The Institution of Christian Religion

To this end, where the Prophet particularly rehearseth, how God in cases paste hope,¹ doeth suddenly and wonderfully and beside all hope, succour men that are in misery and in a manner lost, whether he defend them wandering in wilderness from the wild beasts and at length leadeth them into the way again, or ministereth food to the needy and hungry, or delivereth prisoners out of horrible dungeons and iron bands, or bringeth men in peril of shipwreck safe into the haven, or healeth the half dead of diseases, or scorcheth the earth with heat and dryness, or maketh it fruitful with secrete watering of his grace, or advanceth the hassest of the rascal people, or throweth down the noble peers from the hie degree of dignity, by such examples showed fourth he gathereth that those things which are judged chances happening by fortune, are so many testimonies of the heavenly providence, and specially of his fatherly kindness, and that thereby is given matter of rejoicing to the Godly, and the wicked and reprobate have their mouths stopped. But because the greater part infected with their errors are blind in so clear a place of beholding, therefore he crieth out that it is a gift of rare & singular wisdom, wisely to weigh these works of God: by sight whereof they nothing profit that otherwise seem most clear sighted. And truly how much ⟨p. 9⟩soever the glory of God doth apparently shine before them, yet scarcely the hundred man is a true beholder of it. Likewise his power and wisdom are no more hid in darkness, whereof the one, his power, doth notably appear, when the fierce outrageousness of the wicked being in all mens opinion unconquerable is beaten flat in one moment,² their arrogance tamed, their strongest holds razed, their weapons and armour broken in pieces, their strengths subdued, their devises overthrown, and themselves fall with their own weight, the presumptuous boldness that advanced it self above the heavens is thrown down even to the bottom point of the earth: Again, the lowly are lifted up out of the dust, and the needy raised from the dunghill, the oppressed and afflicted are drawn out of extreme distress, men in despaired state are restored to good hope, the unarmed bear away the victory from the armed,³