Ella Wheeler Wilcox Quotes

Every temptation that is resisted, every evil thought that is curbed, every desire that is subdued, every bitter word that is withheld, every noble aspiration that is encouraged, every sublime thought that is cultivated, adds to the development of will-force, good character, and attainment of eternal bliss and immortality.

An untempted woman cannot boast of her chastity.

God is better served in resisting a temptation to evil than in many formal prayers.

No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good...Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is.

The best way to resist temptation is to avoid it. Prevention is far, far better than repentance.

For they who think they make an end of temptation by yeilding to it, only set themselves on fire the more.

Where there is no temptation, there is no virtue.

Tomorrow's character is made out of today's thoughts. Temptation may come suddenly, but sin does not.

Virtue, which breaks through opposition and all temptation can remove, most shines, and most is acceptable above.

Honesty: The ability to resist small temptations.

The ordeal of virtue is to resist all temptation to evil.

It is good to be without vices, but it is not good to be without temptations.

No temptation can gravitate to a man unless there is that is his heart which is capable of responding to it.

There is not any memory with less satisfaction than the memory of some temptation we resisted.

Virtue is a positive quality developed by taking a firm stand for the right in temptation, or by the suffering endured in consequence of wrongdoing.

The great of heart is a gift of god. He who obeys his belly, obeys the enemy

Avoiding the temptation to sin and being patient upon that, is greater than being patient whilst being afflicted with trials.

He who cannot resist temptation is not a man.

He who cannot resist temptation is not a man. Whoever yields to temptation debases himself with a debasement from which he can never arise.

If reason dominates in man, he rises higher than angels. If lust overpowers man, he descends lower than the beast.

Reflect upon the defects of your character: thoroughly realize their evils and the transient pleasures they give you, and firmly will that you shall try your best not to yield to them the next time.

There isn't any virtue where there has never been any temptation.

If we didn't have to stand against temptation, we'd never know our own spiritual strength.

Sometimes it seems to me that all of life is a struggle to contain the natural impulses of the body and spirit, and that what we call character represents only the degree to which we are successful in this endeavor.

There are those who say that temptation can be barricaded beyond the door. The ones who think that stray desires can be driven out of the heart like the moneychangers from the temple. Maybe they can, if you patrol your weak points day and night, don't look, don't smell, don't dream.