Three Ways To Die

Sed mortis tria sunt genera. Una mors peccati est, de qua scriptum est: Anima quae peccat ipsa morietur. Alia mors mystica, quando quis peccato moritur, et Deo vivit, de qua ait Apostolus: Consepulti enim sumus cum illo per baptismum in mortem. Tertia mors est, qua cursum vitae hujus et munus explemus, id est, animae corporisque secessio. Advertimus igitur quod una mors sit mala, si propter peccata moriamur: alia mors bona sit, qua is qui fuerit mortuus, justificatus est a peccato: tertia mors media sit; nam et bona justis videtur, et plerisque metuenda, quae cum absolvat omnes, paucos delectat. Sed non hoc mortis est vitium, at nostrae infirmitatis, qui voluptate corporis, et delectatione vitae istius capimur, et cursum hunc consummare trepidamus, in quo pius amaritudinis, quam voluptatis est. At non sancti ac sapientes viri, qui longaevitatem peregrinationis hujus ingemiscebant dissolvi, et cum Christo esse pulchrius aestimantes: denique diem generationis suae exsecrabantur, sicut quis ait: Pereat dies illa in qua natus sum. Sanctus Ambrosius Mediolanensis, De Bono Mortis, Caput II Source: Migne PL 14.567c-568b

But there are three types of death. One death is by sin, of which it is written: 'The soul which sins dies.' 1 Another death is mystical, when someone dies to sin and lives for God, of which the Apostle says, 'We have been buried with him through baptism in death.' 2 The third death is when we have fulfilled the course of life, that is, the departure of the soul from the body. We note, therefore, that one death may be evil, if on account of sin we die: another death may be good, that is, he who was dead has been justified from sin; the third death is in the middle, for it seems good to the just, and is feared by many, so that which discharges everyone, delights few. But this is not the fault of death but on account of our infirmity, by which we are seized with the pleasure of the body and delight of life, and so we fear to finish this race in which piety is more onerous than pleasure. But neither saints nor wise men groaned to be released from this long journey, judging that to be with Christ is more beautiful. And finally the day of generation itself is cursed, as it was said, 'Perish the day on which I was born.' 3 Saint Ambrose of Milan, On the Good of Death, Chapter 2 1 Ezek 18.4 2 Rom 6.4 3 Job 3.3