The inexorableness of law is at once both its majesty and glory; without it neither majesty nor glory could exist; neither respect nor sense of security, nor safety, nor rational faith. If the idea of the "reign of law" be set aside and there be substituted for it the reign of God by his sovereign will, independent of law, even then we must postulate such conception of the attributes of God that regularity will result from his personal government, not capriciousness, today one thing, tomorrow another. Hence one of old viewing God's government from the side of its being a direct, personal reign of God rather than a reign of God through law, wrote his message from God as follows: "I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."[A] [Footnote A: Malachi iii:6. For the notion expressed in the text that Malachi viewed God's government from the side of a personal reign, see the preceding verses of the chapter cited.] And another occupying the same point of view, said: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of light--" And then he adds immediately, "With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."[A] [Footnote A: James i:17.] _2. The Quality of Regularity of Law--How Secured:_ View the matter, then, from which standpoint you may, government of the world by the personal, sovereign will of God, or the government of God through the reign of law, the quality of regularity, that can only come of inexorableness--arising either from the quality of God's attributes, or the inherent nature of law--is necessary to a sense of security, to right mental attitude, to rational thinking and right conduct. All this becomes apparent if the matter is thought upon conversely. If a reign of law is supposed to exist and the law is not inexorable, but may be set aside, suspended, abridged, enlarged, or its penalties annulled; and these changes affected not by the operation of any fixed principle, or by some controlling higher law, but capriciously, through the interposition of some sovereign will, call it special providence or what not, then, of course, you have no reign of law at all; but the reign of a sovereign will that operates independent of law. Under such government--if, indeed, it could be called government--all would be confusion, uncertainty, perplexity, doubt, despair. Happily no such conditions exist; but instead there exists a divine government in the world, operating through a reign of law; and the virtue and value of that government arises from the inexorableness of law.