Trust in God's Grace

There was a story that some philosophers once came to test the monks. One of the monks came by dressed in a fine robe. The philosophers said to him, "Come here, you." But he was indignant, and insulted them.

Then another monk came by, a good person, a Libyan by race. They said to him, "Come here, you wicked old monk." He came to them at once, and they began to hit him, and he turned the other cheek to them.

Then the philosophers got up and did homage to him, saying, "Here is a monk, indeed." They made him sit down among them and asked him, "What do you do in this desert other than we do? You fast: and we fast also. You chastise your bodies and so do we. Whatever you do, we do the same."

The monk replied, "We trust in God's grace, and keep a watch on our thoughts."

They said, "That is what we cannot do." They were edified, and let him go.