2. And lest it should seem
that necessary Continence was to be hoped for from the Lord only in
respect of the lust of the lower parts of the flesh, it is also
sung in the Psalm; “Set, O Lord, a watch to my mouth, and a door
of Continence around my lips.”1810
But in this witness of the
divine
speech, if we understand “mouth” as we ought to understand it,
we perceive how great a
gift of
God Continence there set is.
Forsooth it is little to contain the mouth of the body, lest any
thing
burst forth thence, which is not for the better, through the
sound of the voice. For there is, within, the mouth of the
heart,
where he, who spake these words, and wrote them for us to speak,
desired of the
Lord that the watch and
door of Continence should be
set for him. For many things we say not with the mouth of the body,
and
cry aloud with the
heart: but there goes forth from the mouth
of the body no word of any thing, whereof there is
silence in the
heart. Therefore what flows not forth thence, sounds not abroad:
but what flows forth thence, if it be
evil, although it move
not the
tongue,
defiles the
soul. Therefore Continence must be set
there, where the conscience even of them who are
silent speaks. For
it is brought to pass by means of the door of Continence, that
there go not forth thence that, which, even when the lips of the
flesh are closed, pollutes the life of him that hath the
thought.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
