Pedro Ribadeneira reports a conversation between Ignatius and his close associate Diego Lainez.“Master Lainez, if God were to say to you: If you want to die at once, I will give you eternal glory, but if you choose to live, I do not guarantee you the gift of final perseverance. If you thought that by remaining on earth, you would be able to achieve some great thing, what would your choice be?”
“To die at once,” said Lainez, “so that I would be sure.”
Ignatius replied, “For my part, I would not. If I thought that by continuing to live I could accomplish some great work for God, I would beg Him to leave me on earth till I had done it. I would turn my eyes toward God and not toward myself. I would take no account of my danger or my security.”