What They Said

“Without God's providence nothing falls out in the world; without his commission nothing stirs; without his blessing nothing prospers.”

John Mason

“If we take time to think quietly over the daily dealings of God with us, and lovingly watch for every little symptom of God’s presence in us and around us, we will soon be astonished at the degree we will discover of His presence, and at the perfection with which He weaves things together for our good. He never makes half a providence.”

G.D. Watson

“The Lord's wisdom is seen in arranging the smallest events so as to produce great results. We frequently hear people say of a pleasant or a great event, "What a providence! This is the finger of God!"  while they are silent as to anything which appears less important, or has an unpleasant savor.  But, my brethren, the place of the gorse upon the heath is as fixed as the station of a king, and the dust which is raised by a chariot-wheel is as surely steered by providence as the planet in its orbit. There is as much providence in the creeping of an aphis upon a rose leaf as in the marching »f an army to ravage a continent. Everything, the most minute as well as the most magnificent, is ordered by the Lord who has prepared his throne in the heavens, whose kingdom ruleth over all. The history before us furnishes proof of this.”

Charles Spurgeon

“A great part of the pleasure and delight of the Christian life is made out of the observations of Providence.  "The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that "have pleasure therein" (Ps. III. 2).  That is, the study of providence is so sweet and pleasant that it invites and allures the soul to search and dive into it.  How pleasant is it to a well-tempered soul to behold and observe,” 

John Flavel

(The Mystery of Providence, PG 147)

"Let us learn to see and acknowledge God's hand in all we have, and in all we meet with. Such a deep and abiding persuasion of the Most High God, ordering and over-ruling all our concerns, would,like the light, diffuse a luster and a beauty upon everything around us! To consider every comfort of life, as an effect and proof of God's mercy towards us, would, like the fabled magic stone—turn all our possessions to gold, and stamp a value upon things which a common eye might judge as insignificant."

John Newton

"He governs and rules all things in such a way that they all cooperate and all converge upon the purpose He has established."

Herman Bavinck

"In answer to this, you must know, that as God hath decreed the end, so He hath decreed the means that are proper for attaining that end; so that these two must not be separated."

Thomas Boston

"It sounds indeed much better to murmur at the course of the world or the state of things than to murmur at providence, to complain of the seasons and weather, than to complain of God, but if these have no other cause but God and His providence it is a poor distinction to say that you are only angry at the things but not at the cause and director of them."

William Law

(Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life)