V crs. 13-15.-Tlie atoneme_nt and_ i~s blessed i·esults. "And you, being dead through your tres~ssos. and t~e nncir~umc1S1on of your flesh, you, I say, did he quicken to_s:ether with lum, havmg forgiven us all our trespasses." 'l'heso words add no new thoughts to the passage, but are a more detailed explanation of the matters inv0lrcd in I h~ work of Christ in the soul. I. CONSIDER TIIE PERSONAL QUICKENING OUT OF A STATE OF DEATH AND DEFll,E:.rni-·r. 1. The condition <if all men by nature-.spiritual death, This death is viowod in I wo aspects: (1) lu r~lation to deliuite acts ?f transgression, as showing the power of sin nm!. ihe frmt of an evil nature. (2) In relation to the root of the evil-" the uncircumcision <•f your flesh;" your unsnncti6.ed, fleshly nature marked by alienation from God (see l,omiletical hints on Eph. ii. 1). 2. The quickening energy of God. "You did he q'.iickcn toge_ther with h!m." Spiritual_ death is put a~ay by the qni~kening energy ot God, which flowed mto your hearts out of the nseu life of Christ. You are brought up with him objectively in his resurrection, subjectively in his application of the power of his resurrection (see homiletical hints on Eph. ii. 1). II. CONSIDER THE GROUND AND CONDITION OF THIS QUICKENING. The pardon of &in. "Having forgiven us all our trespasses." Thus spiritual life is connected with pardon, and presupposes pardon. The sins of men must be pardoned belore life could properly enter. Our Lord could not have been quickened till we, for whom he died, "·ere potentially discharged (Rom. iv. 25). So, indeed, the quickening presupposes at once pardon, the blotting out of the handwriting, and the victory over Satan. Ill. CoNSIDER THE INDISPENSABLE .ACCOMPANIMENT OF THIS PARDON. The removal of Ilic condemning power of the Lnw. "Having blotted out the hand writing in ordinances that was ag:;inst us, which was coutrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." 1. The 'l'lature and effects of this handwriti'l'lg in O'l"dinances. (1) It is not the mere ceremonial law, though its ritual observances were symbols of deserved punishment or an acknowledgment of guilt.. We cannot limit it to this law, though the ontward observances of ver. 20 were specially in view; for the apostle is not here distinguishing between Jews and Gentiles. (2) It is the whole Law, moral and ceremonial-" the Law of commandments contained in ordinances "-which fastens upon us the charge of guilt, and is the great barrier against forgiveness. It was immcJiatcly against the Jews, mediately against the Gentiles. It is the Law, in the full compass of its requirements. (3) The hostility of this Law to us. It was "against us; it was contrary to us." (a) Not that the Law was in itself offensive, for it was" holy and just and good" (Rom. vii. 12); but (b) because our inability to fulfil it or satisfy its righteous demands exposed us to the penalty attached to an undischarged obligation. It was, in a word, a bill of indictment against us. 2. The blotting out of the handwriting. It was blotted out, so far as it was an accusing witness against us, by Christ wiping it out, takiog it "out of the way, and nailing it to his cross." It was not done by an arbitrary abolition of the Law; moral obligations cannot be removed in this manner; but by the just satisfaction which Christ rendered by his "obedience unto death." It was nailed to his cross, and thus its condemnatory power was brought to nn end. Strictly speaking, there was nothing but Christ's body nailed to the cross; but, as he ,ras made sin, taking the very place of sin, "bearing our sins in his own body on the tree," the handwriting, with the curse involved in it, was identified with him, and thus God condemned sin in Christ's flesh (Rom. viii. 3). Christ exchanged places with us, and thus was cancelled the bill of indiclment which involved us in guilt and condemnation. IV. CoNBIDEil THE RELATION OF THE ATONEMENT TO TBE VICTORY OVER SATAN. " l!aviug put off from himself the principalities and the powers, he made o. show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." It was the cross thnt gave the victory' over the principalities and powers of darkness, because sin was the ground of their dominion over man and the secret of their strength. llut no sooner had Christ die<l. and extinguished the guilt lying on us, than the ground of their successful ~gency was undermined and, instead of beina at liberty to ravage and destroy, their weapons of warfare 'perished, Christ on the cross, as the wo~d signific~, reft from. him and from his people those powers of darkness who could afflict humamty by pressing home the consequences of their sin. He cast them off like baffled foes (John xii. :-11), i,iac\,) rnch a 6how of them openly as angels, if not men, coufu probably apprehend. OIi, II, 1-23.) THE EPISTLE '1'0 THE COLOSSIANS. 115
Ho mado the croBs a scene of triumph to the irretrievable ruin of S:11rm's kingdom. -'l'.C.