A man went to his friend and asked the loan of a barrel.
“Certainly,” was the reply, “if you will bring it back
uninjured.” The man used the barrel to hold brandy until he
could get certain bottles from the factory, when he filled them
and returned the barrel to his friend. But the barrel smelled
of brandy, and the owner sent it back with the request that it
be cleansed. Boiling water was poured into the barrel, but it
still smelled of brandy. Acids and disinfectants were put in,
but the smell of the brandy could not be removed. It was left
out in the rain, but all to no purpose; the smell of the brandy
still remained. So it is with impure thoughts; when they are
once admitted they remain and taint the whole life.--JAMES
T. WHITE, “Character Lessons.”
(1567)