Thirdly, though miracles do not show God's changelessness in the same manner as the unchanging course of nature, they are not inconsistent with it. For no one supposes them to be _after-thoughts_ with God, but to have been planned from the very beginning. And if God always intended to make a revelation to man, and always intended that when He did so, He would confirm it by miracles, they would involve no inconsistency or change on His part. Fourthly, there may be some _other_ attributes of God which miracles show, and which the ordinary course of nature does not; such as His superiority over nature itself on the one hand, and the interest He takes in man on the other. One object of a revelation might be to convince man that though God was the Ruler of the Universe, He yet cared for man's happiness and valued his affections. And how could such a revelation _as this_, be better confirmed than by an (apparent) interference with nature for the benefit of man. For this would show, as nothing else could show, both that there was a Being _above_ nature, and that He cared for man _more_ than He cared for nature. And it entirely agrees with what we decided in the last chapter, that the whole of nature seems to be only a means to an end, the end being the moral training of man, enabling, that is, a free man to become a _righteous_ man. And if so, it is out of the question to think that _in order to further this end_--the very end for which nature itself exists--God might not, if He thought fit, interfere with the course of nature. We may therefore answer the objection in one sentence, God is _All-Good_, as well as All-Wise, and All-Powerful; and His Goodness might induce Him to use miracles, though by His Wisdom and Power He might have dispensed with them. We may now sum up the present argument. We showed that miracles are credible both as _marvels_ and as _special works of God_, if it be credible that they were brought about as _signs to confirm a revelation_. And we have now shown that, supposing God to make a revelation, which we have already admitted, there is nothing inconsistent with His character as far as we know it, and therefore nothing in the slightest degree incredible, in His using such signs, as one of the means of confirming its truth. On the whole, then, we conclude that a Miraculous Revelation is certainly _credible_. Whether one has ever been made will be discussed in the following chapters. PART II. _THE JEWISH RELIGION._ CHAP. VIII. THAT THE ACCOUNT OF THE CREATION WAS DIVINELY REVEALED. " IX. THAT ITS ORIGIN WAS CONFIRMED BY MIRACLES. " X. THAT ITS HISTORY WAS CONFIRMED BY MIRACLES. " XI. THAT ITS HISTORY WAS ALSO CONFIRMED BY PROPHECIES. " XII. THAT THE JEWISH RELIGION IS PROBABLY TRUE. CHAPTER VIII. THAT THE ACCOUNT OF THE CREATION WAS DIVINELY REVEALED. (_A._) ITS GENERAL PRINCIPLES.