Page:ParadiseOfTheHolyFathersV2.djvu/296

 mighty deeds, but how am I to know that the end of Judas may not be mine, and how am I to know that I shall [not] inherit hanging, and be called by our Lord “Satan” and “son of perdition”? If thou seest, moreover, a man who is a murderer, and a thief, and an adulterer, and a shedder of blood, thou mayest think whence I shall know [this]; for if this murderer at the end confesseth Christ, he will precede me in the kingdom of heaven, and thou shalt think thus concerning every man. If thou, O man of God, whithersoever thou goest, thinkest these and suchlike things continually, and if thy humility be in proportion to the greatness of thy power, thou shalt never fall. But if a man be neglectful, even for the twinkling of an eye, of his humility, and if pride be mingled in his negligence, he shall be cut off quickly from the height of the love of God, and he shall fall, even as quickly as a glass vessel full of water, which is suspended by a thread of a spider’s web, would fall if that thread were to be severed. Now the conduct of humility is thus. If at the beginning, or in the middle, or at the end, or wheresoever it may be, a man first of all layeth hold upon perfect humility, and upon complete contempt of himself, the devils will be unable to approach him, on the contrary, they will flee before him, like flies before smoke, both they and their thoughts; but if a man [doth not] acquire humility, either at the beginning, or in the middle, or at the end of his career, there is nothing which [can stand up] against the strife and contest. As the holy man Evagrius said, “After the vanquishing of [all] the other passions, there still remain two which will wage war against the perfect man until death, namely, vainglory and pride.” And John, the seer of Thebaïs, used to say, “He against whom the devil of vainglory still fighteth, wandereth without measure, and is divided [in his mind] to a boundless degree.” The Teacher used to say, “Humility possesseth two characteristics which are superior to the other excellences of the spirit, for it seeth to what degree it can abase itself to the lowest depth, and grace also exalteth humility to God, [and] to the height which is above; and because grace exalteth it continually towards God, it acquireth faith at all times, and strengtheneth confidence. And the second characteristic of humility is that it feareth not that which opposeth it, that is to say, it feareth neither devils, nor wild animals, nor evil men, even as the holy man Evagrius said, ‘The man who is proud and wrathful is a timid man, but the humble man is without fear.’ And he said, ‘Humility by itself vanquisheth both passions and devils, and the labours of the body, and the contests of the mind only serve to strengthen