Nature and the Revelation of God
"Through nature to nature's God," has become a pet phrase with many. If it were true that nature as we see it is a true interpreter of its Creator, we might have reason to question His wisdom and His love. The very highest order of creation—man—is not now a lucid exposition of God. If he were, we might then accuse God of being all that man is. His vagaries, his cruelties, and his sins could then be looked upon as a reflection of the character of his Maker. But this is not true—it never has been true since the day that man sinned. It never will be true until man is again in perfect harmony with his Creator. The curse of sin has blighted nature as it has blighted the character of the one who was to have been the prince of this world. There are many beautiful things in nature; there are also many beautiful things in the souls of many men and women; but neither class exhibits the beauty it would have exhibited, if sin had not been allowed to come in with all its disfiguring effects. If we depend upon nature to lead us to God, we will be led in a very round-about way, if we are truly led toward or to Him at all. The written Word, and the Word spelled out in the living character of Jesus Christ, are the best and truest leaders—the only safe ones.