thou disgrace God, Who dwelleth in thee, and drive Him out from thy soul.”
501. Abbâ Pîôr worked hard to be able to overcome the disposition to say “Thou” to any of the brethren.
502. The disciple of Abbâ Arsenius used to say, “When the old man was about to die, he commanded us, saying, ‘Do not let it be a care unto you to make a commemoration for me, but offer up the Offering only; for, he used to say, if during my life-time I have done anything which is worthy of commemoration, I shall most certainly find [a memorial of it].’ ”
503. Abbâ Ammon said, “A man may pass one hundred years in his cell, and not know rightly how a monk should live in his cell, or even how to live secluded for one day.” And he used to say, “The proper way and manner for a monk to live is to condemn himself continually.”
504. Abbâ Poemen used to say, “If a man will only condemn himself he will be able to endure and continue wheresoever he dwelleth.”
505. Abbâ Poemen used to say, “We live in the troubles and trials which come upon us because we do not take to ourselves the humble names which the Scriptures have given us; and because we do not consider how our Lord Jesus relieved the Canaanitish woman (St. Matthew 15:22) who took to herself abominable names, moreover, we do not consider how, when Abigail said unto David, ‘On me be the sin’ (1 Samuel 25:24), he was entreated by her and loved her. Abigail must be taken as [representing] the person of the soul, and David as the Godhead; if then, the soul will condemn itself before God, He will love it, and will give it the delight of rest.”
506. An old man used to say, “In all thy trials blame no man; blame thyself only, saying, ‘These things have happened to me because of my sins.’ ”
507. On one occasion Abbâ John was called to the church, and the brethren surrounded him and asked him questions about their thoughts; and one of the old men said unto him, “John is like unto a whore who adorneth herself that she may multiply lovers for herself; thus art thou.” And Abbâ John sighed and said, “Father, thou hast spoken the truth.” Afterwards a certain man told him that he loved him, [and said], “Art thou not disturbed within?” He said unto him, “No. But as I am without, even so am I within.”
508. One of the old men used to say about Abbâ John, that he lived in such a way that, through the humility which he possessed, he held all Scete suspended on his finger.
509. Abbâ John of the Thebaïd used to say that, before all
