Page:Theparadiseoftheholyfathers.djvu/264



CERTAIN man among the holy Fathers saw in a dream the company of the holy angels who came down from heaven by the commandment of God, and one of them held in his hand a roll which was written on the inside and on the outside; and the angels said unto each other, “Who is fit to be entrusted with this thing?” Then some of them mentioned one man and others another, and others answered and said, “Verily these [whom ye mention] are holy and righteous, but they are not sufficiently [so] to be entrusted with this thing.” And having reckoned up many names of Saints, they finally said, “No man is fit to be entrusted with this thing except Ephraim”; and then they gave the roll to him. And when he had stood up in the morning, he heard that they were saying, “Behold, Ephraim teacheth, and [his words] flow from his mouth like [water from] a fountain”; then the old man who had seen the vision knew within himself that the things which were proceeding from his lips were of the Holy Spirit.

Now therefore this Ephraim, who was [one] of those who had been held to be worthy of mention by the saints, travelled along the spiritual road nobly and straightly, turning neither to one side nor the other of the straight path; and he was held to be worthy of the gift of the knowledge which he possessed naturally, and subsequently he received the knowledge which enabled him to utter divine things, and perfect blessedness. Thus he lived throughout the period of a certain number of years a life of chastity, and stern asceticism, and contemplation, and he edified all those who thronged to visit him, each according to his peculiar needs; and finally he compelled himself to go forth from his cell for the following reason, namely, a mighty famine lay over the city of Edessa. For having compassion on the creatures of the human race which was perishing and being destroyed, he spake unto those who were heaping up grain in the store houses, for he saw that they were wholly without compassion, saying, “How long will ye refuse to bring into your memories the lovingkindness of God? How long will ye allow your wealth, which is corruptible, to be the means of the accusation and condemnation of your souls?” Then they took counsel, and said unto him, “There