Ver. 20.-'/'lie great reconcilir1tion. The world wants not only education, impro>"e- ml'nt., nncl development; it has a torer need-the necessity of forgivcnc8s, recon~,iliation to God, renewal, and restoration. It is the glory of the gospel that it recognizes this deep fact, too often ignored by philosophic schemes of life, and that it provides for it by oITering the satisfaction of the world's great need in reconciliation through Christ and his atonement, I. IT IS Goo WIIO nnrnas AD0UT TIIE GTIF:AT TIEC0XCILIATIO~. Two errors in reganl to this glorious truth are very prevalent. 1. The error of attempting to effect tl1e reconciliation for ourselves. Costly sacrifices, hard penance, prayers, and al msgi vin'.( have been resorted to, but in vain. The work is God's, not man's. The fir,t mistako is closely associated with another, viz. : 2. Tl,e error of supposing that God needs to be reconciled to us. It is commonly thought that the great work is to move God into a favourable consideration for us. But the first step in the reconciliation began with Go,!, He desired it and prepared the way for it before men took any steps towarrls realizing it. For this reason he first of all srnt his Son into the world (John iii. 16), and is now sending ambassadors and beseeching us by them to be reconciled. We began the separation, for ours WlS the offence, but God begins the reconciliation. He doe~ not need to be reconciled to us. Ho waits to be gracious. The necessary recon- cili].tion is on our side. ,vc need to be reconciled to God. 11. ALL THINGS IN EATITII AND HEAVEN ABE 'l'HE SUJlJECTS OF THE GREAT RF:CO~CILIA- TION, 1. The reconciliation i9 to be universal. It is God's good pleasure to reconcile all things. Nothing short of that complete restoration would satisfy him. If ninety and nine sheep are safe, the shepherd will not rest until he has found the hu □ dredth. Nevertheless, though this universal restitution is God's desire, there is a dark and difficult question as to how far the imperious will of man may stand out against it. 2. 'l'he reconciliation begins with things on earth. Here is the great wrong. In this life we become reconciled to God, 'fhe full success of Christ will imolve the creation of a new earth. Though the laws of nature may not be altered, yet to us the wilderness will become a garden when we become reconciled to the God of nature. 3. The recon- ciliation reaches up to things in heaven. It unites earth to heaven. Through union with God all beings and all things become united among themselves. Thus peace is established on earth, heavenly mindedness becomes a sympathetic link between the toilers aud sufferers in this world and the angels and spirits of the just in tho higher -world. III. CHRIST AND ms ATONEMENT ARE TIIE MEANS Tllr:OUGII WHICII THIS IlF.C0XCILIA- TION IS EFFECTED. 1. Christ is the Mediator in the quarrel between us aud God the Peacemaker (Eph. ii. 14), the "Days man" who lays his hand on God and on us. ''l'hc angel-mediators of Colossian Gnosticism could not do this, being neither Divine nor human. Because all fulness of the Godhead dwells in Christ, he b,tngs God to us in merciful loving-kindness; and because he is also" very Man," he, as our Representative, brings us back to Got!. 2. The sacrifice made by Christ in his death is the atouernent which accomplishes our reconciliatiou. "'l'he blood of his cross" signifies, not rnerely the fact that Christ died on the cross, but also the peculiar value of his death in the shedding of his precious blood, i.e. in the giving up of his life for us with all its wealth of purity aud love.-W. F . .A, Vera. 21-23.-0ur reconciliation. St. Paul had just been describing the great universal reconciliation. He now directs attention to the enjoyment of a share in it by himself and his readers. It is usoless to think of a grand and glorious rest0ration if we lie outside its blessings, dead and lost. Yet there is a constant danger lest we should he merely interested in the contemplation of the riches of redemption from tho outside. Especially when we are considering very large, sublime truths, we arc tempted to ignoro our own experience. It is instructive to observe that St. Paul always connects his most abstruct speculations with practical results, and descends from sonring visions of truth to personal experience. I. A PAS'!' ALIF.NATION, 'l'his was the early condition of the Colossians; it is tho condition of all of us before we are renewed in Christ. 1. The alienatiou arises out of 80 THE EPISTLE 'l'O 'l'HE COL08SIANS. [oH. I. 1-20.
,nicked works. We oannot keep our sins to ourselves. They affect our relations with God; they separate us from him. This is the worst result of them. 2. 'l'ho aliena- tion consists in the state of our minds. The deeds of the hand react on the thoughts ?[ the. hrmt. He who ?~gins. by ~reaking G?rl-'s La_w ends by separating his whola rnner life from God. 3. l he ahenat1on results m enmity to God. It cannot remnin in passive ncglecL of t.he will of God. He who is not with Christ is acrainst him. He who 0 does wicked works may think that his deeds have no relation to God; but in truth he is fighting against God. ' ' 11 A PRESENT RECONCILIATION. 1. It is accomplished at a g1·eat cost. Nothin"' less than death-the de:,.th of the Son of God-could bring it about. How stubbor~ must have been our enmity ! How great must the love of God be I How highly should we value the reconciliation which God has provided at such a fearful price! 2. It is enjoyed through our union with Christ. The reconciliation is "in the body of his flesh." As we eat his flesh, spiritually, by faith and communion, we receive the blessing of reconciliation. 3. It is a present condition. "Yet now hath l,e reconciled." Reconciliation is accomplished at once, fully, perfectly, and ungrudg- ingly, with no hints or reminders of the old sins ever again brought up. In the strength of the reconciliation we go on to the working out of the salvation that is only perfected when all sin is conquered. Ill. A FUTURE PERFECTION. Though reconciled, we are not yet presented to God. A process of preparatiou is necessary for this. 1. The reconciled must be made holy. Forgiveness is the first step; but it is not the last. Without holiness no man can see God. 'l'he whole of life should be a cleansing and purifying and preparing for the unblemished condition in which only Christ can present us to God. But the reconciliation is a necessary preliminary, on important beginning, and a constraining motive for the perfect purification. 2. We must do our part to realize the future perfection. It depends on our continuing in the faith.-W. F. A.