the crown, by embracing those pains and that death with resignation and love.
But he will never have these holy feelings in death, who has not practised them in life. Some devout persons make a practice (and with great profit to themselves) of renewing every month a certain desire for death, imagining themselves to be on their death-bed, placing themselves as if in the presence of death.
That which is not done during life is very difficult to be done in death. Sister Catherine of S. Albert, who was a faithful servant of God, when dying, said, " I do not sigh because I fear death, because for twenty-five years I have been expecting it; but I sigh because I see many deceive themselves by leading a life of sin, and thus put off making their peace with God until the hour of death, when I feel as if I can hardly pronounce the name of Jesus."
Therefore examine yourself, my brother, and see whether your heart is fond of anything that is of the earth that person, that honour, that house, that money, that conversation, those amusements; and reflect that you are not immortal. Some day you will have to leave all these things, and perhaps very soon. Why then are you so fond of them? and thus run the risk of dying a miserable death? From this hour offer everything to God, being ready to give up all when it shall please Him. If you wish to die submissive, you must resign yourself to all that may befall you, and divest yourself of every earthly affection. Reflect upon the moment of death, and as you would then despise all things do so now. S. Jerome observes, " He easily despises all things who ever regards himself as one about to die."
If you have not yet decided upon what life you shall lead, make choice of that which you will wish you had chosen at the moment of death, and that which will make you die a happy death. If you have already chosen it, do what you will wish to have done in that particular life. Act t.s if each day were the last of your life, each action were the last, each prayer the last, each confession the last, and each communion the last. Act as if each hour were your last, and stretched upon a bed you heard this intimated, " Depart out of this world."
This thought, Oh! how greatly will it help you to walk
