depicts hope ae ltinclling faith and love. (1) The faith is Christ-ccntml. "In Christ Jesus." (2) The love is practical, It clistributes "to tho necessities of saints." (8) The hope is secure. It is stored up-" laid up in he11ven." So it is a.hove fire anrl. flood and all destructive forces. 2. For the means by which these possessions had been obtained. For: (1) The go.ipel;" Word of truth," etc. He rejoices in its reality-" Word of truth;" universality-" whole world;" and in its fertility. He shows not only its vitality, but its inherent reproductiveness. It "multiplies itself again." (2) The preacher. He_ thanks God, not only for their possessions, and the means by which they had been ncqmred; but: 3. For the source and sphere of their possession. "Love is its spirit." Love is the life of the saints.-U. H. 'l'. Vera. 9-14.-The apostolic prayer. The maxims of the Church ns well as those of the world often throw a glamour round much that is worthless-a glamour that stirs our desire of possession. But neither the world nor a worldly Church can teach us what is really worth aiming at, struggling after, praying for. A man like Paul can. What he asks for it must be good to have. His prayer may well guide us. We ought to wish for what he sought for Christians; and, more than that, we are encouraged to hope for it. He prays- I. 'fHAT THEm KNOWLEDGE MAY mcnEASE. Partly because of the error by which many of the Colossian Church were being misled, but also because increase of knowledge is good for any Church, Paul here says he prays for it, and even at times afterwards urges it on them. No Greek had more veneration for the blue-eyed Athena, no Roman for wondrously equipped Minerva, than Paul had for knowledge. There are three expressions here to describe this knowledge, expressions that are very often used in combination both in the Old and New Testaments. They describe, generally, the science, the philosophy, and the art of religion. 1. Knowledge, which in the Greek is not the simple word for knowledge, but intensified, large, and thorough knowledge. In this case full acquaintance with the Law of God, the precepts of Christ, the doctrine of the apostles, which is essential as a beginning, a basis of Christian culture, but is only a beginning and a basis. 2. Wisdom, which is higher than knowledge and includes both knowledge and understanding. It is not mere additional information, the acquaintance with moro facts, or even more laws, or even more principles. Wisdom is digested knowledge, knowledge wrought into a system; or, as Cardinal Newman well puts it, "reason exercised upon knowledge." In this case it is the calm comprehensive view of the information attained-information about God's Law, Christ's precepts, the apostle's doctrine. 3. Spiritual understanding, using a word that denotes the application of knowledge to detail, following its processes as applied to daily life and separate actions. It means a keen, quick understanding of the bearing of God's will on aU their conduct, all their conversation, all their life. Such a knowledge, with wisdom and understanding, would not only save the Colossians, but save us. It is, thank God, a wisdom recorded for us in Scripture, incarnate in Jesus, interpreted by the Holy Spirit. But we must acquire it. Is half an hour a day too much to give? Is earnest study too much? Is persistent prayer too much? " Wisdom is the principal thing ; . , . with all thy getting get understanding." II. '1.'hat, as the result of their knowledge, THEIR CHARACTER MAY RIPEN. This we should expect from prayer for knowledge of the will of God; not His essence, nature, attributes, but will. Religion is not a system for speculation, but for the regufation of life. What the apostle here taught, viz. that the end of all knowledge is conduct, Jesus Christ mado gloriously clear in his words," If ye know these things, happy are ye if yo do them." No more than you would be satisfied if your vines year after year only "made wood," or your apple trees simply grew in height and in far-reaching branches, would St. Paul or Christ, the great Husbandman himself, have been satisfied if there had been only mental growth, intellectual growth-" cultllfe," as tho modern phrase is- in this or any Church, Hence his prayer seeks blessing for character; he looks, as you on the vine, for clusters of the grape-for fruit.. In the description of character the apostle prays for, we notice: 1. A walking worthily of the Lord. A walk, a progress, an ac~ivity, worthy of tho follower of him who "bas left us an example that we should follow in his steps." 2. An increasing knowledge of God. So knowledge recurs, and this time it is more than a knowledge of God's will; it is a knowledge of God himself. THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [cH. r. 1-29.
This i~ n rcs11lt; of such_ ~nlking, such con<lnct. Obedience is the organ of spiritual knowlrd,:o. "e are d1vmcly 11ssured thnt they who" do the will diall know of the <loclrine." 3. TTie being ~trrm:gthened with all might I\Ccording to the power of his t:lory: . Inner strength, producing ~~t onlr endurnMe, but gentle patience in sorrow. 4. G1v111g thanks to the Father. lhus life shall have e. glow on it a music in it. Praying that their life may have this glow, this music, "with joyfuln~ss," the apostle is led to rccnll the rcnsous for their profound joy. (1) Meetness for blessedness: "Mado us rncet to he partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." (2) Deliverance from tryanny: "Delivered us from the 11owcr of <la.rkness." (3) Settlement in liberty nnd lwnour: "Translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." And all this is throucrh Cb_rist, onr !'l,ansom, our Rescuer; but now not a victo~ rescuing by force of nrm, but° a pl11lanthrop1st by payment of ransom. Thus Paul strikes the key-note of his messa"e to Colossre---Jcsu~ Chr:ist the King of the_ kingdom in which Christians already ar~; the Source of their deliverance from the gwlt and from the power of sin; Jesu1:1 Christ the Fulness, the Plenitude of God's presence and grace.-U. R. 'l'.