therefore fear the Lord and thou shalt live unto Him. And as many as fear Him, and keep His commandments shall live unto God." "Where

fore," said I," didst thou say concerning those that keep His commandments, that they shall live unto God." "Because," he replied, "the whole creation feareth the Lord, but keepeth not His commandments. But the life of them that fear Him and keep his commandments is with God; but as for those that keep not His commandments there is no life in them."

"I

The Eighth Commandment.

On the Avoidance of Evil and the Following of Good.

SAID unto thee that the creatures of God are

twofold, for temperance is also twofold. For with regard to some things it is right to be temperate, with regard to others not." "Explain to me," I said, "Master, as to what things it is right to be temperate, and as to what it is not right." "Listen," said he, "be temperate with regard to evil, and do it not; but be not temperate with regard to good, but do it. For if thou refrain from doing good thou committest a great sin; but if thou refrain from doing evil, thou workest great righteousness; refrain, therefore, from doing evil, and do that which is good." "How many, O Master," I say unto him, "are the sins from which it behoveth that we should

refrain ourselves." "Listen," he said; " from adultery and fornication, from the lawlessness of drunkenness, from evil pride, from many meats, from the extravagance of wealth, from vanity, from pride, from vain-glory, from lies, from evil speaking and hypocrisy, from malice and all other blasphemy.

These deeds are the most evil of all in the life of man; from these deeds, therefore, the servant of God must refrain himself. For he who refraineth not himself from these things is not able to live unto God. "Listen now," he said, "to the things that resemble and follow these." "What,” I said, "Master, are there still further evil deeds?" "Yea," he said, "there are many from which the servant of God must refrain himself: theft, lying, fraud, false-witness, coveteousness, evil concupiscence, deceit, vain-glory, boasting, and as many things as are like unto these. Thinkest thou not that these things are evil? Yea, they are very evil for the servants of God. From all these things he who serveth God must refrain himself. Refrain thou therefore from all these things, that thou mayest live unto God, and mayest be enrolled among those who refrain from them. Now, the things from which it behoveth thee to refrain are these. Hearken now unto the things that thou must not refrain from, but do. Refrain not from good, but do it." "But tell me," said I, "Master, the power of the things that are good, that I may walk in them and serve them, to the end that by doing them I may be able to be saved." 66 Listen," said he, "to those good works which thou must do and not refrain from. First of all faith, fear of the Lord, love, concord, the words of righteousness, truth, patience. There is nothing better than these in the life of man. If any one keep these, and refrain not from them, he is happy in his life. Then hearken to

the things that follow upon these. To assist the widows, to visit the orphans and the poor, to redeem the servants of God from their necessities, to be hospitable, for in hospitality is the doing of good, never to resist any one, to be quiet, to be poorer than all other men, to respect the aged, to practise justice, to guard the brotherhood, to endure insolence, to be long-suffering, to comfort those that are weary in spirit, not to cast away from the faith those that have stumbled, but to convert them and make them of good cheer, to rebuke those that sin, not to trouble debtors or the needy, and if there be any other things like unto these. Seemeth it unto thee," he saith, "that these things are good?" "What, Master," I said, "can be better than these?" "Walk thou in them," He said; "refrain not from them, and thou shalt live unto God. Keep, therefore, this commandment; if thou do what is good and refrain not from it thou shalt live unto God. Yea, all who act thus shall live unto God; and again, if thou do not evil, but refrain from it, thou shall live unto God; and all shall live unto God if they keep these commandments and walk in them."

HE

The Ninth Commandment.

On Prayer.

E saith unto me, "Remove doubt from thyself, and doubt not to ask anything from God. Neither say within thyself, How can I ask and receive from the Lord after that I have committed so many sins against Him? Reason not thus with thyself, but turn unto the Lord with thy whole heart and ask from Him, nothing doubting, and thou shalt know His great compassion, that He will not abandon thee, but will fulfil the request of thy soul. For He is not as men who bear malice, but He himself is without malice and hath compassion on his work. Do thou, therefore, purify thy heart from all the vanities of this world, and from the words that have been before spoken unto thee, and thou shalt receive all things and shalt not miss any of thy requests, even whatsoever thou shalt ask of the Lord without doubting. But if thou doubt in thy heart thou shalt receive none of thy requests, for they who doubt with regard to God are doubleminded, and obtain none of their requests at all. But they who are perfect in the faith ask for everything, trusting in the Lord, and receive, because they ask