Shepherd of Hermas 25

1After I had prayed in the house and sat down on the couch, a certain man entered, glorious in appearance, in shepherd’s attire, wearing a white skin, and having a bag on his shoulders and a staff in his hand. And he greeted me, and I returned his greeting.

22. And immediately he sat beside me and says to me, “I have been sent by the most venerable angel, that I may dwell with you for the rest of the days of your life.”

33. I thought that he had come to test me, and I say to him, “Who then are you? For I,” I say, “know the one to whom I was entrusted.” He says to me, “Do you not recognize me?” “No,” I say. “I,” he says, “am the Shepherd to whom you were entrusted.”

44. While he was still speaking, his appearance was changed, and I recognized him, that he was the one to whom I had been entrusted, and immediately I was confounded, and fear seized me, and I was completely crushed with grief, because I had answered him so wickedly and foolishly.

55. But he answered me and says, “Do not be confounded, but be strengthened in my commandments, which I am about to command you. For I have been sent,” he says, “that I may show you again all the things you saw before, especially the main points that are beneficial for you. First of all, write my commandments and the parables; but the other things, as I show you, so you will write.” For this reason, he says, “I command you first to write the commandments and parables, so that you may read them readily at hand and be able to keep them.”

66. So I wrote the commandments and the parables, just as he commanded me.

77. If then, having heard them, you keep them and walk in them and do them with a pure heart, you will receive from the Lord what he promised you; but if, having heard, you do not repent, but still add to your sins, you will receive from the Lord the opposite things. The Shepherd, the angel of repentance, commanded me to write all these things in this way.