The Laughable Stories Collected by Mar Gregory John

PROFITABLE SAYINGS OF THE CHRISTIAN RECLUSES.
CLXXIV. One of the Fathers said, *
'Young men in
''the beginning of their career take unto themselves
"labours for the sake of vain glory, but afterwards
"Divine grace secretly whispereth to them and per-
"suadeth them to labour for Divine and not for human
"glory/'
CLXXV. Another father said, "When God (Glory
"be to His Grace!) saw that the Fathers were exalted
"in their minds, He used to send them to men who
"wrought righteousness, even though they toiled little
"in the ascetic life, in order that they might be abased
"somewhat. Thus He sent Antony to a tailor, and Ma-
"carius to two women, and Paphnutius to a thief and
"a singer, and He sent two solitaries to a shepherd."
CLXXVI. It was said by God unto a certain man
who was righteous according to this world, "Flee from
"men and thou shalt live,'* God indicating to him that
he should go into the desert. Then a second voice
came to him, saying, "Flee, keep silence, and lead a
"life of contemplation," that is to say, "When thou hast
"gone and hast become mighty in the deeds of the
"ascetic life then thou shalt dwell alone with thy soul'."
^ The man here referred to was Arsenius. The story as given
in my MS. of Palladius is as follows:— "When Arsenius was in the