299. On one occasion certain Greeks came to give gifts of grace in the city of ’Estarkînâ, and they took with them the stewards of the city that they might show them what it was necessary for them to give them, and they took them to a certain brother who had elephantiasis, but he refused to accept anything, saying, “Behold, I have these few palm leaves, I will work at them, and weave ropes, and will eat bread.” Then they carried them to a certain widow, and they knocked at the door, and her daughter answered from inside, for she was naked, now her mother had gone out to work, for she was washing clothes and lived by her labour. And when they saw that the maiden was naked, they gave her clothes and money, but she refused to accept them, saying, “My mother will come, and say unto me, ‘My daughter, God hath willed [it], and I have found some work to-day, and again we have sufficient food for this day.’” Then when the mother came, she refused [to accept the apparel and money], and said unto them, “O ye men, I have One Who provideth for me, that is, God, and ye seek to take away from me this day Him that hath provided for me all my days”; and when they saw her faith they glorified God.
300. A certain man offered gold to one of the aged fathers, saying, “Take [it] and let it be to thee for expenses, because thou hast grown old”; now the old man was an Arian, and he answered and said unto him that had given [the gold] to him, “Hast thou come to take away from me Him that hath reared me for sixty years? For it is sixty years since I have been in this sickness, and I have wanted for nothing because God fed me and provided for me”; and he would not consent to accept anything.
301. One of the fathers told the following story, saying, “I was in the room for receiving strangers, and some poor folk came to receive charity at eventide on the Sabbath, and there was among them only one man who had a mat to lie upon when they lay down; and he threw it down under him, and then reclined upon it. Now it was exceedingly cold, and he took a half of the mat from under him and covered himself over therewith, and he reclined on the other half. And I went out during the night and heard him complaining about the cold, and then the man turned to himself and said, ‘I give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, because how many are the rich men, and the owners of possessions who are at this present moment lying in irons, and in afflictions, and in prisons, and there are, moreover, others whose feet have been put in the stocks, who are unable to turn round to any side, whilst I, like a king, can spread out my feet and lie down, and besides this, I can go whithersoever I please.’ And when he had said these things, now I was standing up listening to him, I went in and told them to the brethren, and they benefited by the words of that poor man.”
302. An old man used to say, “Let me think first, and pray next, and then let us begin the work, and afterwards let us boast ourselves in God.”
303. A certain brother asked an old man, saying, “Why is it that I feel disgusted when sitting in my cell, and why am I sluggish in respect of works of spiritual excellence?” And the old man answered and said unto him, “Because thou dost not keep in mind the rest which those who labour expect, and the torments which are laid up for the lazy. For if, in very truth, thou wert seeing these things, thou wouldst be watchful and strenuous in thy labour.”
304. An old man used to say, “The man who maketh a boast of the Name of God, and who doeth not the works which are suitable to that Name, is like unto a poor man who, when a feast cometh, borroweth some clothes and putteth them on, and who, when the feast hath passed, strippeth them off himself because they are not his own, and giveth them to their owners.”
305. Abbâ Ammon used to say concerning Abbâ Paphnutius the Simple, who was from Scete, “When I went down there I was a young man, and he would not allow me to dwell there, saying, ‘In my days I will not permit the faces of young men, which resemble those of women, to dwell in Scete, because of the war of the Enemy against the holy men.’”
306. Abbâ Poemen (or Ammon) used to say, “If Nûzardân (Nebuzaradan), the chief of the warriors, had never come to the land of Judea, he would never have burnt down the temple of God which was in Jerusalem with fire”; [now the meaning] of these words is, that if the pleasures of the lust of the belly had never entered in on the soul the mind would never have been vanquished in the war of the Adversary.
307. A certain man asked Abbâ Sisoes, saying, “Hast thou not even yet arrived at the measure of Abbâ Anthony, our father?” And the old man answered and said, “If I had even one thought like unto Abbâ Anthony, the whole of me would become like unto fire; but I know one man who, even with great labour, is able to bear his thoughts.”
308. Abbâ Abraham asked Abbâ Agathon, saying, “How is it that the devils make war upon me?” And Abbâ Agathon said unto him, “Do the devils make war upon thee? But they do not make war against us so fiercely as we ourselves do with our own wishes, though they do make war against us in proportion as our wishes do. Our desires become devils, and they force us to fulfil them. Now if thou wishest to see against whom they have made war, [it is] against Moses and those who resemble him.”
309. A brother asked an old man, saying, “In what condition is it meet for a monk to be?” And he said, “Even as I myself am, if one may [compare] one man with another.”
310. And an old man was also asked, “Why am I afraid when I go about in the desert?” The old man said unto him, “Because thou art still alive.”
311. A brother asked an old man, saying, “Why doth my spirit go round and round violently?” And he said unto him, “Because thou hast not yet seen the storehouse of life.”
312. And he was also asked, “What is it meet for a monk to do?” And he said, “Let him perform all kinds of good works in very deed, and let him acquire remoteness from every evil thing.”
313. And he was also asked, “What is a monk’s work?” And he said, “He must possess discretion.”
314. An old man said, “Unto every thought that riseth up in thee say, ‘Art thou of us, or of our enemies?’ And the thought will always make confession unto thee.
315. Abbâ Agathon used to say, “The crown of the monk is humility.”
316. Abbâ Isidore said, “When I was a youth and was living in a cell, I possessed not the capacity for the service [of prayer and praise], for by night and by day there was service to me.”
317. He also said, “For forty years, I neither leaned upon anything nor lay down.”
318. He also said, “I was standing forty nights, and did not lie down.”
319. He also said, “For twenty years I continued to fight against one thought—that I might see all men of one mind.”
320. An old man was asked, “Why is it that whilst I am sitting in my cell my heart wandereth about?” The old man said to his questioner, “Because thine external lusts feel the motions which are in hearing, and in breathing, and in taste, for from these, if it be possible for a man, there is pure labour, and he should make them to be healthy and satisfied within.”
321. An old man was asked, “How is it possible for a man to live so that he may be seemly in God’s sight?” and he said to him, “[It is possible if a man have an] equable [mind].”
322. An old man also said, “Our labour is wood which burneth away.”
323. Abbâ Benjamin said unto his disciples, “Do these things and ye shall be able to live. Rejoice at all times, and pray without ceasing, and give thanks for everything.”
324. He also said, “Abstinence in respect of the soul consisteth in making straight its ways and habits, and courses of action, and in cutting off the passions of the soul.”
325. He also said, “Travel in the path of the kingdom, and count the miles, and thy spirit shall not be sad in thee.”
326. An old man said, “Thou must be in the same state of fear as a man who is going to endure tortures.”
327. An old man used to say, “A man shall not trouble, but let him like a life of silent contemplation, and hide himself, for these meditations (?) are the begetters of purity.”
328. An old man used to say also, “Thou shalt desire to become a eunuch, for this will help thee.”
329. He also said, “The giving of thanks maketh entreaty on behalf of the feeble before God.”
330. An old man used to say, “I do not as yet carry all my body so that I may fulfil all my desire.”
331. Abbâ Sisoes said, “Exile consisteth in a man living a silent and solitary life.”
332. One of the fathers said, “I once asked Abbâ Sisoes and besought him to speak a word of life to me, and the old man answered and said, He who taketh care to guard himself against esteeming himself, and against comparing himself [with other men] in every work of understanding (or discretion), is he who fulfilleth the Book.”
333. And I asked him also, “In what doth the power of exile consist?” And he said unto me, “Wheresoever thou dwellest hold thy peace; and about whatsoever thou seest, be it good or be it evil, say nothing; and if thou hearest anything from a man which befitteth not the upright conduct of the ascetic life, say, ‘This concerneth me not; I have to do with myself, and myself only.’ This is [the power of] exile.”
334. One of the old men said, “The love of the work of the hands is the ruin of the soul; but the stablishment thereof is rest and peace in God.”
335. Abbâ Theodore said, “If I did not cut off my soul from the friends of this world they would not let me be a monk.”
336. He also said, “If we seek God He will reveal Himself unto us, and if we lay hold upon Him He will protect us.”
337. On one occasion certain of the old men were sitting and talking about the thoughts, and one of them said, “They would not appear to be a great matter if a man were to see his thoughts from a distance.”
338. Another [old man] said, “I have never allowed error to have dominion over me even for an hour.”
339. Abbâ Poemen said, “As long as the food which is being boiled is on the fire the flies will not approach it, but as soon as it is taken off they cluster round it”; the meaning of this is that as long as our hearts are fervent in the spirit impure thoughts will not approach us, but that if we are negligent and make ourselves to be remote from the converse (or occupation) of the spirit they will then gain dominion over us.
340. An old man used to say, “It is necessary to make enquiries concerning spiritual works, for through them we advance in excellence; for it is great labour for us to go forth from the body in such wise that we do not perform the works of the body.”
341. An old man used to say also, “Affliction and poverty are the instruments wherewith a monk cultivateth his handiwork.”
342. Certain of the old men used to say, “Whosoever hath not the instruments of the craft of labour cannot remain long in his cell, whether they be the instruments of the craft of the labour of spiritual beings, wherewith he findeth comfort from God in his inner man in the spirit, or the instruments of the craft of human labour. He who possesseth not the one or the other class of instruments cannot remain very long in his cell.”
343. The spirit of God rested upon Abbâ John because of the fear in which he held God; for it is the fear of God which teacheth a man all good works.
344. Abbâ Poemen used to say, “Abbâ Paphnutius was exceedingly great and mighty, and he ran at all times to minister unto shortcoming.”
345. An old man was asked by a brother, “How should a monk dwell in his cell?” The old man said unto him, “Let him dwell by himself, so that his thoughts may be with God.”
346. And a brother also asked him, saying, “What shall I do, for when I am by myself I am greatly afflicted by the multitude of evil thoughts of all kinds which crowd upon me, and by the weight of the disgust which troubleth me?” The old man said unto him, “Give thy soul work, that is to say, have a care to pray and have love towards God, and straightway the spirit of Satan will flee from thee.”
347. An old man used to say also, “If thou doest something which is good, and thou art praised for it, destroy it; guard thyself against the thoughts which praise thee, and which hold thy neighbour in contempt.”
348. Abbâ Isidore’s thoughts praised him, saying, “There is none like unto thee among the fathers”; and he said, unto them, “Am I like Anthony or Abbâ Agathon?” And the devils said unto him, “After all the labours which thou hast performed thou wilt go to torment”; and he said unto them, “And ye also will be below me. For a thief through one word inherited the kingdom.” And Judas also, who wrought mighty deeds with the Apostles, in one night lost all his labour, and he went down from heaven to Sheol; therefore let not him that conducteth himself uprightly boast himself. For all those who have been over confident about themselves have fallen among the devils of greed. Retard thou then [thy desire], saying, “Thou hast had enough; wait a little,” and eat thou temperately and slowly. For he who hasteth in his eating is like unto him that seeketh to eat much.
349. An old man saw sitting among the brethren a brother who pretended not to be of them, and he said unto him, “How canst thou walk in a country which is not thine?”
350. They used to say that Abbâ Poemen never wished to magnify his word over that of any old man, but in everything he praised his and belittled his own.
351. There was a certain monk who led a life which was full of severe ascetic labours, and the Devil laid many plans and schemes to make him abate them, and to make him to desist therefrom; but the monk would not give him a hearing in any way whatsoever, but, on the contrary, he played the man more strenuously than ever, and resisted his wiles and crafts. Now when the Devil had spent much time in this strife against him, another devil came to help him; and having enquired of his companion what manner of war and battle he should set in array against him, and how it was that the holy man was abating and making an end of all the things which he was making [against him], the accursed devil who had come last, answered and said by the counsel of the Evil One, “Do not lift up thyself below him, but raise up thyself above him, and in this way thou shalt be able to be stronger than he.”
352. An old man asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, “What shall I do, father, with my son Isaac, who hearkeneth unto me with pleasure?” Abbâ Poemen said unto him, “If thou wishest to be of benefit to him, shew him [an example] by deeds and not by words, lest through observing words only he be found useless; for if thou wilt shew him by deeds, the deeds themselves will abide with him, and he will profit.”
353. Certain of the fathers said to Abbâ Macarius the Egyptian, “Whether thou eatest or whether thou fastest, thy body hath already dried up”; and the old man said unto them, “A piece of wood which hath been burned and consumed by the fire burneth wholly, and thus also the heart of a man, if he be purified by the fear of God, consumeth the lusts from his flesh, and drieth up his bones.”
354. Abbâ Theodore used to say, “If God imputeth to us carelessness in prayer, and the snare in [His] service wherein we have been captured, we shall not be able to stand.”
355. They used to say of one of the old men that he had passed twenty years in the church, and had never lifted his eyes and seen the roof thereof.
356. There was a certain monk whose name was Paul, and his rule of life and conduct was such that he did not approach the excessive labour of the work of the hands, nor any trafficking whatsoever, except such as was sufficient to provide for his small amount of daily food; but he performed one sort of work of excellence, that is, he prayed continually and ceased not, and he laid down the rule for himself that he should pray three hundred prayers each day, and he placed sand in his bosom, and at every prayer which he prayed, he would lay one grain of sand in his hand. Now this man asked Saint Macarius, saying, “Father, I am greatly afflicted”; and the old man pressed him to tell him the cause of his affliction. Then he answered and said, “I have heard about a certain virgin who hath led an ascetic life for thirty years, and Father Pîôr related concerning her that every week she went forth and recited five hundred prayers in the day. Now when I heard these things I despised myself greatly, for I am not able to recite more than three hundred prayers.” Then the holy man Macarius answered and said unto him, “I have led an ascetic life for sixty years, and I make fifty prayers a day, and I work sufficiently to provide myself with food, and I receive the brethren who come to me, and I say unto them what it is seemly to say, and I pay my debts, and my mind doth not condemn me as one who hath treated [God] lightly; but thou who makest three hundred prayers in the day, art thou condemned by thy thoughts? Perchance thou dost not offer them with purity [of heart], or thou art able to do more, and dost not do it!”