|
A man who in the body imitated the lives of the bodiless, namely
Julianus, surnamed in Syrian Sabbas, whose life I have written in
my "Religious History," continued all the more zealously to offer
his prayers to the God of all, when he heard of the impious tyrant's
threats. On the very day on which Julian was slain, he heard of the
event while at his prayers, although the Monastery was distant more
than twenty stages from the army. It is related that while he was
invoking the Lord with loud cries and supplicating his merciful
Master, he suddenly checked his tears, broke into an ecstasy of
delight, while his countenance was lighted up and thus signified the
joy that possessed his soul. When his friends beheld this change they
begged him to tell them the reason of his gladness. "The wild
boar," said he, "the enemy of the vineyard of the Lord, has paid
the penalty of the wrongs he has done to Him; he lies dead. His
mischief is done." The whole company no sooner heard these words than
they leaped with joy and struck up the song of thanksgiving to God,
and from those that brought tidings of the emperor's death they learnt
that it was the very day and hour when the accursed man was slain that
the aged Saint knew it and announced it.
|
|