ourselves to Him that He may
conquer in and through us.

{150}

CHAPTER X

THE TESTS OF VICTORY AND DEFEAT

It is all very well to sit down calmly, and consider, as we have done,
the stages of temptation, and to draw definite conclusions as to the
point at which the temptation passes over into sin. Such principles as
these are not hard to discover. In fact, as a general rule it is
comparatively easy in any matter to arrive at moral principles. If we
cannot think them out for ourselves, any handbook of Christian ethics
will give them to us, cut and dried.

The real stress and strain in life arises from the difficulty of
applying principles to special cases in hand, and it is just this
difficulty that is experienced amid the shock of the conflict by many
souls, even those who are illuminated by the Holy Ghost.

I. _The Test of Common Sense_

What practical tests, therefore, can we bring to bear in order to know
whether the will has consented? Before entering upon a discussion of
them, we can sum up the whole matter by saying that to everything must
be applied the test of common sense. At no time are scruples {151} so
apt to intrude themselves as when we seek to apply tests to discover
whether or not we have sinned; and no spiritual scruple was ever based
on common sense. On the contrary, the cherishing of scruples always
points to some positive lack of mental balance. Above all things, we
are to be reasonable with ourselves. We shall find with ever so little
consideration that the laws which apply to the conditions of our
ordinary daily life are the laws that must apply to our spiritual life.
There will be no danger of perplexing scruples if we apply the same
rules to the inquiry concerning sin as we should apply to a question of
ordinary human relations, and as dutiful children we must give our
heavenly Father credit for as much loving generosity in His dealings
with us as we know would be employed by an earthly parent who had ever
showed us a tender and loving consideration.

So bearing these things ever in mind, we can proceed to think of the
further tests we may apply, to show whether or not we have consented to
the devil's temptations.

II. _The Test of Doubt_

"If you doubt whether you have consented to evil, always take the doubt
as a negative."[1] {152} This is the rule laid down for us by St.
Francis de Sales. In it he follows the great spiritual teachers in
holding that if sin