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| Chapter XVI. Cures effected by St. Martin.
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Chapter XVI.
Cures effected by St. Martin.
Moreover, the
gift31
| 31 The Latin word
gratia here corresponds to the Greek χάρισμα. St. Paul says
much respecting the various χαρίσματα in
1
Cor. xii., and speaks, among
others, of χαρίσματα
ἰαμάτων (v. 9). | of accomplishing cures was so largely
possessed by Martin, that scarcely any sick person came to him for
assistance without being at once restored to health. This will clearly
appear from the following example. A certain girl at Treves32
| 32 The name Treveri
at first denoted the people (as often in Cæsar, Bell.
Gall. i. 37, &c.), and was afterwards applied to their chief
city, the modern Treves. | was so completely prostrated by a terrible
paralysis that for a long time she had been quite unable to make use of
her body for any purpose, and being, as it were, already dead, only the
smallest breath of life seemed still to remain in her. Her afflicted
relatives were standing by, expecting nothing but her death, when it
was suddenly announced that Martin had come to that city. When the
father of the girl found that such was the case, he ran to make a
request in behalf of his all but lifeless child. It happened that
Martin had already entered the church. There, while the people were
looking on, and in the presence of many other bishops, the old man,
uttering a cry of grief, embraced the saint’s knees and said:
“My daughter is dying of a miserable kind of infirmity; and, what
is more dreadful than death itself, she is now alive only in the
spirit, her flesh being already dead before the time. I beseech thee to
go to her, and give her thy blessing; for I believe that through you
she will be restored to health.” Martin, troubled by such an
address, was bewildered, and shrank back, saying that this was a matter
not in his own hands; that the old man was mistaken in the judgment
he
had formed; and that he
was not worthy to be the instrument through whom the Lord should make a
display of his power. The father, in tears, persevered in still more
earnestly pressing the case, and entreated Martin to visit the dying
girl. At last, constrained by the bishops standing by to go as
requested, he went down to the home of the girl. An immense crowd was
waiting at the doors, to see what the servant of the Lord would do. And
first, betaking himself to his familiar arms in affairs of that kind,
he cast himself down on the ground and prayed. Then gazing earnestly
upon the ailing girl, he requests that oil should be given him. After
he had received and blessed this, he poured the powerful sacred liquid
into the mouth of the girl, and immediately her voice returned to her.
Then gradually, through contact with him, her limbs began, one by one,
to recover life, till, at last, in the presence of the people, she
arose with firm steps.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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