Untitled - Saints' Books

"
CHAP, ix.i The Zeal of the Priest. 173
that in order to assist souls he would remain on earth
in an uncertainty about his salvation, though he was
certain that by dying he should be saved, a person said:
"But, Father, it is not prudent to expose your own soul
to danger for the salvation of The others." saint replied,
Is God a tyrant, who, after seeing me risk my salvation
in order to gain souls, would send me to hell ?"
After having saved the Jews from the hands of the
Philistines, by the victory that he won with so much
personal danger, Jonathan was condemned to death by
Saul for having, contrary to "his orders, eaten a little
honey But the people cried out, Shall Jonathan then
die, who hath wrought this l
great salvation in Israel? Why,
O king, said they, should Jonathan be put to death after
having saved us all from destruction Thus ? they ob
tained his pardon. The priest who has saved souls may
well expect a similar reward on the day of his death.
These souls shall come and say to Jesus Christ: Wilt
Thou, O Lord, send to hell the priest who has delivered
us from eternal ?
misery And if Saul remitted the
punishment of death at the prayers of the people, surely
God will not refuse to pardon such a priest for the
prayers of the souls that are his friends in heaven.
Priests who have labored for the salvation of souls shall
hear from God himself the announcement of eternal
rest: From henceforth now, saith the Spirit, that they may
rest from their labors? Oh !
what
consolation and confi
dence shall the remembrance of having gained a soul to
Jesus Christ infuse at the hour of death ! As repose
is
sweet to him who is
oppressed with fatigue, Sleep is
sweet to a laboring man? so death is sweet to a priest
who has labored for God.
1 "
Erg-one Jonathas morietur, qui fecit salutem hanc magnam
in Is
"
2
3 "
rael ?" i
Kings, xiv. 45.
Amodo jam dicit spiritus, ut requiescant a laboribus suis; opera
enim illomm sequuntur
illos."
Apoc. xiv. 13.
Dulcis est somnus operand." Eccles. v. n.