clasping her hands, is called Faith. Through her the elect of God are saved.109 Another, who
has her garments tucked up110 and acts with vigour, is called Self-restraint. She is the
daughter of Faith. Whoever then follows her will become happy in his life, because he will
restrain himself from all evil works, believing that, if he restrain himself from all evil desire,
he will inherit eternal life.” “But the others,” said I, “O Lady, who are they?” And she said
to me, “They are daughters of each other. One of them is called Simplicity, another Guile-
lessness, another Chastity, another Intelligence, another Love. When then you do all the
works of their mother,111 you will be able to live.” “I should like to know,” said I, “O Lady,
what power each one of them possesses.” “Hear,” she said, “what power they have. Their
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powers are regulated112 by each other, and follow each other in the order of their birth. For
from Faith arises Self-restraint; from Self-restraint, Simplicity; from Simplicity, Guilelessness;
from Guilelessness, Chastity; from Chastity, Intelligence; and from Intelligence, Love. The
deeds, then, of these are pure, and chaste, and divine. Whoever devotes himself to these,
and is able to hold fast by their works, shall have his dwelling in the tower with the saints
of God.” Then I asked her in regard to the ages, if now there is the conclusion. She cried out
with a loud voice, “Foolish man! do you not see the tower yet building? When the tower is
finished and built, then comes the end; and I assure you it will be soon finished. Ask me no
more questions. Let you and all the saints be content with what I have called to your remem-
brance, and with my renewal of your spirits. But observe that it is not for your own sake
only that these revelations have been made to you, but they have been given you that you
may show them to all. For113 after three days—this you will take care to remember—I
command you to speak all the words which I am to say to you into the ears of the saints,
that hearing them and doing them, they may be cleansed from their iniquities, and you
along with them.”
Chap. IX.
Give ear unto me, O Sons: I have brought you up in much simplicity, and guilelessness,
and chastity, on account of the mercy of the Lord,114 who has dropped His righteousness
down upon you, that ye may be made righteous and holy115 from all your iniquity and de-
pravity; but you do not wish to rest from your iniquity. Now, therefore, listen to me, and
109 [Salvation is ascribed to faith; and works of faith follow after, being faith in action.]
110 [Girded rather, the loins compressed.]
111 [Their mother is Faith (ut supra), and works of faith are here represented as deriving their value from
faith only.]
112 Regulated. They have equal powers, but their powers are connected with each other.—Vat.
113 [Appearently for fasting, and to wait for the appearance of the interpreter, in cap. x.]
114 The Lord. God.—Vat. [See Hos. x. 12.]
115 Or, that ye may be justified and sanctified.
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Vision Third. Concerning the Building of the Triumphant Church, and the…