Marriage and Virginity (continued)
person, he proclaimed that both are God's gift. He said, I should like everyone to be like me, but each has one's own gift from God, one in one way, another in another way (1 Cor 7:7).
2. Lest it seem that it is only in relation to the inferior parts of the body that the necessary continence has to be looked for from God, the psalm also sings: Place a guard on my mouth, O Lord, and the gate of continence on my lips (Ps 141:3). In this testimony from the divine writing, if we understand "mouth" as we ought to understand it, we recognize what a great gift from God it is to maintain continence there. It is not enough to keep the exterior mouth of the body under control, to ensure that nothing harmful escapes from it in its speech. There is also the internal mouth of the heart, and it is there that the person who uttered those words, and composed them for us to recite, wanted the Lord to place a guard and the gate of continence. There are many things that we do not say outwardly with our lips, but which we shout out in our heart; but not a word comes from the mouth about anything if the heart is silent about it. No sound is heard outside that does not have its origin there; and if anything bad has its origin there, even if the tongue stays still, it soils the soul. Continence, therefore, must be put in the place where the conscience speaks, even when nothing is said. For the gate of continence will prevent anything from emerging that might contaminate a person's life, even if that person merely thought it and did not actually say it.
All Deeds Begin with Thoughts
2, 3. To make it more apparent that he meant those words to refer to the interior mouth, after saying, Place a guard on my mouth, O Lord, and the gate of continence on my lips, he immediately added, so that you will not let my heart lapse into malicious talk (Ps 141:3-4).
What is it for the heart to lapse other than to give consent? Anyone who does not lapse in his or her heart and consent to suggestions that arise in the heart from things that are seen has not yet said anything. If, however, there is consent, something has already been said in the heart, even if no sound has come from the lips, and even if the deed already decided on in thought is not carried out by hand or any other part of the body. Once the word has been uttered in the heart, even without anything being done by the body, there is already guilt under God's law, however much it is hidden from the senses of human beings. There would not have been any external movement to action at all unless that action had been initiated by what was said within. Scripture did not lie when it said, Words are the origin of every deed (Sir 37:16).