Bavinck-ian Treasures

One positive about recovering from surgery is that I finally finished the second of four volumes of Herman Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics.  Here are some quote-worthy tidbits from his final chapter on Providence.

With chance there would be variety without uniformity, with fate there would be uniformity without variety; but variety in uniformity is the demonstration of primal design and the seal of the creative mind.  In the world as it exists, there is infinite variety and amazing uniformity. (p. 599)

Pantheism knows of no distinction between the being of God and the being of the world and --idealistically-- lets the world be swallowed up in God or -- materialistically-- lets God be swallowed up in the world. (p. 599)

A Deist is a person who in his short life has not found the time to become an atheist. (p. 603)

If God does not do anything, then nothing exists and nothing happens. (p. 606)

One who so preserves things that he not only, by his will and being, sustains existent beings but also even their powers and effects, is absolutely sovereign: a true king. (p. 615)

All sovereignty on earth is derivative, temporary, and limited, and in the case of abuse, more a curse than a blessing.  But God is king in the absolute and true sense.  The government of the universe is not democratic, nor aristocratic, nor republican, nor constitutional, but monarchical.  To God belongs the one undivided legislative, judicial, and executive power.  His sovereignty is original, eternal, unlimited, abundant in blessing. (p. 616)

For the providence of God encompasses all things, not only the good but also sin and suffering, sorrow and death.  For if these realities were removed from God's guidance, then what in the world would there be left for him to rule?  God's providence is manifest not only, nor primarily, in the extraordinary events of life and in miracles but equally as much in the stable order of nature and the ordinary occurrences of daily life.  What an impoverished faith it would be if it saw God's hand and counsel from afar in a few momentous events but did not discern it in a person's own life and lot?  It leads all these things toward their final goal, not against but agreeably to their nature, not apart from but through the regular means; for what power would there be in a faith that recommended stoical indifference or fatalistic acquiescence as true godliness?  But so, as the almighty and everywhere present power of God, it makes us grateful when things go well and patient when things go against us, prompts us to rest with childlike submission in the guidance of the Lord and at the same time arouses us from our inertia to the highest levels of activity.  In all circumstances of life, it gives us good confidence in our faithful God and Father that he will provide what we need for body and soul and that he will turn to our good whatever adversity he sends us in this sad world, since he is able to do this as almighty God and desires to do this as a faithful Father. (p. 619)