THOUGHT

There are two ways of meriting in the bad thought which comes from without, namely:

First Way. 

A thought of committing a mortal sin, which thought I resist immediately and it remains conquered.

Second Way. 

The second way of meriting is: 

When that same bad thought comes to me and I resist it, and it returns to me again and again, and I always resist, until it is conquered.

This second way is more meritorious than the first.

A venial sin is committed when the same thought comes of sinning mortally and one gives ear to it, 

making some little delay, 

or receiving some sensual pleasure,

or when there is some negligence in rejecting such thought.

There are two ways of sinning mortally:

First Way. 

The first is, when one gives consent to the bad thought, to act afterwards as he has consented, or to put it in act if he could.

Second Way. 

The second way of sinning mortally is when that sin is put in act.

This is a greater sin for three reasons: 

first, 

because of the greater time; 

second, 

because of the greater intensity; 

third, 

because of the greater harm to the two persons.