on all cheerfulness.”218
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