Divine Conduct, or The Mystery of Providence

Now this Tranquillity of our minds is as much begotten and preserved by a due consideration of Providence, as by any thing whatsoever. Hence it was, that our Lord Jesus Christ, when he would cure the Disciples anxious and distracting solicitudes about a livelihood, bids them consider the care Providence hath over the Birds of the air, and the Lilies of the field, how it feeds the one, and clothes the other without any anxious care of theirs; and would have them well consider those Providences, and reason themselves into a calm and sweet composure of spirit from those considerations, Mat. 6. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31.

Now this Tranquillity of our minds is as much begotten and preserved by a due consideration of Providence, as by any thing whatsoever. Hence it was, that our Lord Jesus Christ, when he would cure the Disciples anxious and distracting sollicitudes about a livelihood, bids them consider the care Providence hath over the Birds of the air, and the Lillies of the field, how it feeds the one, and clothes the other without any anxious care of theirs; and would have them well consider those Providences, and reason themselves into a calm and sweet composure of spirit from those considerations, Mat. 6. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31.

Two things destroy the peace and tranquillity of our lives, our bewailing past disappointments, or fearing future ones. But would we once learn prevision and provision to be divine prerogatives, and take notice how often Providence baffles those that pretend to it, causing the good they foresaw (according to their conjectures) coming to their hand, yet to balk them and •lee from them: and the evil they thought themselves sufficiently secured from, to invade them. I say, would we consider how Providence daily baffles these Pretensions of men, and asserts its own Dominion, it would greatly conduce to the tranquillity of our lives.