{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c005\">He who had brought me up, sold me to one Rhode\r\nin Rome.<a id=\"r1537\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1537\"><sup>[1537]</sup></a> Many years after this I recognised\r\nher, and I began to love her as a sister. Some\r\ntime after, I saw her bathe in the river Tiber; and\r\nI gave her my hand, and drew her out of the river. The\r\nsight of her beauty made me think with myself, “I should be\r\na happy man if I could but get a wife as handsome and good\r\nas she is.” This was the only thought that passed through\r\nme: this and nothing more. A short time after this, as I was\r\nwalking on my road to the villages,<a id=\"r1538\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1538\"><sup>[1538]</sup></a> and magnifying the\r\ncreatures of God, and thinking how magnificent, and beautiful,\r\nand powerful they are,<a id=\"r1539\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1539\"><sup>[1539]</sup></a> I fell asleep. And the Spirit\r\ncarried me away, and took me through a pathless place,<a id=\"r1540\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1540\"><sup>[1540]</sup></a>\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_324\">324</span>through which a man could not travel, for it was situated in\r\nthe midst of rocks; it was rugged and impassable on account\r\nof water. Having passed over this river, I came to a plain.\r\nI then bent down on my knees, and began to pray to the\r\nLord,<a id=\"r1541\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1541\"><sup>[1541]</sup></a> and to confess my sins. And as I prayed, the heavens\r\nwere opened, and I see the woman whom I had desired\r\nsaluting me from the sky, and saying, “Hail, Hermas!”\r\nAnd looking up to her, I said, “Lady, what doest thou\r\nhere?” And she answered me, “I have been taken up\r\nhere to accuse you of your sins before the Lord.” “Lady,”\r\nsaid I, “are you to be the subject of my accusation?”<a id=\"r1542\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1542\"><sup>[1542]</sup></a>\r\n“No,” said she; “but hear the words which I am going to\r\nspeak to you. God, who dwells in the heavens, and made\r\nout of nothing the things that exist, and multiplied and increased\r\nthem on account of His holy church, is angry with\r\nyou for having sinned against me.” I answered her, “Lady,\r\nhave I sinned against you? How?<a id=\"r1543\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1543\"><sup>[1543]</sup></a> or when spoke I an\r\nunseemly word to you? Did I not always think of you as\r\na lady? Did I not always respect you as a sister? Why\r\ndo you falsely accuse me of this wickedness and impurity?”\r\nWith a smile she replied to me, “The desire of wickedness<a id=\"r1544\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1544\"><sup>[1544]</sup></a>\r\narose within your heart. Is it not your opinion that a righteous\r\nman commits sin when an evil desire arises in his heart?\r\nThere is sin in such a case, and the sin is great,” said she;\r\n“for the thoughts of a righteous man should be righteous.\r\nFor by thinking righteously his character is established in\r\nthe heavens,<a id=\"r1545\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1545\"><sup>[1545]</sup></a> and he has the Lord merciful to him in every\r\nbusiness. But such as entertain wicked thoughts in their\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_325\">325</span>minds are bringing upon themselves death and captivity;\r\nand especially is this the case with those who set their\r\naffections on this world, and glory in their riches, and look\r\nnot forward to the blessings of the life to come. For many\r\nwill their regrets be; for they have no hope, but have despaired\r\nof themselves and their life.<a id=\"r1546\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1546\"><sup>[1546]</sup></a> But do thou pray to\r\nGod, and He will heal thy sins, and the sins of thy whole\r\nhouse, and of all the saints.”</p>","headings":["The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers","THE PASTOR OF HERMAS.","BOOK FIRST.—VISIONS.","VISION FIRST. AGAINST FILTHY AND PROUD THOUGHTS, AND THE CARELESSNESS OF HERMAS IN CHASTISING HIS SONS."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg77576-paragraph-663"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"7713647b7b298ff0c14d0bbd2b0885c61f229941f9c08a907212d99502a6c9bb","edition_title":"The writings of the Apostolic Fathers","edition_translators":["Alexander Roberts","James Donaldson","Frederick Crombie"],"edition_year":1870,"explicit_reference_candidates":[],"headings":[],"id":"pg77576-f1546","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Project Gutenberg metadata: Public domain in the USA. Historical 1870 English edition; electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"f1546","source_ebook":77576,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f1546\">\n<p class=\"c006\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r1546\">1546</a>. </span><i>For many ... life.</i> For the minds of such become empty. Now this\r\nis what the doubters do who have no hope in the Lord, and despise and\r\nneglect their life—<i>Vat.</i> Their souls not having the hope of life, do not\r\nresist these luxuries; for they despair of themselves and their life.—<i>Pal.</i></p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"5cef11d737d7f5d65aa99f44ca2d8e967d725f3bed872960330e88c0905597a9","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/77576/pg77576-images.html#f1546","text_sha256":"cef9c810ff582c84d6d3d3aa81bd13270d070e4a691aecb22cb1c74bb62397fa","verified":false,"work_id":null}