The Pulpit Commentary — James — Section 21

is supreme. But especially he is the Author of all spiritual blessings-every good gift of grace, and every perfect boon of glory. Jesus Christ came down from heaven, The Holy Spirit is from above. Ministering angels descend the stairway" whoso top reacheth t-0 heaven." The regenerated are born from above (ver. 18; John iii. 3). The gracos of t~e new life are fro~ God; e.g. wisdom, to bear trials (ver. 6); single-mindedness, to nse above outward mrcumstances (ver. 8); steadfast endurance of temptation (ver, 12), And, at last, "the holy city, new Jerusalem, shall come down out of heaven from God." It is impossible, then, that God, the universal Benefactor, can be in any way responsible for a man's sin. lI. CoNsrnER ms WORKS. He is " the Father of the lights." What a splendid title! :tnd how snJ!:gestive of the purity of God I He is Light in his own nature, and he is Light in all his relations to the universe. He made the starry lij!:hts-to which, indeed, the expression seems primarily to refer. He is the Author of all intellectual and spiritual illumination-all Urim and Thummim, "lights and perfections." "The first creature of God in the works of the days was the light of the sense; the la.et was the light of reason; and his sa.bba.th work ever since is the illumination of his Spirit" (Lord Bacon). Thus Jesus Christ, as Mediator, is "the Light of the world;" and, in relation to the absolute God whom he reveals, he is "Light of light." His people, again, are "children of light;" they reflect the lustre of the Sun of righteousness. In God " is no darkness at all;" but sin is darkness, so it cannot proceed from him. He is only "the Father of the lights." ill. CoNSIDEB ms NA.TUBE. The expr~ons in the last two clauses have almost an astronomical savour. They have evidently been suggested by the mention of the upper starry lights. The thought which they present is that, while God is the Creator of sun, moon, and stars, he is not subject, like them, to revolutions and mutations. " With him can be no variation;" literally," par.illax." Parallax, in astronomy,denotes the apparent displacement of a star from its true position; but with "the Father of the lights" there can be no parallax, no real change of place or purpose. "God is always in the meridian." The shadow of the Almighty is not "cast by turning." Astronomy treats of the revolu- tions and eclipses of the heavenly bodies; while piety reposes upon the unchangeable- ness of the eternal Light. Being in his own nature immutable, God will be " bounteous still to give us only good." He never has been, nor could be, the author of sin. LEssoxs. L Be grateful for God's gifts. 2. Admire his works. 3. Rejoice in his faithfulness. 4. See that these sentiments fructify in holiness of life.-O. J. Ver. 17.-" The Father of the lights:" a sermon to children. Light is"one of the most wonderful things in the world. Some heathen nations have been worshippers of fire or of the sun ; but we should be thankful that we know better than they. Our souls want a living, loving God; and the sun does not love or live. We worship, not light, but" the Father of the lights." Let us think of some of the lights of which God is the Father. I. SUN-LIGHT. The sun is a great work of God. It is adorned like a "bridegroom," and it is strong like a " giant." Our whole world, and many others, get all their light from it. The moon takes the sun's place during night; but its light is just sun- light second-hand. Star-light, too, is sun-light, for all the twinkling stars are suns. Now, God made all these upper lights. He made also all light.and fire which man has on earth. Every coal-field is just so much "sown" light. Every lump of coal is full of bottled sunshine. Man may strike a light, but only God is its Father. IL LIFE-LIGHT. The light of life is a higher kind of light than sun-light, and it a.Lio comes from God. We see it: 1. In plants. What makes a flower so beautiful? It is the light of life. The eye of the daisy-the "day's eye "-is bright with this light. 2. In ar.imals. Life-light makes the birds sing and the lambs gambol, and fills the air with the buzz of insect gladness. The lion is the king of beasts so long-as he has the li"ht of life, but" a living dog is better than a dead lion." 3. In man. In him this ll°"ht is of a more precious kind, which shall burn on for ever. "The soul that ri.i;es with us our life's star," shall never set. It shall blaze on after the great lights of heaven shall have been put out. 4. In angels. Every angel is "a flame of fire.'' 'J'hc,i;e who stand before God's throne are the brightest; they are the seraphim, the shi11iag ones. The angels are "the morning stars," and God is their Father. Oil, I, 1-27.] 'fl:IE GENERAL EPI::11.'LE Ob' J AME:1,