Henceforth it is only by troubling the waters of Nature, by suspending the operation of its laws, by turning its order into confusion, by producing _supernatural_ phenomena, or "miracles" as they are vulgarly called, that God can announce his presence to Man.
The question of the miraculous is one into which we need not enter.
Let us assume that God can somehow or other come to Man, and that Man can somehow or other recognise God's presence and interpret his speech.

We have now to ask ourselves one vital question.

With what purpose does God visit the world which has forfeited his favour, and what does he propose to do for ruined Nature and fallen Man?
For Nature, nothing.

For Man, to provide a way of escape from Nature.
The dualism of popular thought must needs control the very efforts that men make to deliver themselves from its consequences.

The irremediable corruption of Man's _nature_ is the assumption on which the whole scheme of salvation is to be hinged.