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 the more  steadfastly  will  he  be  confirmed  in the  Faith. The more  blows  a  nail  receives from the  hammer,  the  more  deeply  will  it  be driven  in;  in  the  same  way  will  faith  become all the  deeper,  firmer,  and  stronger,  the  more cheerfully and  readily  its  precepts  are  obeyed Therefore be  not  slothful  in  the  performance of your  religious  duties. As soon  as  you grow careless  in  this  respect,  in  the  same proportion will  your  faith  become  weaker and appear  less  convincing.

6. The  third  means  is  inseparably  connected with  the  foregoing;  it  is  the  avoidance of  sin. If faith  is  to  be  preserved,  it  is. necessary to  avoid  sin  as  far  as  you  can,  and to lead  a  life  well  pleasing  to  God. For experience teaches  that  the  decline  of  faith comes from  below,  proceeds  from  sin. This is the  lower  region  of  lite,  that  of  sensuality and animal  impulses. Be on  your  guard against them,  do  not  become  their  slave; otherwise your  faith  would  stand  in  imminent peril.

7. But  before  all  other  means,  prayer  is the  means  you  must  employ,  if  you  desire to keep  your  faith  strong  and  lively. Faith is, as has  been  already  said,  a  fruit  of  divine grace. This was  the  experience  of  a  young Frenchman, Isnard  by  name,  who  lived  in the  beginning  of  the  last  century. He had been a  free-thinker,  but  now  desired  and made an  earnest  effort  to  regain  the  faith  he had  lost. On this  subject  he  wrote  as  follow-