St. Antony

From Ins Life, -written "by the great St. Athanaeius.

ST. ANTONY was born in Egypt about the middle of the third century, of parents noble and wealthy; according to the world, but withall pious and religious. By thorn he was trained up at homo, in great innopence, so as to be a stranger in a manner to the world; and was by his own inclinations, entirely restrained from the company of others of his age, and even from frequenting the schools with them, for fear of his morals being corrupted by their conversation or bad ex ample. His whole desire was bent upon God: he frequented the church in the company of his parents, assisted there with great modesty, gravity, and attention; and endeavored to follow in his practice the instructions and rules of life which he there learnt. He was not fond, as children usually are, of dainties, or such things as are sweet and agreeable to their appetite, but always took what his parents gave him, and Bought nothing more.

He was about eighteen or twenty years old, when his parents dying, left him master of all their wealth, which was considerable, with a little sister that was very young. But scarce six months were passed after their death, when one day going to church according to his custom, and thinking with himself how the Apostles had left all to follow our Lord, and the primitive Christians (Acts iv.) had sold their possessions, and laid the price at the feet of the Apostles, to be by them distributed to such as were in want, and how great would be the reward m heaven, of them that did in this manner. At his coming into the church he heard the gospel read out of Matt. xix. where our Saviour says to the young man that was rich. v. 21.

If thou will be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and givt to the poor, ani thou sho.lt have treasure in heaven, and come follow me. These words he took as ad dressed by our Lord to himself, and particularly designed for him: and in consequence of this divine call he presently parted with his whole estate in lands sold his moveables, which were of great value, and distributed the price to the poor, only reserving a small matter for the use of his sister. Some time after, when he had heard in the church that part ot the gospel read (Matt, vi.) where our Lord warns his disciples not to be careful for to-morrow, he concluded to part with his house also, and to distribute all that remained to the poor; and having recommended his young sister to the care of certain devout virgins, to be trained up in their way of life, he quitted the world for good and all, and entered with a strong resolution upon the narrow and arduous path of religious perfection.

There were not very many at that time in Egypt irho professed a monastic life; and those that did retired not into the deserts, but only lived in separate cells in die country, at a small distance from their respective villages. One of these, now advanced in years, who from his youth had followed this manner of life, lived in the neighborhood: him Antony proposed to imi tate; and accordingly he began to follow the same kind of life, but in places something more remote froia his own village. Accordingly, as often as be r.ould hear of any one that labored with more diligence than ordinary in the pursuit of virtue and perfection, he was sure to visit him, and to seek in his conversation and method of life, some lessor for his own instruction and edification. In the mean time he labored with his own hands for his daily food; and all that he gained over and above what was necessary to purchp.se his pittance of bread, he gave to the poor. He praye-i very much, and endeavoring quite to forget the world and all his worldly kindred, he turned all his affections and desires towards the purchasing the hidden treasure of true wisdom, and the precious pearl of divine love. In order to this he gaw diligent attention to the word of God, contained in the holy Scriptures, which he heard, and by meditating thereon, laid up all these precepts of our Lord in such a manner in his soul, as never to forget any of them; but to have them always written in his memory, as in a book. He envied no one, but had always a great deference for the other servants of God; and was continually studying to remark those virtues, in which each one of them excelled, in order to imitate them; and thus assemble as it were, and unite together in himself the different perfections which he observed in the rest. Thus he quickly outstripped them all: and yet remained al ways most humble, meek, and full of brotherly love and charity, so as to be ever most lear to them alL

The devil, who was enraged to see so much ardor in the pursuit of virtue in a person so young, era-ployed all his arts and stratagems to divert him from his holy undertaking, and to bring him back again into the world; and for this end, he strongly represented to his imagination the riches and possessions which he had quitted, the nobility of his family, the glory of this world, the advantages and pleasures of a worldly life; and, on the other hand, the extreme difficulties and labors to be undergone in this way which he had chosen; the weakness of his body, unfit for such extraordinary fatigues; the long time he might have to live under this insupportable burthen, &c. suggesting withall that it was a crime in him to have abandoned, in the mariner he did, his little sister, whom he was obliged to have taken care of. By these and such like representations, he strove to induce him, after he had put his hand to the plough, to look back, and to return again to the world. But the Saint overcame all his temptations, by a lively faith ir, Christ crucified, and by continual and fervent prayer. "Wherefore the enemy changed his batteries, and as saulted him in a most violent manner, night and day, sleeping and waking, with carnal suggestions and al lurements to lust. But the holy young man, armed with divine grace, which he procured by earnest and constant prayer, conquered also all these temptations, by perpetually opposing to them, watchings, fastinjn, and mortifications of the flesh, together with the faith and remembrance of the judgment to come, of the worm that never dies, and of the eternal flames of hell. By these means he gaineu so complete a victory over the enemy, that he ceased to molest him any more in this kind. It was in consequence of this vie tory, that the unclean spirit one day appeared to the Saint in the shape of a most filthy, ugly, black hoy; bitterly weeping and lamenting, that after having de ceived and seduced so many, he had been ove'-.ome by him. On being asked who he was, he answered he was the spirit of impurity, who made it his business to wage a continual war against youth, in which he was commonly successful; and that it was he that had so often attacked him, but had always been re pulsed. Upon this the Saint, giving thanks to God, was animated with a new courage against this detest able spirit; and began to sing aloud those words of the Psalmist: The Lord is my helper, and I will despise my enemies. (Ps. cxvii. 7.) At which the filthy phantom was put to flight.

These first victories did not render Antony neo-li-gent, as if he might now think himself secure, and on that account might relax in his spiritual exercises; foi he very well knew that the devil never sleeps, and tha he has a thousand ways of tricking and deceivino- un wary souls, especially as he holds a close correspondence witr i liu flesh, our domestic enemy, and with OUJT unh-aj py self-love and its passions. Wherefore the holy young man resolved to be still more upon his guard, and to make every day, still greater progress in religious perfection. He chastised his body, and brought it under subjection by extraordinary auster ities; which how difficult soever in themselves, became sweet and agreeable to him, by reason of that ardent affection wherewith he embraced them. He frequently watched whole nights in prayer; — he eat but onc,e in the four and twenty hours, and that not till after sunset. His food was nothing but bread and salt, his drink nothing but water, which he drank in a Bmall quantity: he sometimes fitsted two days, or more, without taking any food whatever. His bed was a sort of mat made of bulrushes,.with a covering of hair cloth: and sometimes only the bare ground. His application to God in prayer was without intermission, like the Apostles (Philip iii. 13, 14,) forget ting the things that are behind, that is, all that he had already done, he was continually stretching forth him self to those that are before; and pressing, with all his power towards the mark, for the prize of the supernal vocation of God in Christ Jesus: ever considering himself as if he was just beginning, and thinking of no more than of the present day.

All this not being sufficient to satisfy his hunger and thirst after perfection, he chose for himself a dwelling amongst the tombs or monuments of the dead. In wie of these he shut himself uj, and received from time to time his necessary sustenance from a religious man who came to visit him. The devil, foreseeing the consequences he had to apprehend from this new kind of enterprise, and fearing lest by degrees this young man should draw many by his example into the desert, to the prejudice of his usurped empire, was resolved not to suffer him to go on thus; and therefore (God so permitting for the greater merit and glory of his Saint,) Satan gathering together his infernal spirits, attacked him one night with the utmost fury, inflict ing upon him many stripes and grievous wounds, till he left him stretched out like one dead, without either speech or motion. In this condition his friend found him the next morning, and carried him back to the village on his shoulders, where a great multitude of his kindred and neighbors were assembled about him to perform his funeral obsequies; when, behold, towards midnight, coming to himself, like one awakened from a deep sleep, and looking about him, he perceiv ed his friend there watching by him (for the rest were all asleep) and he made a sign to him to carry him back again to his monument, without waking any of the company. He did so, and Antony being now alone, but not as yet able to support himself on hi? feet, by reason of his late treatment, performed his devotions, as well as he could, lying prostrate on tho floor At the end of his prayer, lifting up his in defiance of the spirits of darkness, he cried out with a lively faith and confidence in his God, " Lo, here am

I: here is Antony, ready to encounter with you all;

I shall not run away; do your worst; none of you hail be able to separate me from the love of Christ;*

Tien he began to sing with the Psalmist: If the arflies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear. Ps. xxvi. 3.

The enemy not enduring to be thus outbraved, re assembled his hellish fiends, and returned to the charge with greater violent Lhan before, and raising a sudden, violent tempest, wp.iet shook the very foundations of the place, he laid it open on nil sides; and entering in with all his wicked ones, in the shape of wild beasts and serpents of sundry kinds, he not only sought to terrify the Saint with their hideous yelling, roaring, howling, hissing, (fee., but also made him feel their fury in a most sensible manner, by the fresh wounds they inflicted upon him. But his courage and constancy was proof against all their attempts; so that notwithstanding the excessive pains he felt in his wounded body, he mocked at all their vain efforts, reproached them with their weakness and cowardice, and with those forms of brutes, to which they were now reduced, who had formerly proudly aspired to be ike unto God. At length Jesus Christ was pleased to come in a visible manner to the assistance of his servant in the. midst of this conflict; for lifting up his eyes, he saw the top of the place open, and a bright ray of divine light to enter in, which instantly dissipated those infernal spirits, and released him from all his pains. The Saint understanding that his Lord was present, thus addressed him:;t Where wast thou my good Jesus, all this while? Where wast thou? Why didst thou not come before to heal my wounds? The Lord answered, I was here Antony; but I waited to see thy combat. And now because thou hast fought so bravely, and not yielded, I will always assist thee, and make thy name famous over the whole earth." Antony having heard these words, raised himself up to pray, and found that our Lord had now given him greater strength than he had before. At the time when this happened to him he was about thirty-five years old.

After this, being desirous of advancing still more in Christian perfection, he took a resolution of retiring into the desert, and of withdrawing himself altogether from the conversation of men. This resolution he communicated to the old monk his friend, of whom we spoke above, proposing that he should accompany him; but the old man excused himself, alleging his advanced age, and the novelty of such an enterprise. Antony, however, no way discouraged, set out upon his jourley towards the heart of the wilderness, at that time utterly uninhabited, arid lying at a very great distance from any town or village. As he walked along, ha saw a large dish of silver with which the enemy sought to interrupt his journey, lying on the ground; but he easily discovered the artifice, and cried: " This is a trick of thine, Satan; thou shalt not divert me from my resolution; keep thy silver to thyself, and let it perish with thee." At which words the dish was immediately dissolved into smoke. Afterwards a large lump of true gold was flung in his way; but this was no more capable of interrupting his journey, than the glittering appearance of the silver dish: for as soon as he perceived it, he flew from it with as much speed, as if he were flying from a devouring fire; and proceed ed on his way until he came to a mountain, where he found an old desolate castle, full of serpents and venemous creatures, which had taken up their abode there in by reason of the length of time it had remained uninhabited. This place he made choice of for his dwelling; taking in with him his provisions of bread, which with a little water, according to his scanty allowance, might suffice him for six months.

At his coming to take possession of this castle, all its old inhabitants, the serpents and other veneraous creatures, having fled away, he shut up the entrance with stones, and during the twenty years that he dwelt therein, he neither went out at any time himself, nor Buffered any one to enter, not even those who brought him, at the end of every half year, a fresh provision o, bread: which they conveyed to him by getting up to the roof and letting it drop down. Tliey that came thither, as many did in process of time, out of a desire of seeing him, or learning what was become of him, sometimes remained the whole night at the door; and ere frequently surprised at hearing the noises whereith the devils sought to molest him, and the voices, as it were, of many persons contending with him and saying: " Why earnest thou into our habitation? What hast thou to do in the desert? Depart from these coasts which belong not to thee; never think to be able to remain here, or to resist our attacks." When those that were without heard these or such like words, they at first imagined some men had found means to get into his habitation, and were there contending with him; but looking through the chinks, and seeing him all alone, they understood that the voices they had heard proceeded from the evil spirits, seeking to drive him thence; and being upon this occasion very much frightened, they called to Antony, begging his assistance, whilst, he comforted and eniKmraged them from within, bidding them to arm themselves with the sign of the cross, and not to be alarmed at these vain terrors. At other times when they came, and scarcely expected to find him alive, they heard him cheerfully singing within, and repeat ing those words of the 67th Pslam: "Let God arise, and let h*s enemies be scattered: and let them that hate him flee from before his face; as smoke vanisheth^ so let them vanish away: as wax melteth before ikt fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

At the end of the twenty years lie had spent with God in this solitude, Antony, yielding to the importunity of the multitude that resorted to him, and were even ready to force their way into his habitation, 111010 ^specially as many of them desired to learn anu imivate his manner of life, came forth, as it were out of 2 heavenly sanctuary, with so serene a countenance, and such animation, strength and vigor in his whole per son, as attracted the admiration of all who saw him. And here God was pleased to work many miracles by him, in casting out devils from such as were possessed, and healing various diseases. The Saint took occasion, at the same time, to make powerful exhortations to those that addressed themselves to him: he com forted the afflicted;— instructed the ignorant;— -recon ciled such as were at variance, and earnestly exhorted all to look to the welfare of their souls, and to prefer nothing before the love of Christ. He set before the eyes of his auditory the greatness of the good things to come in a happy eternity — the infinite goodness and mercy of God— the benefit he has conferred, and the love he bears towards mankind, particularly manifested in not sparing, but delivering up his own Son to death for the *Mvation of us all. By these and such like discourses, the Saint brought over a great number of his hearers to a contempt of all those things taat pass away wit j tii.Ne, and to an effectual resolution of dedicating the short remainder of the days of their mortality to the love and service of God, in a solitary and religious life. Thus, by degrees, the deserts and mountains began to be peopled with a number of holy feouls (all acknowledging Antony for their father, founder, and master,) who, by the purity and sanctity of their lives, seemed to resemble so many angels in hu man bodies. They renounced all the honors, riches and pleasures of this world: or rather, exchanged them for others by far more great and solid even in this life, and for such as shall never end hereafter. They watched and prayed without ceasing; — they me ditated frequently on the word of (iod; — they sung his praises day and night; — they kept, in a manner, a continual fast; — they labored with their hands for their own suppoTt, and to have wherewith to supply the necessities of their indigent neighbors: in fine, they all lived in a holy union and perfect charity, with out murmurs or detractions, and felt no other ambition or strife, but who should excel his neighbor in all kind of Christian virtues: so that to behold this multitude of holy solitaries separated at a distance, both in place and manners, from the children of the world, in those vast deserts, and leading there such angelical lives, was enough to make any one cry out with Balaam, Numb. *xiv. How beautiful are thy tabernacles, 0 Jacob^ and thy tents. 0 Israel! As woody vallies, as id gardens near the rivers, as tabernacles which tht Lord hath pitched, &c.

St. Athanasius sets down at largo an excellent disburse which Antony delivered one day, by the desire, tnd for the instruction of his disciples, in which, (after earnestly exhorting them to such an unwearied fervoT and constancy m pursuit of their holy undertaking, as never to slacken their pace, but daily to renew their resolutions as if they were just now beginning, and to strive to advance by great strides towards religious perfection,) he puts them in mind, first of the shortness of the time of this mortal life, of the length of eternity, and how trivial those services are which God requires of us for the purchasing of eternal life: — that all the labors and sufferings of this life shall shortly have an end, but that our reward shall continue for ever. Secondly, he would therefore not have their, imagine they had made any great sacrifice to God in parting with their estates, houses, or money, from which they must, whether they will or not, be in a short time separated by death: since what they were to receive in exchange from our Lord, would infinitely surpass in value the possession of the whole earth, and be theirs for all eternity. Thirdly, he inculcates to them, that a Christian ought never to fix his affection, or bestow his care upon any of those things which he rannot take along with him when he dies, but only on mch as may help him on his way to heaven, and there remain with him uuring eternity: such as true wis dom — purity of soul and body — Christian justice — fortitude — charity, and tranquillity of soul, by a vic tory over our passions: for these are the real goods of a Christian, which are alone worthy of his love. Fourthly, he puts them in mind, that they are strictly obliged, in consequence of their creation, to dedicate their whole lives to the service of that Lord who made them for this very end, that they should be his ser vants; and who, by all manner of titles, hasan indisputable n^ht to their service; and that neither their past, nor present labors can exempt them from con tinuing therein till death; so that if they would not lose their crown, they must resolve to labor to the end, relying always on the assistance of their good God, who never forsakes those who do not first forsake him. Fifthly, he recommends to them the remembrance of death; the certainty thereof, as well as the uncertain ty of the hour in which we shall be called from hence — of the judgment that is to follow after death, and of the eternity to come, as so many powerful restraints to preserve them from sin; and as sovereign means to cure their sloth — spur them on to the practices of virtue — wean their affections from transitory things, and teach them to tread under their feet the riches and pleasures of a world which \ve must so sudder1" ^af with. Sixthly, he tells them that the Greeks took great pains, and travelled into distant countries, in order to meet with masters from whom they might learn vain and empty sciences, such as were of no service to their souls in order to eternity: but that the Christian, in order to acquire true wisdom and the science of the saints, which conducts to eternal life, needed to go no farther than into his own soul: where he should, if he sought him by a spirit of recollection and prayer, find his true master, the kingdom of God, and with it all good. Seventhly, he exhorts them to fight in a particular manner against the tyranny, as he calls it, of the passion of anger, as a mortal evil and capital one-my of the justice of' God; and therefore he would have them to keep a constant guard upon their own hearts: the more so, because of the enemies that are continually waging war with Christians, but more especially against religious men and women: and who employ a thousand tricks and artifices to deceive the unwary. And here, as one that had long experience in this kind of warfare, he acquaints them with the different stratagems and manifold temptations by which these wicked spirits labor, without ceasing, to with draw religious souls from the service of God, and bring them back to the broad road of the world, and the ways of iniquity and sin: but for their comfort and encouragement, he assures them, that these enemies have no power over such as heartily resist and despise their suggestions: that Christ has triumphed ovei them by his death: and that a lively faith — a purity

»nd sincerity in seeking him — a diligence in the spiritual exercises of watching, praying, fasting, &c. together with the virtues of meekness, roluntary poverty, humility, contempt of vain-glory, and especially au ar dent devotion to Christ crucified, are weapons which all the powers of hell cannot withstand. By such lea sons as these, but more especially by the great exam pie of their master, the disciples of Antony were en coin-aged and spurred on to a daily progress in thft ways of Christian perfection.

When the persecution, which had been first set on foot by Diocletian, and carried on with great fury by Maximinian Galerius, raged exceedingly in Egypt, where it crowned innumerable martyrs, many were led to Alexandria out of the country to be put to death jbr Christ. On this occasion Antony quitted his cell, to follow these that were going to become the victims of Christ: saying to his disciples, " let us go to the glorious triumphs of our brethren, that we may either share with them in the fight, or at least be spectators of their conflict." He was in hopes of obtaining for himself the crown of martyrdom; but could not de liver himself up, nor obtain permission to associate himself with the glorious confessors that were condemned to the mines or confined in the prisons. However, whenever any were brought before the Judge, he accompanied them into the court, arid with great liberty and diligence exhorted them to cousta»cj and perseverance; and when they were sentenced to die, he rejoiced as much in their victory as if it had been his own, and failed not to accompany them to the place of execution, to be a witness of their happy triumph. The judge seeing the courage and zeal of Antony and his companions, published an order pro hibiting any of the monks to be present in court during the trials of the Christians, and enjoining them all to depart from the city. Upon these orders the others absconded for that day; but Antony, fearing nothing, washed his garments, and took the next opportunity to present himself in a more eminent place in sight of the judge, desiring nothing more than to suffer for Christ. But God was pleased to accept of his good will, and to reserve his servant for the benefit of innumerable souls. However, he continued assisting and encouraging the confessors of Christ upon all occasions till the storm of the persecution was blown over, and then returned with new fervor to his former solitude, where he redoubled his watchings and fastings, wearing always a garment of hair-cloth next to his skin, and never washing his body; insomuch, that no one ever saw Antony naked during his life.

And now he began again to shut himself up for a time in his cell, without admitting any one to come in to him. But still he could not prevent many from resorting to his door, nor even from remaining there the whole night, in order to seek a cure for their different maladies, through the experience they had of the miracles that God frequently wrought by him; so that partly to avoid the distractions occasioned by this concourse of people, and partly to fly the danger of vain-glory, he took the resolution to fly as far as the higher Thebais, where no man might know him. Wherefore, taking some bread with him, he went to the banks of the Nile, and there sat down, waiting for some boat that might pass that way. And here he heard a voice, saying to him, "Antonv, whither art thou going? and to what end 1 " He, as one accustomed to such colloquies, answered without fear: " Be cause the people will not suffer me to remain quiet, but require things •_>! me that are out of the reach of my weakness, I have thought it best to go away to the higher Thebais. " If thou goest," said the voice, " to the place thou proposest, thou shalt endure a greater, yea, a double labor; but if thou desirest to be quiet indeed, go thy way now to such a place," naming a mountain in the heart of the wilderness. "But who," said Antony, "shall show me the way? for there are no tracks or paths that lead thither, arid I know nothing of the country." He that spoke with him replied, that there were some Saracens or Arabians at hand, who were come into Egypt to trade, and that they would show him the way. Antony followed this heavenly direction, and going up to the Saracens, desired they would take him along with them in their journey through the desert: and after having travelled with him three days and three nights, he arrived at a very high mountain, the place appointed him by heaven, at the foot of which there was a spring of clear water, and in the adjacent field a few wild palm-trees. Here then he resolved to fix his abode, where he might live quiet separated from the conversation of men. As to his food, he contented himself with a little bread (which the Saracens, admiring his virtue, gave him at parting, or bestowed upon him afterwards when they passed that way,) and with the small provision of wild dates which the palms afforded him, till his brethren, having found out the place of his retreat, brought him necessaries from time to time. Antony, desirous to ease them of that trouble, having procured by their means some wheat, and a proper instrument for the purpose, found a little spot of ground wherein he sowed the wheat, which brought him a crop sufficient for his use, to his great satisfaction at being thus enabled to live by the labor of his hands, without be coming troublesome to any one. He also cultivated a little garden with herbs, in order to entertain hie wearied brethren after their journey, when they came to visit him through the burning deserts. This spot of ground lay exposed to the beasts which resorted thither for the sake of tb-j spring, who did no small damage to Antony, bj feeding upon his herbs and corn: wherefore having caught one of thnrn, he said to them all: " Why do you this wrong to me, who do none to you? Get ye gone: and, in the name of ths Lord, never come hither any more." From which time they were never after seen to come near that "lace.

Whilst Antony remained here entertaining himself with God, the devils, his unwearied enemies, ceased not to wage perpetual war against him; but he despised all their efforts, and always triumphed over them, by his usual arms of a lively faith and fervent prayer. His disciples who came to visit him, and were some times witnesses of his conflicts relate, how they heard the tumultuous noise and voices of a numerous people, with the rattling of arms, and had seen the whole mountain covered by a multitude ot devils, with Antony fighting against them, and putting them all to flight by his prayers. " It is indeed, worthy of admiration," says St. Athanasius, "that in so vast a wilderness one man alone should have stood his ground so long, without either apprehending the daily encounters he met with from wicked spirits, or yielding to the fury of so many wild beasts and serpents as swarm in those deserts. But it was with good reason that David sung, Psalm cxxiv. They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion: he shall not be moved for ever • for so Antony, by keeping hi*> miwd firm, quiet, ana immovable in God, put all the devils to flight, and tht beasts of the earth shall be at peace ivith thee" (Job v. 23.) and subject to him. One night whilst lie was watching in prayer, the devil brought such a multitude* of wild beasts together about him, that it seemed as if there were none left behind in the whole desert, all of whom, encompassed him on every side, with open jaws, threatened to tear him in pieces. The Saint understanding the artifice of the malignant spirit, said, unconcernedly: " If the Lord has given you any power over me, make use of it in devouring me; but if you are brought hither by devils, depart instantly, for I am a servant of Christ." No sooner had he spoke these words but the whole multitude of wild beasts fled away, and left him alone to continue his devotion. One day whilst he was at work, according to his custom, making baskets, to exchange them for the provi sions which the brethren brought him, a monster pre sented itself before him, in the shape of half a man and half an ass; having on this occasion made the sign of the cross, and said: " I am a servant of Christ — if thou art sent to me, here am I; — I don't run away." At these words the monster instantly fled, and falling down in the midst of its flight, burst and was destroyed: to show all the attempts of Satan against Antony should in the end perish, and come to nothing.

After some time the brethren prevailed on the man of God to come down from his mountain, in order to visit their monasteries. Now in their wav homeward through those burning deserts, the provision of wate? quite failed them; and as none could be found, and the weather being violently hot, they were all in dan ger of perishing. Antony on this occasion had re course to prayer; when, after withdrawing himself at a little distance from the company, and falling upcn his knees, he had implored, with his hands stretched forth to heaven, the mercy of the Lord, behold the tears which he then shed presently brought forth a spring of water out of the earth, with which they both refreshed their own thirst, saved the life of their camel, and filled their vessels for the remainder of their journey. The Saint who was received with great joy by all the religious, as their common father, conceived no less joy within himself, to see the fervor and resolution with which they all applied themselves to their spiritual exercises. And that he might not seem to come to them from his mountain empty handed, he made them excellent exhortations in order to their spiritual progress. He had also the comfort to hear the agree able news, that his sister, whom he had left so young in the world, was now grown old in the profession of virginity, and was become mistress and superior of other holy virgins in a religious state of life.

After some days, Antony returned again to hia mountain, where he again received more frequent vis its, as well from his own religious as from others, who, being possessed or obsessed by evil spirits, or afflicted with various infirmities, had recourse to his prayers foi their delivery; on which occasion God wrought many miracles by him; favoring him also with prophetic light, and other extraordinary graces and gifts. He exhorted all that came to see him to have a strong faith in Jesus Christ:— to love him with their whole hearts; — to keep their minds pure from all evil thoughts, and their bodies uncontaminated from all uncleanness;— not to suffer themselves to be imposed upon by gluttony;— to hate vain-glory;— to pray very Often; — to sing psalms to the divine praise every morning, noon, and night;— to meditate on the precepts of the word of God;— to have the great example of the saints always before their eyes, in order to spur themselves on to the practice of all virtues; — not to let the sun go down upon your anger, Eph. iv. 26. which precept of the apostles he applied to all other Bins; recommending to all to call themselves to a strict account by a daily examination of conscience, and tc repent and amend without delay whensoever they found themselves to have failed in any thing. He added, that if they did not discover any guilt in themlelves, they must not therefore be puffed up with self-conceit, or presume to justify themselves, and despise others; but rather fear, least self-love should blind and deceive them; remembering that an all-seeing God is to be their judge;— that his judgments are very different from those of men;— and that there is, accord rng to the wise man, Prov. xiv. 12. a ivay which seemeth just to a man: but the ends thereof lead to death."

One day, about the ninth hour, viz. about three of the clock in the afternoon, when he had begun his prayers before the taking of his meal, he was seized with a rapt or ecstacy in which he saw himself in spirit carried up aloft by angels, whilst the demons o* the air, opposing his passage, alledged against him the sins of his younger days, even from his very child hood; and when the angels replied, that these sins, by the mercy of Christ, had been forgiven, they bid them to charge him, if they could, with any material sin he had committed since he had consecrated him self to God in a religious state of life. Accordingly these lying spirits having forged many false accusa tions against him which they could not prove, they were therefore forced to leave the passage free for him. Upon this Antony returned to himself, but so greatly affected with what he had seen, as well as with the dreadful and dangerous conflict a poor soul has to pass through with these princes of darkness, that he forgot his food, and spent the remainder of the day, as well as the whole night, in sighs and lamentations, at considering the dangers from these wicked spirits, that threaten the souls of men both in life and death, which thoughtless mortals nevertheless so little apprehend, One night, whilst his disciples had been questioning him concerning the state of souls immediately aftei death, he was called upon by a voice saying, " Antony arise, go out, and see." He arose, and went out, and looking up towards heaven, he saw a spectre of a monstrous height and dreadful aspect, whose head reached the clouds: he saw also persons with wings that sought to fly up to heaven, and he perceived that the monster, with outstretched hands, strove to stop them in their passage: some of whom he caught and cast down to the earth, but could not prevent the rest from flying above his reach, or of mounting up to heaven. By this vision he was given to understand, that the devil had power to stop the flight of those depart ing souls who were in sin, but that he had no power over pure and holy souls, nor could prevent their flying up to heaven. These visions Antony related to his disciples: not out of ostentation or vain-glory, being always averse to attributing any thing to himself, or suffering any thing to be ascribed to him, but merely for their instruction and edification.

As to the rest, no one could be more meek, patient, or humble than Antony. He entertained a particular respect aiid veneration for all the clergy; giving even to the lowest clerk in minor orders, the preference be fore himself, and even bowing down his head before bishops and priests, to crave their benediction. Al though he had so great a mastery over himself in spirituals, and was so divinely taught, yet he was never ashamed to seek instruction, not only from the clerks that came to visit him, but even from his own disciples; and whatsoever good he heard from any one, he humbly and thankfully acknowledged himself assisted thereby. Among other gifts with which he was favored by our Lord, he was particularly remark able for an admirable grace that showed itself in his countenance, which distinguished him in such a manner from all the rest of the holy inhabitants of the deserts, that any stranger who came to visit him, though he happened to be in the company of a multitude of other monks, leaving all others would be sure to run up to him: as if the purity of his soul had shone forth from his very face, which was '-always modestly cheerful and amiable, and never altered eitheh by prosperity or adversity. However, he would have no communication with schismatics or heretics; but exhorted all that came near him, to fly their dangerous conversation and impious doctrines. He had a particular horror for the blasphemies of the Arians, whom he considered as the forerunners of Antichrist. He even quitted for a while his solitude, at the desire of Athanasius and the catholic bishops, to go to Alex andria to confute their wicked assertions; where, by his doctrine and miracles, he not only effectually con futed the heretics, and confirmed the catholics in thei faith, but also brought over a great number of iiifideL to the Christian religion. The heathen philosophers also came often to dispute with him about religion, imagining they could easily entangle a man so entirely illiterate, and an utter stranger to all human science? as Antony was known to be, with their captious reasoning and learned sophistry; but they were surprised beyond conception to rind with what depth of wisdom he answered all their objections, and proved the truth of the Christian religion in a manner to which they knew not what reply to make, and even confirm it with miracles wrought in their presence.

The reputation of Antony's sanctity and heavenly wisdom was not confined to Egypt: it spread itself far and near through a great part of the then known world: it even reached the imperial court, insomuch that the emperor Constantino the Great, and his sons Constan and Constantious, wrote several times to him, and bested that he would favor them with an answer.

As for his part, he made very little account of this honor, and told his disciples that they were not to think it much that an emperor, who was no more than a mortal man, should write to him; but rather ought to admire and bear always in mind, that the eternal God had been so good as not only to write his law for man, but to send down his only Son to deliver his ttord to them. However, at the desire of all the brethren, he returned them an answer, in which, after congratulating with them for their believing in and worshipping Christ, he gave them wholesome instructions for the welfare of their souls; advising them not co make any c,Teat account of their worldly grandeur and power, nor of any of those things that pass away with time, and never to forget that they were mortals, wiio must quickly appear before another iudo-e. He also put them in mind of their obligation of showing clemency to their subjects, of rendering them justice, and of succouring the poor and distressed; and they must remember that the true and everlasting king of all ages is Jesus Christ alone.

After Antony had finished the business that brought him to Alexandria, he hastened back to his cell on the mountain, and to his usual exercises and austerities. For he used to say, that a religious man conversing with seculars out of his monastery was like a fish out of water, which is in danger of perishing, except it quickly be restored again to its element; and there fore, as to his part, he would never come out of his solitude, but when some work of great charity obliged him. However, he willingly received those seculars that came to him, and entertained them with heavenly discourses; exhorting them to look beyond this world, and to labor for a happinees that shall have no end: and such was the unction and efficacy which God gave to his words, that many were moved by his exhortations to give up their honors, their riches, and all their worldly expectations, in order to dedicate themselves eternally to the same happy service in which they saw him engaged. He seemed to have been given to the land of Egypt by our Lord, as an excellent physiciar to heal all their spiritual diseases: for whoever came to him in his troubles and temptations found a sensible benefit in his conversation; — if he came with sorrow, he returned with joy; — if he came with rancour in his heart against his neighbor, he returned with dis positions of peace and charity; — if he came oppressed with the sense of his poverty and distress, he returned with the contempt of this world, — a willingness to take up the cross, and to wear the livery of Jesus Christ. The lukewarm learnt from him to be fervent in the service of God; nay, the very libertines returned from him with a desire of embracing a chaste and penitential life: for such was the gift he had of discerning spirits, that he seemed to read in the faces of all, the interior dispositions and state of their souls, and accordingly accommodated his instructions and prescriptions to the nature and quality of their disor ders. Nor was this benefit confined to Egypt alone: for as the fame of Antony had reached all parts of the world, so men came from all parts to see him, and no one visited him without fruit: no one ever complain ed that he had lost his labor in coming to see him, how long or difficult soever his journey might have been.

The multitude who went to see him did not interrupt his interior attention to God any more than hia daily labors, which he sanctified with mental prayer. Oftentimes whilst he was walking or sitting with his visitors, he was ravished out of himself, so as to re main for a long time insensible; at which time many secrets were revealed to him. Once in particular he beheld a vision in his ecstacy, by which he was admonished two years before it happened of the cruel havoc the Arians would make in the church of Alexandria: which, when he returned to himself, he related with many sighs and tears to those that were with him; but then added for their comfort, that this storm would quickly blow over, and that the church should again be restored to her former lustre. This persecution was raised against the church of Alexandria, when the Arians, having procured the banishment of St. Athanasius, introduced one Gregory, a man of their faction, to ba the bishop in his place: upon which occasion Balacius, an Arian, the commander of the troops, particularly exerted himself in persecuting the faithful; which he did with so much rigor, that he ordered even the sacred virgins, and the religious men to be publicly scourged, as if they had been the vilest malefactors. St. Antony wrote a letter to him to deter him join this cruelty, to this effect: " I see the wrath of God coming upon thee: cease to persecute the Chris lans, lest that wrath should overtake thee which a' ^a iy threatens thee with approaching destruction." Ihe unhappy man slighted the warning of the Saint, and spitting upon the letter, flung it down upon the ground; then after having abused the persons that brought it, bid them go tell Antony, that he should serve him also in the same manner as he had done these monks for whom he interested himself. But not many days passed before the vengeance of God overtook the wretch, when, as he was riding out to a place in the neighborhood, in the company of Nestorious the governor, one of his own horses, who was before remarkably gentle and quiet, with a sudden bite brought him down to the ground, and standing over him, knawed and tore his thighs in so terrible a manner, that he died within three days.

And now the time drew near when Antony, now about one hundred and five years of age, should ex change his mortal pilgrimage for a happy immortality. He went, according to his custom, to visit his brethren that dwelt in the nearer desert, signifying to them that his dissolution was at hand, and that this was the last time they should see him. These words drew tears from their eyes: they all embraced him as their pa rent about to depart from them into another woild. They would have detained him with them, desiring to be present at his death. To this he would not consent; but after having given them his last instructions, he strongly exhorted them to fervor and perseverance in their holy institute, and to constancy in the catholic faith; showing the utmost joy that he was now shortly lo depart from this place of banishment to, his true and everlasting home; and taking his last farewell of them he hastened back to his mountain. A few months afterwards, finding his death to draw near, he sailed the two disciples, (who for the last fifteen years of his life had their cells in his neighborhood) and said to them: " My children, I am now going, according to the expression of the Scripture, the way of my fathers: for now the Lord calls for me: I long now to see the heavenly mansions. But as for you, my dearly beloved, I admonish you to beware lest you lose on a sudden the labor of so long a time; but every day consider yourselves if you had but that day entered upon a religious life, and the strength of your purpose shall daily increase. You know the various artifices of the devils; you have also seen their furious assaults, and how weak and cowardly they are. Re tain an ardent love for Jesus, let the faith of his name be strongly fixed in your mind; a strong faith in Jesus will put all the devils to flight. Remember also the lessons I have given you, and the uncertain condition of this mortal life, which may be cut off any day; and make no doubt but the heavenly mansions shall be your portion. Avoid the poison of schismatics and heretics, and follow my example in keeping them at a distance, because they are enemies of Christ. Make it your principal care to keep the commandments of the Lord, that so after your death the saints of God may receive you as their friends and acquaintance into the eternal tabernacles." He added, as his last re quest, that they should bury his body privately, and let no man know the place; lest the Egyptians, according to their custom, should take it up to embalm it, and keep it as they did their mummies. " As to my garments, (said he) give my sheep-skin, and this old cloak which I lie upon, to bishop Athanasius, who brought it me new; let bishop Serapion, another generous defender of the faith, have my other sheep-skin; and keep my garment of hair-cloth for yourselves: so fare you well, my children, for Antony is departing, and shall remain no longer with you in this world."

When he had made an e«d of speaking, as his disciples were kissing him, he drew up his feet a little, and met death with a joyful countenance, (anno 356) breathing out his pure soul into the hands of the an gels, who were there ready to receive him, and carry him to the happy regions of eternal bliss. His disciples buried him privately, as he had desired: " And his legatee, says St. Athanasius, (speaking of himself) u who had the happiness to receive by the orders of blessed Antony, his old cloak and his sheep skin, em braces Antony, in his gifts, as if he had been enriched by him with a large inheritance; he rejoices in the garments, which present before the eyes of his soul the image of his sanctity." The same holy doctor of the Church and champion of the faith, wrote the life of St. Antony, from his own knowledge of him, and from the testimonies of his disciples, which we have here abridged, and which was then and has been ever since received, embraced, and admired in all parts of the world, by every well-wisher to Christian piety, for the important lessons it contains. The share it had in bringing the conversion of the great, St. Augustine to a happy conclusion, is too remarkable to be passed over in silence.

The Saint relates in his Confessions (lib. 8. ch. 6.) how, whilst he was yet struggling under the load of those wicked habits, which he could not resolve effectually to cast off, he was one day visited by Pontitianus, one that belonged to the emperor's court, but a good Christian, who introduced a discourse " concerning Antony, a monk of Egypt, whose name, says St. Augustine, speaking to God, was exceeding illustrious among thy servants, but to that hour unknown to us: which he perceiving dwelt the longer upon that subject, informing us of the life of so great a man, and wondering that we had heard nothing of him. We were astonished (speaking of himself and his friend Alipius) to hear of thy miracles so very well attested, done so lately, and almost in our days, in the true faith, and in the catholic church: and indeed we all wondered; — we, that they were so great, and he, that they were unknown to us. Thence he changed his discourse to the societies of monasteries and to the!/ manner of life, yielding a sweet odor to thee, and to the fruitful breasts of those barren deserts; of all which we had heard nothing, although there was then without the walls of Milan a convent full of good brothers, under the care of Ambrose, and yet we knew it not. He proceeded in his discourse, to which wo listened with a silent attention, and related how upon a certain time, whilst the court was at Triers, and the emperor was one afternoon entertained with the sports of the circus, he and three of his companions went out a walking among the gardens, near the walls of the city, and there, as it happened, going two and two together, one with him took one way, and the other two another; and that these two, as they were wandering about, lighted upon a certain cottage, where some servants of thine dwelt, poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, (Matt, v.) and there they found a book, containing the life of Antony, which one of them began to read, to admire, and be inflamed with: and whilst he was reading, he began to think of embracing the same kind of life, and of quitting his worldly office in the emperor's court to become thy servant. Then being suddenly filled with divine love, a wholesome shame, and anger at himself, he cast his eyes upon his friend, and said: Tell me, I beseech thee, with all the pains we take in this world, whither would our ambition aspire to? what do we seek? what is/it we propose to ouiselves in this employment? can we eve* hope for any greater honor at court than to arrive at the friendship and favor of the emperor? and there — what is to be found there, that is not brittle and fuJ!I of dangers? and through how many dangers must we ascend to this greater danger? and how long will this continue? But the friend and favorite of God, I may, if I please, become now presently, and remain so for ever. Having said this, and laboring as it were in tra vail of a new life, he again cast his eyes on the book, and continuing to read, was changed where thou sawest, and his mind totally stripped of the world, as soon appeared: for whilst he was reading, the waves of his heart, rolling to and fro, cast forth some sighs and groans, till at length he concluded and resolved upon better things; and being now wholly thine, he said to his friend: Now I have entirely bid adieu to our for mer hope, and am fully resolved on being a servant 01 God, and upon beginning to be so from this hour and in this place. If thou be not willing to do the same, do not at least offer to oppose my resolution. The other replied: That he would stick by him as a companion in the service of so great a Master, and for such immense wages. By this time Pontitiantis and his companion, who were seeking after them, came to the same placg; and having found them, reminded them of returning home, because the day was far spent. But they acquainting them with their determination, »s well as with the manner in which they had taken this resolution, and were confirmed in it, requested that if they did not choose to join with them, they would at least give them no disturbance. Whereupon being nothing altered from what they were before, they nevertheless bewailed themselves, and after piously congratulating them, and recommending themselves to their prayers, with hearts weighed down wards towards the earth, they returned to the palace, whilst the other two, with hearts elevated to heaven, continued in the cottage: both of them were contracted to young ladies, who as soon as they heard their resolution, consecrated in like manner their virginity to thee. These things were related to us by Pontitianus," concludes St. Augustine, who declares in the following chapter, the wonderful effects this discourse had upon him; and how, as soon as Pontitia nus was gone, he set upon Alipius, and exclaimed: " What is this we suffer? what is this tlio.. hast been hearing?.the unlettered rise up and seize heaven by force: and whilst with all our learning we, remaining without courage or heart, still wallow in the flesh and blood. Are we ashamed to follow them, because they have got the start, and are gone before us? But ought we not to be still more ashamed, if we do not so much as follow? " With these words he hurried himself away into the garden, where, after a strong conflict, he was at length fully converted, by taking up, by the admonition of a voice from heaven, the