cludes
the pains and evils of this life, but (which is more excellent)
makes an end of sins and vices. And this renders death far more
desirable to believing souls, as I have said above,[47] than the
former blessing; since the evils of the soul, which are its sins,
are beyond comparison worse evils than those of the body. This
alone, did we but know it, should make death most desirable. But
if it does not, it is a sign that we neither feel nor hate our
sin as we should. For this our life is so full of perils--sin,
like a serpent, besetting us on every side--and it is impossible
for us to live without sinning; but fairest death delivers us
from these perils, and cuts our sin clean away from us.
Therefore, the praise of the just man, in Wisdom iv, concludes on
this wise: "He pleased God, and was taken away, and was beloved
of Him: so that living among sinners he was translated. Yea,
speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his
understanding, or deceit beguile his soul. For the bewitching of
naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the
wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind (O how
constantly true is this!). He, being made perfect in a short
time, fulfilled a long time; for his soul pleased the Lord:
therefore hasted He to take him away from the wicked." [Wisd.
4:10-14]

Thus, by the mercy of God, death, which was to man the punishment
for his sin, is made unto the Christian the end of sin, and the
beginning of life and righteousness. Wherefore, he that loves
life and righteousness must not hate, but love sin, their
minister and workshop; else he will never attain to either life
or righteousness. But he that is not able to do this, let him
pray God to enable him. For to this end are we taught to pray,
"Thy will be done," [Matt. 6:10] because we cannot do it of
ourselves, since through fear of death we love death and sin
rather than life and righteousness. And that God appointed death
for the putting to death of sin, may be gathered also from the
fact that He imposed death upon Adam immediately after his sin;
and that before He drove him out of paradise; in order to show us
that death should bring us no evil, but every blessing, since it
was imposed in paradise, as a penance and satisfaction.[48] For
it is true that, through the envy of the devil, death altered
into the world; [Wisd. 2:24] but it is of the Lord's surpassing
goodness that, after having thus entered in, i