he had done saying that he went on and said My Children don't be cast down for as the Lord was angry so will he again heal and the Church will quickly again recover its Beauty and shine as it us'd and ye shall see the Persecuted resettled and Impiety again retreating into private Lurking-holes and true Faith deliver'd boldly every-where with great Freedom Only take heed not to defile your selves with the Doctrin of the Arians for their Doctrin is not that of the Apostles but the Doctrin of Devils for they are not of a right Judgment but Barren and Irrational like the Brutishness of Mules 52. Neither should ye be Faithless or distrust such Wonders being brought about by a Man for 't is our Saviour's Promise John 16.23 24. If ye have Faith but as a grain of Mustard-seed and shall say to this Mountain remove it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible to you And again Matt. 10.18 Verily verily I say unto you if ye shall ask any thing of the Father in my Name he shall give it you Ask and ye shall receive 'T is he that saith to his Disciples and all that believe in Him Heal the Sick cast out Devils Freely ye have received freely do ye give Antony did not Cure Majesterially and Self-ascribingly but he made his Prayer to and nam'd the Name of Christ so that it was manifest that it was not he himself but the Lord working and shewing Love to Men by Antony Only Prayer and Exercise was St. Antony's for the sake of that he sat on the Mount and rejoyc'd in the Contemplation of Divine things 53. He was very much troubled to see himself disturb'd by so many and when he was dragg'd to the outer Mount For the Judges desir'd him to come down into the outer Mount because 't was not possible for them to come into the inner Mount because of the Multitude of Clients that follow'd him entreating him that they might but just see him But he first refus'd to come to them However they tarry'd and sent some Persons that were in Custody to allure him to come upon their account Being therefore necessitated by Compassion when he saw them waiting he came to the outer Mountain This troublesome descent of his was not Useless but very Advantageous to a great many He did good to the Judges by minding them to preferr Equity before every thing and to fear God and to know that with what Judgment they do judge they shall be judg'd Now the Judge and others urg'd him mightily to tarry there some time and discourse concerning Matters relating to Salvation But he having done Violence to himself at the request of the Judge and the Necessitous in coming down told them he could not tarry with them any longer and appeas'd their Urgency with him by a pleasant Simile As Fishes die upon dry Ground so Monks when they converse with you grow loose and faint Wherefore we must hasten to the Mount as Fishes to the Water lest by tarrying without some time we forget what is within The Judge having heard this and such like Sayings from him wondred and said This Man is truly a Servant of God for Whence should such a private Person have such and so great Understanding unless he were belov'd by God 54. But there was a certain great Officer Namely Balacius who bitterly Persecuted us Christians because he was bigotted for the detestable Arians He was so cruel that he strip'd the Virgins and scourg'd the Anachorets naked So Antony writ him a Letter to this Effect I see Wrath coming upon thee cease to persecute the Christians lest it fall upon thee and take hold of thee in an instant for it will come But Balaclus grinn'd scornfully flung the Letter on the Ground and spat upon it and abus'd the Messenger and bid him say to Antony Since you are so solicitous for the Monks I will also give you your self a Visit And before five Days expir'd Wrath seiz'd upon him for Balacius and Nestorius the under-Governour of Egypt went out together on Horseback to the chief Seat or Mannor of Alexandria call'd Chaerea now the Horses were Balacius's and the gentlest of all that he kept and before they came to the Place began jocularly to repartee together as they us'd to do and on a sudden the gentler of the Two Horses which Nestorius rid bit Balacius and fell upon him and mangled his Thigh with his Teeth so he went strait-way back into the City and dy'd in Three Days time They all admir'd to see Antony's Prophecy so soon fulfill'd This was his Way of Admonishing the Bitter and Obdurate 55. Others that came to him he instructed so excellently that they forgot their Law-Suits and call'd those Happy that retir'd from a popular Life He behav'd himself in the case of the Oppress'd as if he himself not they were the Sufferers He had Power enough to do good to all insomuch That many Souldiers and others who had Possessions laid aside the Burthens of Life and presently became Monks In short He was as it were a Physician bestow'd upon Egypt by God What griev'd Person did not go back Rejoycing from him What Person came to him Mourning for Deceas'd Relations and did not lay by his Sorrow What angry Person came and was not turn'd into Love What Poor Man who saw and heard him did not despise Riches and find Consolation in his Poverty What Negligent Man went away from him and was not stronger and more Fervent What Youth came to the Mount and saw Antony and did not presently deny 〈◊〉 Pleasure and love Sobriety Who came to him tempted by Devils and was not reliev'd Who came troubled in his Thoughts and had not his Mind made serene by him For this was one great Benefit of Antony's Exercise namely That as I said before having the Gift of discerning of Spirits he knew their Motions Neither was he ignorant which way their Affection and Impetus bent And not only he himself was not impos'd upon by them but he also comforted those who were troubled in Mind and instructed them how they might baffle their Wiles explaining the Weakness and Subtleties of the Devils working in them Every one therefore as animated by him departed daring the Devices of the Devil and his Party Virgins also who had Suiters having only seen St. Antony at a distance continu'd Virgins to Christ. There came also some from Foreign Parts to him who were dismiss'd from him as from a Father with great Benefit When he dy'd they were all his Orphans comforting themselves with his bare Memory and holding fast his Admonitions and Instructions 56. And now 't is but decent and fitting to acquaint you with the Nature of the End of his Life for indeed 't was such as does deserve Emulation Near his Death he did according to his old Custom visit the Monks in the outer Mountain and being informed by Providence of his End he spake to them thus I
from excess of Pleasure and rears up the Soul when it begins to stoop Wherefore having set foot in the path of Vertue let us advance faster and faster and that we may be Masters of all Opportunities before us let none of us look back as did Lot's Wife for our Lord hath positively said that No one that puts his hand to the Plough and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of Heaven Now by the Expression look back is meant nothing else but to change our Thoughts and to relish the Things of this World Be not startled when ye hear any thing of Vertue neither think strange of the Name for 't is not far from us nor without us but the work is in our Power and an easie matter if we have but an hearty Resolution The Greeks travel and cross the Seas to learn Letters but we need not travel for the Kingdom of Heaven or to cross the Seas for Vertue for our Lord has told us before hand â—â—k 17.21 The Kingdom of Heaven is within you Wherefore Vertue stands only in need of the Will since 't is within us and built up out of us For Vertue consists of a Soul which has a primitive Natural Temper Now the Mind is so when it has that Temper wherein it was created 'T was created very beautiful and upfight for which reason Jesus the Son of Nave bid the People Joshua 24.23 Incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel as John also Make strait your paths for the Soul 's being strait or upright does consist in its having its intellectual Faculty in that posture in which it was created Again When the Soul bends or is crooked from Nature's posture then the Soul has Evil imputed to it Wherefore the Business is not so difficult as some make it for if we continue as we were made we are in a State of Vertue But if we purpose things that are wicked we are arraigned before God for wicked Persons If this Accomplishment were such as that it must necessarily be procur'd from without us it would be difficult But since 't is within us let us keep our selves from evil filthy Purposes and having received so great a Trust from God let us keep our selves for God that he may own his Work when he sees it such as he made it Let us contend earnestly lest Wrath tyrannize or Lust domineer over it for 't is written The Wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God But Lust when it hath conceived brings forth Sin and Sin when it is finished brings forth Death But since the Case is so with us let us be sincerely sober and as 't is written Keep our Hearts with all Diligence for we have shrewd and subtile Enemies even wicked Devils To which I add with the Apostle We wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities and Powers against the Rulers of this World against Spiritual Wickednesses in high places for there is a vast rout of them in the Air against us Nor are they far from us But there is a great difference in Devils But to speak of their Nature and Diversity would take up too much time A Narrative of that kind must be the work of greater Abilities That which lies upon us as necessary to be known is their various Subtilties against us And here be it known that the Devils were not by Nature what they are by Name For God made nothing Evil But they were created Fair and Good But having fall'n from an Heavenly Prudence and now wheeling about the Earth they deceived the Gentiles with their Phantasies And now that they envy us Christians they leave no stone unturn'd to hinder us from Entring into the Kingdom of Heaven lest we should get thither whence they fell therefore we stand in need of much Prayer and Exercise till we obtain the Gift of discerning of Spirits for when once a Man has obtain'd that he may be able to know which of them is more and which less Wicked and whither their different Endeavours mostly tend and by what Means every one of them may be conquered and cast out For they have several Wiles and Stratagems Hence came that Saying of the Apostle and his Followers For we are not ignorant of his Devices 2 Cor. 2.11 Since therefore we are tempted by them we should be setting one another's Souls to rights Wherefore I having partly experienced their Wiles do now but as a Child speak something to you about them Well then If they observe any Christians especially Monks labouring hard to make a considerable Progress in Vertue they assault and tempt them by laying continual obstacles in their way viz. evil Thoughts But however we should not be afraid of their Threats for by Prayer and Fasting and Faith in God they quickly fall But after they have been thrown they don't desist but presently come again subtlely and deceitfully for if they cann't cheat our Hearts by gross Pleasures they will assault us another way striving to terrifie us by false Appearances and transforming themselves into the Shapes of Women Beasts Serpents Bulky Bodies and Armies of Souldiers Even then our Heaâ—â—â— should not mis-give us for they are nothing and presently dis-appear especially if the Christian immures and fortifies himself with the Faith and the Sign of the Cross But still they are very bold and impudent for when they have been thus vanquished they set upon us another way and pretend to Prophecy and foretell things to come Also to scare us they will represent themselves so Tall as to touch the Cieling and proportionably Broad that they may steal those away by such Delusions whom they could not deceive by their Sophistry But if they find a Soul so secur'd with Faith and that Hope which attends true Repentance as to resist them still at last they bring the Prince of the Devils 16. He said also that the Devil often appeared just as he is described in Job 41.18 19 20. His Eyes are like the Eye-lids of the Morning Out of his Mouth go burning Lamps and sparks of Fire leap out Out of his Nostrils goeth Smoke as out of a Seething-pot or Caldron When the Prince of the Devils makes such a figure the old Impostor strikes Terrour upon Flesh and speaks very big And therefore he is upbraided where we read He esteemeth Iron as Straw and Brass as rotten Wood and looks upon the Sea as a Pot of Oyntment and the deep Abyss as his Conquest even the Abyss is to him as a Walk And by the Prophet Ezek. 15.9 the Enemy said I will and will overtake And again by another Prophet Isa 10.14 I will grasp the whole Earth in my hand like a Nest and take it up like forsaken Eggs. And to speak all in one Word they often make such Brags and Promises only to deceive those who worship God But we that are Faithful should not fear his Appearances nor give ear to his Words for he is a Lyar
for I do believe that a Soul in every respect pure and brought to its primitive Frame may become so discerning as to see by the Revelation of our Lord both more and remoter Events too than Devils Just so the Soul of Elisha saw Gehazi 2 Kings 5.25 and the Hosts standing before him 6.17 18. When therefore they come in the Night and are willing to tell things or say We are good Angels believe them not for they lye Or if they praise your Exercise or call you Happy believe them not neither submit so far to them as to hear them But rather cross your selves and your Families and pray together and ye shall see them vanish for they are dastardly and dread the Sign of our Lord's Cross because by that our Saviour made them bare and publickly exposed them Col. 2.15 Moreover if they grow more and more Impudent and leap about wantonly in various Shapes don't be afraid or attend to them as good Spirits for by God's Assistance 't will be possible nay easie to distinguish between the Presence of a Good and a Bad Spirit For the Appearance of Holy Spirits is not with Disturbance and Disorder Matt. 12.19 for He will not strive nor cry neither doth any one hear their Voice But a Good Spirit visits in such a sweet and delectable manner that Joy and Transport and Confidence presently cover the Soul that is visited For the Lord is with them who is our Joy and the Power of God the Father Besides too when they visit the Thoughts of the Soul are free from Consternation and Wavering For the Soul being enlightened by such a Vision views with Ease the Spirits that appear Furthermore it has a certain desire of Divine and future things seizing it and is willing to joyn with the Spirits and to go out with them And if those to whom they appear be afraid of the Vision they presently take away the Fear by Love as Gabriel did from Zachary Luke 1.13 As also the Angel which appeared to the Women at the Divine Tomb Matt. 28.5 A Testimony of this Truth too is that saying of the Shepherds in the Gospel Luke 12.10 Be ye not afraid for the Fear of Good Men is not a Fear of Pusillanimity but it proceeds from the Sense of the Advent of superiour Beings So much concerning the Nature of the Vision of Good Angels But the Incursion and Appearance of Evil Spirits is disturb'd with Noise and Clamour and Brawling like the Hurlyburly of untaught Boys or High-way-men whence proceeds Timidity of Soul Confusion and Ataxy of Thoughts Grief Hatred of Asceticks great Despondence Tediousness Remembrance of Relations and Fear of Death in short Lusting after Evil things Wearisomness of Vertue and Disorderliness of Morals Wherefore after you have been frighted with a Vision if your Fear be presently taken away and there succeed in the room of it a Joy unalterable and you find within your self Chearfulness and Confidence and Refreshment and Composedness of Thought and all the other things which I mentioned before as Mâ—nlâ—ness and Love towards God take Courage and pray for Joy and Steddiness of Soul discovers the Holiness of the Spirit that is present Thus Abraham when he saw the Lord exulted John 8.56 And John when he heard a Voice from Mary Mother of God leap'd for Joy But if there be Confusion in those that appear and Noise from without and Wordly Pharasies and Threatnings of Death with the other Disorders above-mentioned their know that 't is the Sally of Wicked Spirits Let this be a Common Rule If the Soul be searful there are Enemies in sight for they are Devils that don't take away that Fearfulness as the great Arch-Angel Gabriel did from Mary and Zachary and the Angel that appeared at the Tomb from the Women But Wicked Angels when they see Men afraid they encrease their Phantasies that they may dread them the more and so at last they assault them and jeer them and bid them fall down and worship Thus they deceiv'd the Gentiles By this Means they that were not Gods were falsly called Gods But our Lord has not suffered us to be deluded by the Devil whom he rebuked when he was exciting such Fancies in Him Luke 4.8 Get thee behind me Satan for 't is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve Let therefore the crafty one be more and more despised For what our Lord spake he spoke for our sake that the Devil hearing the same Words from us may be overturned by the Power of the Lord who so rebuked them then 19. But when we have cast out Devils we should not vaunt neither when we have cured Diseases should we be lifted up or admire one that casts out Devils or despise one that does not cast them out But let every one mind every one's Discipline and either imitate or emulate it or rectisie it For doing of Signs and Wonders is not our Business This belongs to our Saviour Hence Luke 10.20 He saith to his Disciples Rejoyce not because the Devils are subject unto you but because your Names are written in Heaven For our having our Names written in Heaven is a Testimony of our Vertue and regular Life But to cast out Devils is the pure Gift of our Saviour who gave it Whence we read Matt. 7.22 that to those who glorying not in their Vertue but in Signs said Lord have we not cast out Devils in thy Name and in thy Name done many Wonders Our Saviour said Truly I say unto you I know you not for the Lord knows not the ways of the Ungodly In short as I said before we should always pray for the Gift of discerning of Spirits that as 't is written 1 John 4.1 we may not believe every Spirit 20. I thought indeed now to have concluded and been silent of what concerned my self and to have contented my self with giving these Memento's But that ye may not think I speak these things idlely but do declare them from Experience and a Knowledge of the Truth therefore though I become as a Pool thereby however the Lord knows the Purity of my Conscience and that I do not do it for my own sake but out of Love to you and to encourage you I will further acquaint you with some of them As oft as they applauded me when I in the Name of the Lord cursed them when they would be fore-telling the Overflow of the River and I ask'd them What need you concern your selves about that when once they came threatning and surrounding me like Souldiers accoutred and hors'd and another while fill'd the House with Wild Beasts and creeping Creatures and I sung Psal 19.8 These in Chariots and they on Horses but we will rejoyce in the Name of the Lord our God they were presently routed by the Mercy of Christ Another time when they came and made an Appearance of Light in the Dark and said We are come Antony to lend thee
Brethren like Children mindful of their Father took care to send to him But Antony considering that some were toyled upon the account of bringing him Bread and being willing to spare the Monks that trouble deliberated with himself how he might prevent it and so at last desired those that came to him to bring him a Spade and a Mattock and a little Corn. When he was supply'd with Materials he walk'd a little way and having found a little piece of Arable Ground he Till'd it and having Plenty enough of Water to water it he sow'd his Grain there and thus ever-after he was supply'd with Bread enough every Year rejoycing because he was troublesome to none and could keep himself without being burthensome to any one After seeing some coming to him again he Till'd some more Ground and Planted a few Herbs for the Refreshment of any tir'd Traveller At first the Wild Beasts of the Desart came out of pretence for Water and damag'd his Standing-Corn One Day therefore he pleasantly took hold of one of the Beasts and said to them all Why do ye hurt me since I don't hurt you Get ye gone in the Name of the Lord and come no more near this Place again and from that time they as it were receiving his Command never came again So he kept alone in the inner part of the Mountain attending to Prayer and Exercise But his Brethren came and ministred unto him entreating him to let them come once a Month and bring him some Olives Beans and Oyl because he was now grown Ancient Whilst he lived there how many Conflicts he under-went not with Flesh and Blood but with Devils his grand Adversaries we know very well from those who went to him who heard Tumults Voices and Noises like those of the trampling of Horses and clashing of Arms and saw the Mount full of Wild Beasts in the Night and him as it were Fighting and Praying against them But he emboldened the Hearts of those that came to him and strove upon Bended Knees in Prayer with the Lord. And 't is worth our while to consider with Admiration that he though all alone in such a great Wilderness was not afraid of the Devil 's Assaulting him nor of the Fierceness of many Wild Beasts and Creeping Creatures but did literally as 't is written trust in the Lord like Mount Sion having a Mind unmov'd and void of Fluctuation So that as 't is written Job 5.23 the Devils fled and the Wild Beasts were at Peace with him The Devil therefore as David sings Psal 34.16 gnash'd upon him with his Teeth when he saw him But Antony was comforted by our Saviour and continu'd unhurt notwithstanding all his Subtleties and Stratagems The Devil sent all the Beasts and Snakes out of their Holes and Dens gaping upon him and threatning to bite him But he understanding the Device of the Enemy said to them all If ye have received any Authority over me I am ready to be devour'd by you but if ye are suborn'd by the Devil tarry here no longer but get ye hence in an Instant for I am Christ's Servant and they fled at his Word as fast as from a Whip 26. A few Days after that as he was at work for he always took Care to labour one standing at the Door train'd after him with his Heels some of his plyant Twigs which he had wrought together for he made little Baskets and exchang'd them with those that came to him for what they brought him and as he stood up he saw a Beast down to the Thighs like a Man but with Legs and Feet like an Ass Antony only sign'd himself with the Sign of the Cross and said I am a Servant of Christ If thou art sent hither against me lo I am here But the Beast with his Devils fled so fast that he fell and dy'd for Haste Now the Death of the Beast signify'd the Overthrow of the Devils for they did all they could to bring him out of the Wilderness but could not prevail 27. Soon after this he travelled with some of his Brethren Monks that came to see him and requested him to come and live with them a little while Now the Monks had a Camel to carry their Loaves and Water for that Desart was Waterless neither was there any drinkable Water thereabouts but by the Mount where his Monastery was and thence they had the Water that they took with them Wherefore their Water failing them whilst they were upon their Way and the Heat being very great their Lives were in Danger for having search'd all the Places thereabouts and found no Water they were not able to walk any longer but lay down upon the Ground and dismiss'd the Camel to shift for its self despairing of their own Lives Now the Old Man seeing them all in Danger was very much troubled and groan'd and having stept a little way aside and knelt and pray'd the Lord presently made Water spring forth out of the Place where he had pray'd and they all drank and reviv'd and fill'd their Bottles and having sought the Camel found him for as it happen'd the Halter twin'd about a Stone and held him fast so they brought him water'd and loaded him and travell'd safe to their Journeys End And as soon as he came to the Outer Monasteries they all came and saluted him as a Father And now there was Joy again in the Mountains and a new Emulation of Proficiency and Consolation by mutual Love and Faith It rejoyc'd Antony mightily to see the Forwardness of the Monks and his Sister grown old in Virginity and become a Governess over other Virgins In a short time after he return'd to his own Mountain whither many that were Diseased came to him 28. He would be continually charging all the Monks that came to him to believe in the Lord and love Him and to keep themselves from filthy Thoughts and carnal Pleasures and as 't is written in the Proverbs not to be deceiv'd by the Fulness of the Belly and to avoid Vain-glory and to pray continually and to sing before Sleep and after Sleep and to lay up the Precepts of the Holy Scriptures in their Breasts and remember the Acts of the Saints that the Soul being minded of those Precepts may be conformed to their Zeal but especially he advis'd them to have St. Paul's Saying in mind Let not the Sun go down upon your Wrath and to apply this in Common to every Precept that the Sun may not only not go down upon their Wrath but upon any other Sin whatsoever for 't is but fitting that the Sun should not condemn us for any Wickedness in the Day nor the Moon by Night for any Sin or Thought If we would be truly Beautiful St. Paul's Advice must be kept 2 Cor. 13.5 Judge your selves Try your selves Let therefore every one of you take an Account of both his Day and Night Actions and wherein he has offended let him leave off and wherein
he has not let him not glory but let him continue in that which is Good and not be Negligent or contemn his Neighbour neither Let him justifie himself till as the Blessed Apostle says the Lord come who searcheth into the most secret things for we are often even to our selves in the dark as to what we do we are ignorant But the Lord comprehends all things Wherefore yielding and ascribing Judgment to him let us be Patient one with another and bear one another's Burthens and Judge our selves and whereinsoever we are behind hand let us strive to fill up our Defects And pray let me desire you to take this Rule as a Preservative against Offending Let all of us mark and write down all our Actions and Motions in order to declare them to one another and ye may be confident that if we always blush to be known we shall forbear offending nay so much as thinking any ill thing for Who would Sin a Sin for which he must presently undergo open Shame By this Means who-ever offends cann't be secret without lying By this Means we should never fornicate as being always in one another's Sight But by writing and communicating our Thoughts we shall keep from inward Impurity through Shame of having it known Let our Paper therefore serve us instead of the Eyes of our Fellow-Asceticks that our blushing when we write them down in order to be seen may prevent our Lusting amiss in any case By keeping close to this Model of Discipline we shall have Power to subdue the Body and so please the Lord and to tread the Wiles of the Enemy under Feet This he said to all that met him He us'd to sympathize and pray together with all Sufferers and in many Cases the Lord heard him When he was heard he did not boast and when he was not heard he did not murmur But he always and in all Circumstances gave Thanks unto the Lord. He exhorted Patients to Long-suffering and made them know that Healing was not from him or from Men but of the Lord who acts as he pleases both as to what he does and as to the time when he does it Such Discourse as this was to them as a Cure none despising his Lectures But those whose Illness continu'd learnt from him to be patient and those that were Cur'd not to give Thanks to him but to God alone Among others one Fronto a Courtier having a terrible Sickness which eat his Tongue and just affected his Eyes came in the Mount and desir'd Antony to pray for him St. Antony at his request pray'd to God for Fronto and bid him be gone and he should be Healed 29. But Fronto having got into his Cell by Violence and tarrying a whole Day there Antony said Whilst you tarry here you cann't be cur'd Be gone and by that time you come within Sight of Egypt you shall see a Sign wrought upon you St. Antony speaking so positively he was satisfy'd and went his way and as soon as he saw Egypt he was rid of his Malady and became a Sound Man as Antony had assur'd him There is another Remarkable Cure which I must not omit 30. A certain Virgin of Tripolis had a very terrible and foul Distemper for her Tears and her Snot and the running of her Ears turn'd into Worms after it fell upon the Ground besides too she was very Paralytical and had very unnatural Eyes Her Parents having been inform'd of St. Antony by some Monks that were travelling to him and trusting in our Lord who as we read Matt. 20. cur'd an Issue of Blood requested that she might travel with them They granting her request the Child and her Parents went with them and when they came tarry'd without the Mount with Paphnatius a Confessor and a Monk The other Monks went in to St. Antony and just as they were going to acquaint him with it he prevented them and told them of the Child's Disease and her Travelling with them Hearing this they requested the Child might be permitted to enter but St. Antony deny'd their request and bid them go out and they would find the Child either Heal'd or Dead For said he Healing is not an Act of mine Why should she come to me who am a miserable Man To Cure is the Property of our Saviour who exercises Mercy in every Place over all that call upon Him and therefore has favour'd her and her Prayer and has manifested this particular Instance of his Philanthropy to me viz. that he will cure the Child's Disease there This caus'd great Admiration amongst them and they went out and found the Parents Rejoycing and the Child Healthy from that time 31. About this time there had Two Brethren entred upon a Journey and for want of Water one dy'd upon the way and the other was not far from Dying too and therefore having no Strength to travel he also lay upon the Ground expecting to die Now Antony was sitting upon the Mount and call'd Two Monks to him that were hard by and said to them Pray take a Pitcher of Water and run Egypt Road-way for one of two Fellow-Travellers is already dead and the other will die too unless ye make haste for this was discover'd to me as I was a Praying Accordingly the Two Monks went and buried their dead Brother and reviv'd the other and brought him to their venerable Father who was at the distance of a whole Day 's Journey from them If any one should ask Why Antony did not speak before the other dy'd he asks an improper Question for the Sentence of Death did not belong to Antony but to God who determin'd Death for the one and a Recovery by Antony's inter-Agency for the other That which is to be admir'd in Antony is That he had a Soul so stay'd and sedate as to be shew'd things at such a distance by the Lord upon the Mount 32. And a little after as he was sitting again upon the Mount he saw one lifted up on high from the Mount and a great deal of Joy in all that met him He could not but admire and call the Company Blessed and pray'd to know what that might be Then presently came a Voice and told him that 't was the Soul of Ammun a Monk of Nitria Now the distance between Nitria and that Mount is Thirteen Days Journey The Monks seeing the Old Man for he continu'd an Ascetick to his Old Age in such a Maze desired to know the reason of â—t St. Antony told them that Ammun was dead For this Monk was very well known among them because he often came thither and many Miracles were done by him of which this is one Having once an Occasion to go over the River Lycus which was a great Inundation of Waters he desired Theodore to go at a distance from him that they might not see one another Naked as they swam over Then Theodore withdrawing he blush'd to see himself again Naked And as he was blushing
make this as my last Visit to you and shall admire if we should see one another again in this World 'T is time for me now to let go my Body for I am near an Hundred and Five Years Old At this saying they wept clung about him and saluted him But he just as it became one leaving a strange Place for his own Countrey rejoyc'd and charg'd them not to be negligent in Labours nor to faint in Exercise but to live as dying daily and as I said before to keep their Souls from filthy Thoughts and to have a Zeal for the Saints but not to go a-near the Meletian Schismaticks for said he ye know their wicked and prophane purpose nor to have any Correspondence with the Arians for their Impiety is manifest Neither when ye see their Judges in Power be ye troubled for 't will cease and their Opinion and Splendour is mortal and of a short standing wherefore keep ye your selves pure from them and hold the Tradition of your Fathers and principally a pious Faith in our Lord Christ Jesus whom ye have learnt in the Holy Scriptures and have often been put in mind of even by me 57. When he had said this the Brethren urg'd him to tarry and die there But that he would not he shew'd by his silence as for many Reasons so especially for this The Egyptians love to bury the Bodies of Zealots and especially of Martyrs and wrap them up in fine Linnen Now they don't bury them in the Earth but lay them upon Couches and keep them in Repositories by themselves thinking thereby to honour the Deceas'd But Antony often besought the Bishops to warn the People against it and also reprov'd many Lay-Men and Women for it saying That that was neither Lawful nor very Holy for the Bodies of the Patriarchs to this Day are preserv'd in Sepulchres nay even the Body of our Lord Himself was laid in one and a Stone was laid upon it and hid it till he rose again whereby he shew'd them that they transgressed the Law in not hiding the Bodies of the departed although they be Holy for What is greater or more holy than our Lord's Body Many therefore afterwards bury'd under Ground and gave Thanks to God Now St. Antony knowing the Custom of Egypt and fearing lest they should do so by his Body hasted his Departure and took his Leave of the Monks in the Outer Mount and went into the Inner Mount where he us'd to live 58. A few Months after he fell Sick and having call'd to those that were with him for he had Two within with him who had been Asceticks with him Fifteen Years and serv'd him because of his extream Old Age he said to them I now as 't is written go the way of my Fathers for I see my self call'd by my Lord but be ye sober and finish a long-liv'd Exercise Be as earnest to hold fast your Purpose as though you were just beginning Ye know the Devils are plotting against you Ye know they are fierce in Will but weak in Power don't therefore be afraid of them but breath Christ and believe in Him and live as dying every day taking heed to your selves and remembring my Exhortations Hold no Communion with the Schismaticks nor the Arians for ye know how I declin'd them because of their Heterodox and Christ-opposing Heresie Do ye study principally to cleaâ—e unto Christ and his Saints that after Death they may receive you as Friends and Acquaintance into Everlasting Habitations Think upon and relish these Counsels and if ye have any regard for me and do remember me as a Father don't suffer any one to take my Body into Egypt lest they lay me in their Houses for for that reason I came 〈◊〉 Ye know how I have rebuk'd those who did it and â—â—â—â—g'd them to do so no more Do ye therefore bury my Body under Ground and mind my Words that no Body but your selves may know where I am bury'd for I shall receive my Body incorruptible from my Saviour in the Resurrection And pray do ye divide my Cloaths Give one Leathern Garment to Bishop Athanasius and the Blanket which he gave new to me but is now grown old and the other Leathern Jacket to Bishop Serapion and take ye the Hair-Cloth and save it my Children for Antony passeth away and is no longer with you 59. Having said this he saluted them and gather'd his Feet and as it were seeing Friends come unto him and rejoycing because of them for he look'd with a cheerful Countenance as he lay he left us and was added unto the Fathers So in fine the Monks wrapp'd him up and buried him under Ground according to his Command And no Body to this Day except the Two Monks knows where he was Bury'd The Vestments being distributed according as he order'd every one kept them as a great Purchase for he that sees them does as it were see Antony and he that puts them on carries his Admonitions about him with Joy 60. Such was Antony's Exercise and such the End of his Life in the Body And if these things are small in comparison to his Excellency judge ye what sort of Man of God he was who to so great an Age from his Youth up kept close to his rigorous Discipline neither conquer'd by Variety of Food upon the Account of his Old Age nor changing the Habit of his Raiment for want of Vigour or so much as washing his Feet And yet in all respects he was sound and unhurt for he had his Eyes clear seeing very well not one of his Teeth was lost only near the Gums they were worn because of his great Age He was also sound in his Hands and Feet and much clearer in every part than those who use several Diets Bathings and Variety of Garments and as to Strength too they were much more ready 61. St. Antony liv'd and dy'd admir'd and celebrated by all every where and long'd for by those who never saw him A great Sign of his Vertue and of a Soul that truly lov'd God for he did not get his Learning by Books nor external Wisdom nor any Art But Antony was renown'd purely for his Devotion to God No one can deny that this was the Gift of God How came he who was hid and sat in a Mountain to be heard of in Spain France Rome and Africa unless God had made his Name known every where who promis'd this to Antony at first for although such Heroes act secretly and are willing to lye conceal'd yet the Lord shews them as Lamps to all that they may know that his Commands which he has given to reform us are practicable and thence may derive a Zeal for the ways of Vertue 62. Read ye this to others that they may know what sort of Life the Life of Monks should be and may be perswaded that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will glorifie those who glorifie Him and serve Him unto the End not only bringing them to the Kingdom of Heaven but making them notwithstanding they hide and retire celebrated here for their Vertue to the Benefit of others And if there be a Necessity read it to the Heathens that they may know not only that our Lord Jesus Christ is God and the Son of God but that those Christians who serve Him truly and believe in Him piously reprove those Spirits whom they account Gods and tread upon them and chase them as those who are the Deceivers and Corrupters of Men and this they do by the Grace and Strength of Christ Jesus our Lord to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS