HE

The Eleventh Commandment.

On True and False Prophets.

E showed unto me men sitting on a seat, and another man sitting upon a chair, and said unto me, "Seest thou these men sitting upon a seat?" "I see them," I reply, "O Master." "These men," he said, " are faithful, but he who sitteth on a chair is a false prophet who destroyeth the understanding of the servants of God. But he destroyeth the understanding of the doubters, not of the faithful. These doubters come unto him as to a prophet, and ask him what will happen to them; and the false prophet, though he hath in himself no power of the divine spirit, speaketh to them in answer to their questions, and, according to their evil lusts, and he satisfieth their souls even as they wish. For he, being empty himself, returneth empty answers to empty questions. For whatever he be asked, he answereth according to the emptiness of the man; but certain of his sayings are true; for the devil filleth him with his spirit, if perchance he can break any of the just. As many therefore

66

as are strong in the faith of the Lord, having put on truth, cleave not unto such spirits, but refrain from them; but as many as are doubters, and frequently change their minds, use divination, even as the Gentiles do, and bring upon themselves greater sin by their idolatry. For he who consulteth a false prophet about any matter is an idolater, and empty of truth, and senseless. For every spirit that is given of God requireth not to be asked, but, having the power of godliness, speaketh all things of itself, because it is from above, even from the power of the Spirit of God; but the spirit that is asked, and that speaketh according to the lusts of men, is earthly and light, and hath no power, and speaketh not at all, unless it hath been asked." 'How, then," said I, "O Master, shall a man know which of them is a prophet, and which is a false prophet." "Listen," said he, " concerning both the prophets; and even as I am about to tell unto thee, so shalt thou test the prophet and the false prophet. By his life do thou test the man who hath the Spirit of God. In the first place, he who hath the Spirit of God that cometh from above, is gentle and quiet and humble, and abstaineth from all wickedness, and from the vain desire of this world, and maketh himself the poorest of all men, and returneth no answer to any one when he is asked, nor speaketh alone; nor doth the Holy Spirit speak when man wisheth him to speak; but when God wisheth him to speak, then it speaketh. When, therefore, the man who hath the Spirit of God hath come into a synagogue of men who have faith in the Spirit of God, and

prayer be made unto God by them, then the angel of the prophetic Spirit who is with him filleth the man, and the man, being filled with the Holy Spirit, speaketh unto the multitude even as the Lord willeth. Thus shall the Spirit of the Divinity be made manifest; and such power as is of the Spirit of the Divinity is of the Lord. Listen, then," said he, "concerning the spirit that is earthly and empty, and hath no power, but is foolish. In the first place, the man who seemeth to have the spirit exalteth himself, and wisheth to have the pre-eminence, and straightway is hasty and shameless and talkative, and conversant with much luxury and with many other deceits, and taketh hire for his prophecy; but if he receive it not, he doth not prophecy. Can then the Spirit of God take hire and prophecy? It is not possible for the prophet of God to do this, but the spirit of such prophets is earthly. Next, it never approacheth to a synagogue of just men, but flieth from them. It cleaveth unto the doubters and to the empty, and prophesieth unto them in corners, and deceiveth them, speaking everything emptily according to their lusts; for they are empty whom it answereth. For the empty vessel placed along with the empty is not broken, but they harmonise with each other. But when he cometh unto a synagogue full of just men, who have the Spirit of the Divine nature, and prayer is made by them, that man is emptied, and the earthly spirit flies from him through fear, and the man is struck dumb and is altogether broken in pieces, not being able to speak. For if thou shalt fill a

cellar with vessels of wine or oil, and shalt place in it an empty jar, and again shalt empty the cellar, thou wilt find the vessel empty which thou hast placed there empty. Thus also the empty prophets when they come unto the spirits of the just, are found to be such as they were when they came. Thou hast thus the life of both kinds of prophets. Prove, therefore, by his works and his life the man who saith that he possesseth the Spirit. But do thou believe the Spirit that cometh from God, and that hath power. But in the spirit that is earthly and empty put no trust, because there is no power in it, for it cometh forth from the devil. Listen unto the parable which I am about to say unto thee. Take a stone and cast it unto heaven, and see if thou art able to touch it; or, again, take a water-pipe and insert it into the heaven, see if thou art able to bore the heaven." "How," said I, "Master, can these things be, for both these things of which thou hast spoken are impossible?" "As, therefore, both these things are impossible, so the earthly spirits are powerless and weak. Take, therefore, the power that cometh from above; for the hail-stone is the smallest grain, yet when it falleth on the head of a man, how much pain doth it cause. Or, again, take, for example, the drop that falleth from a reed on the ground, and boreth the stone. Thou seest, therefore, how the smallest things from above falling upon the ground have great power; so the Divine Spirit coming from above is powerful. Believe, therefore, this Spirit, but abstain from the other."

HE

The Twelfth Commandment.

On Good and Evil Desire.

I.

"Take from thee all evil

E saith unto me, desire, but put on good and holy desire; for by putting on this desire thou shalt hate the evil desire, and shalt guide thyself as thou wilt. For evil desire is fierce and is hard to tame; for it is dreadful, and by its fierceness it impoverisheth men ; especially if a servant of God fall into it, and be not wise, he is dreadfully impoverished by it, and it impoverisheth such as are not clothed with good desire, but are entangled with this world. These, therefore, doth it deliver over unto death." "What, I say, Master, are the works of evil desire that deliver men over unto death? Make them known unto me, and I will refrain from them." "Hearken," said he, "by what sort of deeds evil desire slayeth the servants of God.

II.

First of all, the desire for the wife or husband of another, the desire for excessive wealth, and for many needless dainties, the desire for