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The Providence of God
702. God’s Providence in Creation. God’s providence taken
summarily or in general is an operation and work of his superior
to the work of creation, for providence may in some respect be called
the end of the work of creation, as the use and improvement any
artificer makes of an engine, or the work he intends with it, is
superior to his making the engine….
1299. Providence. The outward provision which God makes
through the ages of the world for the temporal benefit and comfort of
mankind, in causing his sun to shine and his rain to descend upon them,
and in numberless other things, is a great argument that God is not a
implacable enemy of mankind, in a settled and full determination finally
to cast them off, and never again to admit them to favor. For these kind
dispensations of heaven have an abundant show and appearance of
goodness, kindness, and favorableness. They are as so many smiles of
heaven on mankind, from which they might justly conceive a hope that God
was placable, and was not determined to be their everlasting,
irreconcilable enemy. For if this be the case, they are no tokens of
goodness, kindness, or favor at all. If their Creator has wholly
rejected them, and cast them off, determining never to receive them to
favor any more, these things can do them no good. They can be of no
significance to them, and they are not what they seem to be. The
supposition would imply this horrid blasphemy in it: that these are all
so may delusive and deceitful smiles. They have a show of fatherly care
and tenderness, and of a disposition in God to favor mankind, but imply
no such thing: men being indeed reserved for nothing but wrath and ruin
without mercy, there being nothing but irreconcilable hatred hid under
the disguise of these smiles. And if God be reconcilable, it will follow
that he must make a revelation to mankind, to make known to them the
terms and methods of reconciliation. For God, who is offended, alone can
tell us on what terms he is willing to be reconciled, and how he will be
a peace with us, and receive us to favor. And there surely is nothing
which can be pretended to be any revelation of this kind, if the Holy
Scripture is not.
Objection: The Scriptures are communicated to but few of mankind, so
that if a revelation of the method of reconciliation be necessary, a
very great part of those who enjoy these external benefits and bounties
of Divine Providence, still have no opportunity to obtain reconciliation
with God, not having the benefit of that revelation. So that,
notwithstanding these seeming testimonies of favor and placableness, it
is all one to them as if God was irreconcilable. For still, for want of
the knowledge of the method of reconciliation, it is all one to them as
though there were no such method, and as though no reconciliation were
possible.
To
this I answer:
First. The case of mankind is not just the same as if there were no
such thing as reconciliation for mankind, or as though reconciliation
were utterly impossible. For although the circumstances of a great part
of the world be such that their reconciliation be very improbable, yet
it is not utterly impossible. There is a way of reconciliation, and it
is publicly known in the world. And God has ever afforded opportunity to
the generality of the habitable world, that if the minds of men had been
as much engaged in the search of divine truth as they ought to have
been, they might have felt after God and found him, and might probably
have come to an acquaintance with divine revelation.
Second. If there have been some parts of mankind, in some ages, for
whom it was next to impossible that they should ever come to know that
revelation which God has made, yet that hinders not the force of the
argument for God’s placableness to sinners, and the existence of a
revealed method of reconciliation. The common favors of Providence may
be a proof that God intends favor to some among mankind, but yet be no
proof that he intends that all shall actually have the benefits of his
favor. None will deny, but that those outward blessings of God’s
goodness were intended for the temporal benefit of mankind, and yet
there are numbers who never actually receive any temporal benefit by
many of them. None will doubt, but that God aimed at men’s outward good,
in providing grain, and grapes, and other fruits which the earth
produces for man’s subsistence and comfort in the world, as also the
most useful animals. But yet a very great part of the world were for a
long time wholly destitute of the most useful of these. All the
innumerable nations that dwelt on this American side of the globe, were
from age to age, till the Europeans came hither, wholly destitute of
wheat, rye, barley, peas, wine, horses, neat cattle, sheep, goats,
swine, poultry, and many other useful animals and fruits, which abounded
in the other continent.
And
it is probable that some of those gifts of nature and Providence, which
are most useful to mankind, were what all men remained without the
benefit of for many ages: as metals, wine, and many things used for
food, clothing, and habitations. The loadstone, with regard to its polar
direction, was doubtless intended for the use of mankind, but yet it is
but lately that any of them have had any benefit of it. Glass is a great
gift of Providence, and yet but lately bestowed, and also some of the
most useful medicines. And with regard to those things which are most
universally useful, some have the benefit of them in vastly lesser
degrees than others: as the heat of the sun, vegetation, etc.
If
it should be further objected that if God’s true aim in these outward
benefits of providence, which have the appearances of favor, be real
favors to mankind, and so that the true happiness of mankind should be
the consequence, one would think it would have the same effect in all
places where those blessings are bestowed.
I
answer that it will not follow. God may grant things in all parts of the
world, the main design of which may evidently be the benefit of mankind,
and yet not have that effect in all places where they are given. As the
main design of Him who orders the existence of rain in the world, is
making the earth fruitful, yet it does not follow that he designed this
should actually be the effect in all parts of the globe where the rain
falls. For it falls on the sea as well as the dry land, which is more
than one half of the globe. But yet there it cannot answer this
intention.
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