Chapter 32

One time our good Lord said: All thing shall be well; and another time he said: Thou shalt see thyself that all manner [of] thing shall be well; and in these two [sayings] the soul took sundry understandings.

Once our good Lord said: All things shall be well. Another time he said: You shall see for yourself that all kinds of things shall be well. The soul understood different things from these two sayings.

One was that He willeth we know that not only He taketh heed to noble things and to great, but also to little and to small, to low and to simple, to one and to other. And so meaneth He in that He saith: All manner of things shall be well. For He willeth we know that the least thing shall not be forgotten.

One was that he wants us to know that he pays attention not only to noble and great things, but also to little and small things, to humble and simple things, to everything. This is what he means when he says: All kinds of things shall be well. For he wants us to know that even the smallest thing will not be forgotten.

Another understanding is this, that there be deeds evil done in our sight, and so great harms taken, that it seemeth to us that it were impossible that ever it should come to good end. And upon this we look, sorrowing and mourning therefor, so that we cannot resign us unto the blissful beholding of God as we should do. And the cause of this is that the use of our reason is now so blind, so low, and so simple, that we cannot know that high marvellous Wisdom, the Might and the Goodness of the blissful Trinity. And thus signifieth He when He saith: Thou shalt see thyself if¹ all manner of things shall be well. As if He said: Take now heed faithfully and trustingly, and at the last end thou shalt verily see it in fulness of joy.

Another understanding is this: some deeds seem evil to us, and the harm they cause seems so great that a good outcome seems impossible. We look at these things with sorrow and grief. As a result, we cannot surrender ourselves to the joyful contemplation of God as we should. This is because our reason is now so blind, limited, and simple. We cannot understand the exalted, marvelous Wisdom, the Might, and the Goodness of the blessed Trinity. This is what he means when he says: You shall see for yourself whether¹ all manner of things shall be well. It is as if he said: Pay attention now, with faith and trust, and in the end you shall truly see it with complete joy.

And thus in these same five words aforesaid: I may make all things well, etc., I understand a mighty comfort of all the works of our Lord God that are yet to come. There is a Deed the which the blessed Trinity shall do in the last Day, as to my sight, and when the Deed shall be, and how it shall be done, is unknown of all creatures that are beneath Christ, and shall be till when it is done.

And so, in those five words mentioned above, I may make all things well, etc., I find great comfort concerning all the works our Lord God has yet to do. As I understand it, the blessed Trinity will do a Deed on the last Day. When the Deed will happen and how it will be done are unknown to all creatures below Christ. They will remain unknown until the Deed is done.

["The Goodness and the Love of our Lord God will that we wit [know] that it shall be; And the Might and the Wisdom of him by the same Love will hill [conceal] it, and hide it from us what it shall be, and how it shall be done."]²

["The goodness and love of our Lord God want us to know that it will happen. But through that same love, his power and wisdom conceal from us what it will be and how it will happen."]²

And the cause why He willeth that we know [this Deed shall be], is for that He would have us the more eased in our soul and [the more] set at peace in love³—leaving the beholding of all troublous things that might keep us back from true enjoying of Him. This is that Great Deed ordained of our Lord God from without beginning, treasured and hid in His blessed breast, only known to Himself: by which He shall make all things well.

He wants us to know that [this Deed will happen] so that our souls may be more at ease and more at peace in love³. He wants us to turn away from all troubling things that might keep us from truly enjoying him. This is the Great Deed ordained by our Lord God before time began. It is treasured and hidden in his blessed heart, known only to him. Through it he will make all things well.

For like as the blissful Trinity made all things of nought, right so the same blessed Trinity shall make well all that is not well.

Just as the blessed Trinity made all things from nothing, so the same blessed Trinity will make everything that is not well, well.

And in this sight I marvelled greatly and beheld our Faith, marvelling thus: Our Faith is grounded in God's word, and it belongeth to our Faith that we believe that God's word shall be saved in all things; and one point of our Faith is that many creatures shall be condemned: as angels that fell out of Heaven for pride, which be now fiends; and man⁴ in earth that dieth out of the Faith of Holy Church: that is to say, they that be heathen men; and also man⁵ that hath received Christendom and liveth unchristian life and so dieth out of charity: all these shall be condemned to hell without end, as Holy Church teacheth me to believe. And all this [so] standing,⁶ methought it was impossible that all manner of things should be well, as our Lord shewed in the same time.

In this vision, I wondered greatly as I considered our faith. Our faith is grounded in God's word, and it requires us to believe that God's word will hold true in all things. One point of our faith is that many creatures will be condemned. These include the angels who fell from Heaven because of pride and are now demons. They also include people⁴ on earth who die outside the faith of Holy Church, that is, people who are heathens. They also include people⁵ who have been baptized but live unchristian lives and die without charity. All these will be condemned to hell without end, as Holy Church teaches me to believe. And with all this [so] established,⁶ it seemed impossible to me that all things should be well, as our Lord showed me at the same time.

And as to this I had no other answer in Shewing of our Lord God but this: That which is impossible to thee is not impossible to me: I shall save my word in all things and I shall make all things well. Thus I was taught, by the grace of God, that I should steadfastly hold me in the Faith as I had aforehand understood, [and] therewith that I should firmly believe that all things shall be well, as our Lord shewed in the same time.

On this, I received no other answer in the revelation from our Lord God but this: What is impossible for you is not impossible for me. I will keep my word in all things, and I will make all things well. So, by God’s grace, I was taught to hold steadfastly to the faith as I had understood it before. At the same time, I was to believe firmly that all things shall be well, as our Lord revealed then.

For this is the Great Deed that our Lord shall do, in which Deed He shall save His word and He shall make all well that is not well. How it shall be done there is no creature beneath Christ that knoweth it, nor shall know it till it is done; according to the understanding that I took of our Lord's meaning in this time.

For this is the Great Deed our Lord will do. In this deed, he will keep his word and make all that is not well, well. No creature beneath Christ knows how it will be done, or will know until it is done. This is how I understood our Lord’s meaning at that time.