Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 139

Sometimes indeed almighty God strengthens beforehand the minds of the fearful by certain revelations, so that at death they may not be afraid at all. For a certain brother named Antony lived with me in the monastery, who with many and daily tears panted after the joys of the heavenly homeland. And when most diligently and with great fervour of desire he meditated upon the sacred words, he sought in them not the words of knowledge but the tears of compunction, that by these his mind, once kindled, might grow warm, and forsaking the lowest things, might fly by contemplation to the region of the heavenly homeland. To him it was said in a vision of the night:

'Be ready, and since the Lord has commanded, depart.' And when he said that he had not the provisions for departing, he straightway heard the reply, saying: 'If it is a matter of your sins, they have been forgiven.' When he had heard this once, and still trembled with great fear, on another night he was admonished with the same words. Then after five days, seized with a fever, while all the brethren were praying and looking on, he departed this life. There was also another brother in the same monastery called Merulus, greatly intent upon tears and prayers; the singing of the psalms almost never ceased in his mouth, except when he gave either food to his body or his limbs to sleep. To him it appeared in a nocturnal vision that from white flowers a crown

was descending from heaven upon his head. Soon after, being overtaken by a bodily infirmity, he died with great security and cheerfulness of soul. When Peter, who is now prior of the monastery, wished after fourteen years to make a burial place for himself at his tomb, so great a fragrance of sweetness, as he asserts, came forth from that same tomb of his, as if the perfumes of all flowers had been gathered together there. By which thing it was plainly evident how true was that which he had seen through the nocturnal vision. In the same monastery too there was a certain other named John, a youth of great character, who surpassed his age in understanding and humility, in sweetness and gravity.

To him, when he was sick and brought to the point of death, a certain old man appeared in a nocturnal vision, touched him with a rod, and said to him: 'Arise, for from this illness you shall not die just now; but be ready, for you will not spend a long time here.' And when he had already been despaired of by the physicians, he was suddenly healed and recovered. He related the vision which he had seen; and for two years, as I said before, he showed himself in the service of God beyond the years of his age. But three years before this, when a certain brother had died and had been buried by us in the cemetery of that same monastery, as we were all going out from that cemetery, the same John—as he afterward disclosed, pale and trembling—was there, left behind as we departed, and was found

called from the tomb by that same brother who had died. And this the sequel soon made plain: for after ten days, seized with fevers, he was loosed from the flesh. PETER. I should like to be taught whether that which is shown through nocturnal visions ought to be heeded.