The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 51

18.) For not only has Christ been Creator, not only has he been and is the Preserver ?f the sy_stem, but he has also ?,Oen constih1~ Head of a. special class of beings, united rn what 1s called the Church. Many ot his creatures do not recognize either him or )1is relations to t.be universe. They a.et &s if he were not, and hiR control of them is without their leave a~d ill: spite oft<'ntimes of thP.ir opposition. Dut others hl\ppily h:n-e come to recognize him as Lord of all, a.nd consequently of themselves as well, Tielievers in him, adorers of him, they have learned to look on life as simply a longer or ~horter opportunity of doing his will or of suffering" his good pleasure." And ns Christ comes into tenderer 11nd closer relations to the believers of the world than he can come iut-0 towards the unbelievers, be is as closely bound to his believin"' people as the ruling and sovereign •·head" is to the subject and obedient" mem~rs "of the one body. And this headship of Christ is a re,elatiou unt-0 men of the mind of God. Of course, in this case, as in the previous cases, there is only an approximation to the understandin~ of God's mind and will as thus revealed. Dut we are progressing steadily towards the ideal of perfect light and perfect submission. 'l'he Churches may but imperfectly grasp what God in Christ means; they may be very wayward a.nd arbitrary in many of their interpretations; but the desire t-0 know and obey Christ brings them along the line of pri,ilege and duty with increasing appreciation and success. re h, CHRIST'S BECONCILUTION OF ALL THINGS U:STO GOD HE FURTHER REVEALS TO THE m.'IVEBSE TITE Mn.-» OF Go». (Vers.18-20.) Now, just as philosophy is the reduction of the multiform in fact to the uniform iu idea, so is there in the system administered by Christ provision made for the reconciliation of all thincrs to the Supreme, that the unity of all things may be the last thought of God. This is the meaning of the cross and the blood shed upon it, and all the redemptive system which centres around it. This is the purpose of Christ's resurrection to immortal life the first, that, as t!Je pre-eminent One, he might gather in his embrace a reconciled universe and lay it at the Father's feet. Of course, the prerogative of creaturely freedom is such a.s to refuse the reconciliation and to crystallize into hostility in some sad cases. It would be contrary to the Divine plan t-0 force the will and ride rough-shod over the deter- minations of the create.re. Some consequently, it would seem, are t-0 be allowed to take their own course and remain incorrigible ; yet in the unifying idea of God their discord, as in the music of the great masters, will be made t-0 contribute to and to emphasize the general harmony. Meanwhile, how grand the idea is of the unity of all things! Surely we should not allow ourselves to conflict consciously with it in our dealings with men. We should back it np as the goal and far-off Divine event to which all things are made to move. The blood of the crosa cries really for the reconciliation of the universe to God.-R. M. E. Vers. 21-29.-771e indwelling <Jh:rut the believer's Hope of glory. The apostle now passes from the general idea of the reconciliation in Christ of all things, t-0 its particular application to the Colossians. We may allow the idea, by its very vastness and grandeur, to Lecome indefinite. We need, therefore, to see its application t-0 the individual soul. Paul consequently briD"'S the reconciliation home to every heart. And here we notice-- L THE Cor.ossuNs' ;ATUBAL STATE. (Yer. 21.) '!'hey were" alienated," and the alienation passed itito downright enmity, which manifested itself in "wicked works." Not only were they alienated from God, but from one another and even from them- ael ves. For sin is such a separating power that it not only cuts us off from God and from our fellow-men, but aleo from ourselves, so that we are divided and dissipated in the faculties and energies of our souls. Hence we find ourselves incurring, not only the Divine anger and the anger of our fellows, but we become angry with ourselves. It will be seen therefore, that the rP.Conciliation needed is a very wide one. IL 'IHEI~ GRACIOUS BEOONCILIATION. (Vers. 22-2i.) 'l'he reconciliation bas been brought about at no less a cost than the death of the Son of God. It must be precious. Alld now we are to notice how real it is. For just as the alienation and enmity have beelt towards God and men and self, so the reconciliation brings us into unity with God, unity with men, and unity with self. We are reconciled t-0 God; we are reconciled to our fellow-men; we are n,couciled to ourselves. 'l'his is secured by Christ's indwelling, so t1at he becomes our Hope of glory (ver. 27) and the Source of that holiness and bla:n..,ekssnei!il which are the characterii;tics of redeemed men. Let us look at this  OU, I, l-2U.J 'l'JIE EPISTLE 'l'O 'l'HE COLOSSIANS. 15