Volume I, Treatise VIII, Chapter XIX

Of the Conformity We Are to Have to the Will of God, as Well in Order So to Death as to Life

Ovr conformity to the will of God ought to extend itself as well

to what appertains to dying as what appertains to Jiving. For.

although, generally speaking, this is one of the most difficult points, inasmuch as nothing is more terrible, nothing more dreadful than death; nevertheless, this difficulty is greatly diminished for religious people, because they have already advanced halfway, or rather surmounted almost all the obstacles. First, one of the motives which makes worldly persons have such an apprehension and horror of death, and tremble at its approach, is, that death deprives them of their riches, their honours, their pleasures, their amusements, and all the conveniences: they enjoyed in this life. It is by death they are separated from

kindred and friends; some are snatched away from the wife they.

passionately love, and others from children for whose subsistence and maintenance they have not as yet provided. - But a religious is free from all these ties and obligations; and as he has nothing to part with, so there is nothing to afflict and torment him at that hour. We easily pluck out a tooth, when we have loosened it beforehand from the gums; but if we endeavour to pull it out violently, without using the means aforesaid, we shall feel pain and torment. It is the same with a religious person who is disengaged from the things of this life. He feels no difficulty in parting with them -at his death, because he parted with them before on his voluntary and meritorious entrance into religion. But people of the world, forsaking these things only through constraint and necessity, forsake them consequently with great difficulty and reluctance; and sometimes even without any merit; since we may justly say they do not so much forsake these things, as these things forsake them. Amongst many other advantages we receive from a religious life, this certainly is not the least; for persons of ‘the world, as-St. Chrysostom well remarks, being attached to their wealth, to their pleasures, and to their conveniences of life, find death very dreadful. ‘‘O death, how bitter is thy memory to a man that has peace in his riches?” (Ecclesiasticus 41:1) If, whilst they contemplate it but at a distance, it is so terrible, what will it be, when they behold it present? and if the very thought of it be so frightful, what will it prove, when they come to experience it? It is not so with religious; who, as they have heretofore divested themselves of all things, instead of finding afflictions and miseries in death, feel comfort and con-: tent. They look upon it as the term of all their sufferings, and as a passage whereby they are to go to receive the reward and recompense of all they hitherto forsook for the love of God.

Another thing that still troubles those of the world at their death, and makes it more dreadful, is, says St. Ambrose, the bad state of their conscience, and the want of the dispositions requisite to die well. A religious is far from being thus embarrassed: all his life is but a continual preparation for death; and to prove this, the example of a great saint is happily cited, who, being desired by the physicians to prepare himself for death, “I have done nothing else,” answered the holy man, “‘since I took the habit of religion.” This ought to be the exercise of a religious; and he cannot comply with the obligations of his state unless he be always in the disposition wherein our Saviour Jesus Christ would have us await his coming. “Let your loins be girt, and burning lamps in your hands.” St. Gregory says, girding the loins isa sign of chastity; and burning lamps in your hands denote the performance of good works: and as these are the most perspicuous things in a religious life, so a true religious has no reason to fear death.

We must take notice here of one thing very suitable to our present purpose, and which we touched on elsewhere. It is that one of the chief signs of a good conscience, and of our having made our peace with God, is, to be entirely conformed to his divine will in all things touching the hour of our death, and to expect it, “as they who expect their master’s return from the marriage.” (Luke 12:35) On the contrary, it is a bad sign, not to have the submission we here speak of, and to feel pain at the idea of death. A sheep is led to the shambles without any resistance; and therefore the holy Scripture, speaking of the death of our Saviour Jesus Christ, says—‘‘ He was led like a sheep wo the slaughter.” (Isa, liii. 7.) But the swine, which is an unclean creature, makes a most hideous noise¢ when it is to be killed, and struggles with all its force against the approach of death. The same difference is found between the just, who are signified by the sheep, and the wicked and the carnal man, who is designed by the swine. A criminal condemned to die, and who knows he is not to leave the prison, unless to be brought to execution, trembles every time he hears the prison door opened; but he who is declared innocent feels joy and comfort when he hears the same door opened, because he imagines it is to restore him to his liberty. In like manner, a bad Christian, when he is brought to his agony, and feels in his body the approaching pangs of death, is troubled and afflicted, and even sometimes falls into despair; because having a conscience charged and guilty, he fancies each moment he is to be precipitated into eternal flames; while he who has his conscience clear, and sees his end approach, finds in himself a joy and delight, as being persuaded that the time of his deliverance is arrived, and hiseternal repose athand. Let.us act, therefore, as becomes true religious, and we shall find that we will not only feel no repugnance in conforming ourselves to God’s holy will as to the hour of our death; but, on the contrary, shall rejoice when it is at hand. We shall even prevent it by our wishes, and say with the Psalmist; “Deliver, ‘’ Lord! my soul out of its prison.’ (Psalms 141:8)

St. Gregory, upon these words of Job, “And you shall not fear the beasts of the earth” (Job 5:22), says, the security of a soul at the moment of death, is the beginning of a just man’s recompense.” He begins then to enjoy that spiritual peace and tranquillity, which he is soon after to enjoy for eternity; and he then feels, as it were, a foretaste of his felicity. While, on the contrary, the wicked man begins, from that very moment, to feel the torments of hell, by reason of the fears which torment him, and the remorse of conscience which then tortures him. It is a very laudable practice, says St. John Climacus, to expect death continually; but it belongs only to the just to long for it every moment, And St. Ambrose commends mightily such as are in so holy a disposition. It is the same wherein the ancient patriarchs were, “when they declared themselves as pilgrims and strangers upon earth.” For as the apostle very well takes notice; “Those who speak in this manner shew manifestly they tend to their own country.” (Hebrews 11:13).Thisit was occasioned so many sighs and aspirations in the Royal Prophet, when, complaining to God in a most tender and affectionate manner, he said;“Miserable man that I am, why is my habitation prolonged?” (Psalms 119:5) If, then, the ancient patriarchs of the old law used this manner of speaking, and were of these sentiments, when as yet the gates of heaven were not open; nor could they then enter there by death; what may not we at present say, when these gates are so opened to us, that at the very moment our soul is purified of its faults and imperfections, it shall be admitted to the fruition of God.

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