and divine? It doth
not become a prophet of God so to
do.

12 Thus you seethe life of each
of these kind of prophets. Wherefore
prove that man by his life and works,
who says that he hath the Holy Spirit.
And believe the Spirit which comes
from God, and has power as such.
But believe not the earthly and
empty spirit, which is from the
devil, in whom there is no faith
nor virtue.

13 Hear now the similitude
which I am about to speak unto
thee. Take a stone, and throw it
up towards heaven; or take a
spout of water, and mount it up
thitherward; and see if thou
canst reach unto heaven.

14 Sir; said I, how can this be
done? For neither of those things
which you have mentioned, are
possible to be done. And he
answered, Therefore as these things
cannot be done, so is the earthy
spirit without virtue, and without
effect.

15 Understand yet farther the
power which cometh from above,
in this similitude. The grains of
hail that drop down are exceedingly
small; and yet when they fall upon
the head of a man, how do they
cause pain to it.

16 And again, consider, the
droppings of a house; how the
little drops falling upon the earth,
work a hollow in the stones.

17 So in like manner the least
things which come from above,
and fall upon the earth, have great
force. Wherefore join thyself
to this spirit, which has the
power; and depart from the other
which is empty.

COMMAND XII.

Of a two fold desire: that the commands of God,
are not impossible: and that the devil is not
to be feared by them that believe.

AGAIN he said unto me;
remove from thee all evil
desires, and put on good and
holy desires. For having put on a
good desire, thou shalt hate that
which is evil, and bridle it as thou
wilt. But an evil desire is dreadful,
and hard to be tamed.

2 It is very horrible and wild;
and by its wildness consumes men.
And especially if a servant of God
shall chance to fall into it, except
he be very wise, he is ruined by
it. For it destroys those who have
not the garment of a good desire
and are engaged in the affairs of
this present world; and delivers
them unto death.

3 Sir, said I, what are the works
of an evil desire, which bring men
unto death? Shew them to me that
I may depart from them. Hear, said he,
by what works an evil desire bringeth
the servants of God unto death.

4 First of all, it is an evil desire
to covet another man's wife, or
for a woman to