to be taken as an indicat.ion of soul-humiliation, In the same way, we have to deny ourselve~. The apostle even notes severe treatment of his body, "I buffet my body, and bring it mto bondage." But we are not wantonly to buffet the body ae though God had gh·cn it to be a pla::;ue to the spirit, or as though it were meritorio~1s in itself to do so. ~nch s~verity is not to be take~ as a trne la,ring of _self on the altar, (2) They are rneffective. He finds no fault with the end. 'I hey are mtended to check tho indulcrence uf the fle~h. But he denies them value as means toward that end. They have o~ly a !harm for the few; the many must be repelled. And even with the few they are no proper safeguards. There are often witnessed outbreaks of the flesh, and even, where there are not such outbreak~, there is not the proper condition of the spirit, The only proper safeguard is the positive of the risen life with Christ, and especially of attraction toward him, to the consideration of which the apostle proceeds.-R. F. Vers. 1-3.-Three wonderful things. We have here- I. A NOBLE ANXIETY. In the words he here uses Paul pictures his eagerness as the ea-::crness of the racer and the wrestler in the then familiar national games, So far there is nothing very rare, for the spectacle of anxious men struggling with keenest eagerness to gain some purpose of their own is common. Life is an arena. crowded with such. But the elements of nobleness in Paul as here discovered are: 1. His anxiety for others. He says to the men of Colossm-My "conflict is for you." It is no self-centred life that Paul lives when he spends himself lavishly for these early Churches. 2. His anxiety for the absent. There is a counterfeit coin in current speech: "Out of siuht, 0 out of mind." It is a proverb coined in the mint of a very shallow and selfish life. It is only true of the worst men. Such a Epirit (1) limits power; (2) narrows character. "\Yhilst real care for the absent: (1) Increases the power of the mind. It gets strong enoug:h to wing its pinions over oceans and even to pierce other worlds. (2) Cultivates a spiritual habit. It delivers man from being the creature of sense. 3, His anxiety for those with whom he liad no dirut connection. He is caring for the group of Churches on the Lycus that he had not planted or even visited. It was pure, disinterested love. Such is Paul's noble anxiety. Wherein does the modem gospel of altruism excel this gospel Paul believed and practised? And where has altruism the molives with which Christianity pulsates or the examples that Christianity can cite? II. A BLESSED EXPERIENCE. Analyzing these verses, we find signs: 1. Of personal comfort. The word" comfort'' here, as in the word" Comforter," points to more than solace ; it tells of encouragement, strengthening. What better experience could he desire for the members of this young Church than that their hearts should be comforted? But to that is added the blessing: 2. Of social security. Few expressions can better describe a completer unity than this, "knit together," It means an interweaving of sympalhies, an interlinking of destinies. And this interweaving and interlinking is attained by the highest and snrest method, "in love." 3. Of firm conviction. " Full assurance." There is much more here than mere opinion; there is conviction. A con- viction, too, of man's noblest faculty, the understanding, which is more tha~ the reason alone. And this complete conviction is, as to the truth, of the supremest importance, namely, the acknowledgment of the open secret about God. III. A.JS OPEN SECRET. As we have seen, Paul did not mean by "mystery" an unknow- able, mystical something, but rather a truth once hidden but no longer concealed, a truth fully, freely revealed. Christianity is the open secret. T~e self-revelation of CLrist is the revelation of man, of duty, of God, of Heaven. In him were stored away all the riches of truth and love for which men cried. He is the exhaustless Storehouse uf God's supplies for man's hlgher nature. He is the still small voice, and God is in the voice, and only the listening _will hear.. Or he is a vast _min~ of thought, of_ sympa~hy, uf grace, aad only the industnous, who smk the shaft of inquiry, of fellowship, of faith, will know what the mine contains. Paul knew.-U. R. 'l'. Vers. 4-7.-Blessrd Christian possfbilities. 'l'hese words of apostolic desire open to us three blessed Christian possibilities-a possibility to the Church, a possibility to the individual, and a possibility to the inner life of each. I. TnE FORMIDABLE STRENGTH POSSIBLE TO A CanrSTfAN CHURCH. The apostle declares that it gave him joy to behold the condition of the Colossian Church; indeed, the words dB, II. 1-23.] 'l'HE EPISTLE 'l'O 'l'HE COLOSSI.ANS. 133
he uses describe his looking ngain and again 1,ecause of the joy it gave him. What gave him such joy? 1. Their orderly array. 2. Their solid frone, as the word " stead, fastness" here depicts. In the centre of the rr.ilitary world, and made a soldier's guard, no wonder Paul lays his hands on metaphors so vividly suggesting precision, compact- ness, obedience. He sees how a Church can be perfectly marMhalled for its mission-the mission of a holy war against ignorance, pride, selfi8lrness, sin. Well for a Church to have ita every member n "defender of the faith." II. THE CONSTANT GROWTH POSSIBLE TO THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. The growth implies life. 1. The origin of the life is here described. It is "having receivecl Christ." As Simeon took the holy infant into his arms, the true Christian receive~ Christ into bis trust, thoughts, affections. 2. The progress of life is here described. The three metaphors used, of a path, a tree, a structure, teach the same lesson of intimate and advancing union with Christ. Whether walking, or being rooted, or being built, it is all " in Christ." Ill. THE PERPETUAL THANKSGIVING POSSIBLE L'! THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, Tl,is summons to thanksgiving is a sort of refrain throughout the Epistle (eh. i. 10; iii. 15, 17; iv. 2). Faber inquires whether there can be true worship without joy. Because he asserts," Worship is not fear of God or love of God, but delight in God." This i~ Paul's exposition and doctrine, for there must be joy in thanksgiving. And perpetual thanksgiving is the true spirit of those who are (1) obJects of perpetual p,-ovidence; (2) subjects of perpetual grace. Therefore abound with than.ksgi\'ing.-U. lt. 'l'.