Ver. 3.-0hrist the Treasury of wisrlom. I. WISDOM Is A TREASURE FOR THE GREATEST TREASURY. St. Paul agrees with Solomon. Both exalt wisdom. It is a mistake to suppose that the gospel discourages knowledge and sets a premium on folly. It dis- regards worldly wisdom just because it brings a higher wisdom. It uses what the world calls the foolishness of preaching in order that it may confound the worldly wise and enlighten the ignoraut with the true wisdom of God. 1. The treasury of wisdom is a ;'ewel-chamber. Knowledge is good in itself. It is a treasure worth possessing for its own sake. The truly wise man would rather lose bis money than his knowledge. Knowledge bas these advantages over other possessions: (I) it cannot be stolen; (2) it is not lessened by being shared by many; (3) it does not suffer corruption; (4) it is a pure, calm, and elevating source of delight. 2. This treasury is a granary. Knowledge is good for the soul. 'fhe mind lives and grows upon ideas. 'fbe soul is nourished by the Word of God, which is the revelation of his wisdom. To know God is eternal life. 3. This treasury is a bank. True knowledge is like money. It is the means for procuring many other good things. It has a far larger purchasing • power than gold and silver. Knowledge is power,just because it shows us how to use many things which are useless to ignorance. The knowledge of Divine truth helps us to the use of Divine grace and the performance of Divine Law. II. CnnIST IS THE 'fnEASURY OF WISDOM. The Gnostics looked elsewhere. St. Paul says that, not only some wisdom, but all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, aro in Christ. They are part of the unsearchable riches of Christ. Nature is a mine in which science discovers numberless treasures of knowledge, but it is knowledge about Nature herself, not about the supernatural, the Divine, and the spiritual. Speculation soars in search of knowledge. But what it flatters itself to have discovered as moun- tain heights of knowledge often turns out to be but the shadows of cloudland. All the highest and best knowledg«tis in Christ. 1. The knowledge is in Ohrist himself. It is not simply in his teaching, much less is it in doctrines about him. To know him in his life and character and nature is to have the treasure of the best wisdom. 2. 'fhe knowledge covers the most important subfects of inquinJ. We may includo these in three questions. (1) 'l'heolo:;::ical: What is God? Christ says, "He that hath seen me bath seen the Jt'ather." 'l'o know Christ is to know God. (2) Anthropo- logical : What are man and his destiny ? In his earthly life Christ revealed the true nature and glory of humanity, and in bis resurrection its great destiny. (3) ·what is duty? The example of Christ is the answer to this question. Our duty is to follow him. III. LOVE IS THE KEY.TO TIIIS TREASURY OF WISDOM. 1. '!'he treasure is hidden. A superficial glance at Christ will not reveal it. The merchantm(ln seeks for goodly pearls; the purchaser of the field digs for the bidden treasure. 2. Nothing but love will open up the treasury. Gnostics thought intellectual enlightenment would do this; theologians in all ages have tried various keys-the rusty key of old-world le(lrning, tho ponderous key of argumentation with its intricate W(lrds; too often they have forgotten the golden key of love. 3. Love opens up the tre(lsury of wisdom in Christ. St. Paul desires the Colossians to be" kuit together in love" (ver. 2) in order that they may "know the Mystery of God, even Christ," etc. (1) 'l'hiR lovo must be love to Christ, that we may be in sympathy with man nod so know him; and (2) love to one anothc~, that we may be in sympathy with Chrisi's way of regarding God and mau.-W. 1''. A. IH THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [ell, II, 1-23.
Ycrs. 6, 7.-Growth in Christ. St. Paul is anxious lest tho invasion of n now philosophy should lead the Colossians away from their earlier Jifo in Christ. Rccocrniz- ing how rightly they had at first received the gospel, he desires them to contin~o in the faith as they had _be~n taught.. But ~hile he is most e:i-rnest in deprecating nny departure from_th_e prim1te fo11ndat10:n, he 1~ equally car?e~t m _wishing for progress in a continued bmldmg on that foundat10n. The true Christian hfe is neither a so-called progress that carries us away from Christ to newer masters, nor a dogged and stupid obstinacy that will not budge from the past and stagnates in its immobility, but a growth in Christ. 1. G1:wwrH IN CHRIST IMPLms CONTINUANCE IN CHRIST. Any other change, even though it may seem to involve an advance, is a retrogression from Christ. The Culus,ians arc exhorted to walk in Christ as they had received him. They had received him as Christ Jesus the Lord. 1. As Jesu.•. They had begun by recognizing the true human nature of Christ. The Gnost.ics were persuading them to give this faith up for the idea of a phantom Christ. We are not troubled with these Docetic notions. But practically we are tempted to lose our hold upon the human brotherliness of Christ in our doctrinal systems of divinity and our elaborate solemnities of devotion. 2. As the Lord. He was not only a Teacher, a mystic Mediator such as the Gnostics regarded him, but a Master. To regard Christ as Lord is not merely to have an abstract con- viction of his divinity, not simply to offer him worship; it is to submit to his kingly rule. 'l'o grow in Christ, then, we must, first of all, continue in brotherly sympathy with him, and also in dutiful submission to him. II. GROWTH IN CHRIST CONSISTS IN A CONTINUOUS ADVANCE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, 1. We must be rooted. As the root derives nourishment from the soil for the increase of the tree, so are we to send out the deepest efforts of our soul to Christ and to draw from him ever more and more of spiritual vigour. 2. We must be built up. This is a gradual progress. It does not abolish the past in making the future, but, on the contrary, it erects the latter on the former. It produces· a compact and harmonious structure. So the temple of the Christian life should be rising in solid strength and grace and beauty, based on Christ as the Foundation, to be finished with Christ as the chief Corner-stone, and consecrated for the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ. Ilf. GROWTH IN CHRIST RESULTS IN ENLARGED FAITH AND GRATITUDE. 1. Enlarged faith. "Stablished in your faith." Faith, which is the means of growing iu the Christian life, is itself enlarged and strengthened by the process. 2. Great gratitude. "Aboundincr in thanks~ving." An advanced Christian will always be a thankful one, for be will know more ;f the !!Ood.ness of God in Christ, and his own heart will be more full of lore. Therefore also the joy of Christianity will increase with the growth of the Christian life.-W. F. A.