n the instrument of the body fails him, and
the organ of the mouth is silent, and the office of the voice ceases, it
remains that with songs in his heart he keeps festival. Why should not
the saint keep festival, who is being brought to the festival of the
saints?[881] He presents to them what will soon be due to himself. _Yet
a little while_[882] and he will be one of them.

73. Towards the dusk of night, when now somehow the celebration of the
day had been finished by us, Malachy had drawn near, not to dusk but to
dawn. Was it not dawn to him[883] for whom _the night is far spent and
the day is at hand_?[884] So, the fever increasing, a burning sweat from
within him began to break out over his whole body, that, as it were
_going through fire and through water, he might be brought into a
wealthy place_.[885] Now his life was despaired of, now each one
condemned his own judgement, now none doubted that Malachy's word[886]
was prevailing. We were called; we came. And lifting up his eyes on
those who stood round him, he said, "_With desire I have desired to eat
this passover_ with _you_;[887] I give thanks to the divine compassion,
I have _not been disappointed of my desire_."[888] Do you see the man
free from care in death, and, not yet dead, already certain of life? No
wonder. Seeing that the night was come to which he had looked forward,
and that in it the day was dawning for him, so to speak triumphing over
the night, he seemed to scoff at the darkness and as it were to cry, "_I
shall_ not _say, surely the darkness shall cover me_, because this
_night shall be light about me in my pleasure_."[889] And tenderly
consoling us he said, "Take care of me; if it be allowed me I shall not
forget you. And it shall be allowed. _I have believed in God_,[890] and
_all things are possible to him that believeth_.[891] I have loved God;
I have loved you, and _charity never faileth_."[892] _And looking up to
heaven_[893] he said, "O God, _keep them in Thy name_;[894] _and not
these_ only _but_ all them _also who through_ my _word_[895] and
ministry have given themselves to thy service." Then, laying his hands
on each one severally and blessing all,[896] he bade them go to rest,
_because his hour was not yet come_.[897]

[Sidenote: 1148, November 2]

74. We went. We returned about midnight, for at that hour it was
announced that _the light shineth in darkness_.[898] The house filled,
the whole community was present, many abbots also