(5.) It is revealed in the Scriptures as clearly as the biographies of its noted characters, such as Joseph, Samuel, Elijah, Ruth, Esther, Daniel, etc., can illustrate it, and proclaimed as strongly as such texts as Luke xii, 6-7, 22-31 can express it, and enforced as powerfully as such prayer- examples as The. friend seeking bread and The unjust judge can impress it.
(6.) It is illustrated in the experiences of Christians of every age, until George Neumark's hymn — " Leave God to order all thy ways, And hope in him, whate'er betide ; Thou'lt find him in the evil days
An all-sufficient strength and guide. Who trusts in God's unchanging love, Builds on the rock that naught can move"— has become a type of a distinct class of literature both in verse and prose that is inexpressibly sweet to the experienced believer, and of untold value to those who are weak in faith.
2. The moral uses of the doctrine are — (1.) It deters from sin. Theon of Alexandria taught that "a full persuasion of God's seeing everything we do is the strongest incentive to virtue ;" and he advised the civil magistrate to place the inscription at the corners of the streets—
" God seeth thee, O sinner !" A full belief in special providence places that inscrip- tion not upon the corners of the streets, but within the chambers of the memory.
(2.) It excites watchfulness for his interpositions. Abraham, after Mount Moriah ; the three Hebrews, af- ter the fiery furnace; Daniel, alter the lions' den; Eli- jah, after Cherith's cave, never failed to look for other deliverances in the time of need.
(3.) It gives the assurance that all is right in our " present circumstances, in view of the discipline needed, and the final adjustment of rewards and penalties.
(1.) It leads to cheerful trust in all trials, and thus sweetens the bitter draughts of life.
(5.) It inspires with hope in emergencies, and thus enables the believer to meet unforeseen exigencies with all his resources of mind and faith at hand, confident, buoyant, and if possible conquering.
(6.) It imparts a patience that outlasts adversities, a fortitude that yields to no disaster, and a confidence that emerges unscathed from all furnaces of trial.
VII. Literature. — We cite in alphabetical order a portion only of the very numerous works extant on this subject : Aquinas, Summa Theol. p. i, q. 15, art. iii ; Backerus, De Dei Providentia circa Mat. ; Bairus, De Prov. Dei circa Peccata Hominum; Beza, Be Pro v. Dei circa Res Temporales ; Bormann, Lehre der I orsi hung ; the same, Betrachtungen iiber die n-ichtigsten ]\'arh< itai der Religion; Chrysostom, De Providentia Dei; Clem- ent, Strom, vi. 17, p. 821 sq. ; De Mare'e, Gottesverihei- digung iiber die Zulassung des Bosen ; De Yries, Kxerci- tationes Rationales; Feldmami, Moira oder iiber die giitt- liche Vorsehung; Fur Anbeter Gottes (Lond. 1780); Go- mari Conciliatio Doct. Orthodora- de Procidentia ; Hugo of St. Victor, De. Sacram. c. 19-21 ; Jacobi, Betrachtun- gen iiher die weisen Absichten Gottes; J erome, Comment. in A bacuc, c. 1 ; Junilius, De Partibus Legis Divince, bk. ii, c. 3 sq. ; Kiippen, Die Bibel ein Werh der gijttlichen Weisheit; Lactantius, De Via Dei, c. 13; the same, De Opificio Dei,vel Formatiome Hominis, c. 5-17 ; Leibnitz, Essais ele Theodic.ee; Martinii Com. de Gubernaiione Mundi; Midler, Briefe iiber das Studivm der Wissen- schaften, besonders <l, r Gi.schichie (Zurich, 1798) ; Neme- sius, De Naiura Hominis, c. 42 sq. ; Plutarch, De Sera Numinis Yindicta ; Rechenbergius, De Prov. Dei circa Minima: Salvianus Massiliensis, De Gubernatione Dei sire de Prov.; Sanders, Ueber die Vorsehung ; Schrockh, Disp. Historica circa Proridcntiam Divinam, quando et quam. dare loquatur (Vitembergaj, 1776) ; Seneca, -De Providt utia, De Benefciis ; Theodoret, Sermones de Pro- videntia; Turrettini Dissertation.es, diss. 4, 5, 6 ; Twisse, Vmdicatio Providentim Dei; Yiret, De la Providence : Weismannus, De Prov. Dei contra Malum; Zollikofer, Betrachtungen iiber das Uebel in der Welt. (S. H. P.)
Providence, Nuns of, a community of young women at Paris, established about the year 1617 by Madame Polaillon for the reception of poor virgins who might otherwise be exposed, through poverty, to the temptations of the world. This pious lady, having formed the design, was discouraged from prosecuting it by several persons, who represented to her that she had not a fund sufficient to carry it on ; to whom she replied that Providence should be her fund; and accordingly, having succeeded in her undertaking, she gave to her community the name of The Nuns of Providence.
Province, properly an outlying portion of an ex- tended empire, such as the Persian or Roman. It is not intended here to do more than indicate the points of con- tact which this word presents with Biblical history and literature.
1. (ni"1*!"^, medindh ; Sept. %(<jpa ; Vulg. provincial) In the Old Test, this term first appears in connection with the wars between Ahab and Ben-hadad (1 Kings xx, 14, 15, 19). The victory of the former was gained chiefly " by the young men of the princes of the prov- inces," i. e. probably of the chiefs of tribes in the Gilead
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country, recognising the supremacy of Ahab, and hav- meets us as asserted by Paul (xxv, 11). In the council