The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 84

throne needs o. special training in order that he may enter upon the duties as well as the privileges of royalty. H would be useless to bequeath a library to a man who had no interest in literature, or to leave an art collection to a man of boorish tastes. The heir must be suited to the inheritance. We hear much of the acqnisition of our inheritance, o.nd some seem to think that their great task is thus to secure it for thcm- selve~. Dut we should remember that this thing is done, the kingdom won by the victory of Christ, the riches bought by his sacrifice of himself. Now, the solo requisite is that we should be ready to enter into possession. And this is a great ancl. essential requisite. An impure soul could not be admitted into heaven; but, if admitted, such a soul would find no joy there. Note: 1. God is making us meet for the great inheri- tance by the present discipline of life. 2. There are those who may be said to have been made thus ready, because, although not yet per[ect, they are new creatures and have characters and sympathies fitted for the enjoyments of the pure delights of heaven. 3. It may be remarked by the way that St. Paul knew of no purgatorial fires which were to keep Christians out of the joys of heaven for some intermediate period. !II. 'fnE REQUISITE FITNESS FOB THE CHRISTIAN 11-HERITANCE DEPENDS ON THE CHARACTER OF THAT mHEBITANCE. 1. The inheritance is in light. It lie~ in tl,e clearer realm of eternal trutli; it is characterized by the purity that excludes all. dark blots and stains of sin; it is radiant with the summer sunshine of heavenly joy. 2. Such an inheritance requires saintliness as a suitable condition of enjoyin:;; it. It is an inheritance of saints. Only those who are forgiven, cleansed, and purified can stancl. in the searching light of eternal truth; and they only can enjoy the blessings of a kingdom of holiness and find therein true gladness. Nevertheless, this is no reason for discouragement. St. Paul thanks God for accomplishing the necessary preparation. It is his work, and he will perfect it with all who trust to his grace and the power of his Spirit.-W. F . .A. Ver, 14.-Redemption. (See on Eph. i. 7.)-W. F. A. Ver. 15.-0hrist in his relations to God and to the world. This Epistle to the Colossians is conspicuous among the writings of St. Paul for its enthusiastic assertion of the supreme glory and divinity of Jesus Christ. In opposition to an incipient Gnosticism which would lose the solitary rank of the Son of God in a crowded hierarchy of angels, it exalts that rank with a.n elevation and a distinctness not to be met with in any previously written portion of the New Testament. It is impossible to read the words of the apostle impartially without seeing that he taught the full divinity and pre-existence of Jesus Christ. The old unitarianism that appealed to scriptural authority for confirmation was simply blind with prejudice. Modern unitarianism is more consistent when it rejects the ioapiration of the book which plainly contains the doctrine it repudiates. It is true that the ideas of St. Paul are expressed in accordance with the notions of his times, especially in relation to the "Logos" doctrine of .Alex- andrian philosophy, and therefore that if we interpret them into the language that fits our modern conception of things, they may appear to change their form. But however expressed, the truths taught by the great apostle concerning the Divine, pre-existent, and supreme Christ are essential to the gospel of the New Testament. I. CHRIST IN ms RELATION TO Goo. He" is the Image of the invisible God." This implies two facts. 1. Resemblance. 'l'he likeness is not external and accidental, "as one egg is like another "-the "homoiousion" of the semi-Arians. The image is pro- duced by the prototype as the seal by the die; it is "the impress of his substance," as the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews describes it (Heb. i. 3). The language of the apostle refers to the Divine nature of Christ. Dut it remains true after the ·word has been made flesh. Thus we may sec that, as at the creation man was made iu the image of God, so in the Incarnation the pcrfeetion of humanity is identical with the exact likeness of God. Christ became no less human because he was the Image of Gou, but, on the contrary, just perfectly human. Our highest conception of divinity is our ideal of manhood. 2. Expression. Christ is the Image of the invisible God. "No ruau hath seen God at auy time," etc. (John i. 18). God is invisible because he is pure spirit. No change of, pla~e and n_o chan~e of state_w!ll _eve_r _enable us to see ~od with 011.r physical eyes. 'lhe hght which sufluses the air 1s 1nv1s1ble except where 1t sh,t111:1  78 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [en, L 1-20,