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then, said he, in these commandments, and do not depart from them. For if thou shalt keep all these
commandments, thou shalt live unto God. And all they that shall keep these commandments shall live unto
God.
COMMAND IX.
That we must ask of God daily;
and without doubting.
AGAIN he said unto me; remove from thee all doubting; and question nothing at all when thou askest any
thing of the Lord; saying within thyself, how shall I be able to ask any thing of the Lord and receive it, seeing
I have so greatly sinned against him?
2 Do not think thus, but turn unto the Lord with all thy heart, and ask of him without doubting, and thou shalt
know the mercy of the Lord; bow that he will not forsake thee, but will fulfil the request of thy soul.
3 For God is not as men, mindful of the injuries he has received; but he forgets injuries, and has compassion
upon his creature.
4 Wherefore purify thy heart from all the vices of this present world; and observe the commands I have
before delivered unto thee from God; and thon shall receive whatsoever good things thoushalt ask, and
nothing shall be wanting unto thee of all thy petitions; if thou shalt ask of the Lord without doubting.
5 But they that are not such, shall obtain none of those things which they ask. For they that are full of faith,
ask all things with confidence, and receive from the Lord, because they ask without doubting. But he that
doubts, shall hardly live unto God, except he repent.
6 Wherefore purify thy heart from doubting, and put on faith, and trust in God, and thou shall receive all that
thou shalt ask. But if thou shouldest chance to ask something, and not immediately receive it, yet do not
therefore doubt, because thou hast not presently received the petition of thy soul.
7 For it may be thou shalt not presently receive it for thy trial, or else for some sin which thou knowest not.
But do not thou leave off to ask, and then thou shalt receive. Else if thou shalt cease to ask, thou must
complain of thyself, and not of God, that he has not given unto thee what thou didst desire.
8 Consider therefore this doubting how cruel and pernicious it is; and how it utterly roots out many from the
faith, who were very faithful and firm. For this doubting is the daughter of the Devil, and deals very wickedly
with the servants of God.
9 Despise it therefore, and thou shalt rule over it on every occasion. Put on a firm and powerful faith: for faith
promises all things and perfects all things. But doubting will not believe that it shall obtain any thing by all
that it can do.
10. Thou seest therefore, says he, how faith cometh from above from God; and hath great power. But
doubting is an earthly spirit, and proceedeth from the Devil, and has no strength.
THE SECOND PART OF THE BOOK OF HERMAS, CALLED HIS COMMANDS. 25
Forbidden Gospels and Epistles, v9
11 Do thou therefore keep the virtue of faith, and depart from doubting, in which is no virtue, and thou shalt
live unto God. And all shall live unto God, as many as do these things.
COMMAND X.
Of the sadness of the heart; and that
we must take, heed not to grieve the
spirit of God that is in us.
PUT all sadness far from thee; for it is the sister of doubting and of anger. How, sir, said I is it the sister of
these? For sadness, and anger, and doubting, seem to me to be very different from one another.
2 And he answered: Art thou without sense that thou dost not understand it? For sadness is the most
mischievous of all spirits, and the worst to the servants of God: It destroys the spirits of all men, and torments
the Holy Spirit, and it saves again.
3 Sir, said I, I am very foolish, and understand not these things. I cannot apprehend how it can torment, and
yet save. Hear, said he, and understand. They who never sought out the truth, nor inquired concerning the
majesty of God, but only believed, are involved in the affairs of the heathen.
4 And there is another lying prophet that destroys the minds of the servants of God; that is of those that are
doubtful, not of those that fully trust in the Lord. Now those doubtful persons come to him, as to a divine
spirit, and inquire of him what shall befall them.
5 And this lying prophet, having no power in him of the Divine Spirit, answers them according to their
demands, and fills their souls with promises according as they desire. Howbeit that prophet is vain, and
answers vain things to those who are themselves vain.
6 And whatsoever is asked of him by vain men, he answers them vainly; nevertheless he speaketh some
things truly. For the Devil fills him with his spirit, that he may overthrow some of the righteous.
7 Whosoever therefore are strong in the faith of the Lord, and have put on the truth; they are not joined to
such spirits, but depart from them. But they that are doubtful, and often repenting, like the heathens, consult
them, and heap up to themselves great sin, serving idols.
8 As many therefore as are such, inquire of them upon every occasion; worship idols, and are foolish; and
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