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UR Savior Iiimself has put into our daily prayer the petition, “ Lead 
us not into temptation? and this has saved millions from daily ruin. 
We are every moment exposed to sin. 
The world, the devil, and our own concupiscence, conspire for our 
destruction. 
The world tempts us by its evil example and its false maxims; 
The devil assails us hv impressing our senses and imaginations with 
images that suggest evil thoughts and bad desires ; 
And concupiscence —that is to say, the inclination to evil, which is 
born with us, and follows us everywhere like a domestic enemy prompting 
us to sin—this enemy prevails on us to destroy our own soul and furnishes 
arms to the world and the devil to help in its destruction. 
Temptation is not a sin. 
The sin is in yielding to it, or in taking pleasure in its contempla¬ 
tion. 
To resist temptation is a merit. 
The crowns of many saints consist of these merits. 
As there are countless temptations, so there are countless merits for 
those who strive. 
If anyone has a besetting sin, how must, he choose as between it and 
the loss of his soul ? The answer is plain. Your choice noiv is for better 
or worse! Resist sin at once and continually. It is the only safe plan, 
for every day increases the strength of an evil habit. 
God, who will not permit us to be tempted above our strength, will 
ever vouchsafe aid to a sincere and determined will, and thus victory is 
secured over any temptation that may assail us, and even the most invet¬ 
erate evil habit may thereby be broken. 
Yet, go not rashly or wilfully into the occasion of sins “Let him 
that thinketh himself to stand, take heed lest he fall.” —(1. Cor., x.) 
And, “Watch ye and pray that ye enter not into temptation.”—(St. 
ZMat-th. xxvi, 4-1.) 
