Thomas Watson was a Puritan living in the 17th century who wrote a book called A Body of Divinity. The book is based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which is a collection of the main principles of Christianity brought together in the form of question and answer. At 316 pages in predominantly King James English, I’ll be the first to admit that its not exactly beach reading. However this is a book that is a treasure chest containing some of the most effective remedies in Puritan literature.

Now I know the pairing of “effective remedies” and “Puritan literature” in a sentence is probably nonsense to you. To the unfamiliar, it’s random. To the familiar, it’s kind of an oxymoron. It’s right up there with “jumbo shrimp”, “deafening silence”, and “Astro’s playing fair.” Too soon?

Well, to help the medicine go down easier, I’ve laid out five prescriptions that Dr. Watson gave for how we are to apply the Providence of God to our lives. The reason for this medical language like remedies and prescriptions by the way is because that is literally how Dr. Watson wrote this book.

He positions himself as the chief under-physician so to speak, prescribing remedies for our sickness.

So, how about a trip to the pharmacy. As your under-physician in this church, I have translated the language to better suit our understanding. After all, you don’t take atorvastatin; you take Lipitor. 

1. Admire God’s Providence

Providence, if you remember from yesterday, is the work of God to uphold, guide and care for every aspect of creation. Think of it like this: if creation were a wagon rolling down the road, the Providence of God would be what keeps the wheels moving, balanced and stable. Without the force of Providence, Watson writes that the very axle of the world would break into pieces! Here is what would happen if God’s Providence ceased even for a moment: every living creature would be dissolved and cease to exist. Anxiety and chaos would would fill the entire world. That might be a little ethereal so think about this then: our clothes wouldn’t warm us and our food would not nourish us.

I understand that this is a lot to take in so I feel as though I need to bring in a second opinion from another doctor.

Meet Dr. Wayne Grudem. In his systematic theology, Dr. Grudem gives us a glimpse of how God keeps the world moving, balanced and stable. He reminds us that Hebrews 1:3 declares that Christ “upholds the universe by the word of his power.” The Greek word translated “upholding” is phero, which can mean “carry or bear.” This is commonly used in the New Testament for carrying something from one place to another, such as bringing a paralyzed man to Jesus (Luke 5:18), or bringing a cloak and books to Paul (2 Timothy 4:13). In Hebrews 1:3, the grammar indicates that Jesus is continually carrying along all things, “in the universe by the word of His power.”

Similarly, in Colossians 1:17, Paul says of Christ that “in him all things hold together.” The phrase “all things” refers to every created thing in the universe, and the verse affirms that Jesus keeps all things existing—in him they continue to exist or endure. Both verses indicate that if Jesus were to cease his ongoing activity of sustaining all things in the universe, then everything except the triune God would instantly cease to exist.

But the world keeps on existing and so do you.

Certainly, with all that the Providence of God upholds, guides and cares for, this should bring an incredible admiration of God’s Providence.

2. Learn to quietly submit to God’s Providence

We shouldn’t grumble at things that are ordered by God’s wisdom. Grumbling with the works of Providence is like grumbling with the works of creation. Yes, cats are evil and most likely plotting the complete annihilation of humans. It’s useless to argue against the works of creation. Again, think of the image of the wagon rolling down the road. Providence keeps the wheels moving, balanced, and stable. Sometimes we may think that if we were God, we would do things differently. As in, “If I had the government in our hands, then here’s what I would do…”

Let us work to be content with how God rules the world and submit to His Providence.

Are you suffering? Remember that God sees it as that which is going to ultimately be for your good.

Watson has a great line here that I just have to give verbatim: Your clothes cannot be so fit for you as your crosses. What he meant was that if we are going to honor and trust God’s Providence in the good times, we should also in the bad times. God’s Providence may sometimes be secret and confusing but it is always wise.

“Your clothes cannot be so fit for you as your crosses.” What Watson meant was that if we are going to honor and trust God’s Providence in the good times, we should also in the bad times. God’s Providence may sometimes be secret and confusing but it is always wise.

Side note: Thomas Watson had a friend, a fellow pastor named John Flavel. Flavel had a great illustration about making sense of this particular prescription of Providence. He said that often Providence is understood backwards. Here is the actual quote: “Some providences of God, like Hebrew words, can only be understood backwards.”

If you remember, we are studying the book of Ruth on Sundays, which was originally written in Hebrew.

We read it in English.

English is read left to right.

The Hebrew language is read right to left.

Therefore, to English readers, Hebrew looks backwards.

So does the providence of God at times.

Some things in our life make no sense while we’re going through them.

In fact, I’m sure you can think of some season in your life where you have gotten blindsided by a tragedy or you have just been really depressed and in the doldrums. Nothing is really going in your favor and you can’t understand why these things are happening but the fact of the matter is that when we are in dark places, it often doesn’t make sense until we’re out of them. We often can’t see that Providence until we get through that hard season and look behind us. Which leads to the third prescription…

3. You who are Christians, believe that all God's Providence shall conspire for your good at last.

If we’re honest (and we should be), it feels as though life is lived in a dark room and we can’t see what it happening in front of us. We hear sounds and we see a little bit. However, not much makes sense when we are in the dark. However, we must always remember that God is working even when we can’t see. He promises us in Romans 8:28 that all things will work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Even though at times we can’t see it, all things in our lives are working for our good.

Think of an old-time clock where you can see the gears moving together. It’s interesting that the gears of the clock seem to move against one another in opposite directions. And yet, despite the contradiction, they keep the clock on track and time marches on (literally).

A shot is hurtful, but it prevents a fever and makes a patient healthy, so it is good. Because of his time period, Watson said ‘the pricking of a vein is in itself evil and hurtful.’ As a guy who hates getting his blood drawn, this is my kind of guy!

Even though pain and sorrow brings grief, God always turns it to the good of His people. In another of his books called All Things for Good, Watson wrote, “God often prospers us by impoverishing us….God works strangely.”

Strangely enough, poverty may actually starve our sins and afflictions will certainly prepare us for the coming Kingdom and all its glory. Christians believe that God loves you and that He will make the most of Providence — even Providence that seems like God is working against us — for His glory and our good.

4. Let it be an antidote against fear, that nothing comes to pass but what is ordained by God's decree, and ordered by his Providence.

If you remember, this was rephrased as the second point of the sermon yesterday. Often, we fear what may happen in the future. Specifically, we may fear what powerful people might do. I think there is an election coming up and I’ve heard the world is going to end if Joe Biden gets elected. Although, with just a few swipes down on my newsfeed, it seemed as though the world was going to end if Donald Trump was elected too.

Eh. What are you going to do?

Humans are limited in their power however. They can’t go the width of one string of hair further than what God’s Providence permits.

God might have let King Sennacherib’s army march towards Jerusalem — but they were supernaturally unable to shoot even one arrow against it. “Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning--there were all the dead bodies!" Isaiah 37:36.

When Israel was trapped between Pharaoh and the Red Sea, no question, some of their hearts began to tremble, but Providence ordered it that the sea was a safe passage to Israel, and a tomb to Pharaoh.

5. Let the merciful providence of God cause thankfulness.

Providence is what keeps us alive. Providence makes our clothes warm us and our food nourish us. There is a reason why we pray before our meals; its because we are acknowledging God as the ultimate provider of our food and giving Him thanks for it. Whether we have good health or boatloads of cash, it is nothing that we have done to make it happen.

As Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”

Taking it a step beyond simply physical needs being met will really blow your mind though.

Did you determine where you were born?

Did you decide that you would live in a country where someone would tell you about the Gospel?

Watson says that the reason we live in a place where the Sun of Righteousness shines is Providence. That Jesus should make Himself known to us, that the Spirit should convict our hearts and move us toward unceasing thankfulness. For all that you have is because of the Providence of God.