Amaze to see his Body that had been so belabour'd by Devils in the same shape in which it was before his Retirement The Temper of his Soul was very pure neither clouded by Sadness nor shattered by Voluptuousness Neither Laughter nor Melancholy held him in their Chains The sight of the Multitude did not disturb him nor their Praises make him vain But he was intirely smooth and regular steered by Reason and Revelation and fixed in the primitive State of Nature Our Lord healed many Sick Persons by him He also cleansed many that were possessed comforted many that were grieved and reconciled many that were fallen out charging them all to prefer none of the Things of this World before the Love of Christ discoursing and exhorting them to be mindful of future Goods and of the great Philanthropy of God who spared not his own Son but gave Him up for us all He perswaded many to chuse a solitary Life and by this means there came to be many Monasteries in the Mountains So that now the Desarts were turned into a City by Monks that left their Estates and Houses and entred themselves Members of the Heavenly City 14. Once he had an Occasion to pass over the Trench of the Arsenoites to see some of his Brethren Monks which Trench was very full of Crocodiles but St. Antony and all that were with him by the pure Vertue of Prayer went over unhurt When he returned to his Monastery he obliged himself to very severe and youth-like Enterprizes By his Conferences he would be continually encreasing the Fervour of other Monks and exciting many others to the Love of Exercise and by the magnetism of his Discourses many more Monasteries were erected all looking upon him as their Father 15. One Day among the rest as he was walking out he told the other of his Brethren Monks who came to him with a desire to hear him in the Egyptian Language that the Holy Scriptures are sufficient for Instruction But nevertheless 't is decent for us to confirm one another in the Faith by Exhortation and to chear and anoint each other's Spirits by mutual Discourses Wherefore do ye my Sons bring your Father what ye know and I who am your Elder will communicate to you what I know by Experience But besure in a peculiar manner to take care to be communicative and unanimous and that now ye have begun ye don't grow slack nor faint in your Warfare nor say with your selves We have laid out so much item so much Time upon Exercise But rather as beginning every day let us inlarge our Resolution for the Life of Man altogether is very short if we compare it with future Ages All our Time is nothing to Eternal Life Every thing else is Sold for its Value and like is Exchanged for like But the Promise we have of Eternal Life is a cheap Purchase For 't is writ The Days of our Life are Seventy Years and if by great Strength we reach Fourscore or more they are but Labour and Sorrow Now if we spend Eighty Years in Exercise we shall not reign an Hundred Years for it but instead of an Hundred we shall reign for ever and ever Again After we have contended on Earth our Inheritance will not be upon Earth but we hold Promises of Heaven Again After we have laid aside a Mortal Body we are cloathed with an Immortal One Wherefore Children let us not faint neither let us think we lay out much Time for God or do any great Matters for the Sufferings of this present Life are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed Neither let us think that we have parted with great Possessions for the whole Earth is very small with respect to Heaven For just as one who parts with a Mite for an Hundred Broad Pieces So were any one Lord of all the Earth and parted with it for Heaven he parts with a Mite and receives an Hundred-fold But if all the Earth is not worth Heaven then certainly he who leaves a few Acres for it does in a manner leave nothing at all If therefore any of us parts with a Mansion or with Gold he should neither vaunt nor despond But we should rather consider that if we don't leave them for the Sake of Vertue yet afterwards when we Die we often leave them to whom we would not as the Preacher has minded us Shall we not therefore leave it for the sake of Vertue to inherit a Kingdom Let us have a Thirst after true Possessions for What does it signifie to possess those things which we cannot carry away with us Let us rather acquire those Goods which will follow us into the other World such as are Wisdom Justice Sobriety Fortitude Spiritual Prudence Charity Love of Worldly Poverty Faith in Christ Freedom from Anger Delight in Hospitality if we possess these we shall find they will procure us a Mansion in the Land of the Meek These things duly considered no Person can be Negligent especially if he consider that he is the Lord's Servant and ought to serve Him Since therefore every one is his Servant no one should dare to say I do not work to day for I wrought yesterday or by measuring the time past to be idle for the time to come But every day a true Disciple of Christ will shew the same Readiness of Mind that as 't is written he may please his Lord and not run a risque in the Concerns of his Soul So also let us every day persevere in Exercise knowing that if we are Negligent one day we shall not be pardoned for it because we did well the day before No God is offended with such Negligence as we read in Ezekiel So also Judas by one Night's Impiety lost the Fruits of his time past Let us therefore Children adhere to Exercise and not suffer our Spirits to be bejaded for herein the Lord is our Fellow-Labourer as 't is written The Lord co-operates for Good with every one that wills and works Good Now in order to our not being Negligent there is a Noble saying of the Apostle on which we should oft meditate 1 Cor. 15.31 I die daily for if we so live as those who consider they may die every day we shall not sin Whence we learn every Day when we rise not to reckon upon our stay till the Evening and again when we lye down to sleep to suppose we shall not rise because our Life is uncertain by Nature which Providence daily measures out to us By being thus dispos'd and living so every day we shall not offend nor lust after any forbidden Object or be angry with any one or lay up treasure on Earth But thus dying every day we shall be possessing nothing and forgive all Offences being freed from all desire of filthy Pleasure reputing it as transeunt always striving and having the Day of Judgment in our Eye for a great fear of Eternal Torments takes off the Appetite
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
The LIFE of St. Antony Originally Written in Greek BY St. ATHANASIUS Bishop of Alexandria TO The Pilgrim Brethren YOUR Design of not only keeping pace with but also of out-stripping the Egyptian Monks in a virtuous Ascetick Course of Life is an Entrance upon a very generous and laudable Enterprize You have at length I find got Monasteries of your own and a Platform of Monastick Discipline by you There is no one but must a Justice commend your Design and no doubt but God will bring it to Perfection in case ye be but instant and constant in Prayer for his Blessing And since you have an earnest desire of being inform'd How St. Antony first entred upon an Ascetick way of Living and what manner of Man he was before and what sort of End he made at last and whether the Reports that have pass'd about him are true in order I presume to bring your selves to an Emulation of him and hereupon have thought fit to request an Account of his Conduct from my hands Be ye hereby satisfy'd that I have received your Command and received it with great Affection too for the Truth of it is the bare Remembrance of St. Antony is a Matter of great Advantage to me Besides too I am very well satisfy'd that when you have had an Account of this Man you will admire him so as to rival and transcribe his Example which indeed is a Pattern so exact that any Monk may form his Solitude by it and therefore I dare advise you not to dis-believe what-ever you may have heard concerning him but rather to look upon common Reports as strange as they may seem to fall far short of what St. Antony did and was for truly his Fame does not come near his Worth And I must needs say that what I send now to you concerning him in this Letter by reason of the Urgency of your Request is only an imperfect Relation of some few Passages of his Life which are still fresh in my Memory And I desire you by no means to leave off Enquiring about him of Passengers from all Quarters for I am perswaded did every one speak what they knew of him his Life would be found a Task too great for any Biographer to undertake to perfect it For which reason as soon as your Letter had reach'd my hands I thought fit to send for some of those Monks who us'd frequently to visit him that by their Information my Narrative might be a little fuller than 't is now But because the scantiness of the Seamens time and the hast of the Pacquet-Boat straiten'd me so that I could not tarry till they came I have us'd my utmost Diligence to acquaint your Reverences with all that I knew my self for I have often seen him and could learn from a Person who was his Servant no small time and us'd to pour the Water on his Hands when he washed I have all along ey'd the Truth so that who-ever hears more than he will find here may safely give Credit to what he hears Who-e'er knows less of him cann't chuse but have great Thoughts of St. Antony but how-ever cann't revere him so much as he ought who Reads this 1. ST Antony was Born in Egypt both of Rich and Noble what is better than both of Christian Parents And indeeed his exact Christian Life was a clear Evidence of his Christian Birth During his Childhood he was always kept at home being an utter Stranger to every Body but his Father's Family And after he was a little grown up he could not endure to go to School purely because of an inbred Aversation to keeping Company with other Children For he had a strong desire to live as we read of Jacob like a plain Man dwelling in Tents When his Parents us'd to carry him to Church though but a Child he did not appear Listless or Lazy Neither as he grew up did the least sign of a refractory Spirit appear in him But he was always very Obedient to his Parents and Attentive to the Prayers and Homilies and strictly careful to reap some Profit to his Soul from what he heard Though he saw his Parents had a great Estate yet he never was concerned for dainty Victuals or variety of Dishes being not in the least solicitous about matters of that kind but was always pleased with what-ever was provided and never desired any thing else 2. At about Eighteen or Twenty Years of Age at the most he was left an Orphan with an only and very young Sister and trusted by his Parents notwithstanding he was so young when they dy'd with the Management of the whole Family and Estate and the Education of his Sister Before Six Months after their Decease was expir'd as he was going according to his Custom to Church and ordering his Faculties into a fit frame for Devotion that Text Matt. 19.27 of the Apostles leaving all to follow their Saviour came particularly into his Mind in the midst of his Walk as also concerning those who in the Acts Act. 4.35 Sold their Estates and brought and laid them at the Apostles feet to be distributed as every one had need and what and how great an Hope remains laid up for them in Heaven With these Thoughts he went into the Church Now it happened on that Day that that part of the Gospel was read where we read our Lord saying to the Rich Man Matt. 19.21 If thou wilt be perfect Go sell all thy Possessions and give unto the Poor and then come and follow me and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven This Lesson St. Antony apply'd as particularly directed to him to himself and hereupon embracing the Remembrance of the generous Example of those Saints as injected into his Mind by God himself accordingly parted with the Estate of an ancient Family in all 300 Measures which the Egyptians call Arours of very rich and fertile Land and distributed the Money for which he sold it among the Inhabitants of the Village where he liv'd that neither his own nor his Sister's Mind might be encumbred with it any longer His Moveables he also Sold and gave the Money to the Poor 3. And having reserv'd some small matter for his Sister the next time he went to Church he heard our Lord say in the Gospel Matt. 6.34 Take no thought for the Morrow And therefore without any more delay he e'en went out immediately and distributed that too among the Poor And having given her in Charge to some experienc'd and trusty Virgins to be Educated in their Cloysters he betook himself to an Ascetick Life without doors keeping a very close eye upon himself and leading a very rigid and absteinous Life for at that time there scarcely were any settled Monasteries in Egypt neither did any Monk live in a remote Wilderness But whoever had a mind to order himself very severely exercis'd himself in some solitary Place not far from his own Town At this time there was an Old Man
not forbear crying out as we read Numb 24.5 6. How goodly are thy Dwellings O Jacob and thy Tabernacles O Israel As the shady Vales are they spread forth and as the Parks beside the Rivers and as the Tents which the Lord hath fix'd and as the Cedars by the Waters side 22. St. Antony therefore oft retiring himself into his Monastry daily grew Vigorous in Exercise and groan'd longing for Mansions in Heaven because he long'd for them and observ'd the frail Life of Man When-ever he was about to eat or drink or sleep or serve any other Bodily Necessities he blush'd for he thought upon the Dignity of his Intellectual part So that oftentimes when he was going to eat with other Monks and call'd to Remembrance his Spiritual Food he refus'd and retir'd to eat alone thinking he should blush if he was seen Eating by them When he eat alone 't was purely out of Necessity Sometimes though very seldom he eat with his Brethren But though 't were with Blushing he took the Liberty to acquaint his Brethren for their Benefit that they should lay out their Leisure rather on their Soul than their Body lest it be weigh'd down by the Pleasures of the Body which ought to be in Subjection to it For our Saviour has said Take no thought for your Life what you shall eat nor for your Body what ye shall put on Do not seek what ye may eat nor what ye may drink neither aim at high things For all these things the Nations of the World seek for your Father knows that ye need them and all these things shall be added unto you 23. Not long after the Emperour Maximinus Persecuted the Church and some Holy Martyrs being carried to Alexandria he left his Monastry and followed them saying to his Friends Let us also go and combat or see those who do for he was Ambitious of Martyrdom But not being willing to deliver up himself he ministred to the Confessors in the Mines and Prisons and shew'd great Diligence in the Court of Judicature comforting and spurring on those that were call'd to it and attending them till they were Crowned Martyrs Wherefore the Judge observing the Fearlesness and Assiduity of Antony and of those that were with him ordered that no Monk should appear in the Court nor so much as live in the City so that all the rest seemed to abscond that Day But St. Antony took this so much to thought that he wash'd his Scapulary the cleaner the Day after and stood foremost on an high place before the Judge's Face And though all Persons admir'd at it and the Governour as he pass'd by with his Train took Notice of it yet he stood unmov'd shewing the Readiness of the Christians to die For as I said before he wish'd to die a Martyr and appear'd very much griev'd because he did not But the Lord preserv'd and reserv'd him for our Benefit and the Advantage of many more that he might be a Teacher to many by the Exercise which he learnt out of the Holy Scriptures for the bare sight of his Discipline inflam'd many others to imitate his Life Wherefore he again visited the Confessors as he us'd and as it were bound up together with them he labour'd to serve them But after that Persecution in which the Blessed Bishop Peter suffered Martyrdom ceas'd he pilgrimag'd and retir'd again to the Monastry where he was daily a Martyr in Conscience and fought the Combats of Faith For there he us'd himself to much and stricter Exercise for he always fasted His inner Garment was Hair-cloth his upper of Leather which was the Habit he wore to his dying Day neither washing the dirt off his Body no nor so much as his Feet unless they were wet by chance when he waded thorow Water on a Journey 24. Now when he had thus retir'd and resolv'd to continue in that State some time without ever going abroad or entertaining any Company There came to him one Martinian a Colonel who had a Daughter troubled with a Devil and was very troublesome to him and after he had stood a long while knocking at the Door and entreating him to come and pray to God for his Daughter Antony would not suffer him to break open his Door but leaning out of the top said Man Why dost thou stand crying thus I am a Man as well as thou If thou believest pray to God and 't is done presently The Colonel therefore pray'd to God with Faith and went his way and his Daughter was cleans'd from the Devil Many other things did our Lord by him Wherefore we do not read in vain Matt. 7.7 Ask and it shall be given you For many that were Sick and only sat without the Monastry by Faith and Prayer were Cur'd But as soon as he saw himself thus disturb'd by a great many People and not permitted to retire according to his Purpose and Desire and fearing lest from what the Lord did by him he should be lifted up or any one else upon that account should think of him beyond what he ought he thought and was resolved to go to the upper Thebais where no body knew him and having took some Loaves of his Brethren he sat down by the River Banks watching for a Vessel to get over In the mean while came a Voice from Heaven saying Antony Whither goest thou and wherefore Antony without any Commotion or Disorder of Mind for he was us'd to such extraordinary Occurrences said Since the Multitude will not let me be at rest here I have a mind to retire in the upper Thebais and so much the rather because they require things above my Strength Then reply'd the Voice Should'st thou go thither thou would'st have double the Trouble to undergo But if thou would'st be quiet indeed go into the inner Wilderness But Who said Antony shall shew me the way for I don't know it And the Voice presently directed him to some Sarazens that were travelling that way Whereupon Antony made up to them and requested to walk with them to the Wilderness They as it were by the Order of Providence receiv'd him readily By that time he had travelled with them three Nights and three Days he came to a very high Mountain Now under the Mountain there was fine clear cool sweet trembling Water and without the Plain a few Wild Palm-Trees that had been neglected Antony as being sent thither by God was in Love with the Place for this was the Place of which the Voice that spake to him upon the Banks of the River gave him Notice Having at first took with him some of his Fellow-Travellers Loaves he tarry'd alone in the Mount no Body at all conversing with him There he kept looking upon it as his own Home The Sarazens having observ'd his Intent and Proposal to himself in Living there designedly pass'd often that way and gladly supply'd him with Bread He had also a little Refreshment from the Palms 25. And afterwards the
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
and solicitous he was of a sudden convey'd to the other side Theodore therefore who also was a very Religious Man having seen him got over and not at all wetted with the Water requested to know the manner of his Passage But finding him loth to tell him he took hold of his Feet and protested he would not let him go before he knew Ammun observing the Earnestness of Theodore for the sake of his Protestation consented to tell him after he had engag'd him to tell no Body before he was dead and so told him how he was carry'd over after an invisible manner and laid on the other side He did not walk on the Water nor was the manner of it possible to Men but only possible to those whom our Lord permits as he did St. Peter This Theodore told after Ammun's Death But to return to St. Antony The Monks to whom St. Antony told what he saw noted down the Day in a Book And some Brethren that return'd from Nitria enquir'd about Thirty Days after and brought word that Ammun dy'd the same Day and Hour in which Antony saw the Soul lifted up on high and they greatly admir'd the Purity of Antony's Soul and wondred how he should immediately know what was done at Thirty Days distance and how he saw the Soul carry'd up a-loft But we have fresh Matter of Praise and Wonder from St. Antony still 33. For Archelaus Comes having found him praying by himself in the Outer Mount entreated him on the behalf of Pelycrateia who was an admirable Virgin and full of Christ for she had a Pain in her Stomach and her Side by reason of extream Exercise and was very weakly all over her Body Wherefore Antony pray'd and Archelaus mark'd down the Day whereon Antony pray'd and when he return'd to Laodicea he found the Virgin well and having ask'd them what Day she was first releas'd from her Weakness he took out the Paper in which he writ down the Time when Antony pray'd for her and immediately shew'd them the same time writ down in his Paper So that they were all convinc'd that the Lord deliver'd her from her Pains when Antony was by Prayer forwarding the Goodness of our Saviour towards her 34. He did also oftentimes give Notice many days before hand of Persons that were coming to him Nay sometimes he would tell the reason of their Journey a Month before hand as that some came only to see him others because Distempered others because Possess'd And this we all know of all That none that came to him thought the Labour of his Journey a Trouble or a Loss for every one return'd from him with a Sense of some Benefit receiv'd But notwithstanding he spoke and saw such strange things yet he would not have any one admire him for it but rather to admire the Lord who by his Power has granted us though but Men a Capacity and Liberty to know Him 35. Another time having went down to visit the Outer Monasteries and been prevail'd upon by request to go into a Vessel and pray with the Monks He and He only perceiv'd a wretched and terrible Stink the Company said there was some salt Fish in the Vessel but he perceiv'd another kind of Scent And whilst he was speaking a Young Man that had a Devil and had entred in before them and hid himself cry'd out and the Devil was rebuk'd by St. Antony in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and came out of him and the Young Man was restor'd to his Wits And then they all knew that 't was the Devil that stunk 36. There came to him also a Nobleman that had a Devil Now that Devil was so trouble that the Person that was Possess'd was not so much as sensible that he came to St. Antony and ate his own Ordure Wherefore they that brought him begg'd of St. Antony to pray for him Antony commiserating him pray'd for him and sat up with him all Night and the Noble Youth on a sudden run against St. Antony and hunch'd him Now those that came with him were very much disturb'd at it But Antony said Don't ye be angry with the Youth for 't is not he but the evil Spirit within him for being rebuk'd and commanded to post away into some waterless Places he was enrag'd and did this Therefore glorifie God for his doing thus against me for that is a Sign that he is a going out No sooner had Antony said so but the Youth was well and himself and knew where he was and saluted the Old Man giving Thanks to God 37. Many other such like things did the Monks tell of him and they all agreed in their Relation But as wonderful as these things are there are stranger things yet to be related for as he was going to pray before he eat about the Ninth Hour he was in a Rapture and which is a Paradox as he stood up he saw himself without himself and some other Beings by himself as it were in the Air and afterwards some other bitter and terrible Beings standing by him in the Air too and willing to stop him so that he did not pass But the Angels his Guides and Conveys withstanding them they pretend to exact an Account of him to see whether he was not lyable to them Now they would have took the Account from his Birth But St. Antony's Guides would by no means allow of that and told them That the Lord had blotted all Faults since his Birth But ever since he became a Monk and promis'd to God they might exact an Account Then they having accused him of what they could not prove the Passage became free and presently he saw himself as it were come to himself in a standing Posture and whole again Hereupon having forgot to eat he continu'd all the remaining Day and Night Groaning and Praying for he wonder'd to see how many we fight against and through how great Difficulties any Soul must needs pass thorow the Air. He could not but upon this Occasion call to mind that Saying of the Apostle Eph. 2.2 According to the Prince of the Power of the Air for here 't is that the Enemy exerts his Power in Fighting and attempting to stop those who pass thorow for this Reason he the more earnestly exhorts Christians Eph. 6.13 Take ye the whole Armour of God that the Enemy having no Evil thing to say of you he may be ashamed But we when we had been inform'd of this remembred the Apostle Whether in the Body I know not or out of the Body I know not God knows St. Paul was wrapt up as far as the Third Heaven and heard unutterable Words But Antony saw himself going up into the Air and contended till he was free 38. He had also another particular Favour for as he was sitting on the Mount in a Praying posture of Soul and perhaps gravelled with some doubt relating to himself for not long before he had been conferring with some who
had been conversant with him about the State of his Soul and what place it should have after this Life in the Night-time so that we may truly say he was one of those Blessed Men who are taught of God one call'd to him from on high and said Antony Rise go forth and look So he went out for he knew whom he ought to obey and saw a certain terrible tall deformed Personage standing and reaching up to the Clouds and as it were winged Creatures ascending and him stretching out his Hands and some of them he saw stop'd by him and others flying beyond and above him and those that pass'd them carried higher still without the least Solicitude upon these the Tall Person gnash'd his Teeth but over those that fell he rejoyc'd And the Voice said unto Antony Consider on what thou hast seen And his Understanding being open'd he perceiv'd that 't was the Enemy of Souls who envies the Faithful and seizes on and hinders the Passage of those who are accountable to him but that he is not able to seize on those who were not perswaded by him for they get out of his reach Being minded by such a Sight again he strove the more to make a Proficiency in his Holy Purposes 39. But I must do him Justice by acquainting you that he did not tell of these things willingly But being he was long at his Prayers and admiring with himself those that were with him would be importunately asking him so that he was forc'd as a Father who could not hide them from his Children to tell them Besides too he knew the Purity of his own Conscience and that the Declaration of them would be profitable for them for hereby he shewed the Blessed Fruit of Perseverance in Exercise and that in great Difficulties God condescends to render Consolation to his Servants even by Visions I might also tell you how Patient he was under Afflictions and how Humble of Soul and how that Frame of Spirit made him revere the Canons of the Church with a peculiar Tenderness of Disposition and how willing he was that every Clergy-Man should be preferr'd before him for he was not asham'd to bow the Head before Bishops and Priests And when-ever a Deacon came to him to be benefitted by him he discours'd usefully to him But he would resign the Exercise of the Ministry by Prayer to him not being asham'd to learn himself for oft-times he propos'd Questions and condescended descended to give Ear to all that convers'd with him and own'd himself benefitted if any one spoke any thing that was useful 40. There was much and wonderful Comeliness in his Face If he was present with a great many Monks and any one seem'd uneasie that he might have a full View of him though he did not know them before yet passing by the rest he would run to him as though he were drew by the Person 's Eyes He did not excell others in the heighth or breadth of his Body but in the Constitution of his Morals and the Purity of his Soul for his Soul being free from tumult he always had his outward Senses free from Disorders so that his Countenance derived Chearfulness from his Soul and the Temper of it was discernable from the Motions of his Body as 't is written Prov. 15.13 A glad Heart makes a cheerful Countenance But a sorrowful one makes it sad Thus Jacob discerned Laban to have some treacherous Design in his Mind and said unto the Women Gen. 31. Is not the Face of your Father toward me as yesterday and the day before Thus Samuel knew David For he had cheering Eyes and Teeth white as Milk Thus also Antony was known for he never look'd disturb'd because his Soul was always at Peace His Mind was constantly in a rejoycing Posture and therefore he never had a louring Look He was also very admirable and strict as to his Faith and Piety 41. He would never hold Correspondence with the Meletian Schismaticks because he knew their Wickedness and Apostacy from the Faith nor with the Manichees nor with any other Hereticks in a Friendly manner any otherwise than to advise them to turn to Piety for he judg'd their Friendship and Conversation to tend to the Mischief and Destruction of the Soul He abominated the Heresie of the Arians and charg'd all not to go near them or to hold with their wicked Tenets Some of the Areiomanites having once came to see him as soon as he perceiv'd what they were he chas'd them out of the Mount alledging their Discourses to be worse than Poyson And when the Arians told a Lye as though he were of the same Judgment with them he express'd great Indignation against Arius and being sent for by the Bishops and all the Brethren he declar'd against them in Alexandria telling them that this was the last Heresie and the fore-runner of Anti-Christ and he added That the Son of God was not a Creature made of the things that are not but the invisible Word and Wisdom of the Father's Essence Wherefore 't is unpious to say there was a time when he was not for He was always the Word co-exâ—â—ent with the Father Wherefore have ye no communication with the Arians for Light hath no fellowship with the Darkness For ye who are pious are Christians but they who impiously say that the Son and Word of God who is of the Father is a Creature differ not at all from Heathens who serve the Creature more than God who created them But do ye believe that all the Creation groans against them because they reckon the Lord and Creatour of all things by whom all things that were made were made a Creature 42. So publickly did all the People see that Heresie which so opposes Christ anathematis'd by this great Man and therefore abominated them And all of the City ran together to see Antony The Greeks also and those that were called their Priests came to the Temple saying We desire to see the Man of God for all call'd him so Also the Lord cleans'd many that were Possess'd by him and heal'd many wounded Persons and others that were wounded in their Understandings And many Greeks desir'd to touch the Old Man believing they should be benefitted thereby By this means there were as many Christians in a few Days as us'd to be made in a whole Year Some Persons thought the Crowd was too troublesome to him and therefore kept Persons from pressing upon him But he was not disturb'd with them and said to them The People are not more in Number than those Devils with which I have contended in the Mountain When he went away we went before him 43. And as we were just at the Gate as it were a Woman cry'd out O Man of God pray tarry a little for my Daughter is grievously troubled with a Devil Tarry I pray thee lest I also fall into some danger by running after thee When the Old Man heard her he willingly
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