Smyrna times., 1893-10-11
misconceptions About Special Provi-
vidences.

Much that we hear in these davs
ABOUT special providence, if true would
De reflection upon God. For instance
not long since We read ola good lady
VINO failed to reach railway station in
time to take the train she wanted, be-
cause the carter did not get the trunk
OH In due season. The disappointment
caused tear-sheding grief, until it was
learned that this same train had been
wrecked aud many passengers had
been killed and wounded. Then tho
disappointment was regarded as a spe.
clal providence. This is. of course
very comforting to the one person who
had been detained because of a tardv
carter; but how about those who had
hetn killed and wounded? As we nm.
derstand God, is there any reason tn
believe He would allow the slaughter
OF great number, and by special pro.
lience save one Did He use this
probably protaue carter as a means to
save one. Then why not have used a
number of carriers and save all. II re-.
mains revealed fact, thar God is M
respecter of persons, that He wills not
the destruction of any. Surely there
were some on that train as good and
as useful as the one left, hence no spe-
Ill /
ciai individual worth can be urged as
the cause for the special providence.
without presumption. But suppose all
on board of that train were sinners
was there no hope of any of tLemP II
there was and they might have been
saved by special providence, and since
special providence had been wrought
ior one intended passenger, does it not
argue that God is a respecter of ner.
sons,-hence contradiction and re.
hec'ion. Again, what claim to special
providence can the lady have who
would worry and grieve about the
disappointment, until she saw that
possibly her life had been spared bv it.
Ii any are subjects of special provi.
dence in these days it surely ought to
De those who at the time of transao.
tlon accept everything as for the best.
without waiting to see results. "AH |
things work together for good" is the
believers comfort under all circum.
stances. Some people talk about spe-
cial prOvidenees in sickness and death
which would indicate that God is verv
partial. We believe that much of this
KIND OF conclusions, drawn from the
workings of natural forces, is no good
TO the Christian Church. It sayors of
selhshness, entirely to human for
heaven, and may be very comforting to
the one claiming the special providence
but has no comfort for the fellow ON
The other side. We must not losesigb
OF the fact that when we were placed
IN this world we were put under laws
and regulations which treat all aIika
aud that if there be special providences
shey must result from the suspension
Of these laws or else from the display
oI new phaze of law, hitherto to us
unknown. In the former case, which
IS doubtless exceedingly rare, God is
responsible. In the latter case no
doubt very common occurrence. for
doubtless there are thousands of laws
governing this universe of which every
human being is ignorant as is evidenced
BY the naily discovery of new combi.
nations of forces called inventions. in
This case of not knowing existing laws.
our ignorance is often the only excuse
-or our folly. 1t does not look like the
goodness of heavenly Father to bring
about special providences for one of a
number OF beings and let all the rest
suffer. The cause for special gratifica.
ion must be sought somewhere eIse.-
Conference Herald.