one man sin entered into this world, and by sin death: and so death passed upon all men in whom all have sinned." (Rom 5:12) If then God did not make death, certainly it cannot be good, because every thing which God has made is good, according to the words of Moses: " And God saw all things that he had made, and they were very good."
But although death cannot be considered good in itself, yet the wisdom of God has so seasoned it as it were, that from death many blessings arise. Hence David exclaims; " Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints:" and the Church speaking of Christ says: "Who by His death has destroyed our death, and by His resurrection has regained life." Now death that has destroyed death and regained life, cannot but be very good: wherefore if every death cannot be called good, yet at least some may. Hence St. Ambrose did not hesitate to write a book entitled, "On the Advantages of Death;" in which treatise he clearly proves that
