154. There was a certain old man in Scete who toiled in the works of the body, that is to say, in fasting and in standing up; and in his thoughts he was a simple man, and he was neither keen in intellect nor learned. And he went to Abbâ John Kolob to ask him about his thoughts, and when the old man had spoken to him he returned and went to his cell, and forgot what the old man had said to him. And he came a second time to the old man, who told him what he had already said unto him, and when he had departed he forgot it again; and though he did this several times he always forgot what had been said to him. Then, after these things, he went unto the blessed man once more, and said unto him, “Thou knowest, O father, that I forgot [thy words] again; but I did not come to thee because I did not wish to weary thee.” Abbâ John said unto him, “Go, and light a lamp”; and he went and did as he commanded him. And Abbâ John said unto him, “Bring several lamps, and light [them all] from it”; and he lit [them] as he had told him. And Abbâ John said to the old man, “Is the lamp wherefrom thou hast kindled the many lamps in any way the worse?” and he said unto him, “No.” And the old man John said unto him, “If all Scete were to come unto him John would not be the worse for it, neither would the gift of the grace of Christ be impeded thereby. Whensoever then thou wishest, and art in doubt, come [to me].” Thus by the patient endurance of both of them he removed and did away error from that brother. For this was the work of those who were dwelling in Scete, and they devoted themselves, and delivered over their wills to compel those who were engaged in [spiritual] war to inherit the good things (or virtues) each from each.
155. There was a certain old man who was sick, and as he possessed nothing which he required for his wants, the Abbâ of the coenobium received him [there], and said to the brethren, “Exert yourselves a little to relieve this sick man.” Now the man who was sick had a pot full of gold, and he dug a hole below where he was [lying] and buried it; and it happened that he died without confessing and revealing the matter. And after he was buried, the Abbâ who had taken him in said unto the brethren, “Remove this bench from here,” and whilst they were rooting it out they found the gold. Then the Abbâ said, “Since he confessed not about this when he was alive, he cannot reveal the matter when he is dead”—now he knew that the sick man’s hope had been in it—“but go ye and bury it with him.” And fire came down from heaven, and it continued above his grave for many days in the sight of every man, and all those who saw it marvelled.
156. A certain brother came on one occasion to the cell of Abbâ John at the time of evening, and he was in a great hurry to depart; and they talked about spiritual excellences [for a long time] without knowing [it], and when he went forth to set him on his way, they tarried talking together until it was the sixth hour of the night. Then Abbâ John made him go back to his cell, and they ate together, and then he sent him away, and he departed.
157. Abbâ Ammon said:—On one occasion I and Abbâ Betimius went to visit Abbâ Akhîlâ, for we had heard that he was meditating upon the passage, “Fear thou not, O Jacob, to go down to Egypt” (Genesis xlvi, 3), and that he was repeating these words several times; and when we knocked he opened unto us, and he asked us, saying, “Whence are ye?” And being afraid to say, “[We come] from the cells,” we made answer that we were from the Mountain of Nitria, and he brought us in, and we found that he was working by night at plaiting palm leaves, and we asked him, saying, “Speak a word unto us.” Then he answered and said, “Between the evening and the morning I have twisted twenty branches, but in very truth I have no need for all this, only [I am afraid] lest God be angry with me, and He chide me, saying, ‘Though thou wast able to work thou hast not done so’; therefore I toil and I work with all my might.”
158. Certain of the fathers used to tell a story about a holy man who was indeed a great man, and if people came to ask him a question he would say unto them with wisdom, “Behold, I take upon myself the face (or Person) of God, and I sit upon the throne of judgement; what now dost thou wish me to do for thee? If thou sayest, ‘Have mercy upon me,’ God saith unto thee, ‘If thou wishest Me to have mercy upon thee, thou also must have mercy upon thy brother, and then I will have mercy upon thee; and if thou wishest Me to forgive thee, thou also must forgive thy brother, and then I will forgive thee.’ Can any blame rest upon God? God forbid! But the cause resteth with us, and if we wish we are able to live.”
159. On one occasion a certain brother departed into exile from the countries and places wherein dwelt Abbâ Poemen, and he went to a monk who used to live in that country whereto he was going; now this man was one who possessed love, and many folk thronged to him—and the brother related unto that monk stories concerning Abbâ Poemen, and when he heard about his spiritual excellences he longed to see him. And the brother came back again to Egypt, and after some time the monk [unto whom he had gone], who lived in that country, came to Egypt to him, for the brother had already told him where he lived, and when the monk saw the brother he rejoiced greatly. Then the monk said unto the brother, “Do [me an act of] love, and take me so that I may go to Abbâ Poemen,” and he took him to Abbâ Poemen, and the brother told him the story of the monk who was with him, saying, “He is a great man, and is much beloved, and he hath no small honour in his own country. I related unto him stories concerning thy holiness, and he greatly desired to come and see thee”; and Abbâ Poemen received him with gladness, and having saluted each other they sat down. Then the stranger began to converse with Abbâ Poemen from the Scriptures concerning spiritual and heavenly things, but Abbâ Poemen turned away his face and returned him no answer whatsoever. And when he saw that Abbâ Poemen would not speak unto him, he was grieved, and went outside, and said unto the brother who had brought him, “In my opinion I have toiled in vain in coming all this long journey to see the old man, for behold, he refuseth to speak to me.” Now when the brother went in to the old man Poemen, he said unto him, “Father, this great man, who is so greatly praised in his own country, came on thy account; why didst thou not speak with him?” Poemen said, “He spake about the things which are above and concerning heavenly matters, but I can only talk about things which are below and about the things of earth; had he spoken to me about the passions of the soul I would have given him an answer; but since he talked about spiritual things, I know nothing about them.” Then that brother went forth to the monk and said unto him, “The old man is not one of those who wish a man to talk to them from the Scriptures, but if thou wilt converse with him about the passions of the soul he will return thee answer.” And straightway the monk repented, and he came to the old man, and said unto him, “Father, what shall I do so that I may bring into subjection the passions of the body?” Then the old man looked upon him gladly, and said unto him, “Now thou art welcome! Open now thy mouth on such matters as these, and I will fill it with good things.” And the monk, having been greatly helped, and having gained benefit, said, “In very truth this is the way of truth”; and he went back to his country, giving thanks to God that he had been held worthy of such converse with the holy man.
160. Abbâ Poemen said concerning Abbâ John that he cultivated spiritual excellences of every kind.
161. Abbâ Muthues used to say that there were three brethren who were in the habit of coming to Abbâ Anthony, and that two of them used to ask him questions about the thoughts, and about life, and redemption, and the discretion (or intelligence) of the soul, whilst the third one held his peace continually. And after a long time Abbâ Anthony said unto him, “Brother, thou comest here each year, and askest nothing!” And he answered and said unto the old man, “It is sufficient for me to see thee.”
162. Abbâ Sisoes asked Abbâ Poemen about filthy thoughts, and the old man said unto him, “The matter is like unto a box of clothes: if a man leaveth the clothes inside it for a long time without being turned, they will become eaten up in process of time and destroyed. And thus also is it with the thoughts, and if a man doth not drive them out from his body they will be destroyed and perish.”
163. Abbâ Joseph asked Abbâ Poemen about the wicked and vain thoughts which a man produceth, and the old man said unto him, “It is as if a man were to take a snake and a scorpion, and throw them in a vessel (or cloth), and close (or wrap) them up tightly for a long time, when they would die owing to the period [which they have been shut up]; even so do the evil thoughts, which spring up in the mind through the workings of devils, decay and become destroyed through patient endurance.”
164. Abbâ Elijah used to say, “What is sin able to do where repentance is found? And what will love profit where there is pride?”
165. One of the fathers said, “The early [fathers] did not depart from their places except for the three following reasons:—First: If one of them was vexed with his neighbour, and it was impossible for him to make clean his heart in respect of him. Secondly: If the abundant approval of the children of men was gathered together to him. Thirdly: If the temptation of fornication clung to him. Whensoever they saw these three reasons they departed.”
166. On one occasion when he saw him pouring some water over his feet, Abbâ Isaac said unto Abbâ Poemen, as one who possessed freedom of speech before him, “How is it that, whilst the fathers exercised themselves in such stern labours and mighty deeds of asceticism that they oppressed their bodies, behold, thou art washing [thy feet]?” Abbâ Poemen said unto him, “We have not learned to be slayers of the body, but slayers of the passions.”
167. This same Abbâ Isaac heard the voice of a cock, and he said to Abbâ Poemen, “Are there such things as fowls here, father?” And he answered and said unto him, “Isaac, why dost thou force me to speak to thee? It is only people who are like thyself that hear such sounds as these; he who is strenuous concerneth not himself with matters of this kind.”
168. An old man used to say, “Wisdom and simplicity form the perfect order of the Apostles and of those who examine closely their rules of life and their conduct, and to this Christ urged them, saying, ‘Be ye harmless as doves and subtle like serpents’ (St. Matthew x, 16). And the Apostle [Paul] also admonished the Corinthians to the same effect, saying, ‘My brethren, be not childish in your minds, but be ye as babes in respect of things which are evil, and be ye perfect in your minds’ (1 Corinthians xiv, 20). Now wisdom without simplicity is wicked cunning, and it is the subtlety of the philosophers among the pagans of which it is said, ‘He catcheth the wise men in their own cunning’ (Job v, 13; 1 Corinthians iii, 19), and again, ‘The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain’ (Psalm xciv, 11; 1 Corinthians iii, 20). And simplicity without wisdom is the foolishness which is prone to error, and concerning this also the Apostle spake, and he wrote unto those who possessed it, saying, ‘I fear lest, even as the serpent led Eve into error by his craftiness, so your minds also may be destroyed in respect of your simplicity which is towards Christ’ (2 Corinthians xi, 3). For they accepted every word without testing it, even as it is said in the [Book of] Proverbs, ‘The simple man believeth every word’” (Proverbs xiv, 15).
169. They used to say that one of the old men in Scete had been a slave, and that he came each year to Alexandria, and brought with him a gift for his owners from [the results of] labour, and they received him, and paid him homage. And the old man [formerly] poured water into a basin, and brought it so that he might wash the feet of his owners, but they said unto him, “Nay, father, thou shalt not honour us [thus].” Then he said unto them, “My lords, I acknowledge that I am your slave, and that I have received from you an act of grace in that ye have let me become a free man to serve our Lord, and if I may not wash your feet accept at least my gift”; but they objected to this, and would not accept [it]. And he said unto them, “Since ye refuse to accept it I shall dwell here, and be subject unto you”; then they allowed him to do what he wished, and they sent him away with great gifts of various kinds, so that he might do acts of kindness on their behalf to the brethren who were in need, and because of this he became famous in Scete. Now he conducted himself with great humility towards every man.
170. There was a certain man who was a slave and he became a monk, and he persisted in a life of self-abnegation for five and forty years, and bread, and water, and salt, were sufficient for his food; now after some time the man who had been his master repented, and he also made himself to be remote from the world. And when the time came for him to depart from this world, he said unto his slave, who was now his Rabbâ, “I see the hosts of wickedness surrounding me, but through thy prayer they are going back from me.” And when the call came for that slave one stood on his right hand, and the other on his left, and he heard them saying unto him, “Dost thou wish to come, O father, or shall we go and leave thee?” And he said, “I desire not to remain, take my soul”; and thus he ended [his life].
171. A certain man made himself remote from the world, and he had a wife and also a daughter, and the latter died before she had been baptized by the disciples; and her father distributed among the poor the portion which came to her, and also that of his wife; but he never ceased to make entreaty to God on behalf of his daughter who had departed from the world without being baptized. And a voice was heard by him as he was praying, which said, “I have baptized thy daughter, have no sorrow”; but he did not believe. And that voice, which was hidden, spake again unto him, saying, “Uncover her grave, and look [in], and thou wilt not find her”; then he went to her grave, and dug it up, and he found her not, for she had departed, and had been laid with the believers.
172. The old man Macarius used to say, “These are the three principal things, and it is right that a man should set them before him at every season. The remembrance of his death should be before him at every hour, and he should die to every man, and he should be constant always in his mind towards our Lord. For, if a man have not the remembrance of his death before him at all seasons, he will not be able to die to every man, and if he die not to every man he will be unable to be constantly before God.”
173. The old man Macarius used to say, “Strive for every kind of death, for the death of the body, that is to say, if thou hast not the death which is in the spirit; strive for the death of the body, and then shall be added unto thee the death which is in the spirit. And death of this kind will make thee to die to every man, and henceforward thou wilt acquire the faculty of being constantly with God in silence.”
174. The same old man also said, “If thou hast not the prayer of the spirit, strive for the prayer of the body, and then shall be added unto thee the prayer in the spirit. If thou hast not humility in the spirit, strive for the humility which is in the body, and then shall be added unto thee the humility which is in the spirit. For it is written, ‘Ask, and ye shall receive’” (St. Matthew vii, 7; xxi, 22).
175. A brother asked an old man, saying, “Why do I keep my sins in remembrance without being pained about them?” The old man said unto him, “This happeneth unto us through contempt and negligence. When a man wisheth to boil some food for his need, and he findeth some small sparks of fire in his fireplace, he desireth to take care of them, and preserve them, and to kindle therefrom a large flame; but if he neglecteth them they become black and die out. And thus also is it with ourselves, for if, according as God hath bestowed upon us, we remember our sins, and we desire and come to the life of silence, and we possess persistence in remembering our sins, we shall acquire great grief in our hearts; but, if we hold them in contempt and do not even remember them, we shall be rejected.