A brother said to Antony, "Pray for me." Quoth he, "I cannot pity
thee, nor God either, unless thou pitiest thyself, and prayest to
God."

Quoth Antony, "The Lord does not permit wars to arise in this
generation, because he knows that men are weak, and cannot bear
them."

Antony, as he considered the depths of the judgments of God, failed;
and said, "Lord, why do some die so early, and some live on to a
decrepit age? Why are some needy, and others rich? Why are the
unjust wealthy, and the just poor?" And a voice came to him,
"Antony, look to thyself. These are the judgments of God, which are
not fit for thee to know."

Quoth Antony to Abbot Pastor, "This is a man's great business--to
lay each man his own fault on himself before the Lord, and to expect
temptation to the last day of his life."

Quoth Antony, "If a man works a few days, and then is idle, and
works again and is idle again, he does nothing, and will not possess
the perseverance of patience."

Quoth Antony to his disciples, "If you try to keep silence, do not
think that you are exercising a virtue, but that you are unworthy to
speak."

Certain old men came once to Antony; and he wished to prove them,
and began to talk of holy Scripture, and to ask them, beginning at
the youngest, what this and that text meant. And each answered as