A Fourth Consideration

Consider the way of God towards all creatures. God carries on all creatures in a vicissitude of several conditions. As thus, we have not always summer, but winter succeeds summer. We have not always day, but day and night. We have not always fair weather, but fair and foul. The vegetative creatures do not always flourish, but the sap is in the root and they seem as if they were dead. There is a vicissitude of all things in the world. The Sun does not shine always to us here, but there is darkness comes after light. Now seeing God has so ordered things with all creatures that there is a mixture of conditions, why should we think it much that there should be a vicissitude of conditions with us, sometimes in a way of prosperity, and sometimes in a way of affliction?

Consider how God deals with all created things. He carries all creatures through an alternating cycle of different conditions. We do not have summer always — winter follows summer. We do not have day always — night follows day. We do not have constant fair weather — fair and foul take turns. Plants do not always flourish — the sap retreats into the root and they appear as if dead. There is a constant alternation of conditions throughout all of creation. The sun does not shine on us without ceasing — darkness follows light. Since God has ordered all created things with this mixture of conditions, why should we be surprised that we too experience alternating seasons — sometimes prosperity, sometimes affliction?