The fulness that is in Christ is treasured up in him for usc, that we may receive out of it accord- ing to our necessities. As he came down from hea- ven to purchase for us all the gifts of the Spirit, so he has ascended up to heaven that he might bestow them upon usd, and fill us, each according to his measure, with all the fulness of Gode. Hence pre- vious to his death he said, " Ye believe in God ; believe also in mef:" let that same faith which you repose in God the Father as your Creator, he reposed in me as your Redeemer : let it be full, and implicit : let it extend to every want : let it be firm and un- shaken, under all circumstances however difficult, however adverse.
Such was our Lord's direction : and agreeable to it was the experience of the great Apostle, who says, " The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for meg."
It is characteristic of every Christian soldier to re- ceive thus out of Christ's fulness11 ; and to say, " In the Lord have I righteousness and strength1."
But the principal point which the Apostle aims at in the text, is, to inspire us with a holy confidence in Christ, so that we may be as much assured of victory as if we saw all our enemies fleeing before us, or already prostrate at our feet. We cannot have a more striking illustration of our duty in this respect than the history of David's combat with Goliath. He would not go against his adversary with armour suited to the occasion : he went forth in the name of the God of Israel ; and therefore he did not doubt one moment the issue of the contest : he well knew that God could direct his aim ; and that he was as sure of victory without any other arms than a sling and a stone from his shepherd's bag, as he could be with the completest armour that Saul himself could
• Col. i. 19. Eph. i. 22, 23. d Eph. iv. 10.
e Eph. iii. 19. and iv. 7. f John xiv. 1.
k Gal. ii. 20. '• John i. 16. s Isai. xlv. 24.