A Treatise on Providence, pt 2, by William Plumer  (1802–1880)     Properties of Providence   “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh; as it is said to this day,  ‘In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen’” (Genesis 22:14, AV)   God’s providence results from His nature. It is holy, just, benevolent, wise, supreme and sovereign, sure and stable, powerful and irresistible. The world over, the unrenewed heart is pagan in its inclinations. It does not like to retain God in its thoughts. The Epicurean doctrine, that God is too exalted to notice the affairs of men, naturally flows from the ignorance and enmity of the carnal mind. But “shall I not do as I please with my own?” is the challenge of the Almighty. To manage the affairs of the universe cannot disturb God’s divine tranquility. To Him who made all things by the word of His power, the care of them cannot be burdensome. God is not like man. He never grows weary. That He has a right to establish an all-pervading government over His creatures is as certain as that He has any rights at all. Were our hearts not wrong—we would glory in His providence; and were our minds not feeble and our faculties not limited—we would see that all objection to God’s providential care of the world was worse than frivolous. In this age it is commonly admitted that the Lord lives and rules in the kingdoms of men. This is the avowed theory. The practical belief of many is quite diverse. There are not a few whose prevailing plans and fears and hopes, would hardly be more practically atheistic if they should avow disbelief of God’s existence and of the divine government over human affairs. Were God, in open day, before their eyes, miraculously to suspend the laws of nature, they might for a time, perhaps, be impressed and confess that here was the finger of God. It is probable, however, that this impression would not be lasting. For in His ceaseless support and maintenance of the course of nature—such men perceive nothing to admire, nothing to adore. Were the hand which moves all worlds to arrest the sun in the heavens and cause it to stand still for even an hour, they might say, “This is the Lord.” But the sun may rise, and run his race, and duly set three hundred and sixty-five times in the year—and nothing is said or thought of Him, at whose rebuke the pillars of heaven tremble, and by whose ordinance the everlasting mountains and the order of universal nature have their stability. “A brutish man knoweth not, neither does a fool understand.” (Psalm 92:6). Such men virtually or actually say: “The Lord doth not see, nor doth the God of Jacob regard” (Psalm 94:7).   To correct such errors is one object of revelation. Scripture puts the stamp of wickedness on all such thoughts as allow men to believe that they may act independently of God. God is above all law, being Himself absolutely independent and supreme. His own infinitely excellent nature is the law of His being and of His action. This very nature fits Him in all respects to be the ruler of the world. God’s providence is HOLY – Because God is holy, His providence is holy in all its works. He plots no mischief, works no evil, favors no sin; but in the winding up of human affairs, He will bring a terrible overthrow on all the workers of iniquity. He hates sin with a perfect hatred. To Him it is a horrible thing (see Jer. 5:30). It cannot be proven that God hates anything but sin. Nor has any mortal an adequate conception of the intensity of the aversion of the divine mind to every form and species of iniquity. “Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou only art holy.” (Rev. 15:4). Indeed, the bliss of the heavenly world depends upon the absolute and unqualified confidence of saints and angels in the infinite rectitude of God’s nature (see Isaiah 6:3). “The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.” (Psalm 145:17). God’s providence is JUST – From God’s holiness necessarily results His justice. “The plan of providence is such that sin will be stigmatized and sinners punished, while holiness will be honored, and those who are holy rewarded” (Dr. Woods). Justice is certainly an amiable attribute in any person or government. By a fiction of law under the British Constitution, “The king can do no wrong.” The reason is that his ministers are responsible. But it is no fiction of law or theology that the Judge of all the earth can only do right (see Gen. 18:25). In the worship of the temple not made with hands, they sing, “Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are your ways, O King of saints.” (Rev. 15:3). God’s providence is BENEVOLENT – Indeed, God’s tender mercies are over all His works (see Psalm 145:9). The same benevolence, which prompted Him to create the world, must prompt Him to preserve and govern it. When we consider the care of providence over people, as it is manifested either in the works of nature or of grace, we naturally fall into the reflection, ‘What is man, that you are mindful of him? and the son of man, that you visit him?’ (Ps. 8:4), and we wonder to see so much done for men, who seem to have no merit or desert equal to the concern showed for them. God’s providence is WISE – In it are no gaps, no failures, no mistakes, no oversights. The same wisdom which contrived such a wonderful and glorious a system—can and will direct and control it. God’s plans embrace all causes and all effects, all facts and all contingencies, all actions and all words. Therefore it is impossible that He should be overreached. It is infinitely easy for Him to take the wise in their own craftiness. Pharaoh, the greatest monarch of his time, one whose kingdom embraced much of the wealth, learning, and civilization of the world, and who was surrounded by able men—said to his council of state, “Come on, let us deal wisely with them” (Ex. 1:10). They formed their plans. Yet, from first to last they were encompassed with difficulties. And they were followed by terrific judgments. Go now and stand with Moses and Aaron and Miriam on the banks of the Red Sea, and behold the end of all this ‘wise dealing.’ Pharaoh, and his host, and his chosen captains are perished. The depths have covered them—they sank to the bottom as a stone—they sank as lead in the mighty waters. All the amazing operations of vegetation are by inspired men ascribed to the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working (see Isaiah 28:29). “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts” (Psalm 104:24-25). God’s providence is SUPREME, and therefore SOVEREIGN – It is over all and above all. He has no divided dominion. He is sole arbiter of events and destinies. He says, “See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no God with me—I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal—neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand” (Deut. 32:39).  “I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6).  “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me, ... there is no God else beside me—a just God and a Savior; there is none beside me” (Isaiah 45:5,21).  So that it is as clear that God rules alone, as that He rules at all; that He rules everywhere, as that He rules anywhere; that He governs all agents, all causes, and all events, as that He governs any of them.  To surrender, in whole or in part, His control of the universe would be to admit that He was not God—that another was as strong, as wise, or as good as himself (see Isaiah 41:23). It would argue some defect in Him, who has all perfection. An angel would be burdened with the sole charge of one man; because an angel is a finite creature, and has none but derived attributes; but the care of the universe is no burden to the Almighty—because He is God! His will is the law of all worlds. He stretched out the earth above the waters. “Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places” (Psalm 135:6). “All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing—and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth—and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, ‘What doest Thou?’” (Dan. 4:35). “The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens” (Psalm 113:4).  God’s providence is SURE and STABLE – Whoever wishes to walk securely, needs but to conform himself to its settled provisions and principles (see Proverbs 10:9). Never did His Word fail.  Never was there a sin that did not bring misery; never was the human being born that did not make some impression on the world; never was there an effect without a cause; never did God change a principle of moral law; never did He abolish a physical law; never did the hand of the negligent make rich; never was it safe to make war on the natural affection even of brutes; never was there a time when the law of acquisition was not, ‘To him that hath shall be given’ (Matt. 13:12); never was there a time when destruction was not easy, and construction difficult; never was the general course of providence without its compensations, the Lord setting the day of adversity over against the day of prosperity, or comforting the heart of his troubled ones with the fact that the same afflictions are accomplished in their brethren. Greatly was the Psalmist comforted with this view of the stability of God’s government, “Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine ordinances; for all are Thy servants” (Psalm 119:89-91; compare Proverbs 19:21 and Josh. 23:14). God’s providence is POWERFUL and IRRESISTIBLE – His providence not only consults—it also executes. It not only devises—it also puts into operation. It not only sees how evil may be prevented—it also prevents evil. It is so powerful that it even brings good out of evil—making wicked men and fallen angels to serve God's designs, while they intend no such thing:  giving the greatest efficiency to causes apparently the most contemptible; and infallibly securing the accomplishment of the very best ends. The author of Providence is “the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come—the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8).  All the other attributes of God would not avail us, if He had not omnipotence, whereby to enforce and execute His will. All other properties of His providence would fail to give effectual consolation, if it lacked divine power. No marvel therefore that the Scriptures so frequently celebrate the triumphs of Omnipotence. Otherwise the wicked would say, “Where is their rock in whom they have trusted?” As to the Assyrian, so to every foe, Jehovah says, “Because thy rage against Me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put My hook in thy nose and My bridle in thy lips; I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest” (II Kings 19:28). It will be for an everlasting rejoicing to all the righteous that when God makes a covenant of peace with His people, He is able to cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land, so that His people may dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. By His almighty power He brings mariners out of their distresses. He makes the storm a calm, so that the waves are still. All conspiracies and combinations against providence are vain (see Ezek. 21:21-23).   -------------- This article is taken from:  Plumer, William S.  Jehovah- Jireh: A Treatise on Providence. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincot & Co., 1866.  A PDF file of this book can be downloaded, free of charge, at http://www.ClassicChristianLibrary.com