531. He also used to say, “For a man to despise himself is a strong wall.”
532. He also used to say, “Him who hath become despised for our Lord’s sake, will our Lord make wise.”
533. An old man used to say, “Take heed, with all thy might, that thou doest nothing which meriteth blame, and desire not to adorn thyself.”
534. An old man used to say, “If humility descendeth to Sheol it is exalted unto the heavens; and although pride goeth up to the heavens it shall be brought down to Sheol.”
535. There were two brethren in Scete, and he who was younger than his fellow was the older in the monastic garb, and one of the fathers having come to visit them, they brought out a vessel of water and wanted to wash him. And the man who was the younger in respect of years drew nigh to wash the old man, but the old man laid hold upon his hands, and prevented him, and then he drew near him that was the elder [in respect of years] to wash him. And the brethren who were standing near him said unto him, “The younger brother, O father, is the older in respect of the monastic garb”; then the old man said unto them, “I take the priority in the monastic garb of the younger man and place it upon him that is the elder.”
536. There was a certain brother in a monastery, and he used to take the whole weight of the brethren upon himself, and seeking to be held in contempt in the sight of every man, he used to make accusations against himself, even to the committing of fornication, and he used to say, “I have committed it.” Now the brethren who did not understand his life and works used to murmur against him, saying, “How very many are the wickednesses which this man doeth here, and because of them he doth not even work.” Then their Abbâ, because he knew his works, and because he knew also that he was taking the affairs of every man upon himself, and that he did not do these things, spake unto the brethren, saying, “I will undertake that he will make one mat in a week, in humility, [which is more than all] your work [which is done] with boasting, and if ye wish to know whether the matter be so [or not], bring hither all your work, and bring hither also the mat of that brother, and light a fire and throw therein all your work”; [and when they had done so] everything was consumed except the mat of that brother. Now when the brethren saw this, they feared, and expressed their contrition, and from that time they held him to be an Abbâ.
537. They used to say that Abbâ Poemen never gave his mind to the Lord, and that his knowledge was superior to that of [any] one of the old men.
