Volume II, Treatise IV, Chapter XVIII

Two Other Important Remedies; Viz.: to Crush Temptations in the Beginning, and to Avoid Idleness

ANOTHER excellent remedy which the saints still propose to us, and which is no less general than profitable, is, strongly to resist temptations in their beginning. Whilst “your enemy,” says St. Jerom, “is still weak and feeble, kill him, crush the serpent in the egg.” For if you let him go and fortify himself, perhaps you will not be able afterwards to compass what you aim at. Temptation is “like a small spark which still increases, till it become’a great fire,” if it be not presently extinguished. ‘ Apply a remedy to the disease in the beginning;” otherwise as an ancient poet says, “if you permit the disease to increase, the remedy will: come too late.” It is in this sense, that St. Jerom explains the words of the psalmist: ‘‘happy is he that shall take thy children and dash them against a stone” (Psalms 136:9); and those other words of the Canticles, “catch for us those little foxes which destroy the vineyards.” —(Canticle of Canticles 2:15) When a thought of detraction, pride, or particular attachment either to others, or to yourself, begins to shew itself in you, and is yet weak and tender, dash it against the corner-stone, which is Jesus Christ; chase presently away whatsoever may prejudice the Lord’s vineyard. It is not in our power, to hinder temptations or evil thoughts, but happy is he who knows how to east them away as soon as they come. It is of great importance presently to resis 1them—when the enemy is yet weak, it is easy to overcome him: but if you let him get strength, resistance and victory will become very hard.

St. Chrysostom explains this thought by a comparison. When a sick person, says he, has a mind to eat something that is hurtful to him, and he permits not himself to do so, he frees himself from that prejudice it would have done him, and also advances his cure, But if he has not so much power over himself, as to abstain from it, his disease may become dangerous, nay, may prove mortal; which would not have happened, if hé had abstained from what did him hurt. The same thing happens, adds the father, in temptations; if, for example, as soon as we feel inclined to look upon any object, the sight of which may become dangerous to the soul, we use but a little violence, reject the thought and withdraw our eyes from the object; we would free ourselves from all that pain, which this vain curiosity might otherwise occasion, and avoid the danger we might fall into by consenting to it. But if, on the contrary, we use no violence to ourselves at first; this pleasure of a moment, which we shall enjoy, by permitting ourselves to be carried away with curiosity, is afterwards able to destroy our soul; or at least to engage it in a hard and long combat. So that what would in the beginning, have cost us nothing, will afterwards prove very uneasy and toilsome. Hence we see how important it is, to resist temptations betimes.

It is related in the lives of the holy fathers, that the devil once appeared to St. Pacomius, in the shape of a very handsome woman: and the saint having told him, that all his endeavours against the servants of God, were to no purpose: but they are to some purpose, answered the devil, if the first evil thoughts with which we tempt them make any impression on their hearts; for then it is easy for us to increase the fire, and urge them to sin; but if they presently resist, and shut the door against those dangerous images we paint in their minds, we are then constrained to fly, and are dispersed before them, as smoke is in the air.

Another excellent remedy against temptations is, to be always employed in doing something. Cassian observes that the hermits of his time taught continually to their disciples, and carefully practised themselves, this maxim which they had learned of the ancients, “let the devil always find you employed.”—(Cass. Instit. xx.) This employment is what God taught St. Anthony, in order to persevere in his solitary life, and to defend himself from the many temptations to which he was subject; for one day complaining of the temptations he had in prayer, he said to God, Lord, what shall Ido? I would wish to be better than I am; and never to think on any thing but yourself; but an infinity of other thoughts molest me, and draw my imagination after them. Whereupon he heard a voice that said to him, “Anthony, if thou wouldst please God, pray; and when thou canst not pray, work and labour with thy hands; and always employ thyself in something; do what thou art able to do on thy part; and help from on high shall not be wanting to thee?”—(Aug. Serm. xvii. ad frat. in Erem.) Others say, that this lesson was taught him by an angel appearing to him in the shape of a young man, who did nothing else but work

and pray; going successively from work to prayer, and from prayer to work. However it happened, it is certain that idleness is the source of many temptations and evils, and therefore it is of very great importance that the devil should never find us idle.

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