examination of the heart 496 being conceited out of disobedience, as we read about a monk, who brought with him to the monastery from the world a son of disobedience.241 Finally, people sin out of sluggishness and apathy, as the Lord says: “because you are lukewarm, I will begin to vomit you” (cf. Rev 3:16), which means to withdraw graces. For he who prefers himself to another, if only in thought, prepares a grievous sin for himself. He who relies on his prudence, circumspection, and foresight, easily falls if abandoned by divine assistance; as it was said: “O my God, in [Y]ou I trust, let me not be put to shame” (Ps 25:2). Well, the sin of the flesh always accompanies the disobedient, because the means prescribed for protection against it are shattered by disobedience. A Christian poet states about sluggishness or apathy: “The apathy of a soul is a perverse pestilence: with its unnoticed spike, it makes wounds.”242 As for you, consider the occasions and causes of carnal sin; see whether some of these do not rule over you and eliminate them. 3. It will not hurt to consider, while stirring up your contrition and zeal for this virtue, the infernal fire, which is prepared especially for the immoderate. “As much as she hath glorified herself, and lived in delicacies,” (says the Apocalyptic bard) “so much [f.164r] torment and sorrow give ye to her” (Rev 18:7) [DRB]. That well-known devout Follower of Christ, elaborating on it to a great length, says: “What else will that infernal fire feed upon but your sins (and especially the carnal ones)? The more you indulge yourself and yield to your flesh now, the more severely you will pay for it later on, and the more fuel you accumulate for the burning.” And he further says: “There,” that is, in hell, “the luxurious and the lovers of pleasures shall burn in the blazing 241 No reference is given in IC crit. ed. as to a source from which this story is derived. 242 This quotation is taken from Marcus Fabius Quintilian, Palaestrae Oratoriae Liber III, in: Institutio Oratoria, Rome ca. 96 AD, p. 641. On page 640, the author states that the examples are taken from some poets (“Poetarum”), but the poet in question is not named there, and about him it is only said: “alius otii perniciosi insectator.”
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