Divine Conduct, or The Mystery of Providence

If all things be governed by the course of nature, and force of natural causes, How then comes it to pass, that men are turned (like a bowl by a rub) out of the way of evil, unto which they were driving on with full speed? Good men have been engaged in the way to their own ruin, and knew it not; but Providence hath met them in the way and preserved them by strange diversions, the meaning of which they understood not, till the Event discovered it. Paul lay bound at Caesarea, the High Priest and chief of the Jews request Festu•, that he might be brought bound to Jerusalem, having laid wait in the way to kill him; but Festus (though ignorant of the plot) utterly ⟨p. 24⟩refuses it, but chu•es rather to go with them to Caesarea, and judge him there: by this rub, their bloody design is frustrated, Acts 25. 3, 4.

If all things be governed by the course of nature, and force of natural causes, How then comes it to pass, that men are turned (like a bowle by a rub) out of the way of evil, unto which they were driving on with full speed? Good men have been engaged in the way to their own ruine, and knew it not; but Providence hath met them in the way and preserved them by strange diversions, the meaning of which they understood not, till the Event discovered it. Paul lay bound at Caesarca, the High PrJest and chief of the Jews request Festu•, that he might be brought bound to Jerusalem, having laid wait in the way to kill him; but Festus (though ignorant of the plot) utterly