_When he
giveth his beloved sleep, behold the heritage of the Lord._[1054] _The
death of the wicked is indeed most evil_,[1055] since their birth is
evil and their life more evil; but _precious is the death of the
saints_.[1056] Precious clearly, for it is the end of labours, the
consummation of victory, the gate of life, and the entrance to perfect
safety.

5. Let us rejoice therefore, brothers, let us rejoice as is meet, with
our father, for if it is an act of filial piety to mourn for Malachy who
is dead, yet more is it an act of piety to rejoice with Malachy who is
alive. Is he not alive? He is, and in bliss. Certainly, _in the eyes of
the foolish he seemed to have died; but he is in peace_.[1057] In fine,
_now a fellow-citizen with the saints, and of the household of
God_,[1058] he at once sings and gives thanks, saying, _We went through
fire and water; but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place._[1059]
He _went_, clearly, in manly fashion, and he _went through_[1060]
happily. The true Hebrew celebrated the Passover in spirit, and as he
went, he said to us, "_With desire I have desired to eat this Passover
with you._"[1061] _He went through fire and water_,[1062] whom neither
experiences of sadness could crush, nor pleasures hold back. For there
is below us a place which fire wholly claims as its own, so that the
wretched Dives could not have there even the least drop of _water_ from
the _finger_ of _Lazarus_.[1063] There is also above _the city of God_
which _the streams of the river make glad_,[1064] _a torrent of
pleasure_,[1065] _a cup which inebriates, how goodly_![1066] Here, _in
the midst_, truly is found _the knowledge of good and evil_,[1067] and
in this place we may receive the _trial_ of pleasure and _of
affliction_.[1068] Unhappy Eve brought us into these alternations. Here
clearly is day and night; for in the lower world there is only night,
and in heaven only day.[1069] Blessed is the soul which passes through
both, neither ensnared by pleasure nor _fainting at tribulation_.[1070]

6. I think it right to relate to you, briefly, a specimen of the many
splendid deeds of this man, in which he is known to have _gone_, with no
little vigour, _through fire and water_.[1071] A tyrannous race laid
claim to the metropolitan see of Patrick, the great apostle of the
Irish, creating archbishops in regular succession, and _possessing the
sanctuary of God by hereditary right_.[1072] Our Malachy was therefore