The Eye and Wheel of Providence, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of Gods Generall Providence.
FUrthermore, for our better underſtanding of this point of the Providence of God, we muſt note, that it's of two ſorts;
Generall,
Particular.
Deus noſter ab univerſitate omnium rerum, nèc munus dignantiſſimae viſionis avertit, nèc regimen ſuae providentiae tollit, nèc indulgentiam benigniſſimae pietatis auſert. Salvian de gubernat. Dei. l. 2.1. Gods generall Providence, which extendeth it ſelf to all the Creatures of the world, and is manifeſted by his giving life and breath unto all living Creatures, (for in him we live, move, and have our being, Act. 17.25, 28.) and by upholding all things by his powerfull Word, Heb. 1.3. The Providence of God extendeth it ſelf to all things, (whether of a ſuperiour or inferiour nature) to all things in generall, as well as to this or that particular thing; as well to corruptible and contingent things, as to things incorruptible and neceſſary; as well to things weak and vile, as to thoſe things that are of a more excellent nature. God doth not take away the government of his Providence from the generality of all his Creatures, ſaith Salvian. It is God that worketh all in all, 1 Cor. 12.6. Of him, and for him, and through him are all things, Rom. 11.36. All things are of God, as of the firſt efficient cauſe; by God, as the conſerving cauſe; for God, as in the end. So Aquinas, A ſeipſo nullo movente, per ſeipſum nullo adjuvante, propter ſeipſum nullo communicante. Calvin in Rom. 11.or as Calvin, All things are of him, no other moving; through him, none helping; for him, no other partaking of glory with him: the one determineth whence we have our being and well-being, whence cometh our life, and that which maintaineth it; and the other, to whom we muſt offer up the ſacrifice of praiſe for all.
Gods generall Providence ordereth and diſpoſeth all the Creatures of the world, to thoſe purpoſes that he in his wiſdome hath appointed them; whereof we have a plain and evident teſtimony, Gen. 7.2, 3. where notwithſtanding God would deſtroy the world by a floud of waters, to purge it of thoſe ſinfull and impure Inhabitants, yet he appointed the Ark to preſerve couples of all kinds of Creatures; yea ſevens of all clean Beaſts and Fowls, that there might be three pair for increaſe, and an odd one for ſacrifice. Thus God is ſaid to be the Saviour of all men, becauſe he preſerveth all men from temporall deſtruction, whereinto they would ſuddenly fall, were they not protected by his Providence. And ſo he is ſaid to preſerve both man and beaſt, that is, by his daily Providence he preſerveth them in life and being, Pſal. 36.6. Thou haſt made Heaven and earth, and all things that are therein, the Seas and all that are in them, and thou preſerveſt them all, Nehem. 9.6. And therefore he hath bid us to come to him, and commence our ſuits unto him every day for ſuch things as we ſtand in need of, as confidently and boldly as any Child may go to his Father, to begg meat, drink and apparell, or any thing that is needfull and neceſſary unto him. He is not like a careleſs Builder, who having made a Houſe, and being paid for his work, leaveth it to the wind and weather, not caring whether it ſtand or fall: or like a Ship-Carpenter, who having finiſht a Ship, and taken his money, careth not whether ſhe ſink or ſwim; but he is (as St Peter calls him) a faithfull Creator, who hath a care of all his Creatures, eſpecially of the ſpeciall. All Creatures wait upon him, that he may give them their meat in due ſeaſon; that thou giveſt them, they gather,Pſal. 145.15, 16. ſaith the Pſalmiſt, thou openeſt thy hand, they are filled with good, Pſal. 104.27, 28. Chriſt hath therefore bid us all ask of our heavenly Father bread, which is frequently in Scripture put for all manner of proviſion, for the maintenance of this life. So Joſeph is ſaid to have nouriſhed his Father and his Brethren, and all his Fathers houſhold with bread, Gen 47.12. And of our Saviour it is ſaid, he went into the houſe of one of the chief Phariſees on a Sabbath-day to eat bread, Luk. 14.1. that is, to a Feaſt or Banquet. So God bids us ask bread, that is, all temporall bleſſings for the maintenance of this life, whereby we may the more freely give our ſelves to the ſervice of God: and as we are bid to ask bread, ſo for the manner of it, it is our daily bread, as we ordinarily read; bread for our neceſſity, as Junius. Junius in Orat. Domin.Some ſay, foreign, cometh of foreign and foreign, that is, ſuch as may be added to our ſubſtances, and nouriſh our bodies. Theophilact and Baſil ſay,Theoph. Baſil. it's underſtood of ſuch bread or food, as is moſt agreeable to every mans nature and conſtitution; or elſe it may come of foreign, which ſignifieth advenire, to teach us, it's adventitius, not proprius, and muſt daily be miniſtred to us, for the maintenance of our life: and it's likely that bread is rather named, Mat. 6.11. than any thing elſe, both for the commonneſs of it in all places, and for the agreement it hath with all mens bodies; for that is ſtill one thing, as Gen. 21.14. it is ſaid that Abraham gave Hagar bread and water, when he turned her away for her ſawcineſs with her Miſtreſs: and Pſal. 104.15. bread is ſaid to ſtrengthen the heart of man. Hereby our Saviour teacheth us therefore to yeeld our ſelves wholly to the care and tuition of God, and commit our ſelves wholly to his Providence, who will ſupply all our wants, and give whatſoever things are neceſſary for our ſuſtentation.