THEOSISJerome of Stridon
And he led me to the entrance of the courtyard; upon looking, I noticed a breach in the wall. He instructed me, "Son of man, dig into the wall." After I dug, I discovered a door. Then he told me, "Enter and observe the detestable practices being carried out here." I looked and saw that there was indeed a well within the wall, not noted by the Seventy. Everything is depicted as if through an image or picture—he observed a crack in the wall and was commanded to widen it, so he could enter and perceive what was hidden from him while he remained outside. This illustrates that within the churches and within each individual, minor faults can unveil greater transgressions, as if through wells one can uncover immense corruptions.
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The nature of a tree is evident in its fruit, and out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth reveals its contents (Matthew 12:33-34). A person's internal disposition is often inadvertently disclosed through their words; hence, a person driven by lust—who may skillfully conceal their shortcomings—can sometimes reveal themselves through shameless speech, while hidden greed becomes apparent through the desire to obtain trivial things. The smaller issues often expose the larger ones, and the heart's conscience cannot be masked by facial expressions, for uncontrolled and indulgent thoughts are reflected in one’s countenance, and the secrets of the heart are unveiled through one’s movements and gestures.