Page:The Doctrines of the New Church Briefly Explained.djvu/184

178 that the Divine Providence does not regard that which shortly passes away, and ends with man's life in the world, but that it regards what remains to eternity." (N. J. D. 268, '69.)

"The Divine Providence is universal, that is, in the smallest particulars; and they who are in the stream of Providence are continually conveyed to happiness, whatever be the appearance of the means; and they are in the stream of Providence who put their trust in the Divine and attribute all things to Him; and they are not in the stream of Providence who trust to themselves alone and attribute all things to themselves; for they are in the opposite principle, since they refuse to allow a providence to the Divine, and claim it to themselves. It is to be observed, also, that so far as any one is in the stream of Providence, he is in a state of peace; and so far as one is in a state of peace grounded in the good of faith, he is in the Divine Providence. These alone know and believe that the Divine Providence of the Lord is in all and singular things, yea, in the most singular of all; and that it regards what is eternal. But they who are in the opposite principle are scarcely willing to hear Providence mentioned, but refer all and singular things to prudence; and what they do not refer to prudence, they refer to fortune or chance; some to fate, which they do not educe from the Divine but from nature,—calling those simple who do not attribute all things to themselves or to nature." (A. C. 8478.)