PROVIDE.NCE is the superintending care with which God watches over his whole creation, and especially over the human race. It has been generally held, as a direct consequence of the existence of a God who has created all things, that be must also uphold by his constant care everything which he has created. This doctrine however has been denied by the ancient Epicureans and the modern Theists, who, while admitting that God created the universe, and impressed upon it the laws by which it is governed, have contended, that having done this be has left those laws to work out their own results without his further interference. The arguments for a superintending providence are derived from the order of the material universe, which we find to be governed by ever-active principles, of which no other explanation can le given than that they arc the results of the power of God in con tinued exercise ; from the events which aro recorded in history, and which are daily occurring, such as the punishment of guilty nations and individuals, the exaltation of the virtuous, the adaptation of great Inca to the exigencies of their times, not to mention other circumstances in the history of individuals, which might be considered of a more doubtful character; and lastly, from the unequivocal statements of Scripture. The whole sacred narrative is evidently intended to show how God's providence wrought for the accomplishment of his own designs. Moreover, individuals are mentioned, such as Pharaoh, Nebu
chadnezzar, and Cyrus, whom Ood raised up expressly in order to use them as instruments to effect certain objects. Two books of the Old Testament, those of Job and Esther (we might perhaps add those of ).uth, Jonah, and even others), appear to have been written for the very purpose of confirming our faith in the providence of God; and numerous rampages might be quoted which teach the care of Ood over the whole universe (Col. L 17; lieb. i. 3; Rev. iv. 11), over all men, whether good or wicked (Job xxv. 3; Matt. v. 45; Acts xvii. 25; James i. 17), and especially over his own people (Matt. v. 25.34, Sc.).
The providence of Ood has been divided by theologians into imme diate, or that which he exerts without the intervention of second causes, and mediate, where ordinary means aro employed ; into ordinary, which relates to occurrences iu the commou course of nature, and extraordinary, where that course is departed from, as in the case of miracles; into common, of which the whole world is the object, and special, which regards the church; and into universal, which describes the care of God for his whole creation, and particular, which is exer cised for the benefit of individuals.