The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…

3 This is general, that the eye is most forcible to sin, now let us show that it is most¹ forcible to move to sin. It is dangerous to hear, but ten times more dangerous to see, for then the means be strengthened: and though the means be but small, yet there is such a tinder in our nature that it will soon take fire, and if the eye be dark, a general darkness cometh over the whole body. The beginning of this is to be seen, Genes. 3.² in the talk between the Serpent and the woman. She seeth the tree to be fair and beautiful,³ the eye had offended, before the apple went down her throat Therefore one of the Fathers saith, Pluck out that eye: and they note further, that because by the eye came the greatest hurt, therefore God hath placed in the eye the greatest token of sorrow, for from them come tears. This may be seen in covetousness, as in Ahab, who looking through⁴ the window saw the vineyard of Naboth, and straight he would have had it, and if he could have had it by law, he would have bought it. But, because Naboth would not sell it him, Jezebel would give it him. For adultery is too plain: for the eye is always the broker,⁵ as we see both in Shechem and David. This word, they saw, came always between this sin and the heart. For idleness and negligence, Ecces. 11. it is said, he that observeth the⁶ wind, he shall never be good sower, nor good harvest man. For apparel, Ezech. 23. 16. the Israelites saw an Assyrian in his painted apparel, and would needs have the like: so⁷ that the eye is that which maketh the bargain. We say commonly, let us go see it, the sight of it will do us no harm. This is the devils policy to persuade us, that there is no danger in that which may most entangle us: we see how it prevailed in Adam, when he was content to see, and that was Satan's means, when he tempted Christ to show him all the kingdoms of the world. Well, we see what danger there is in the senses, and specially in the eye.