Concerning God’s Providence   "How great a pleasure is it to discern how the most wise God is providentially steering all to the port of His own praise and His people's happiness, whilst the whole world is busily employed in managing the sails and tugging at the oars with a quite opposite design and purpose? To see how they promote His design by opposing it, and fulfill His will by resisting it, enlarge His church by scattering it, and make [His people's] rest come the more sweet to their souls by making their condition so restless in the world. This is pleasant to observe in general: But to record and note its particular designs upon ourselves--with what profound wisdom, infinite tenderness, and incessant vigilancy it hath managed all that concerns us from first to last--is ravishing and transporting."   -- John Flavel (1628-1691) ------------------------- Our Life is Long   Our life is long. Not so, wise Angels say Who watch us waste it, trembling while they weigh Against eternity one squandered day.   Our life is long. Not so, the Saints protest, Filled full of consolation and of rest: `Short ill, long good, one long unending best.'   Our life is long. Christ's word sounds different: `Night cometh: no more work when day is spent.' Repent and work to-day, work and repent.   Lord make us like Thy Host who day nor night Rest not from adoration, their delight, Crying `Holy, Holy, Holy,' in the height.   Lord, make us like Thy Saints who wait and long Contented: bound in hope and freed from wrong, They speed (may be) their vigil with a song.   Lord, make us like Thyself; for thirty-three Slow years of toil seemed not too long to Thee, That where Thou art there Thy Beloved might be.   -- Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)