incautious glance of the eye fell first into adultery and then committed murder. Guard then against the least spark, resist at the very commencement, and " dash thy little ones against the rock" (Ps. cxxxvi. 9), that is, annihilate at once the very motions of sin.
III. From slight wounds, when neglected, it frequently happens that severe indispositions ensue, and not unfrequently even death. The same happens to the soul from venial sin. Examine therefore all your actions, and discover in which you are most liable to receive spiritual wounds. Guard against them in time, and endeavor to refrain not only from evil, but, as the apostle advises, "from all appearance of evil." (1 Thes. v. 22.) No caution can be too great when eternity is at stake.
Venial Sin.— II. Its Evil Consequences.
I. We ought to avoid venial sin; not only because it disposes to mortal guilt, but also in consequence of its own intrinsic deformity. St. Augustine says that venial sins are to the soul what ulcers are to the body: they deface its spiritual beauty and disfigure it in the eyes of its heavenly spouse. Those who are dressed in white clothes are cautious when they pass over muddy roads. Souls invested with habitual grace are " whiter than snow, purer than milk, fairer than the sapphire" (Lament, iv. 7.) What care then ought to be taken to preserve their purity from the least blemish, as we pass through the contaminated ways of this world.
II. There are other evils which venial sins entail, particularly if they be frequent. 1. They cool the fervor of charity, and weaken our attention to the one thing necessary. 2. They retard the soul in its progress in virtue, and press upon it " like a heavy burden." (Ps. xxxvii. 5.)
