There are indeed _laws_ by which all the movements and productions and changes of the natural world are effected; but we often forget that it is God who originally ordained these laws; that they are not, in themselves, _powers_, but only the _rules_ by which His power operates: that, in fact, these rules for the direction of His power resolve themselves simply into the consistent motions of His infinite wisdom: that, as by Him everything was arranged at the beginning, so in conformity to the laws suggested by His wisdom He has been superintending and directing all things ever since—the laws themselves being, of course, subject to their all-wise framer and, both by their regular operation and their occasional wonderful diversion or suspension, subserving the great purposes of His sovereign government. Now, looking only into what is called the Book of Nature, simply making our own observations on these laws without the aid of the light of revelation, we cannot fail to discern that they are good in themselves, and that they generally operate for good. We see, indeed, that they _can_ work for evil: the nipping of the frost, the blasting of the lightning, the overwhelming of the flood, the withering of the drought—these are specimens of what power of destruction there is in God’s elements. Yet they are not their general operations; frost and electric fluid, and heat and water, and a drying sun or wind, being in themselves good agents, agents only occasionally productive of injurious results. If now from these our own discoveries we turn to what God has discovered to us in the Book of His word, we shall have all our former observations confirmed, and the reasons for the occasional evil tendency of what are called nature’s operations fully and clearly explained. Fire and hail, sun and vapour, and stormy wind fulfil His word. He maketh the winds His messengers, and flames of fire His servants. He employs ordinary agents to effect special ends. Instead of sending forth new agents to perform His will, He diverts the old ones from their usual course and makes _them_ fulfil it.