old man said unto him, “Give thy soul work, that is to say, have a care to pray and have love towards God, and straightway the spirit of Satan will flee from thee.”
347. An old man used to say also, “If thou doest something which is good, and thou art praised for it, destroy it; guard thyself against the thoughts which praise thee, and which hold thy neighbour in contempt.”
348. Abbâ Isidore’s thoughts praised him, saying, “There is none like unto thee among the fathers”; and he said, unto them, “Am I like Anthony or Abbâ Agathon?” And the devils said unto him, “After all the labours which thou hast performed thou wilt go to torment”; and he said unto them, “And ye also will be below me. For a thief through one word inherited the kingdom.” And Judas also, who wrought mighty deeds with the Apostles, in one night lost all his labour, and he went down from heaven to Sheol; therefore let not him that conducteth himself uprightly boast himself. For all those who have been over confident about themselves have fallen among the devils of greed. Retard thou then [thy desire], saying, “Thou hast had enough; wait a little,” and eat thou temperately and slowly. For he who hasteth in his eating is like unto him that seeketh to eat much.
349. An old man saw sitting among the brethren a brother who pretended not to be of them, and he said unto him, “How canst thou walk in a country which is not thine?”
350. They used to say that Abbâ Poemen never wished to magnify his word over that of any old man, but in everything he praised his and belittled his own.
351. There was a certain monk who led a life which was full of severe ascetic labours, and the Devil laid many plans and schemes to make him abate them, and to make him to desist therefrom; but the monk would not give him a hearing in any way whatsoever, but, on the contrary, he played the man more strenuously than ever, and resisted his wiles and crafts. Now when the Devil had spent much time in this strife against him, another devil came to help him; and having enquired of his companion what manner of war and battle he should set in array against him, and how it was that the holy man was abating and making an end of all the things which he was making [against him], the accursed devil who had come last, answered and said by the counsel of the Evil One, “Do not lift up thyself below him, but raise up thyself above him, and in this way thou shalt be able to be stronger than he.”
352. An old man asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, “What shall I do, father, with my son Isaac, who hearkeneth unto me with pleasure?” Abbâ Poemen said unto him, “If thou wish-
