highest heavens1 : and look forward to the time when he, who has ascended as your Forerunner, shall come again to take you to himself, and "seat you with him upon his throne, as he sitteth on his Father's throne."]
• Col. iii. 1, 2.
Col. i. 19. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness
dwell.
IT is scarcely possible to read with attention the Epistles of St. Paul, and not to be struck with the energetic manner in which he expatiates on the glory and excellency of Christ, not merely when he pro- fessedly treats of his work and offices, but oftentimes when he only incidentally, as it were, makes mention of his name. We notice this particularly in the pas- sage before us, where he puts forth all the powers of language to exalt his character to the uttermost.
Confining our attention to the expression in the text, we shall shew,
I. What is that fulness which resides in Christ —
There is in him,
1. An essential fulness —
[Christ, though apparently a mere man, was the first cause and last end of all things, even " God over all, blessed for ever3." His people are said to be " filled with all the fulness of GWb;" but " in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead0" Men are made to enjoy all the gifts and graces of God's Spirit; and, in this sense, are "partakers of the Divine nature*1:" but Christ was really " God manifest in the fleshe." The Godhead dwelt in him, not symbolically as in the temple1, or spiritually as in usg, but truly, " hodilyh," substantially. The fulness of the Godhead was essentially his from all eternity ; nor was he any more dependent on the Father than the Father was on him : but his assumption of our nature was the result of the Father's counsels, and the fruit of the Father's love1.]
a ver. 16. with Rom. ix. 5. . t> Eph. iii. 19.
c Col. ii. 9. in this place it is not Qeov, but QeurrjTog.
d 2 Pet. i. 4. e 1 Tim. iii. 16. John i. 1, 14.
f Ps. lxxx. 1. g 2 Cor. vi. 16. h o-wpmfcwc, Col. ii. 9.
' John iii. 16. 1 John iv. 10.