My life these 65 years has been
a constant testimony to and a constant verification of the fact that
God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the
sea and rides upon the storm. As he will enable me, I am delighted
again to approach this subject, predestination and providence. It's declared in Ephesians chapter
1, verse 11. These inseparable twins of grace
are set before us in this text, predestination and providence,
and they're set before us throughout the scriptures. Predestination
is not some secret, hidden away, mysterious doctrine that you
have to really dig in the scriptures to find. You have to really ignore
the scriptures to miss it. Predestination and providence. Ephesians 1 verse 11, in whom,
that is in Christ, We have obtained an inheritance. We have obtained
this inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Divine providence is the daily,
constant, sovereign rule of our God over all things for the accomplishment
of His eternal purpose of grace in predestination. Let me repeat
that. Divine providence is the daily,
constant, and sovereign rule of our God over all things for
the accomplishment of His eternal purpose of grace in predestination,
working all things together after the counsel of His own will. We see a picture of our Lord
Jesus Christ in Revelation chapter 10 standing as an angel of the
covenant with one foot on the earth and one on the sea with
a little book in his hand. And he's ruling the universe
in accordance with God's purpose in that little book of divine
predestination. And every page he turns, is but
the fulfilling of God's purpose. Predestination is the sovereign,
eternal, immutable, unalterable purpose of God Almighty. The
sovereign, eternal, immutable, unalterable purpose of God Almighty
by which He has ordained and ordered according to His own
will and good pleasure all things that come to pass in time. Providence
is the accomplishment of God's sovereign will and purpose. Providence is God doing in time
what he purposed to do in eternity. Providence is God sovereignly
and absolutely bringing to pass in time that which he predestined
in eternity. Predestination is God's purpose. Providence is the outworking
or the execution of God's purpose. Now hear me well and be sure
you understand the doctrine of Holy Scripture with regard to
the providence of God. Providence. The daily outworking
of God's purpose. Providence. I drive down the
road and I pay attention to church signs particularly. names of
churches and I wonder often why that particular church was named
what it was named. I often see a sign Providence
Baptist Church. I even see signs called Providence
Methodist Church. And I wonder if they know anything
at all about what the word is. Providence. Providence is nothing
more and nothing less than God executing in time what he purposed
in eternity. That which has come to pass this
day is that which God purposed for this day from eternity. Providence is God working out
his eternal purpose of grace in predestination. That means
that nothing in the universe, nothing in the universe happens
by luck, chance, fortune, or accident. And nothing in the
universe happens by mere blind fate. Everything that comes to
pass in time was purposed by God in eternity and is brought
to pass in time precisely according to God's wise and good purpose. Now let's see if this is truth
or heresy. Let's see if this is what the
book says, or this is just some pipe dream. Is this what the
Word of God teaches, or is it just some theological opinion? Is this what the Word of God
plainly states, or is it just something that men have devised
and worked out and think is logical and reasonable? hear what the
Word of God says. You don't need to turn to these
scriptures. I will read them to you and I'll give you the
references if you want to jot them down, but listen carefully. Psalm 76 verse 10, Surely the
wrath of man shall praise thee, and the remainder of wrath wilt
thou restrain. Did the psalmist say that all
that men exercise, all in which men exercise their wrath, their
anger, their enmity, their hatred of God. All that men do in the
enmity of their hearts toward God, God says shall praise Him. Oh, what a word. What a word. Proverbs 16, 4. the Lord hath
made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of
evil did the wise man declare the Lord God has made all things all things for himself yea even
the wicked for the day of evil? Does that day of evil refer to
the day of judgment? Of course it does. Does that
day of evil refer to the day in which the wicked perform evil?
Of course it does. Does that day of evil refer to
the time when a young man walked into a church building in Charleston,
South Carolina, sat for an hour, pull out a handgun and murder
nine people? Oh yes it does. Yea, even the
wicked for the day of evil. Proverbs 16 verse 9, a man's
heart deviseth his way. Men plan what they're going to
do. I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that, I'm going to
do the other thing, be it good or bad. But the Lord directeth
his steps. The Lord directeth his steps. Every man's steps. Yours and
mine. You don't move a toe that God
doesn't direct. Not for me or against me. Not for him or against him. Proverbs 16 verse 33. Just how
detailed is God's providence? Did you ever play Monopoly? Roll
the dice, see what your move's gonna be? I got six moves. I got seven. Or maybe you've
rolled dice in a little gambling when you were a boy, maybe as
you got older. I got seven. I got 11. Well, God Almighty,
before the world was, ordained the number that's coming up and
brought it to pass. Listen to what the book says.
The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof
is of the Lord. Why does God say that? Why? Why does God tell us that? Is it not that we should learn
that our God governs everything, the great and the minute? He cannot govern the great if
he doesn't govern the minute. So minute is God's providence
that the lot is cast into the lap. Men cast the lot, but God
determines how the lot comes out. Proverbs 21, verse 1. The king's heart is in the hand
of the Lord. Which king? Any king. Every king. As the rivers of water, he turneth
it whithersoever he will. The word rivers refers to irrigation
canals. We common folks don't have much
knowledge of those things. We see those things traveling
on large farms. Farmers have their irrigation
canals, especially in various large fields down south. But
just as easily as you take your water hose and put it on that
plant, And then turn it and put it on that plant. And then turn
it and spray your dog. So God, that easily, turns the
heart of the king to do what he will. Listen to God's word
in Isaiah 49 and verse 6. Or verse 9, rather. 46 and verse
9. Remember the former things of
old. For I am God, and there is none
else. I am God, and there's none like
me. Their rock is not as our rock,
how often the book tells us. Their God is not as our God. I wouldn't worship a God like
that. I know you wouldn't. I know you wouldn't, not till
you know him. Not till you know him. There's none like me. There's no other God like I am,
he says. How is that? I declare the end
from the beginning. I declare from ancient times
the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand,
and I will do all my pleasure, calling a ravenous bird from
the east, calling a raven to come feed a prophet. Who ever
heard tell of a raven sharing his food with anything? Calling
a raven to come feed a prophet. The man that executes my counsel
from a far country, calling a man who is a raving idolater in a
far country to deliver my people. Yea, I've spoken it. I will also
bring it to pass. I purposed it. I will also do
it. Now I purpose things and I try
and have tried all of my life as a believer to be a man of
my word. If I tell you I'm going to do something, you can bank
on it. You can just take it to the bank.
I'm going to do it. Unless. And oh my, there are
lots of unlesses that come up. Somebody has an accident out
here and I can't get down the road. Or I have an accident and
I can't get down the road. Or my car breaks down and I can't
get down the road. Or my wife had already made other
plans, and I'm committed to them, and I can't change that. So lots
of things come up. Not so with God. God says, I've
purposed it, and nothing's going to stop it. I'm going to bring
it to pass. Nebuchadnezzar learned this in
Daniel chapter 4. He said, look at this great kingdom
that I have built. And the Lord God said, you're
going to find out tonight. that the heavens do rule. And
God made Nebuchadnezzar a raving lunatic for seven years, driven
from his throne. And he lives like a wild beast
for seven years. And then his understanding returned
to him. And he said, at the end of the
days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and
my understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High,
and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion
is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation
to generation. And all the inhabitants of the
earth are reputed as nothing, and he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven. and among the inhabitants of
the earth, and none can stay his head, or saying to him, what
doest thou? Oh, how that rejoices my heart.
Our God does according to his will in the army of heaven and
among the inhabitants of the earth all the time. Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar,
praise and extol and honor the king of heaven, all whose works
are truth and his ways judgment and those that walk in pride
he is able to abase. Our text here in Ephesians 1
verse 11 declares in Christ we have obtained an inheritance
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will. I have, over the years, read
every good commentary I can find on Ephesians 1 and 11. I've read
every one I can find. I've even read most of the bad
ones that I have access to. But the best commentary I've
found on Ephesians 1 and verse 11 is Romans chapter 8 and verse
28, a very, very familiar text of Scripture. Romans 8 and verse
28. Let's look at that. Here is the
commentary God the Holy Spirit gives about God's predestination
and God's providence. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to His purpose. If God the Holy Spirit will teach
us that which is here revealed in 25 short words, we will leave
this place rejoicing in God our Savior. I want to show you four
things in the text. First, a delightful persuasion. We know. We know. The word know here refers to
knowledge beyond speculation. theory, doctrine, even sound
judgment. It is a knowledge of confident,
assured persuasion, based upon fact and experience. It's my
prayer that God will graciously and thoroughly convince you and
me, as He did the Apostle Paul, we, all true believers, know. Not guesswork. We know. We have
this firm persuasion, this firm conviction, this abiding, settled,
firm fact. We know. But how do we know? What's the basis of our knowledge?
Is it a pipe dream or is it a matter of fact? We know by the revelation
of God in His words. We know what I'm talking to you
now about God's predestination and God's providence because
it is plainly stated in Holy Scripture. Turn back to Psalm
91. Hold your hands here in Romans 8. Turn back to Psalm 91. Now,
I want you to look at this. The psalmist said in Psalm 84,
the Lord our God is a sun and shield. The Lord will give grace
and glory. No good thing will he withhold
from them walk uprightly. Now look how it states in Psalm
91, He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall
abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord,
of the triune Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress. My God in Him will I trust. Surely the Lord Jehovah, Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost. Surely He shall deliver thee
from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings
shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield
and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for
the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day. I recall several years ago watching
a movie of Gods and Generals about Stonewall Jackson. During
one of the initial battles where he led his troops, he's standing
out with his officers on the line leading the troops, and
Jackson was standing there firm with a volley of fire all around
him, was hit in his hand, Everyone turned, all the officers turned
and started to withdraw. But Jackson stood there like
a stone wall and then one of the officers came up to him after
it was over and said, how could you be so brave in the face of
such fierce fire? And Jackson responded, did all
men alike believe God? All men alike would be brave.
Thou shalt not be afraid of terror by night, nor of the arrow that
flies by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor
for the destruction that wasteth at noonday, as a thousand shall
fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall
not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou
behold and see the reward of the wicked, all the evil All
the evil you read about, hear about, going on all around you,
you'll see it. But you see that which is the
reward of the wicked, and it'll never hurt you. Because thou
hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High,
thy habitation. There shall no evil befall thee,
neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. What does
that mean? What does that mean? Wait a minute. We've been talking for weeks
now about folks in this assembly who are sick. Folks get cancer,
get heart disease. Folks have one difficulty after
another. They get sick. But God says concerning
His elect, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any
plague come nigh thy dwelling. Here's what He's saying. That
which appears to be evil, that which brings other men destruction
and death, that which brings other men into hell, never touches
you to harm you. Never touches you to harm you. The last time I went to visit
Brother Charlie Payne in the hospital, who was an elder at
Ashland for years, a very dear, dear friend, I didn't realize
how sick Charlie was. I said goodbye to him when I
started to leave the room. And as I did, I noticed his wife
Phyllis wiped a tear from her eyes and I had spoken, I hope
to see you again soon, my friend. And Charlie said to me as I left,
he said, when I come out of here, I'll either be better or well. There shall no plague come nigh
thee, no evil befall thee. For he shall give his angels
charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear
thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a
stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion
and the adder, play on the cockatrice dead. The young lion and the
dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his
love upon me, therefore will I deliver him. All things work
together for good to them that, what'd it say? Love God. To them who are the called according
to his purpose. Because he has set his love upon
me, therefore will I deliver him. I will set him on high because
he hath known my name. He shall call upon me and I will
answer him. I will be with him in trouble.
I will deliver him and honor him with long life satisfy Him
and show Him my salvation. There shall no evil happen to
the just. In the second chapter of the
book of Hosea the Lord God describes His love for His people and He
says, in that day I will make a covenant for them. Now listen
to what He says, with the beast of the field and with the fowls
of heaven and with creeping things of the ground. What I'll make
a covenant with my people, for my people, with every beast in
the field, take it literally or allegorically, it doesn't
matter. I'll make a covenant for them
with all the fowls of heaven, literally or allegorically, it
doesn't matter. And with the creeping things
of the ground, everything that I've made, God says, ordained
for them for their good. We know these things and walk
in the comfort of God's revelation in His providence because of
the inner witness and anointing of God the Holy Spirit. We know. We know. We know because we have
the mind of Christ. So what the book says? We've
been made new creatures. We're made partakers of the divine
nature. And we who know God have the mind of Christ. And we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose. We know all things
by the anointing of His Spirit. And we know the blessedness,
the goodness, the greatness of God's adorable providence because
we've experienced it. Brother Eric, my dear baby brother. What I'm talking to you about,
you can get in theory. You can jot it down and say,
that's right, that's right, that makes good sense, that's Bible.
But you're not gonna understand it for a while, I promise you.
I promise you. Because you only believe what
you experience. And we who know God and have
had the blessed experience of His grace, walking with Him in
a world of darkness and sorrow and heartache and woe, walking
with Him through deep waters and fiery trials, walking with
Him in the sunshine and walking with Him in the dark, walking
with Him in the heat of the day and walking with him in the storm
of the night. We know because we've experienced
it. Everything God has done in my
lifetime, I look back over these years and I like to do it. I do it a lot. And I try to investigate
and see how God turned things just to make this happen. happened? Look what God did to bring that
to pass. You ever do that? Look how God arranged that. And
there are lots of things, lots of things, all of the painful
things, all the sorrowful things, all the trying things. Mark,
I wouldn't have chosen one of them, not one, not one. But now, standing on this side
of the Red Sea, I look back and thank God for the Red Sea and
for the pursuing armies and for all the experience. I've never
yet experienced anything for which I don't give God thanks.
I know all things work together for good to them that love God. The Holy Spirit here speaks of
divine providence. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. Providence is God's government
of the universe. It's a subject of deepest importance. If we have a proper view of God's
providence, We see the hand of God and the heart of God in everything,
especially in the experiences of our lives. Let us never talk
like the unbelieving Philistines who said it was a chance that
happened to us. I cringe. Oh, I cringe. And I
know folks sometimes say things just out of habit, just pick
up words. Oh, I cringe when I hear folks say, well, I sure was lucky. don't worship at the altar of
luck. No, no. Rather God's people ought to
speak like Job, the Lord gave and the Lord taketh away. Blessed
be the name of the Lord. We ought to speak like Eli, God's
faithful servant, when the prophet of God told him, you've been
You've been neglectful of raising your children the way you ought
to. You've not restrained your sons, and therefore, because
of your neglect, God's going to kill them. And Eli responded,
it is the Lord. Let him do what seemeth him good.
David one day was walking along and fleeing from Saul, and there
was a fellow by the name of Shemai who came out and cussed David.
Man, he gave him a cussing. Ah, he gave him a cussing. And
David's servant Abishai said, let me go over and take his head
off his shoulders. And David said, leave him alone. He couldn't cuss me if God hadn't
said, go cuss David. He said, the Lord hath bitten
him. He couldn't do it if God hadn't bitten him. Perhaps the
Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day. Understand
this, my brother, my sister. God is never idle. Our Heavenly Father is always
on the job. He never needs to rest, never
needs to recuperate, never needs to regroup. He's always at work
governing the world for us. You may sometimes think, God's
not doing a very good job running the world. I've often heard fools
say, fools say, if God's running everything, then this or that
wouldn't happen. You might, in your imaginary
great depth of wisdom, propose changes to God. Could not the
Almighty easily put an end to sickness, poverty, and war? He created the world, didn't
He? Could He not put an end to sin, crime, and disease? He's the one who says, I kill
and I make a life. Could God not very easily put
an end to famine, and earthquakes, and tornadoes, and hurricanes,
and floods, and death? Of course He could. But God Almighty
will not be dictated to by us. Who are we? to dare set ourselves
up as instructors of God who worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will. Now let me tell you some things
about God's providence. It is mysterious. There's no
explaining it. There's no explaining it. Somebody
says, well, how can you say this is good? Because God said this
is good. That's how I can say that. That's
how I can say it. Years ago, this has been a long time ago,
sitting right where David sat. I got done preaching about, as
a matter of fact I was preaching from Romans 8, 28. And he walked
out the door and I heard him say, I don't know how he could
say that this is good. Referring to the illness of his
wife. I don't know how he could say that. And this fellow claimed
to believe grace. How can you say this is good?
Because God said this is good. How unsearchable are His judgments. and his ways past finding out. I know this, God always has his
way. His ways are never our way, and
his way is always right and best. God's providence, as I've already
hinted at, is minute. He says to his disciples in Matthew
6, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Quite literally,
the very hairs of your head have all, at one time before the world
was made, been counted by God. He numbered from eternity the
hairs of your head every day of your life. As you can tell,
mine have been coming out rapidly. the last 25, 30 years. I'll soon
have to get it buzzed and shine my head, I reckon. But that's
not by accident. God numbered the hairs of our
head for every day of our lives before ever he made the stars
in heaven. That's called minute care. I've told you this before, you
ladies. Have your babies. I remember when Faith was born.
I can see Shelby riding every time she bathed that baby, kissing
every finger and toe, counting them. But I tell you what, I
never saw her do. I never saw her attempt to count
the hairs on her head. She cares greatly, but not like
that. God, before the world was, in
minute care for your soul, numbered the hairs of your head in divine
predestination. and brings it to pass every day
in his providence. God's providence, this minute,
mysterious providence of God, is all-inclusive. God's in control
of everything, all the time. Good and evil, prosperous and
adverse, all the elements of nature, All creatures, all rational
beings, and all irrational beings. All the elements of the earth. God caused the Red Sea to open
up for Israel to cross over. One day, God calls the sun to
go back. Well, that couldn't happen. It'd
tear everything up. God did it. Read the book of
God. Read what he said. God caused it to go back. God
rules everything. All creation is under His control. The Lord God created a great
fish, a whale, to swallow up His servant
Jonah. And He prepared that whale so
that Jonah could remain in the belly of that whale for three
days and three nights. And at the appointed time, God
sent that fish to spew Jonah out on dry land because it was
just good for Jonah. I'm talking about God now. I'm
not talking about you, me. I'm not talking about some creature
of man or some imaginary God that man's created. I'm talking
about God. God who rules all things. The Lord God, Lindsay
dealt with it again this morning, said to Peter, Tonight, you're
gonna deny me three times. And before you deny me three
times, the rooster's gonna crow twice. The rooster's gonna crow
twice. At God's alarm button. He set
his alarm clock, and the alarm went off, and the rooster crowed.
And he set it for 15 minutes later, and the rooster crowed
again. Exactly as God ordained. God controls everything. Even
the demons of hell are subject to him. Our Lord came to those
demons and cast them out of a man, had a legion of demons. And they
said, have you come before time to destroy us? And our master
commanded the demons to come out of him. And they begged him
to let him, let him go into a herd of swine. He said, all right,
you go into a herd of swine. Even the demons of hell subject to
him. Our heavenly father absolutely
controls everybody. Every man, every woman, all are
servants of God. All creatures are servants of
God. You who hear my voice and say,
I won't serve him. I've got news for you. You are
serving him and serve him you will like it or no. You will
do nothing, nothing, nothing except that which God Almighty
ordered from eternity for me and for his people. That's how
God runs the universe. Satan and the devils of hell
do nothing except in obedience to God as his servants. William Plummer wrote this, and
I want to give it to you, it's better than I could ever say
it. He said, God our Savior, Jesus Christ, upholds, preserves,
and governs the worlds which he has made. Thus all creatures,
from the smallest insect, which is seen by the microscope, up
to the archangel, which worships before the eternal throne, all
events from the falling of a hair of the head to the destruction
of nations by famine, pestilence, and war. All rule and authority
from that petty official to the thrones and principalities in
heaven, the material universe from the least particle which
floats in the sunbeam to the grandest system of worlds which
roll in immensity, all hang dependent on his powerful providence. If
one link in the chain of that dependence were broken, they
would all rush headlong to the ground. And another thing about God's
providence is this, it's good. All things work together for
good. All things, like so many pieces
in a great piece of machinery, work together all things work
together not isolated one from another but all things working
together work for good not necessarily our immediate good not necessarily
our temporal good but certainly our spiritual good our eternal
good and our collective good and actually that which is truly
good for me is very The exact opposite of that which is presently
good. Let me give you an illustration. I have a dear friend. I think
he's with the Lord now. I've never met him. For years
I wrote to him every month. A black man in prison up in Chillicothe,
Ohio by the name of Thomas DeJarnett. Tom murdered a man. And he went to prison and got
out. And he found his wife with another man and beat him to death
and was sentenced to prison for life. And sitting in prison,
he started listening to this preacher in Ashland, Kentucky,
Brother Henry Mahan. And Henry was asked one day to
come to Chillicothe and preach at the prison. Somebody had arranged
it and Henry said he'd be glad to go. Went in to preach and
this fellow who was a former boxer, big heavyweight boxer,
big bruising looking black man, came walking up to Henry. Henry was 5'10". He said, I was a little bit afraid.
And he said, this fellow walked up to me, tears running down
his cheeks, and grabbed me and hugged me. And he said, you're
the man who told me about my savior.
And this is what Tom wrote to me some years later. If I had
not been in prison for murder, I would never have learned the
gospel. All things, all things, all things
work together for good to them that love God. to them who are
the called according to his purpose. Whatever God sees fit to use
to accomplish these things is good for us. It's good for me to know Christ
and be found in him. If God has to cripple me or cripple
my child to get my attention, And by that, turn my eyes and
my heart to my Savior. That's good. That's good. And if God has to cripple you
or cripple your child to get your attention and turn your
heart to Christ, that's good. That's good. Read the 107th Psalm
and learn to praise the Lord for His goodness. and his wonderful
works to the children of men as that psalm describes all the
wonder of God's providence. Oh, my God knows exactly what
I need. By his grace, I ask him to enable
me to face it, bow to it, accept it, and give thanks for it. I welcome all his sovereign will,
for all his will is love. And when I know not what he does,
I wait for light above. But this promise is not for everybody.
Here's the third thing. Our text describes a designated
people. We know that all things work
together for good. A special promise to a special
people, to them that love God. to them who are the called according
to His purpose. Now one last thing. I have to
refer to Brother Mahan again. Here's the divine purpose. We
know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose. once Brother
Henry and I were preaching together a long, long time ago, first
time I heard him tell this. And he told about something that
happened in Ashland more than 65 years ago, 1949. He was assistant
pastor at Poly Baptist Church in Ashland. And his pastor, Don
Wells, had contacted a fellow named Charlie Stevens, president
of Piedmont Bible College, where some years later I attended in
Western Salem, North Carolina. Rolfe was chair of theology at
that time at Piedmont. and wanted to have a citywide
meeting. And they called Rolfe to come up there and preach.
First night of the meeting, Henry and Darcy had just moved to Ashland.
They were sitting on the front row. And Rolfe said, just pointed
right at me, he said, young man, can you quote Romans 8, 28? And
Henry said, yes, sir. He said, stand up and quote it.
He said, all things work together for good to them that love God.
And he sat down. And Roth just stared at him.
He said, that ain't right. And Henry said, I looked in my
Bible to see. He said, yes it is. He said, you didn't quote
it. You just quoted part of it. The book says all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
call according to his purpose. And Henry said, he shouted the
word purpose loud enough you could hear it a mile away, said
the rafters in the building shook. and it shook me to my soul. I'd
never heard anything like it. And I went home that night, stayed
up all night long studying this book and found out, trying to
find out something about God's purpose. Rolfe said to him and
said to that congregation, until you understand those words, His
purpose, His purpose, you'll never understand anything in
this book. and you'll never understand anything
about the work of God, and you'll never understand anything in
time, and you'll never know who God is. All things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to His purpose. That's God's predestination. And that's God's providence. Oh my God, how I thank you for
these twin, inseparable twins of grace by which you minister
to my soul from everlasting to everlasting. Amen.