Vcrs. 20-23.-Tl,e O'l11"istia11's exemption from bondage to outwardness. "'l'he rudiments of the world,'' of which our text speaks, arc, according to Bishop Li;.ihtfoot, " 1he rudimcn tary elementary, ordinances and discipline of the mundane sphern;" or, according to Con;bearc, "the cl,ildish lessons ?f outward thi~gs." 'l'akin~. the two renderinp together, does it not fieem that Paul 1s rather speak1_nf of the Hpmt of out- ,rnrd thiugs, and not of outward things themselves-the spmt of outwardness as oppo>ed to thnt of inwardness? An<l if so, is it not suggested here- I. 'l'IIAT TIIE CHnIS'l'IAN IS EX!sl\lPT l'ROM DONDAGE TO OU'l'WARDNJ!.SS? He is not ordinance-ridden. ,vnat ordinances does Paul primarily speak of? Mingled and inter- fused Judaic, Gnostic, ERscn", and l'harisnic. Paul qnotps the word8 of some of their prescrir,Live lin,itations about wine, oil, meat, etc. And also he uhows what cmuargo OII. II, 1-23.] Tlm EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIAXS. 13.5
that spirit of outwardness placed on intercourse with persons who were (1) ceremonially un_clean, (2) r~ligiously inferior, (3) nationally alien. He adduces three reasons against bemg bound m the bondage of ordinances and regulations concerning such ontward things. 1. Tl1at such things themselves are transient and fleeting. "The fashion of the world passeth away," he says in another place; and here," which all are to perish with the using." They who guide their course by such things are as mariners who would direct their voyage rather by the clouds than by the stars. 2. That the virtues that are cultivated in care for such are artificial, virtues. They engender (1) vanity, (2) arbitrai-iness, (3) false humility, because voluntary and a!Iectcd. 3. That such bondage/ails in its obfect. "Not in any honour." !I, TIIAT IN CHRIST'S DEATH IS THE POWER AND PATTEC\N OF EXEMPTION FROl[ SUCII OUTWARDNESS? Paul is accustomed to dwell on the Christian's complete identifica- tion with Christ: "crucified," "buried," "risen," with him. Here it is identificatioa with Jesus in his death. "Make thou, 0 Christ, a dying of my life." This first and mainly describes a dying to sin, here a dying to the dominion of outwardness. It is the paradox of Christian experience, "I am truly alive because I am dead." About this insensibility to the dominion of the external, this" death to outwardness," Paul here teaches : 1. Christ's death is the power by which man dies to merely outward rule and regulation. Through meditation, sympathy, fellowship, faith in the death of Christ, not only is the soul fired with hatred to sin which slew him, and with the love of God who could love thus, but of the hollowness of all formality and the coldness of all legality in the presence of such motives. 2. <Jhrist's death is the pattern of such sxemptionfrom bondage to the outward. The unresponsiveness of his dead body on the cross is an image of the soul that through faith in him is dead to the world. '.l'hat independence to the external is (1) complete, and (2) gradually obtained. "Let no man think that sudden, in a minute, All is nccomplished an<l the work is done ; Though with thine earliest dawn thou shouldst begin it, Scarce were it ended with thy setting sun." U. R. T. Vers. 1-3.-St. Paul's anxieties for the Oolossians, and how they we;·e allayed. I. ST. PAUL'S ANXIETIES FOR DRETHREN HE HAD NEVER SEEN. \Ve infer from this passage, as well as from other considerations, that the apostle had not visited Colossrn and was not acquainted with the Church. Yet he felt much interest in them and had many anxious thoughts about them. Our sympathies are not to be confined to the narrow circle of our acquaintance. If a heathen could say," Homo sum," etc., much more should a disciple of "the Son of man" respond, "I am a Christian, and consider nothing that concerns Christians a matter of indifference to me;"" For we are members one of another," and the heresies that may distract our brethren in France or the persecutions that befall the converts in China should call forth onr anxieties and our prayers. The apostle has to utter solemn warnings. Most skilfully does he attract and conciliate these unknown Christians by telling them of his cares and his prayers on their behalf. There was an l,:yrf,v in his public ministry (eh. i. 29) and in his quiet hours (ver. 1 ; eh. iv. 12). It was caused by the care of souls (2 Cor. xi. 28). Absence intensified it. (Illustrations: Caged bird hearing the cries of its young. A mother hearing of the sickness or spiritual peril of a child far from home. Cf. 2 Cor. xi. 2, 3; Gal. iv. 19.) "The pastor," says Cyprian, "is wounded by the hurt of his flock." Paul's anxiety was for the spiritual comfort and concord of the Colossians. "Comfort" in its older sense includes the ideas of help and strength as well aE of soothing nnd consolation. Error weakens as well as disturbs. '.l'ho attitude of perf'etual doubt and criticism is most unfavourable to growth and harmony. We notice three things that he was very anxious for the Colossians to enjoy as means of preserving them from the errors that encompassed and assailed them. 1. Ardent love. It is by love that we gain spiritual discernment, and are thus enabled to explore the hidden treasures of grace. 'l'he intellect is affected by the heart (Ps. xiv. I). Love to a godly father may be our snfcguard against scepticism ; how much more may love to Christ be! Like a rockit!g stone, our soul may be somewhat swayed, but not" greatly moved" (I's. lxii. 2). Like a magnet, our hearts rn,iy be liable to p~rtial dcflcctious, but slill roint towllr,I, I;)G 'l'l.It.; EPISTLE 'l'O THE COLOSSIANS. [utt. 11. 1--23.