roconcili11tion through 11tonement and indwelling. 1. We are reconciled to God by it. The Divine hatred to sin found fitUng outlet in the cross of Jesus, and in consequence Ohrist's Spirit comes and dwells in the believer as the Source and Fountain of a holy character. 'l'he inspired, Christ-inhabited soul becomes the object of restored fellow~hip ond complacency; God looks down in love, and he and man are one. 2. \Ve :1rc reconciled to our fellow-men by it, 'l'he indwelling Christ leads us to peace-makinf{, and we refuse to continue at war with those around us. \Ve rather rejoice in thu assurance thnt the atonement and inspiration of Christ are intended to bring abo11t peace and concord among men. 3. \Ve are reconciled to ourselves by it. For in si11, as we have seen, we are divided and dissipated; but grace comes and we are united fo fear God's Name. We doubtless battle with our sins, but we realize that this is tho way to regain our truCJ selves and put internal discord away. III. 'l'HEm EXPECTED PERSEVERANCE AND PERFECTION. (Vers. 23-28.) This faith in Christ, this body of truth through which we have been brought into such intimate relations to Christ, is that in which we are grounded and settle<l. We expect to con- tinue therein, and this is the meaning of our perseverance. Now, if Christ dwells within us by his Spirit, our progress is assured through his inspiration, and perfection in him is the goal we are to reach at last. This perfection which Paul aims at for the Colos- sians is not the imputed perfection which" completeness in him" implies, but the per- fection of sanctification which his inspiration secures in due season. Only thus are we brought into complete harmony with the universe of God. IV. THE APOSTLE'S PAINFUL MINISTRY IN SECURING THIS, (Vers. 24--29.) As the minister or servant of the Colossian Church, he had taken "pains " to instruct them properly. In this respect every good and noble work is painful; unless we take pains we cannot do it well. But over and above this, Paul was called upon to suffer special trials. He was a prisoner at this time at Rome. He was a suffering member in Christ's mystical body. Now, one member often suffers in the interests of other members. The atouement of Christ was the suffering of the Head in the'interests of all the members. In this none of the members can have any share. But Christ's afflictions had a wiuer meaning than simply atonement. He was perfected in experience by them, so as to be sympathetic in a degree impossible otherwise. In this department Paul could have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings (Phil. iii. 10). Now, the Colossiaos profited hy Paul's sufferings for them at Rome. All his pain, all his agonizings for them, all the devotedness of spirit he had manifesteu. for them durin!; many years, went to make up the needful basis for their spiritual progress. If he had not suffered as be did, he could not have composed these Epistles of the captivity. 'l'o this painful mini,try all earnest souls are called. It is part of our heritage, and the experiences found within it are altogether glorious.-R. M. E.
Vere. 1, 2.-Address and salutation. It is common to compare the Epistle to thCJ Colossians with the Epistle to the Ephesians. Written about the same time (both conveyed by 'l'ychicus), there are many coincidences in thought. But there is this difference--that the thought in this EpistlCJ does not centre round the Clmrch of Christ (the word occurs only twice, as compared with nine times in the Epistle to the Ephe- sians), but round the Person of Christ. '!'here is also this difference--that this Epistle has not the catholic form of the Epistle to the Ephesians, but has a certain controver- sial form, with reference to the peculiar state of the Colossian Church. In order to understand the Colossian heresy, it is necessary to bear in mind that the type of religion to which the Eastern mind was inclined was mysticism. One feature was the belief in a'good and a bad principle (Isaiah refers to them as light and darkness), the latter having its abode in matter. Another feature is the postulation of emanations, or intermediate agencies bCJtween heaven and earth. 'l'his mysticism seems to have had congenial soil in Phrygia, to which Colos."18 belonged. It had an ascetic side (com- munication with matter being to be oschowe<l), an<l, readily combining with Judaism, it formed Essenism. In the Galatian Churches it was Judnism that was strngglin,:; to modify Christianity. In the Colossiau Church it was rather this Essenism that was tLe modifying elemeut.. The modification of Christianity by Eastern philosophy (its fir.ding a place for redemption and the Person of Christ) was afterw.ird known as Gnosticism. L ADDREBB. 1. The writers. "Paul." He is the principal miter. The thou.;lit 46 THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [err. 1. 1-29.