1. He is the only source of all good —
[The sun in the material world may properly be called " the father of lights," because there is no light but what pro- ceeds from him. The moon and stars only reflect the light which they receive from him. Thus is God to the whole creation the only source of light and life. There is no " good and perfect gift," but proceeds from him. In nature, all the worlds were framed by him, and every thing in them was fitted for its peculiar use, and for the benefit of the whole. In pro- vidence, every thing is ordered with unerring wisdom to sub- serve the designs of God, and to accomplish his holy will, yea, and ultimately to further the welfare of all his chosen people
In grace this appears in a still more striking point of
view. Every good disposition is formed by him in the heart of man, which, without the agency of his Spirit, would continue one entire and unaltered mass of corruption through all eter- nity. If we either will or do any thing that is good, it is in consequence of his electing love and sovereign grace3 ]
2. He is the unchanging source of all good —
[If in the communication of good he in some respects re- sembles the sun, he in other respects differs widely from it. The sun, though the fittest emblem that we have of immuta- bility in dispensing good, has yet its changes, both annual and diurnal, and at different seasons of the day and year, casts its shadows in a widely different form, according to the quarter in which it shines, and to its position in our hemisphere, as more vertical or horizontal. But not so Jehovah, the Father of all heavenly lights. There are no changes with himb. " With him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." To his believing people he is " the same yesterday, to-day, and for everc." True, his light may be intercepted by a cloud: but he himself remains the same: and let only the cloud be dispelled, and he will shine as bright as ever on the believing soul ]
Now that you may see how important this view of the Deity is, I beg you to notice, II. The errors we run into for want of duly advert- ing to it —
We err exceedingly,
1. In a way of self-vindication —
[This is the precise point to which St. James directs our attention. After saying, " Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God : for God cannot be tempted with evil ; neither tempteth he any man : but every man, when he is
a Phil. ii. 12, 13. b Mai. iii. 6. c Heb. xiii. 5, 8.
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