2. The grounds of the denial of it by the heathen, which we shall find
arms of his providence. The barbarians his justice, when they saw a viper leap upon Paul's hand, Acts 28:4, they say among themselves,
'No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffers not to live.' The mariners in Jonah implored his mercy in their distress at sea; yet they generally attributed affairs to blind chance, and worshipped fortune as a deity.
For this vain conceit the psalmist calls the atheist fool: Ps. 14:1, 'The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.' Potiphar acknowledged it, he saw that the Lord was with Joseph, and favoured his designs:
Gen. 39:3, 'And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all things that he did to prosper in his hand.'
It will not be amiss to consider this, for the root of denial of providence is in the hearts of the best men, especially under affliction. Asaph was a holy man, Ps. 73:13, saith he, 'Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.' He had taken much pains with his heart, and had been under much affliction: ver. 14, 'All the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.' And the consideration of this, that he should have so much affliction with so much holiness, so strangely puzzled him, that he utters that dreadful speech, as if he had a mind to cast off all cares about the worship of God, and sanctifying his heart, and repent of all that he had done in that business, as much as to say, Had I been as very a villain as such or such a man, I might have prospered as well as they, but I was a fool to have any fear of God.
Therefore we will consider, 1. The evil of denying providence.
2. The grounds of the denial of it by the heathen, which we shall find in our own hearts.
3. The various ways wherein men practically deny providence.
1. The evil of denying it.