A65285:518
A Body of Practical Divinity
A body of practical divinity consisting of above one hundred seventy six sermons on the lesser catechism composed by the reverend assembly of divines at Westminster : with a supplement of some sermons on several texts of Scripture / by Thomas Watson ...
London: printed for Thomas Parkurst, 1692
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. A second Position is this: There are Providences that are casual and accidental to us, are predetermined by the Lord: the falling of a Tile upon one's head, the breaking out of a Fire to us, is casual, but 'tis ordered by a Providence of God. You have a clear Instance of this, 1 Kings 22.34. A certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness. This Accident was casual as to the Man who drew the Bow, but 'twas divinely ordered by the Providence of God; God's Providence directed the Arrow to hit the Mark. Things that seem to fall out casual and by chance, they are the Issues of God's Decrees, and the Interpretation of his Will.
2. A second Position is this: There are Providences that are casual and accidental to us, are predetermin'd by the Lord: the falling of a Tyle upon one's head, the breaking out of a Fire to us, is casual, but 'tis order'd by a Providence of God. You have a clear Instance of this, 1 Kings 22.34. A certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joynts of the harness. This Accident was casual as to the Man who drew the Bow, but 'twas divinely order'd by the Providence of God; God's Providence directed the Arrow to hit the Mark. Things that seem to fall out casual and by chance, they are the Issues of God's Decrees, and the Interpretation of his Will.
3. God's Providence is greatly to be observed, but we are not to make it the Rule of our Actions, Psal. 107.43. Whoso is wise, will observe these things. 'Tis good to observe Providence, but we must not make it our Rule to walk by; Providence is a Christian's Diurnal but not his Bible. Sometimes a bad Cause prevails and gets ground, it is not to be liked because it doth prevail; we must not think the better of what is sinful because 'tis successful, here is no Rule of our Actions to be directed by.