No man, therefore, will duly and usefully ponder on the providence of
God save he who recollects that he has to do with his own Maker, and
the Maker of the world, and in the exercise of the humility which
becomes him, manifests both fear and reverence. Hence it is, that in the
present day so many dogs tear this doctrine with envenomed teeth, or,
at least, assail it with their bark, refusing to give more license to
God than their own reason dictates to themselves. With what petulance,
too, are we assailed for not being contented with the precepts of the
Law, in which the will of God is comprehended, and for maintaining that
the world is governed by his secret counsels? As if our doctrine were
the figment of our own brain, and were not distinctly declared by the
Spirit, and repeated in innumerable forms of expression! Since some
feeling of shame restrains them from daring to belch forth their
blasphemies against heaven, that they may give the freer vent to their
rage, they pretend to pick a quarrel with us.
But if they refuse to admit that every event which happens in the
world is governed by the incomprehensible counsel of God, let them
explain to what effect Scripture declares, that "his judgements are a
great deep," (Ps. 36:6.) For when Moses exclaims that the will of God
"is not in heaven that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to
heaven, and bring it unto us? Neither is it beyond the sea that thou
shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea and bring it unto us?" (Deut.
30:12,13,) because it was familiarly expounded in the law, it follows
that there must be another hidden will which is compared to " a great
deep." It is of this will Paul exclaims, "O! the depths of the riches of
the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements,
and his ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counsellor?" (Rom. 11:33,34 cf. Isa. 40:13-14.) It
is true, indeed, that in the law and the gospel are comprehended
mysteries which far transcend the measure of our sense; but since God,
to enable his people to understand those mysteries which he has deigned
to reveal in his word, enlightens their minds with a spirit of
understanding (Job 20:3 or Isa. 11:2), they are now no longer a deep,
but a path in which they can walk safely - a lamp to guide their feet
(Ps. 118:105) - a light of life (cf. John 1:4, 8:12) - a school of clear
and certain truth. But the admirable method of governing the world is
justly called a deep, because, while it lies hid from us, it is to be
reverently adored.
Both views Moses has beautifully expressed in a few words. "Secret
things," saith he, "belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which
are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever," (Deut.
29:29.) We see how he enjoins us not only studiously to meditate on the
law, but to look up with reverence to the secret Providence of God. The
Book of Job also, in order to keep our minds humble, contains a
description of this lofty theme. The author of the Book, after taking an
ample survey of the universe, and discoursing magnificently on the
works of God, at length adds, "Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how
little a portion is heard of him?" (Job 26:14.) For which reason he, in
another passage, distinguishes between the wisdom which dwells in God,
and the measure of wisdom which he has assigned to man, (Job 28:21,28.)
After discoursing of the secrets of nature, he says that wisdom "is hid
from the eyes of all living;" that "God understandeth the way thereof."
Shortly after he adds, that it has been divulged that it might be
investigated; for "unto man he said, Behold the fear of the Lord, that
is wisdom." To this the words of Augustine refer, "As we do not know all
the things which God does respecting us in the best order, we ought,
with good intention, to act according to the Law, and in some things be
acted upon according to the Law, his Providence being a Law immutable,"
(Augustine, De octo quaestionibus ex Veteri Testamento. lib. 83 c. 27.) Therefore, since God claims to himself
the right of governing the world, a right unknown to us, let it be our
law of modesty and soberness to acquiesce in his supreme authority
regarding his will as our only rule of justice, and the most perfect
cause of all things, - not that absolute will, indeed, of which sophists
prate, when by a profane and impious divorce, they separate his justice
from his power, but that universal overruling Providence from which
nothing flows that is not right, though the reasons thereof may be
concealed.
- John Calvin (Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1.17.2)
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