Nov
09
2009
Divine Necessity
“Everything is necessary that [God] sends;
nothing can be necessary that he withholds.”
—John Newton
[If anyone has the source, please let us know.]
Update: Joseph Mancuso suggests it is a paraphrase of a quote from Newton’s Works, vol. 1, p. 249 (Letter XVI, “On the Inefficacy of Our Knowledge):
He chooses for his people better than they could choose for themselves.
If they are in heaviness, there is a need-be for it, and he withholds nothing from them but what, upon the whole, it is better they should be without.
Biblically, see Romans 8:32 and Psalm 84:11b.
HT: Darrin Patrick
8 Comments
Justin,
I believe this is from the Works of John Newton, specifically a Letter (Letter XVI) called “On the Inefficacy of Our Knowledge.” Most people actually paraphrase this quote from the actual which reads:
“He chooses for his people better than they could choose for themselves if they are in heaviness there is a need be for it and he withholds nothing from them but what upon the whole it is better they should be without” It’s on page 245.
http://books.google.com/books?id=BnMAAAAAMAAJ&dq=out%20of%20the%20depths%20john%20newton&pg=PA245#v=onepage&q=&f=false
Pardon me. I meant pg. 249!
I believe this is actually a quote of Augustine’s. Excuse my ignorance but i think he pre-dates Owen – yes? no? This quote is taken from Calvin’s Institutes:
“I will not hesitate, therefore, simply to confess with Augustine that the will of God is necessity, and that every thing is necessary which he has willed; just as those things will certainly happen which he has foreseen (August. de Gen. ad Lit., Lib. 6, cap. 15)
Thanks, Wesley. Yes, Augustine pre-dates Newton, Owen, etc. I think Augustine is talking about something different though (if God wills something, it will necessarily happen), while Newton is talking about what we need (God will give us everything necessary to do his will).
Blessings!
Thanks, first of all, for your gracious correction of my ‘Owen’ for ‘Newton’ mix up, and secondly for your clarification: i see what you’re saying now and they are, surely, tackling different issues.
God’s peace.
If no one knows who said it, it was none of these guys. Period. How about anon., rather than “paraphrase,” when it is nothing of the sort!
Joe,
No one is saying that they don’t know who said the quote that Justin posted; it has always been attributed to John Newton. You can disagree that the quote I found is the original version of the quote, but I don’t think it’s necessary to say that the “paraphrase,” as I put it, didn’t come from Newton.
[...] HT: Justin Taylor [...]