Untitled - Saints' Books

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368 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
Tertullian says that certain little glances are the be
ginnings of the greatest iniquities. And 1 St. Jerome
compares the eyes to certain hooks, which drag us, as
it were, by force to sin. 2 He who wishes not to admit
the enemy into the fortress, should lock the gate. The
Abbot Pastor was molested by bad thoughts for forty
years after having looked at a woman. In consequence
of having seen a woman in the world, St. Benedict was
afterwards so strongly tempted, that to conquer the
flesh he threw himself naked among thorns, and thus
overcame the temptations. While he lived in the cave
of Bethlehem, St. Jerome was for a long time troubled
with bad thoughts on account of having formerly seen
certain women in Rome. These saints conquered temp
tations by the divine aid, by prayers and penitential
works; but many others, on account of the eyes, have
miserably fallen. On account of the eyes a David fell;
on account of the eyes a Solomon fell. Listen to an
alarming fact related by St. Augustine of Alipius. He
went to the theatre, resolved not to look at any danger
ous object, saying,
I will be absent though present;"
5
but being tempted to look, he, says the saint, not only
prevaricated, but also made others prevaricate: "He
opened his eyes, applauded, became excited, and left the
theatre carrying sin with him."^
Seneca justly said that blindness is a great help to
preserve innocence. 5 It is not lawful to pull out our
. . that shutteth his eyes that he may
eyes, but we ought to make ourselves blind by closing
the eyes, and by not looking at objects which may im
pel us to evil: He .
1 "
Exordia sunt maximarum iniquitatum."
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3 "
Oculi, quasi quidam raptores ad culpam."
In Lam. 3.
Adero absens."
Spectavit, clamavit, exarsit; abstulit inde secum insaniam."
6 "
Conf. 1. 6, c. 8.
Pars innocentiae, caecitas." DC Rented, fort.