Page:ParadiseOfTheHolyFathersV2.djvu/227

 And he rose up [and smote him, and said unto him, “They are of devils”; and when he had thought about the matter a long time, he rose up] and went by night to Abbâ Poemen, and informed him about the matter, and how his thoughts were burning in his heart. Then the old man knew that the matter was of God, and he said unto him, “Get thee to such and such an old man, and whatsoever he saith unto thee that do.” And having departed to that old man, before he could tell him anything, the old man said unto him, “The vision is of God; but do thou go and be subject unto thy father.”

264. A certain old man from Scete was dwelling in the mountain of Pîlîsîôn, and there came unto him a man from the palace who had a devil, and he healed him, and the man who had had the devil offered him a bag which was full of gold, but the old man refused to accept it. Now when he saw that he was offended, the old man took the bag itself, which was empty, and he said unto him, “Go [and] distribute the gold among the poor and the wretched,” and he made the bag into a colubium, and wore it; now it was made of hair, and was very stiff, and he wore it for a long time so that he might vex his body.

265. Abbâ Longinus asked Abbâ Lucius three things, saying, “I wish to become a stranger”; the old man said unto him, “If thou dost not hold thy tongue, where wilt thou go? Wilt thou not become a stranger? Hold thy tongue here, and behold thou art a stranger.” And Abbâ Longinus said unto him also, “I wish to lead a twofold life”; and the old man said unto him, “If thou dost not bend thy neck like a hook thou art nothing; purify thy wicked thoughts.” Abbâ Longinus said unto him, “But I wish to flee from men”; and the old man said unto him, “If thou canst not set thyself straight first of all with men, thou wilt never be able [to live] by thyself.”

266. A brother asked Abbâ Joseph, saying, “I want to go out from the monastery, and live a solitary life”; the old man said unto him, “Where thou seest that thou wilt find rest for thy soul, there dwell.” And the brother said unto him, “I am content to live in the monastery, and I am content to live alone; what shall I do then?” The old man said unto him, “If thou art content to live in the monastery, and art [equally] content to lead a solitary life, do this: Weigh thy thoughts as it were in a balance, and the thought which outbalances the other, that fulfil.”

267. An old man used to say, “What beast is as mighty as the lion and yet for the sake of his belly he falleth into the