reventing himself from being carried with the current
out into the ocean. He is keeping himself where he is till the force of
the tide diminishes, and then he can advance. So they who are trying to
be good are struggling against the strong tide of temptation. If they
cease to struggle against it, they will be carried out into the great
ocean of sin and lost forever. Someday the temptation will grow weaker
and then they will be able to advance towards Heaven. We feel
temptations most when we are trying to resist them and lead good lives,
because we are working against our evil inclinations--the strong tide of
our passions. We have no trouble going with them.

Lesson 7
ON THE INCARNATION AND REDEMPTION

"Incarnation" means to take flesh, as a body. Here it means Our Lord's
taking flesh, that is, taking a body like ours, when He became man.
"Redemption" means to buy back. Let us take an example. Slaves are men
or women that belong entirely to their masters, just as horses, cows, or
other animals do. Slaves are bought and sold, never receive any wages
for their work, get their food and clothing and no more. As they never
earn money for themselves, they can never purchase their own liberty. If
ever they are to be free, someone else must procure their liberty. Now,
suppose I am in some country where slavery exists. I am free, but I want
one hundred dollars; so I go to a slave owner and say: I want to sell
myself for one hundred dollars. He buys me and I soon squander the one
hundred dollars. Now I am his property, his slave; I shall never earn
any wages and shall never be able to buy my freedom. No other slave can
help me, for he is just in the same condition as I myself am. If I am to
be free, a free man who has the money must pay for my liberty. This is
exactly the condition in which all men were before Our Lord redeemed
them. Adam sold himself and all his children to the devil by committing
sin. He and they therefore became slaves. They could not earn any
spiritual wages, that is, grace of God to purchase their liberty; and as
all men were slaves one could not help another in this matter. Then Our
Lord Himself came and purchased our freedom. He bought us back again,
and the price He paid was His own life and blood given up upon the
Cross. In His goodness, He did more than redeem us; He gave us also the
means of redeeming ourselves in case we should ever have the misfortune
of falling again into the slavery of the de