Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/136



ou know how  the  pious  Tobias strove to  infuse  the  fear  of  the Lord into  the  heart  of  his  beloved  son  while the latter  was  still  very  young. He was deeply convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  words  of Holy  Scripture:  "The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the beginning  of  wisdom"  (Ps.  ex.  10)  Therefore it  is  unnecessary  that  I  should  say  to  you  : "If you  wish  to  save  your  soul,  fear  the  Lord; if  it  is  your  heart's  desire  to  dedicate  your youth  to  God,  fear  the  Lord."

But how  will  you  be  most  surely  confirmed in this  holy  fear  of  God? By thinking  upon your last  end,  according  to  the  exhortation  of the  Holy  Spirit:  "In  all  thy  works  remember thy  last  end,  and  thou  shalt  never  sin"  (Ecclus. vii.  40). Therefore comply  with  this  exhortation, and  lay  to  heart  the  first  and  most  important of  these  things,  namely,  death.

2. You  are  absolutely  convinced  that death will  not  spare  you,  because  it  has  never as yet  spared  any  one;  and  you  dread  its coming because  you  know  with  equal  certainty that  everything  does  not  end  at  death, but that  after  death  an  awful  judgment awaits you,  and  that  after  the  judgment  there and follow  an  eternal  life.