356. After saying this the angel fell silent, and the newcomers grasped from the gist of his talk that a perpetual capacity for delight is possible. Since this made their disposition cheerful, they kept saying, 'O how happy is the state of angels! We perceive that you in the heavens remain for ever at the stage of becoming adult, and so you have the potency of that age. But tell us how we too may acquire that potency.' 'Shun acts of adultery as hellish,' the angel replied, 'and approach the Lord; then you will have it.'
'We shall shun them as you say,' they said, 'and we shall approach the Lord.' But the angel answered, 'You cannot shun acts of adultery as hellish evils, unless you likewise shun all other evils, since adultery gathers them all into one. And unless you shun them, you cannot approach the Lord. The Lord does not accept such people.' After this the angel left, and the new spirits went away dejected.
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