It is a law of the Divine Providence that a man should not perceive and feel anything of the operation of the Divine Providence, but yet should know and acknowledge it. If a man perceived and felt the operation of the Divine Providence, he would not act from liberty according to reason, nor would anything appear to him as his own. It would also be the same if he foreknew events. “The reason why it is not granted man to foreknow events, is, that he may be able to act from liberty according to reason; also, that there is nothing that a man revolves in his reason which is not from a desire that it may come into effect by thought. If, therefore, he knew the effect or event from divine prediction, reason would become quiescent, and with reason love; for love, with reason, terminates in the effect, and from that begins anew. It is the very delight of reason, that from love in the thought it may see the effect,—not in the effect, but before it, or not in the present, but in the future. Hence a man has what is called Hope, which in reason increases and decreases, as it sees or expects the event. This delight is fulfilled in the event, but afterwards is obliterated with the thought concerning the event; and it would be the same with an event foreknown.” The whole zest of life would be dissipated could man foreknow the future. While the operation of the Divine Providence is thus veiled from man’s eyes, and it appears to him that he is alone in the world, and that on his small prudence hangs all things,—if he would be wise he must not be led by appearances, but rising above them, acknowledge the truth “that self-derived prudence is nothing, and _only appears as if it were something_, [and ought so to appear;] but that the Divine Providence in things most singular is universal.” And because our life and intelligence are momentarily derived from the Lord, it follows as a necessary consequence, that all which we do that is orderly and effective, is done by the Lord, through our yielding ourselves to Him as His instruments.