The Institution of Christian Religion

And also I say that the very particular successes are generally witnesses of gods singular providence.¹ God raised in the desert a south wind to bring the people plenty of fowls: when his pleasure was to have Jonah thrown into the sea,² he sent out a wind to raise up a tempest. But they that think that God governeth not the world, will say that this chanced beside common use. But thereby I do gather that never any wind doth rise or increase but by the special commandment of God. For otherwise it should not be true,³ that he maketh the winds his messengers, and fiery flame his ministers, that he maketh the clouds his chariots and rideth upon the wings of the wind, unless he did by his will drive about the clouds and winds, and show in them the singular presence of his power. So in an other place we are taught that so oft the sea swelleth with blast of winds,⁴ those violences do testify a singular presence of God. He commandeth and raiseth up the stormy winds and it lifteth up the waves thereof, and then he turneth the storm to calm, so that the waves thereof are still. As in an other place he sayeth, that he scourged the people with burning winds. So whereas the power of engendering is naturally given to men, yet God willeth to it be imputed to his special grace, that he leaveth some in barrenness, and vouchsafeth to grant issue to other some,⁵ the fruit of the womb is his gift. Therefore said Jacob to his wife, am I as God that I can give thee children? But to make an end: there is nothing more ordinary in nature than that we be fed with bred. But the Holy ghost pronounceth that not only the growing of the fruits of the earth is the special gift of God, but also that men live not by only bread, because it is not the very full feeding that nourisheth, but the secret blessing of God:⁶ as on the other side he threateneth that he will break the stay of bred. Nether could we earnestly pray for our daily bred, unless God did give us food with his fatherly hand. Therefore the Prophet,