Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/139

 Therefore "how"  will  you  die? You do not  know,  I  do  not  know;  indeed  there  is  not any one  who  knows. Only one  thing  is  certain, that  so  long  as  a  spark  of  life  and  consciousness  is  left  to  you,  you  can  correspond to the  grace  of  God,  you  have  a  chance  to save  your  soul.

7. Now,  my  friend,  in  speaking  so  seriously about death,  I  do  not  wish  to  make  you  unhappy,  but  only  to  guide  you  to  a  good  death, only to  help  you  to  meet  the  last  enemy  with calmness and  even  cheerfulness. Yes, with cheerfulness! Some years  ago  I  witnessed a death  like  this  in  the  case  of  one  of  my parishioners,  a  young  woman  twenty-one years of  age. She had  always  been  pious and good,  and  at  the  same  time  merry  and cheerful. When death  was  approaching, she asked  that  the  wreath  which  was  so  soon to be  placed  on  her  bier,  might  be  shown  to her,  and  as  she  lay  upon  her  dying  bed  she seemed quite  pleased  to  look  at  it. She was indeed a  living  proof  of  the  truth  of  the  lines:

The fear  of  God  is  honor  and  renown; With it  the  Christian  wins  a  conqueror's  crown, His portion  in  this  world  is  peace  and  joy, In heaven  'tis  bliss  without  alloy.

Ever bear  in  mind  the  maxim  that  has caused the  conversion  of  so  many  sinners,  and made so  many  saints  —  the  memorable  maxim that was  enunciated  by  Jesus  Christ  Himself: "What shall  it  profit  a  man,  if  he  gain  the