PROVIDENCE (T.at. proridentia, foresight. from prorid,rc. to foresee. from pro. before, for riderc. to see). A term of theology. including two elements. God's preservation and administra tion of the material universe, and His moral govern 1 nut over His rational creatures. It may be considered in three aspects. In its philosophical aspect, fret idence is a direct corollary of the causality of 1:0d. If God is the true first cause. that is, if Ile called all existing things into ex istence by the exertion of His power, then ulti mately they all depend upon Him, and it is to see how they call finally go a way to which He does not eonsent. If creation im eludes the gift of free will (q.v.), then there may be opposition to Cod's will on the part of the creature, or sin. But even the range of this and its outcome will be under Cod's government, so that it cannot go further than lie will have it, and in the realm of nature everything must retleet His will perfectly. In its religious aspect the doctrine of Providence meets a universal demand of the moral nature of loan. de mands religion, that is, communion with Cod. need,: prayer, and the answer of prayer. He needs to know that lie can con tide himself to the wise and fatherly care of t?od and will thus be put in safety and under perfect guidance. Par ticularly in the stress of life, under its hardens and afflictions, he needs to feel that God is su preme, that what is sent to him is for his good and ultimately good itself—else he cannot resign himself to his lot or live ill peace of heart and in confidence as to the eternal future. The great proof of Providence from these considerations arises from the conviction that the deepest nature of man reflects Cod's will, and. that demands which lie has himself created in man lie will satisfy. Providence viewed religiously is of two kinds, general, by which trod governs the world at large according to certain wise plans, and special, by \Villa lie cares for each individual according to his personal necessities.
In its biblical aspect, the doctrine of divine providence is a revealed truth. The Bible is full of expressions of the control of Cod over nature and man. These expressions are very eompre hensive, and often assert, according to Jewish modes of speech. His direct participation in everything, even in the sin of man. He is said to 'create evil.' and to 'harden Pharaoh's heart.' His foreknowledge extends to men's volitions, even their most trilling ones, and to the seerets of their hearts. But the main current of biblical thought provides the due corrective against the hasty erection of such expressions into dogmatic propositions. :tan's free will is abundantly rec ognized, and his responsibility for his sin empha sized. The true meaning of these biblical pressions is that nothing takes place outside of the divine control. That eery process whieli is said to have hardened Pharaoh's heart was de signed and ealeulated to soften it, since it was a long exhibition both of the power and the mercy and forbearance of God. And in the end Pha raoh's wickedness was controlled by God's hand and prevented from going to the point of defeat ing the divine purposes. The caution may need repeating that we are not to take the popular forms of biblical speech as declaring with meta physical exaelness that no future event can escape the foreknowledge (q.v.) of Cod and no volition lie outside the scope of His eternal decree. The Bible gives the general law. This Is divine government over all things. Ultimately, in the sense of bounding and limiting. every event is governed, in the strictest sense. See