Divine Conduct, or The Mystery of Providence

Pry not too curiously into the secrets of Providence, nor suffer your shallow reason arrogantly to judge and censure its designs.

There be hard Texts in the Works, ¹as well as in the Word of God. It becomes us modestly and humbly to reverence, but not to dogmatize too boldly and positively upon them: a man may easily get a strain by over-reaching. When I thought to know this (saith Asaph) it was too wonder full for me. I thought to know this, there was the arrogant attempt of reason,² there he pried into the Arcana of Providence;³ but it was too wonderful for me, it was labour i•utilis, as Calvin expounds it. He pried so far into that puzzling Mystery of the Afflictions of the Righteous, and Prosperity of the wicked, till it begat envy towards them, and despondency in himself, Psal. 73. v. 3. 13. and this was all he got by summoning Providence to the bar of reason. Holy Job was guilty of this evil, and ingenuously ashamed of it, Job 42. 3.

There be hard Texts in the Works, ¹as well as in the Word of God. It becomes us modestly and humbly to reverence, but not to dogmatize too boldly and positively upon them: a man may easily get a strain by over-reaching. When I thought to know this (saith Asaph) it was too wonder ful for me. I thought to know this, there was the arrogant attempt of reason,² there he pryed into the Arcana of Providence;