There was in Jerusalem a certain pool,1 in which the sheep, which were to be offered in sacrifice, were washed. There is a story that the wood of the Cross lay hid beneath its waters. Once every year this pool was stirred by an angel, and the sick man who first stepped into the troubled waters was made whole. Therefore many sick folk waited day by day, in hope of the moving of the water. Now there was there a certain sick man, lying on a bed, who had suffered from paralysis for thirty-eight years. This man the Lord Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. Contemplate the condescension of Christ, as He goes to the afflicted man, and converses with him as was His wont. In this action, notice three things. First, see how our Lord asked the sick man whether he wished to be healed. In the same way with us ; He will not save us without our consent, and sinners are inexcusable who will not consent to the will of the Lord, and to be saved. For S. Augustine says, “He who created thee without thee, will not justify thee without thee.”2 Secondly, we ought to beware lest we fall away from our Lord ; for if, after we are healed, we relapse into sin, we shall deserve to be treated with greater severity on account of our ingratitude, as our Lord said to this man, “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” Thirdly, consider that the wicked make everything an occasion of evil, whilst the good turn everything to good. For when this man, having recovered the use of his limbs, began to carry his bed, and the Jews said to him that it was not lawful to carry his bed on the Sabbath day, he replied, “He that made me whole, the same said to me, Take up thy bed and walk.” They did not say, Who is he that made thee whole ? They only laid hold of that which they could find fault with, and left out that which they might have praised. This is ever the way with carnal men, who interpret everything in a bad sense, and thus lose every opportunity of spiritual profit But those who are spiritual refer everything to the praise of God, whether it be prosperous or adverse; and never question the good Providence of God, Who orders all things rightly, and permits all things justly, for they see all things in the best light ; according to the teaching of S. Bernard, who says, ” Beware of becoming a curious inquirer into the conduct of other men, or a rash judge of it Even should you see him do a wrong act, do not judge your neighbour. But rather excuse the motive, if you cannot excuse the act ; impute it to ignorance, unguardedness, or accident But if the matter be so clearly wrong that you can give no other account of it, nevertheless bring yourself into the mind to say,3 It was from too strong a temptation. What would have happened to me, had I been exposed to the same ? 9” 1 Thus far S. Bernard. But that spiritually-minded persons make all things to turn to their profit, even their own and other’s sins, and hurtful things, and even works of the Devil, S. Bernard thus teaches : “Though the irrational and animal life is not able to attain to spiritual things, yet by the bodily service which it renders it may greatly contribute towards obtaining them, in the case of those who turn all temporal things to eternal profit by the use which they make of them, — using this world, as not abusing it”4 And some way further on, the Saint says, “Though there are some animals which in their use are found troublesome and even hurtful, and destructive as to the life and property of man ; yet have they their end, and can be made to work together for good to those who, according to His purpose, are called to be saints ; and if they are of no use for food, or for work, they may be of service at least by calling into exercise their minds in ways of discipline, through Him who is ever at hand to help those who rightly employ their reason, by means of which the invisible things of God are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.5 For the Devil and his ministers, ever malignant in will, ever desirous of hurting ; if we be but zealous followers of that which is good, will rather aid us than hurt us, and thus in spite of themselves work together for good to those who are good.”
And again, “There are beings who make for good without willing it ; there is the wicked man, there is the bad angel ; and it is evident that the good which is wrought by them is not to their account, for good cannot be done against our own will. They are only the appointed means of good to others ; and the good which we may gain through a wicked instrumentality is good only in so far forth as it reaches us. This is the reason why God, by the ministry of the evil, works good to the good ; and it is not because He has any need of their agency.”6 Again, “Dust and ashes, why art thou proud? The Lord, even in the angels, abominates pride. Therefore let the rejection of angels be a lesson to man. For it is written for their punishment, ‘ that the evil of the Devil should work together with me for good, and that I wash my hands in the blood of the ungodly/ How, askest thou ? Hear. Certainly, on the pride of the Devil a horrible and terrible curse is hurled.” And further onS. Bernard says, “If such judgment befell an angel, what shall become of dust and ashes ? He in heaven was proud ; but I on a dunghill. Who does not find pride less bearable in a poor man than in one who is rich ? Alas ! if so severe was the penalty of one high and powerful, what shall happen to me, so low, so miserable, and yet so proud?” For S. Bernard,7 speaking of the spouse, the Church, which, after many faults, came to the Lord, for she was composed of Gentiles, worshippers of idols — a fact which the Synagogue made a ground of reproach, but which she thus turned to account — “she,” said he, “who was forgiven much, and who loved much, turned to her advantage the very scorn which her rival at the feast cast upon her ; she became more meek on account of reprimand, more patient in labour, more ardent in love, more wise in caution, more humble in conscience, more acceptable for bashful ness, more ready to obedience, more devout and diligent in thanksgiving.” Thus S. Bernard.
See, then, how spiritual men interpret everything in good part, and turn all to good account. Be, therefore, like them, and make a gain of all that happens. The consideration of this will strengthen you to bear trial and temptation with tranquillity of mind. For, by daily discipline, we can arrive at such a degree of mental repose, that hardly anything shall be able to disturb us, and the saying of the Wise Man shall be found true in your case, “Whatsoever shall happen to the just, it shall not sadden him.”8
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