Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/486

 a map  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  that  he  promised Him; no,  he  took  Him  up  into  a  high  mountain  and showed them  to  Him,  hoping  that  an  actual  view  of them  and  the  glory  thereof  would  cause  the  Saviour to fall  down  and  adore  him. How rash,  then,  and  presumptuous it  is  for  you  who  have  but  lately  fled from sin  to  tread  again  the  dark  and  crooked  alleyways of  vice,  where  every  doorway  hides  a  lurking demon, and  every  lighted  window  allures  like  the eyes of  a  lascivious  woman. On what  grounds  do you  justify  such  great  self-confidence? Is it  your  invincible strength  of  will? Why, even  St.  Jerome confessed to  Vigilantius  that  his  reason  for  abandoning the  haunts  of  men  and  seeking  refuge  in  the  wilderness was  that  he  dared  not  trust  himself  amid  the pitfalls of  society. Have you  achieved  a  mastery  of yourself  beyond  St. Jerome? " They,"  says  Ezechiel, " they  who  shall  flee  shall  escape,  and  they  shall  be in  the  mountains  like  doves  of  the  valley,  all  of  them trembling." Physical valor  and  spiritual  courage differ in  this,  that  the  former  consists  in  pressing  forward to  the  combat,  but  the  latter,  in  fleeing  from the enemy. And as  when  the  gunshot  echoes  among the hills  the  flock  of  pigeons  in  the  valley  flutter  to the  mountain  top  and  perch  there,  watchful  and  all trembling, so  should  converted  souls  act,  who  by God's  grace  are  driven  from  the  valley  of  death  to  the mount of  holiness. The higher  our  station  on  the steep incline  of  sanctity,  the  more  need  there  is  for caution. It is  unhappily  true  that  in  an  instant  one can pass  from  virtue  down  to  vice,  but  alas! the op-