Vers. 1-8.-The hope laid up in J,eaven. This Epi3tle, written from Rome to m~et and overmaster tlie "Colossian heresy," begins with a salutatiou somewhat similar to those at the beginning of other Epistles. There is the assertion of Paul's apostleship as direct from Christ; there is the statement of the brotherhood of Timothy, an.:l the desire that grace and peace may be the constant portion of the saints and fa.ithl'nl brethren at Uolossre. llut, having thus started, Paul immediately passes to an account of their character as he had got it from Epaphras, and how this chuactcr had been produced. He is thankful for it, and he wish~s them to remember how it had been formed within them. And here we have to notice that- I. JESUS CIIBIST IS THE OBJECT OF THE CoLOSSIANB' FAITH. (Ver. 4.) They hau. happily been led to this-to trust in the personal Saviour. It is not the promises but the Promiser; not the proposition, but the Person pled;;jug himself to the fnlfilme~t of the proposition, in whom we believe. Now, the heresy, which will appear more clearly nfterwards, made a good deal of angelic and intermediate personages; there was, in fact, a tendency to a mystic peopling of the unseen with needless forms, explanatory, as the Colossiaus supposed, of the mysteries of creation. It was important in these circum- stances to state with precision that Jesus Christ is the great Object of faith. Faith in such a Being becomes a glorious simplicity. It is a simple extension of that trust to him which we extend to our fellow-men. But his glorious personality, embracing a Divine as well as human nature, makes all the difference bet,r,;;en faith in men anu. faith in him. 'l'be latter is true saving faith. II. THE SAINTS WERE THE SPECIAL OBJECTS OF THE COLOSSIANS' LOVE. (Ver. 4.) While faith goes out to a personal Saviour, it worketh by love towards all the saints. lt'or it cannot but be that, in trusting and loving the perfect Saviour, we learn almost instinctively to love those in bis image. 'l'be saints, all the saints, are seen to have their claim upon the believe1·'s love. The love of good men is the note of a true Christian. Ill. Hl!AVEN WAS mDISPENSADLE TO THE CONSUMMATION OF TBEIB HOPE. (Ver. 5.) It is the characteristic of the Christian system to relegate a goodly portion of its promise to the world to come. It bas certainly a promise for the lifo that now is, but chiefly has it a promise for that which is to come. In heaven the hope is laid up. AnJ into this hope the Colossinns heartily entered. They looker! for more to follow- for a purity, for a power, for a perfection impossible in the present life. There is thus a faith, a love, and a hope characteristic of the saints at Colossro as well as elsewhere. IV. 'l'HIS ll0PE BAD DEEN COMMUNICATED THROUGH THE PilEACHED GOSPEL. (Vers. 6-8.) Had the Colossians not bad the gospel preached to them, they would never have entered into such glorious, heavenly hopes. 'l'he word of the gospel is fruit-bearing. It kindles the hopes of men. Everywhere it bas the same blessed effects in lifting men's hearts to heaven. It woultl seem that Epaphras bad been the iustrument in thu Lord's hand in evangelizing the Colossiaus. He had, as a faithful minister of Christ, preached the Word to them, and they had received it and become the loving disciples he represented them to be in bis report to Paul. "Love in the Spirit" was the leaJing ide,\ in their lives, All this was matter for profound gratitude to God, and so the apostl.i pours out his thanksgiving to God the Father (ver. 3) because of it. In such circum- stances it surely becomes us to see that we rise on tbe wings of hope to heaven and apprecio.te the glorious consummation which there awaits us. We need such a hope to complete the demands of our immortal being. We cannot be satisfied with the seen, with the present life, with the present world; we must have more. And this tho gospel gives us in that hope which is laid up for us in lieaven.-R. M. E.
Vere. 9-14.-The_kingdom of God's dear Son. From the thanksgiving presenteu. because of the faith, hope, nnd love of the Colossil\us, Paul next proceeds to inter- THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [cu. 1. 1-20.