Chapter IV.
When Abraham had stayed in the desert, where the tranquility of the mind is symbolized, he descended into Egypt, which is a temptation, compelled by hunger. Why did he call her Sarah sister, and not wife? While Pharaoh returns her to her husband with reproof, he marks the mind renouncing continence.
13. And Abraham went forth, and abode in the desert (ibid., 9). Then the mind is tested, when it is in a certain desert, where there is no sensuality of desires, no abundance of money, no extravagance of expenses. Would that I could be in this desert, devoid of all incentives of desires, abandoned by every study of wrongdoing, stripped of boasting and arrogance. But because either God allows us to be tempted, or the tempter attacks, when he deems that the mind is calm in the desert, free from all earthly desires, it is impelled into Egypt, where it can be restrained. For the stimulus of the mind is our flesh, and its passions are our afflictions. It is our Egypt, that is, our flesh, it is our affliction itself. Our mind descends into it when it thinks about carnal things. But it ascends when it desires the invisible. Therefore, Abraham is also said to have descended into Egypt, in order to be afflicted. Our mind suffers this, sometimes separating itself from the body, wanting to act individually, and desiring to strive after and adhere to incorporeal things. Sometimes, because of the connection between the soul and the body, one is inclined towards carnal pleasures, to which the weak are subjected, but the strong are not held captive. Therefore, afflictions are like crowns to a strong man, but weaknesses to a weak one. Hence, he who says, 'For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn - fighting without and fear within' (2 Corinthians 7:5) did not fear the afflictions that served to prove his worthiness.
14. But when there arose a famine in Egypt, hunger forced him to go down (Gen. XII, 10). For a cruel hunger of the mind arises when the desire for this flesh overflows, and long-awaited water is harmful to our well-being. They reduce us to the narrowness of the body when the desire for possessing creeps in, pleasure is to luxury, boasting is to the heart. We are all tempted. Even a sober mind is swayed, it descends into Egypt, that is, into the affliction of the body. However, it descends in such a way that it seems to dwell as a foreigner for a time, not as a citizen to possess. For He Himself has said: I am a stranger on earth (Ps. CXVIII, 19). And elsewhere: Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged (Ps. CXIX, 5).
15. However, when Abraham went down into Egypt (Gen. XII, 11), that is, to a people with wild and barbarous customs, who were ignorant of virtue; in order to avoid harm through envy, he told Sarah to say that she was his sister, not his wife. And from this arises a great mystery of virtue, which is quickly envied. And therefore, in order to suppress envy, one should show oneself to be more humble. One should not claim superiority over all others: one should not arrogate wisdom to oneself alone as if it were exceptional. This is the wife that Solomon acquired for himself. For a wife is owed to only one. Therefore, everyone desires to be seen as worthy of such a union, so that they may grieve over being preferred to someone else. Who alone possesses such beauty? A sister, however, is connected to many either by the bond of blood or by name. And therefore she preserves her true lover entirely from harm.
16. Therefore, the Egyptians, seeing her, who were unable to discern or recognize the form of virtue, estimating by common judgment, led her to the tyrant, that is, to the proud mind that could not bear the weight of wisdom, and thus she was afflicted. For when the wicked word of virtue enters the soul, it rebukes it for guilt and afflicts it with the shame of error, and torments it with the pain of backsliding. For while we are under the desire to sin, the mind is covered with certain clouds of foolishness, and the eyes are dimmed by a certain smoke of wickedness, so that it may not see the deformity of those things which it desires. But when all the mist has passed and the brightness of wisdom has shone forth, severe torments are inflicted upon a certain secretary who is evilly conscious. Therefore, our mind, burdened by the guilt of conscience, becomes a judge and executes judgment of penance. And if it cannot bear and endure the presence of virtue, either due to sickness caused by fault or weakness, it dismisses and banishes it from itself, and does not allow it to revolve within itself and adhere to its thoughts. And just as weak eyes avoid light, so an weak mind cannot bear the brilliance of wisdom. Such were the Gerasenes who asked Jesus to leave their region.
17. Finally, that king of Egypt said to Abraham: What have you done to me? Why did you not tell me that she is your wife? Instead, you said that she is your sister, and I took her as my wife. And now behold, your wife is before you, take her and go away. Let us consider someone who, having observed the grace of chastity, is captivated by its beauty and thinks it should be followed. Then, unaware of the company she is accompanied by, he approaches, accompanied by sobriety, modesty and reverence, moderation in food, fleeing from lasciviousness, insolence, impudence, serious caution, vigilant custody. Suddenly, inflamed by the heat of either drunkenness, or the burning desire of the flesh, or the encounter with a more attractive form, he is unable to hold himself back and does not resist the law of the flesh; does he not say: I thought it would be easier to follow chastity, but it is beyond my shoulders, beyond my strength. Rare are those things that are joined together. Farewell, purity, withdraw, withdraw from the boundaries of my senses. Return quickly to where you came from: I cannot endure your presence, I am afflicted with serious doubts, while I think I must hold you, whom I cannot hold.
18. Then he turned to someone who has made it his business to impress upon him the habit of chastity, arguing that it would not be difficult or impossible but rather joined with many companions, suitable for those who are diligent, and agreeable to those who are willing. 'What have you done to me?' he said. 'Why did you not tell me that she is your wife?' This is a woman who, in a legitimate marriage and not in a perfunctory manner, brings with her a great dowry, who brings with her heavy burdens of marriage and the harsh obligations of conjugal life. But you said she is a sister, bound by no laws, a companion by nature, not proud or powerful due to any legal dowry. So I, unaware, thought that her burdens should be connected and held by me, but I understood that there is weight and burden in her. Behold your wife, that is, behold your persuasion before you, accept it, and retreat. I do not want her to be before me, I do not want her in my thoughts. Take yourself away with your counsels, with your admonition, quickly take yourself away, quickly retreat, I cannot bear your delays, they are afflictions to me: it is enough that I was deceived before. And he sent his students to whom his mind often wanders, turning over thoughts of lust, ambition, greed, and various temptations, that they might eliminate and push far away chastity, lest it return to the boundaries from which it had been expelled; so that, now secure and free from serious judgment, he would not fear being reproached for his sins.