Thomas Aquinas, on Ps 54:7

“And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest?”

“"Behold, I went far away, fleeing." Here his disposition for contemplation is set forth. And first he shows what he avoided. Second, what he observed. He avoided the impediments to contemplation, which are principally two: namely, the preoccupation with earthly things and with sin. And these two are to be avoided in two ways: namely, swiftly and efficaciously. Swiftly, so as not to delay; and therefore it should be done immediately. Hence he says, "fleeing." Sir. 21: "Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent." Zech. 2: "Flee, flee from the land of the north." Efficaciously, so that not only the acts of sin but also the occasions of sin are avoided. And therefore he says, "I went far away"; as if to say: I abandoned all occasions of sin. Gen. 19: "Do not stay in all the surrounding region."”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.