the-glories-of-mary

GLOEIES OF MARY. 535
aasily be imagined, and never approaching the
sacraments. Now, this prince was about to die
and Jesus Christ, in his compassion, command
ed St. Bridget to tell his confessor to visit him,
and exhort him, to make his confession. The
confessor went, and the sick man told him that
he had no need of a confessor, for that he had
often made his confession. The confessor
visited him a second time, and that poor slave
of hell persevered in his obstinate determination
not to make his confession. Jesus again
directed the saint to tell the confessor to go to
him again. He obeyed, and this third time
related to him the revelation made to the saint,
and that he had returned so many times because
the Lord, who desired to show him mercy, had
directed him to do so. On hearing this the
dying man was moved, and began to weep.
But how, he exclaimed, can I be pardoned,
when for sixty years I have served the devil,
made myself his slave, and have laden my soul
with innumerable sins?"
answered the
"Son,"
father, encouraging him, "do not doubt: if you
repent of them, in the name of God I promise you
pardon / Then beginning to gain confidence,
he said to the confessor: "Father, I believed
myself lost, and despaired of salvation ;
but new
I feel a sorrow for my sins, which encourages
me to trust; and as God has not yet abandoned
me, I wish to make my
confession." And in
fact on that day he made his confession four
times with great sorrow; the next day he re-