113. Certain of the fathers used to say, “God bringeth not young men to monasteries, but Satan, so that he may turn back the mighty men.”
114. A brother said unto Abbâ Anthony, “Pray for me, father”; the old man said unto him, “I cannot help thee, and God will not, if thou wilt not abolish thyself and ask Him thyself [to do so].”
115. They used to tell of a certain old man who had passed fifty years [of his life] without eating bread or drinking water; and he used to say, “I have slain fornication, and the love of gold, and the love of glory.” Now Abbâ Abraham heard [of him], and came to him, and said, “Didst thou say these things?” and he said, “Yea.” Abbâ Abraham said unto him, “If thou wert to go into thy cell, and find a woman on thy mat, wouldst thou be able to keep from thinking that she was a woman?” And the old man said unto him, “No, but I should struggle against my thoughts so as not to touch her.” Abbâ Abraham said unto him, “Behold, then, thou hast not slain it (i.e., the lust for fornication), but the passion is still alive, though fettered. Behold, also, if thou wert travelling along a road and thou didst see lying thereon some potsherds and among them a talent of gold, would thy mind be able to look upon the money in the same way as the potsherds?” The old man said unto him, “Nay, but I should contend against my thoughts in such wise as not to take it.” Then Abbâ Abraham said unto him, “Behold, the passion [of love of money] is still alive, though fettered. Behold now, if thou didst hear of two brethren, one of whom was esteeming thee highly and praising thee, and the other was hating thee and reviling thee, if these men came to thee wouldst thou be able to regard each of them with equal friendliness?” And the old man said unto them, “No, but I would strive against my thoughts in such a way that I would treat him that cursed me as well as I did him that loved me.” Then Abbâ Abraham said unto him, “Behold, then, the passions are still alive, but they are fettered in the saints.”
116. There was a certain old man who was a monk, and who dwelt in the desert far away, and he had a kinswoman who with difficulty discovered after very many years where he was living, and then, by the operation of Satan, she rose up and came to the road to the desert, and she found camels which were going to travel on that road, and she entered [the desert] with them. Now she was [driven to do this] by the devil. And as soon as she had come to the cell of the old man, she began to give him proofs about herself, saying, “I am indeed thy kinswoman,” and she remained with him. Now there was
