Chance, No Such Thing as
Illustration★★It is strictly and philosophically true in nature and reason, that there is no such thing as chance or accident; it being evident that these words do not signify anything really existing, anything that is truly an agent or the cause of any event; but they signify merely men’s ignorance of the real and immediate cause. Dr. Adam Clarke. 7020.
CHANCE, Providence not, A sailor, on going to sea, said to his religious brother: “Tom, you talk a great deal about religion, and Providence, and if I should be wrecked, and a ship was to heave in sight and take me off, I suppose you would call it a merciful Providence. It’s all very well, but I believe no such thing—these things happen, like other things, by mere chance, and yon call it Providence, that’s alll’ He went upon his voyage, and his hypothesis was soon literally true; he was wrecked, and remained upon the wreck three days, when a ship appeared, and, seeing their signal of distress, came to their relief.
He returned, and in relating it, said to his brother, ‘Oh, Tom, when that ship hove in sight, my words to you came in a moment into my mind—it was like a bolt of thunder: I have never got ridof it; and now I think it no more than an act of common gratitude to give myself up to God who pitied and saved me.”
The point
A sailor who mocked belief in providence is later rescued from a shipwreck and admits it was no mere chance but God's mercy.