relationship permeates His attitude towards man, whether sinner or saint, and whether

under law or under the terms of the gospel.

God as Creator governs the world by absolute laws. God as the moral Governor of

moral agents governs them by contingent laws. It is, for example, an absolute law that

magnetic ore should attract a piece of iron. No one thinks of praising or rewarding the

North Magnetic Pole for always attracting the needle in the mariner's compass. Thanks

are certainly due to God Who thus endowed insensate nature with such a useful power,

but that is another thing entirely. On the other hand, we find a completely different law

at work when we turn from the mariner's compass to the mariner himself. The mariner

can either resist or obey the laws that govern his being. The moral Magnetic Pole exerts

its influence upon his conscience, but unlike the magnetic needle, he can refuse to obey.

This possibility of refusal indicates the power of choice, and is the essence of moral

responsibility. In this sphere we must admit contingency; in this sphere God can say "If

you . . . . . then I".

Should the reader ever have to do with the advocates of determinism (who deny

freedom of choice to the moral agent) he will discover that their theory is not applied in

their everyday life. If you steal their money you will not find them excusing you by

explaining that you are not responsible for your actions. In other words, the theory does

not work.

Contingency has been described as "That which is, or may be, but which might not

have been, or might be different from what it is". This element of contingency is

apparent in Gen. 2: & 3:, and is in strong contrast with the principles governing Gen. 1:

In Gen. 1: we have God dealing with creation. In Gen. 2: we have the Lord God

dealing with man. In Gen. 1:, "God said . . . . . and it was so"; it is impossible to

introduce any contingency here. When God said, "Let there be light" and, "Let the earth

bring forth", there could be but one result--"There was light" and "It was so". But when

the Lord placed man in the garden and commanded him to abstain from the tree of the

knowledge of good and evil, there was no inevitable sequence. Man was under no

compulsion either to obey or to disobey. The fact that the Lord God appended to the

commandment a warning as to the penalty that would follow its infringement makes it

clear that this is a different sphere from the sphere of Gen. 1: The mind cannot imagine

the introduction of a penalty in Gen. 1: 3 or 11.

Let it be true of us, whatever others may teach, that we come to God, believing that

"He is" and that "He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him".