[Footnote B: I John iii:4.]
[Footnote C: Doc. & Cov., Sec. 130.]
[Footnote D: Deut. xiv:17.]
[Footnote E: II Sam. xiv:14.]
[Footnote F: Rom. ii:10, 11.]
[Footnote G: I Peter i:17.]
"The collision of suns may have produced nebulae and these nebulae in turn may gradually develop themselves into suns again. It seems reasonably certain that nebulae are the stuff from which the stars are made" ("Science-History of the Universe," Vol. I; "Astronomy," p. 318).]
5. Sense of Security Under a Reign of Law: So here men stand under the reign of Law, before God. No one may hope to escape the penalty due to violation of law through favor; no one will fall under the condemnation of the law-through lack of favor with God, by reason of capriciousness in him, much less through vindictiveness, which is unthinkable in God. God will make no infraction of the law, in the interests of supposed favorites; such "blessings," whether in the providing of permanent opportunities for individuals, families, or races, as may reach through the apparent complexity of things to men; or occasional blessings such as seem to come to some individuals as special acts of providence; all will come in accordance with the laws upon which such blessings were predicated before the foundations of the world were laid; and this notwithstanding inequalities and diversity of fortunes and misfortunes that exist among individuals, families, nations, races of men. Underneath all the diversities and equalities that exist, so difficult to account for in some of their aspects, there law is operating despite all seeming incongruities; and out of all these diversities and complexities of experiences, at the last will come justice—God's justice; and men will be satisfied that it is so.
Meanwhile this reign of law, with all its inexorableness—nay, rather because of it—present and operating as well in disintegrating as in integrating processes; present in the manifestations of mercy and "special acts of providence," as in manifestations of severity in the moral and spiritual world; how splendid it all is! How satisfying! What assurance, what confidence it gives! No wonder that John Fiske, remarking upon the idea of the reign of law, said: "So beautiful is all this orderly coherence, so satisfying to some of our intellectual needs, that many minds are inclined to doubt if anything more can be said of the universe than that it is a 'Reign of Law,' an endless aggregate of coexistences and sequences."
But the deeper and truer view of things will be, not to accept this "reign of law" as God; nor mistake it for Deity—for mistake it would be if confounded with God. Let the reign of law be conceived rather as the means through which God is working to the achievement of his high purposes—God in the world, and working through law;[A] God, the administrative Power in the reign of law.