Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

^5. Let us not, because human affairs seem to be in disorder, fancy that there is no governance of human affairs. For all men are ordered in their proper places; but to every man it seems as though they have no order. Look only to what you would wish to be; for as you shall wish to be, the Master knows where to place you. Look at a painter. Before him are placed various colours, and he knows where to set each colour on. Questionless the sinner has chosen to be the black colour; does not then the Artist know where to place him? How many parts does the painter finish off with the colour of black? How many ornaments does he make of it? With it he makes the hair, the beard, the eye-brows; he makes the face of white only. Look then to that which you would wish to be; take no care where He may order you who cannot err, He knows where to place you. For so we see it happen by the common laws of the world. Some man, for instance, has chosen to be a house-breaker: the law of the judge knows that he has acted contrary to the law: the law of the judge knows where to place him; and orders him most properly. He indeed has lived evilly; but not evilly has the law ordered him. From a house-breaker he will be sentenced to the mines; from the labour of such how great works are constructed? That condemned man's punishment is the city's ornament. So then God knows where to place you. Do not think that you are disturbing the counsel of God, if you are minded to be disorderly. Does not He who knew how to create, know how to order you? Good were it for you to strive for this, to be set in a good place. What was said of Judas by the Apostle? “He went unto his own place.” By the operation of course of Divine Providence, because by an evil will he chose to be evil, but God did not by ordering evil make it. But because that evil man himself chose to be a sinner, he did what he would, and suffered what he would not. In that he did what he would, his sin is discovered; in that he suffered what he would not, the order of God is praised.