(Much to the purpose of this meditation is that which will be declared in the third part, in the 24th meditation, where we meditate upon the death of the covetous rich man and of poor Lazarus, which is a lively example of that which here has been meditated.)
MEDITATION X.
ON THAT WHICH HAPPENS TO THE BODY AFTER DEATH, AND ON THE GRAVE.
One of the principal utilities that we ought to collect out of the meditations of death is that noble exercise of virtue, much like that which we call mortification; which is nothing else but the death of our passions and inordinate affections, depriving them of the life they have in us, endeavouring to repress and bury them, until they be turned into dust and nothing; as David said, " I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them, and will not return till they are consumed;" [1] I will bruise them until I overthrow them, and put them under my feet. For this cause S. Ambrose said, that the just man's life is an imitation of death; [2] for his continual study is to kill the carnal life that he feels in himself, depriving himself of all those things that his flesh and his own will most inordinately covet; suppressing the desires that sprout out, until he remains as dead to all that is sin, according to that of St. Paul, " Reckon that you are dead to sin, but alive unto God," [3] " and if you be dead with Christ from the elements of this world," " touch not, taste not, handle not that " which shall be "to your destruction;" [4] but mortify your members that are upon earth, that is, the works of earthly life, uncleanness, concupiscence, avarice, and the rest.
