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119. These are the words which Abbâ Moses said to Abbâ Poemen, and the first word which was spoken by the old man was:

120. “It is better for a man to put himself to death rather than his neighbour, and he should not condemn him in anything.”

121. “It is good for a man to die unto every work which is evil, and he should not vex a man before his departure from the body.”

122. “If a man doth not put himself in the attitude of a sinner, his prayer will not be heard before God.” A brother said unto him, “What is a sinful soul?” And the old man said, “Every one who beareth his own sins, and considereth not [those] of his companion.”

123. The old man also said unto him, “If works do not correspond to prayer he who prayeth laboureth in vain.” And a brother asked him: “What is the equality of works with prayer?” The old man said unto him, “He who prayeth that he may receive the remission of sins must not henceforth be negligent, for if a man relinquisheth his own will, he will be accepted by God rightly.”

124. A brother asked an old man, saying, “Fasting and praying which spring from men, what do they effect?” The old man said unto him, “They make the soul to be humble before God, for it is written, ‘Look upon my subjugation, and my labour, and forgive me all my sin’ (Psalm 25:18). For if the soul be afflicted it will receive mercy from God.”

125. A brother said unto an old man, “What shall a man do in every temptation which cometh upon him, and during every thought of the Enemy?” The old man said unto him, “It is right for a man to weep before the grace of God so that He may help him, and he shall speedily find relief if he make his supplication with knowledge, for it is written, ‘The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid what man shall do unto me’ ” (Psalm 118:6; Hebrews 13:6).

126. The perfection of all spiritual excellences is for a man not to judge his neighbour. For when the hand of the Lord slew the first-born of Egypt, there was no house wherein there was not one dead person. Then a brother said unto the old man, “What is the meaning of these words?” The old man said unto him, “If we allow ourselves to view closely our own sins we shall not see those of our neighbour. It is folly for a man to forsake his own dead and to lament over that of his neighbour.”

127. And in respect of the words “A man should put his own