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 2. That God suffers us to be tempted for wise purposes—

α. To bring out our hidden virtues; thus He brought out the virtue of faith in Abraham by tempting him to slay his son, and the virtue of patience in Job by suffering him to be afflicted with loss of substance, health, and friends.

β. To keep us vigilant. (1 Pet. v. 8.)

γ. To reward us finally for our merit in resisting temptation. (James i. 12.)

3. A. The word to ‘tempt’ has three significations in Holy Scripture. It signifies—

α. To bring out hidden graces; and thus is used of God tempting us. (Gen. xxii. 1.)

β. To lead into sin; and thus is used of the devil tempting us. (1 Cor. vii. 5.)

γ. To provoke to anger; and thus is used of our tempting God. (Ps. xcv. 9. Acts v. 9. Heb. i. 12)

B. God tempts us in Lent, drawing out of us a proof—

α. Whether we love ourselves better than Him.

β. Whether we love our souls better than our bodies.

γ. Whether we love our present corruptible bodies better than our future incorruptible bodies.

δ. Whether we love to obey the Church better than to follow our own wills.