Second Helvetic Confession, Chapter 6
Of the Providence of God
ALL THINGS ARE GOVERNED BY THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD
We believe that all things in heaven and on earth, and in all creatures, are preserved and governed by the providence of this wise, eternal and almighty God. For David testifies and says: "The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down upon the heavens and the earth?" (Ps. 113:4 ff.). Again: "Thou searchest out...all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether" (Ps. 139:3 f.). Paul also testifies and declares: "In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28), and "from him and through him and to him are all things" (Rom. 11:36). Therefore Augustine most truly and according to Scripture declared in his book De Agone Christi, cap. 8, "The Lord said, 'Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will' " (Matt. 10:29). By speaking thus he wanted to show that what men regard as of least value is governed by God's omnipotence. For he who is the truth says that the birds of the air are fed by him and lilies of the field are clothed by him; he also says that the hairs of our head are numbered (Matt. 6:26 ff.).
Scripture references for paragraph 1
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Psalms 113:4-94The LORD is exalted over all the nations, His glory above the heavens.
5Who is like the LORD our God, the One enthroned on high?
6He humbles Himself to behold the heavens and the earth.
7He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the dump
8to seat them with nobles, with the princes of His people.
9He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother to her children. Hallelujah!
Psalms 139:3-243You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.
4Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.
5You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?
8If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.
9If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea,
10even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast.
11If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me”—
12even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.
13For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well.
15My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.
17How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is their sum!
18If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; and when I awake, I am still with You.
19O God, that You would slay the wicked— away from me, you bloodthirsty men—
20who speak of You deceitfully; Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD, and detest those who rise against You?
22I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them as my enemies.
23Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
24See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.
Acts 17:2828‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’
Romans 11:3636For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
Matthew 10:2929Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
Matthew 6:26-3426Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin.
29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.
30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.
THE EPICUREANS
We therefore condemn the Epicureans who deny the providence of God, and all those who blasphemously say that God is busy with the heavens and neither sees nor cares about us and our affairs. David, the royal prophet, also condemned this when he said: "O Lord, how long shall the wicked exult? They say, "The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive." Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?" (Ps. 94:3, 7-9).
Scripture references for paragraph 2
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Psalms 94:33How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked exult?
Psalms 94:7-97They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.”
8Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise?
9He who affixed the ear, can He not hear? He who formed the eye, can He not see?
MEANS NOT TO BE DESPISED
Nevertheless, we do not spurn as useless the means by which divine providence works, but we teach that we are to adapt ourselves to them in so far as they are recommended to us in the Word of God. Wherefore we disapprove of the rash statements of those who say that if all things are managed by the providence of God, then our efforts and endeavors are in vain. It will be sufficient if we leave everything to the governance of divine providence, and we will not have to worry about anything or do anything. For although Paul understood that he sailed under the providence of God who had said to him: "You must bear witness also at Rome" (Acts 23:11), and in addition had given him the promise, "There will be no loss of life among you...and not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you" (Acts 27:22,34), yet when the sailors were nevertheless thinking about abandoning ship the same Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers: "Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved" (Acts 27:31). For God, who has appointed to everything its end, has ordained the beginning and the means by which it reaches its goal. The heathen ascribe things to blind fortune and uncertain chance. But St. James does not want us to say: "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and trade," but adds: "Instead you ought to say, `If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that' " (James 4:13, 15). And Augustine says: "Everything which to vain men seems to happen in nature by accident, occurs only by his Word, because it happens only at his command" (Enarrationes in Psalmos 148). Thus it seemed to happen by mere chance when Saul, while seeking his father's asses, unexpectedly fell in with the prophet Samuel. But previously the Lord had said to the prophet: "Tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin" (I Sam 9:15).
Scripture references for paragraph 3
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Acts 23:1111The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”
Acts 27:2222But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because you will not experience any loss of life, but only of the ship.
Acts 27:3434So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.”
Acts 27:3131But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.”
James 4:1313Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”
James 4:1515Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”
1 Samuel 9:1515Now on the day before Saul’s arrival, the LORD had revealed to Samuel,
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