|
For it is an ancient and excellent saying of the blessed Antony that
when a monk is endeavouring after the plan of the monastic life to reach
the heights of a more advanced perfection, and, having learned the
consideration of discretion, is able now to stand in his own judgment, and
to arrive at the very summit of the anchorite's life, he ought by no means
to seek for all kinds of virtues from one man however excellent. For one is
adorned with flowers of knowledge, another is more strongly fortified with
methods of discretion, another is established in the dignity of patience,
another excels in the virtue of humility, another in that of continence,
another is decked with the grace of simplicity. This one excels all others
in magnanimity, that one in pity, another in vigils, another in silence,
another in earnestness of work. And therefore the monk who desires to
gather spiritual honey, ought like a most careful bee, to suck out virtue
from those who specially possess it, and should diligently store it up in
the vessel of his own breast: nor should he investigate what any one is
lacking in, but only regard and gather whatever virtue he has. For if we
want to gain all virtues from some one person, we shall with great
difficulty or perhaps never at all find suitable examples for us to
imitate. For though we do not as yet see that even Christ is made "all
things in all," as the Apostle says; still in this way we can find Him
bit by bit in all. For it is said of Him, "Who was made of God to you
wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption." While then
in one there is found wisdom, in another righteousness, in another
sanctification, in another kindness, in another chastity, in another
humility, in another patience, Christ is at the present time divided,
member by member, among all of the saints. But when all come together into
the unity of the faith and virtue, He is formed into the "perfect man,"
completing the fulness of His body, in the joints and properties of all His
members. Until then that time arrives when God will be "all in all," for
the present God can in the way of which we have spoken be "in all," through
particular virtues, although He is not yet "all in all" through the fulness
of them. For although our religion has but one end and aim, yet there are
different ways by which we approach God, as will be more fully shown in the
Conferences of the Elders. And so we must seek a model of discretion and
continence more particularly from those from whom we see that those virtues
flow forth more abundantly through the grace of the Holy Spirit; not that
any one can alone acquire those things which are divided among many, but in
order that in those good qualities of which we are capable we may advance
towards the imitation of those who especially have acquired them.
|
|