What do we benefit from divine providence?

First : the Alexandrian Fathers believe that the greatest benefit that results from divine providence is our enjoyment of God who dwells in us . St. Macarius the Great says, “As a wealthy maiden, betrothed to a husband, may receive ever so many presents before the marriage, ornaments, or dresses, or costly vessels, but is not satisfied until the time of the wedding comes and she is made one with him, so the soul, when it is engaged as a bride to the heavenly Bridegroom receives as a promise from the Spirit gifts of healings, it may be, or of knowledge, or of revelation, but it is not satisfied with these, until it attains the complete union, namely, charity (love), which can never change nor fail, which sets those who have longed for it free from passion and from agitation. Or as a babe that is adorned with pearls and costly clothes, when it is hungry, thinks nothing of the things that it wears, but despises them, and cares only for its nurse’s breast, how it may get the milk; so reckon it to be, I pray you, even with the spiritual gifts of God. To whom be glory for ever. Amen.”⁵³⁷

Second : the most profound expression of God’s divine providence is manifest in His Fatherhood for humanity. He seeks the hearts of His children and raises them up to His glories, that they may enjoy His eternal love. The Alexandrian Fathers expound this biblical principle thus:

St. Clement of Alexandria declares that although we are of an entirely different nature to God, He still loves us and cares for us as a Father toward His natural children. He says, “But the mercy of God is rich toward us, who are in no respect related to Him ; I say either in our essence or nature, or in the peculiar energy of our essence, but only in our being the work of His will. And him who willingly, with discipline and teaching, accepts the

535 Origen, Against Celsus 4.82 (ANF 4:534).

536 St. John Cassian, Conferences 3.12 (NPNF II/11:325–326).

537 St. Macarius the Great, Fifty Spiritual Homilies of St. Macarius the Egyptian , trans., A. J. Mason (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1921) 45.7: p. 285 amended.

knowledge of the truth, He calls to adoption, which is the greatest advancement of all .”⁵³⁸ And Pope Athanasius the Apostolic also says, “For God not only created them to be men, but called them to be sons … God is not our Father by nature, but of that Word [Logos] in us, in whom and because of whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father’ (Gal. 4:6). And so in like manner, the Father calls them sons in whomsoever He sees His own Son.”⁵³⁹

The Father sent His Only-Begotten Son to invite the believers to abide in Him through the Holy Spirit, and thus to attain adoption by the Father. This gift was previously foretold by Isaiah, saying, “And call His servants by another name” (Isa. 65:15). What is this other name except “The children of God”?

St. Clement of Alexandria says, “Rightly, then, are those called children who know Him who is God alone as their Father, who are simple, and infants, and guileless … Thus also the Father of the universe cherishes affection towards those who have fled to Him; and having begotten them again by His Spirit to the adoption as children, knows them as gentle, and loves those alone, and aids and fights for them; and therefore He bestows on them the name of child.”⁵⁴⁰ “The gnostic [one who truly knows God], consequently, in virtue of being a lover of the one true God, is the really perfect man and friend of God, and is placed in the rank of son.”⁵⁴¹

Pope Athanasius the Apostolic says, “We are sons and gods because of the Word in us, so we shall be in the Son and in the Father, and we shall be accounted to have become one in the Son and in the Father, because the Spirit is in us, the Spirit which is in the Word and the Father.”⁵⁴²