face of the old man Sylvanus shone so brightly, even as did the face of Moses, with the glorious splendour which he had received from God, that no man was able to look upon it with his eyes wide open.
490. Zeno, the disciple of Abbâ Sylvanus, said on a certain occasion, “Dwell not in a place which is famous, and abide not with a man who hath a great name for ascetic excellence.”
491. One of the brethren asked an old Rabbâ, saying, “Abbâ, what shall I do? For whensoever I see the face of a woman the war of fornication is stirred up against me.” And the old man answered and said, “My son, guard thine eyes against looking on a woman, and behold, henceforth thou wilt have no fear.” The brother said unto him, “Behold, how very often doth a man meet women by chance, without expecting to do so!” The old man said unto him, “As far as it is possible for thee to do so keep thy watch carefully, both within and without; and as concerning that which happeneth by chance, and a man meeting women without thinking about it, [in that case] passion will have no power to bestir itself. But take good heed to thyself that such a thing doth not happen unto thee of thine own will, for it is this which the Holy Book condemneth, saying, ‘Every man who looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.’ For if when thou art not thinking about them thou meetest women, and the passion stirreth itself up against thee, lift up thy mind immediately to God, and He will help thee.” Then wishing especially to strengthen that brother, he answered and said unto him, “Behold, my son, know thou that thou hast been with me for two years, and that I have not as yet seen what manner of face thou hast, whether it be good, or whether it be bad, and it was this [fact] which urged me to tell thee to guard thine eyes from the sight of women.” And afterwards he made a prayer over him, and sent him away to depart to the coenobium, for that brother used to dwell in the church.
492. They used to say about one of the old men that when the church was dismissed, he fled straightway and departed to his cell, and [they said] that he had a devil, but the holy man was [only] fulfilling the work of God.
493. An old man used to say, “Without prayer thou shouldst do nothing, and afterwards thou wilt not be sorry.”
494. A brother asked an old man, saying, “If I am in a clean place, and the time for service hath arrived am I to return?” The old man said unto him, “Who, when he remembereth riches, will return to poverty?”
