of self-denial than he doth, and I can endure more than he,’ but be subject unto the Grace of Christ, with a humble spirit, and love which is not hypocritical, lest through thy haughty spirit thou destroy thy labours. For it is written, ‘Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall’ (1 Corinthians 10:12); and, ‘A man must be seasoned with Christ as with salt.’ ”
346. An old man used to say, “Let there be not unto thee free converse with the governor or with the judge, and be not with either of them continually; for from such freedom of speech (or boldness) thou wilt acquire [the habit of thinking], and from merely thinking thou wilt covet.”
347. Abbâ Agathon used to say, “I have never lain down to sleep and kept anger in my heart, or even a thought of enmity against any man; and I have never allowed any man to lie down to sleep keeping any anger against me.”
348. The old man Hyparchus used to say, “Do not abuse thy neighbour, and drive not away a man who turneth towards thee, so that thou mayest be able to say to our Lord, ‘Forgive us our sins, even as we also forgive those who trespass against us.’ ”
349. One of the fathers used to say, “If a man ask thee for anything, and thou givest it to him grudgingly, thou wilt not receive a reward for that which thou hast given, as it is written, ‘If a man ask thee to go with him a mile, go with him two’; and the meaning of this is, ‘If a man asketh anything of thee give [it] unto him with all thy soul and spirit.’ ”
350. One of the fathers related that there were three things which were especially honoured in monks: that is to say, with fear and trembling, and spiritual gladness they thought it meet to draw nigh, I mean to the participation in the Holy Mysteries, and the table of the brethren, and the washing of one another, according to the example which their true Rabbâ Christ shewed unto them, before the great day of His Resurrection was fulfilled. And the old man himself produced an illustration [of this], saying, “There was a certain great old man who was a seer of visions, and he happened to be sitting at meat with the brethren, and whilst they were eating, the old man saw in the Spirit as he was sitting at the table that some of the brethren were eating honey, whilst others were eating bread, and others dung; and he wondered at these within himself. And he made supplication and entreaty unto God, saying, ‘O Lord, reveal unto me this mystery, and tell me why when the food is all the same, and when the various things which are laid upon the table are only different forms
