Similitude Fifth.
Of True Fasting and Its Reward: Also of Purity of Body.
Chap. I.
While fasting and sitting on a certain mountain, and giving thanks to the Lord for all
His dealings with me, I see the Shepherd sitting down beside me, and saying, “Why have
you come hither [so] early in the morning?” “Because, sir,” I answered, “I have a station.”263
“What is a station?” he asked. “I am fasting, sir,” I replied. “What is this fasting,” he contin-
ued, “which you are observing?” “As I have been accustomed, sir,” I reply, “so I fast.” “You
do not know,” he says, “how to fast unto the Lord: this useless fasting which you observe to
Him is of no value.” “Why, sir,” I answered, “do you say this?” “I say to you,” he continued,
“that the fasting which you think you observe is not a fasting. But I will teach you what is a
full and acceptable fasting to the Lord. Listen,” he continued: “God does not desire such an
empty fasting.264 For fasting to God in this way you will do nothing for a righteous life; but
offer to God a fasting of the following kind: Do no evil in your life, and serve the Lord with
a pure heart: keep His commandments, walking in His precepts, and let no evil desire arise
in your heart; and believe in God. If you do these things, and fear Him, and abstain from
every evil thing, you will live unto God; and if you do these things, you will keep a great fast,
and one acceptable before God.”
Chap. II.
“Hear the similitude which I am about to narrate to you relative to fasting. A certain
man had a field and many slaves, and he planted a certain part of the field with a vineyard,265
and selecting a faithful and beloved and much valued slave, he called him to him, and said,
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‘Take this vineyard which I have planted, and stake266 it until I come, and do nothing else
to the vineyard; and attend to this order of mine, and you shall receive your freedom from
me.’ And the master of the slave departed to a foreign country. And when he was gone, the
slave took and staked the vineyard; and when he had finished the staking of the vines, he
saw that the vineyard was full of weeds. He then reflected, saying, ‘I have kept this order of
my master: I will dig up the rest of this vineyard, and it will be more beautiful when dug up;
and being free of weeds, it will yield more fruit, not being choked by them.’ He took, therefore,
and dug up the vineyard, and rooted out all the weeds that were in it. And that vineyard
became very beautiful and fruitful, having no weeds to choke it. And after a certain time
263 [This anachronism betrays the later origin of “The Pastor.” The Pauline Hermas would not have used
this technical term. These fasts were very early fixed by canon for Wednesdays and Fridays. See Canon lxix. of
canons called “Apostolical;” also Bingham, book xiii. cap. 9, and this volume, p. 34, note 4.]
264 [See cap. iii. of this similitude.]
265 The Vatican adds, “for his successors.”
266 i.e., attach the vines to stakes.
Similitude Fifth. Of True Fasting and Its Reward: Also of Purity of Body.
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Similitude Fifth. Of True Fasting and Its Reward: Also of Purity of Bo…