Pondering the Consequences

Ἄλλοτε ὁ αὐτὸς ἀββᾶς Ζήνων περιπατῶν ἐν τῇ Παλαιστίνη, καὶ κοπιάσας, ἐγγὺς σικυηλάτου ἐκάθισε φαγεῖν, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ λογισμός· Ἀρον ἑαυτῷ ἐν σικύδιν, καὶ φάγε. Τί γάρ ἐστιν; Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεις εἶπε τῷ λογισμῷ· Οἱ κλέπται εἰς κόλασιν ὑπάγουσι. Δοκίμασον οὖν ἑαυτὸν ἐντεῦθεν, εἰ δύνασαι τὴν κύλασιν ὑπενεγκεῖν. Καὶ ἀναστὰς ἔστη εἰς τὸ καῦμα πέντε ἡμέρας, καὶ τηγανιας ἑαυτὸν, εἶπεν· Οὐ δύνασαι την κόλασιν ὑπενεγκεῖν. Καὶ λέγει τῷ λογισμῷ· Εἰ οὐ δύνασαι, μὴ κλέπτε καὶ τρῶγε.  ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

One time father Zeno was passing through Palestine and he became weary and he sat down next to a cumber field to eat, for a thought came to him, saying, 'Take and eat. What does it matter?' But he said in reply to this thought, 'Thieves receive punishment. Do you then try yourself, if you can endure chastisement.' And he rose and stood in the hot sun for five days, and exhausted by it, he said, ' You will not endure chastisement.' And so he said to his soul, 'You are unable, do not steal and eat.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia