raised my mind to God on any of these occasions; my only idea was how I might get safely out of the danger in which I was. It is and must be true,, my dear brethren, with hardly one exception in a hundred thousand cases; he who lives a bad life dies an unhappy death. It is and must be a false hope of salvation that is founded on a death-bed repentance, for the work of repentance cannot then be duly performed. The grace of perseverance and a happy death is far too great for the sinner who defers repentance to expect it; and, besides, the circumstances in which a man finds himself at the hour of death are too disturbing and distracting to allow of a sincere conversion.
Exhortation and resolution not to defer repentance any longer. “Therefore,” Christians, “whilst we have time, let us work good,”[1] according to the salutary exhortation of St. Paul. Now, whilst we are sound in mind and body, let us make use of the golden opportunity and serve God zealously! We must not trust to the time of sickness. Sinners! Now that you can do it conveniently, be converted sincerely to God! You must not imagine that what I have said concerns you little, as none of you may be minded to defer repentance till the last moment, and all of you may be resolved to repent before the hour of death, although not at once. Ah! I believe you. But almost all those who have been surprised by death in the state of sin have been of the same mind as you are now. They have said to themselves: on some future occasion I will go to confession and amend my life; bye-and-bye I will begin to serve God faithfully, etc.; until at last, before their bye-and-bye came, they fell into a mortal illness, so that in reality they deferred repentance to the hour of death. “Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not the Son of man will come,”[2] such is the warn ing given us by Our Saviour Jesus Christ, who means so well with us all. Vain and useless is it to begin to prepare when He is already knocking at the door. No; be you ready, and ready always. Have you not been so hitherto? Ah, then begin at once! Delay no longer! Prepare now while you have the time of grace to dispose of. Think what depends on this. Nothing less than the eternal fire of hell, in which you will burn, if the Lord, when He comes for you at the hour of death, does not find you prepared. Nothing less than the eternal happiness of heaven depends on it, which is promised to you if you repent
