HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver.1.-Theobligations of the risen life. We have here a transition to the practical part of this Epistle. "If ye then were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God." I. Oua BESUllRECTION WITH CHRIST. "'We are not only "dead with Christ," but "risen with him;" "not only planted in the likeness of his death, but planted together in the likeness of bis resurrection; "-" tbat we may walk in newness of life" (Rom vi. 2-4). 'l'his translation has altered our standpoint. ,v e are "quickened together with Christ, and raised together with him" (Epb. ii. 5, G). We have now an entirely new sphere of intellectual conception and moral aspiration. "Old things have passed away ; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. v. 17). II. THE PltACTlCAL DUTY INVOLVED IN THIS RESURRECTION. "Seek those thing~ which are above." 1. " The things above" are all things pertaining to our true home -" the new Jerusalem" and "tl1e heavenly citizenship," in contrast to" the things upon the earth." They include (1) the vision of Christ (John xvii. 24); (2) the enjoy- ment or God, which is promoted (a) by our fuller knowledge of him (John xvii. 3), (b) by our growing love to him (1 John iv. 16), and (c) by the manifold expressions of his love to us (Zeph. iii. 17); (3) the society of angels and saints. 2. The excellence of " the things above." Tliey are (1) satisfying, as things on earth are unsatisfying ; (2) certain, as things on earth are uncertain; (3) perpetual and everlasting, as things on earth are translent and decaying; (4) suitable, as things on earth are unsuitable to an immortal spirit. 3. They are to be sought, implying (1) our knowledge of them; (~) our longing for them ; (3) our anxious effort to realize them (Matt. vi. 33). III. AN A.RGUMENT TO INCITE AND ENCOURAGE us TO THIS DUTY. ",vhere Christ is, seated on the right hand of God." There are two facts here stated. 1. Christ our Head is in heaven. 'l'berefore heaven must be the objective point of our thoughts as well as our hopes. We look up because he, who is our Hope, is there-"within the vail." 'l'be thought of Christ's presence gives definiteness to our ideas of heaven. " Where our treasure is, there will be our heart also." 2. Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. 'fhis implies: (1) His intercessory work; for he bas entered into "heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Heb. ix. 24; 1 John ii. 1). (2) His medi- atorial dominion and power (Phil. ii. 10). (3) Our sitting with him-" he raised us up and made us to sit in heavenly places in Jesus Christ." These places are those he promised to prepare for his people (John xiv. 2). "He that overcometb, to him will I give to sit with me in my throne" (Rev. iii. 21).-T. C. Vera. 2, 3.-Heavenly things the true obJect of Christian conlempla.tim. "Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth; for ye died, and your life is bid with Christ in God.'' We must not only seek things above, but think them. I. THE OBJl!:CT OF CHRISTIAN CONTEMPLATION. 1. Not things upon the earth, because (1) they are below us (Phil. iii. B, 19); (2) unsatisfying (Luke viii. 18; Prov. :uiii. 5; l:Ios. xiii. 13; Ps. lxxviii. 39); (3) full of anxieties (Mutt. xiii. 22; Job xxxviii. 22); (4) unnecessary to our happintss (Job xxviii. 14); (5) trnnsient uuu uncertain (Prov. xxiii. 5; Luke xii. 19, 20). _ 2. "'17iings there are above." (See hii~ts on previous verse.) We ought to set our mrnd upon them, because (1) they are sat1s- fyin"; (2) suitable; (3) because our treasure is there-of riches (Matt. vi. 19-21), of bom~urs (1 Sam. ii. :JO), of pleasures (Ps. xvi. 11). ] iO THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [on. m. 1-26.
If. TrlE DvTY OF SETTING THE MIND UPON RIGHT ODJECTS OF TIIOUGl1T AND AFFP.O· 'l'In's. This is the secret of heavenly mindedness. "'l'cll me what a mau thinks, nnd I will tell you what he is." 1. It is our duty not to set our mind on tl1ings on the cartli, hccausc (1) God may give them to you as your entire portion (Ps. xvii. 14); (2) you may provoke him to take them away (Ps. lxxviii. 6-7); (3) they will turn away your thoughts from heaven (Ps. x. 3, ~); (4) they will distract you in duty (Ezek. xxxiii. 31); (5) they involve the guilt of idolatry (vor. 6). 2. It is our dutg to set our mind on things above, because (1) there is nothing else ,vorth our serious thnught (1 John ii. 15); (2) they will keep you from over-anxiety nbout the affairs of this life (Phil. iv. 11, 12) ;_ (3) the thought of them will increase your fitness for duty (Acts xx. 24); (4) they mll make the thought of death more pleasant in anticipation (Phil. i. 23). III. 'l'HE REASO"l< FOR OUR SELECTING sucrr ODJECTS OF DELIEVING CONTEMPLATION. "For ye <lied, and your life is hid with Christ in God." 'l'he thought is twofold-it refers to a past act and to a continuous state. 1. Our death in Ghrist. This involves (1) our death to sin (Rom. vi. 2) and (2) our death to the world (Gal. vi. 14). We are, therefore, cut loose from" things on the earth." 2. Our hidden life in God. "Your life is hid wiLli Christ in God." (1) Christian life is a hidden life, (a) in its origin (John iii. 8); (!J) it is hid, as an experience, from the world; (c) it is hid from the believer himself in times of spiritual desertion; (d) the full glory of this life is hidden even from the belie,er (1 John iii. I). (2) Christian life has its hidden source and abid- ing streng:th "with Christ in God." Christ is now hid in heaven anrl. our life is hid with him. (a) It is bid with him as our Representative; this marks its security; this is the sheet-anchor of our spiritual existence. (b) It is hid with him as its constant i-ource; "For he is our Life," in whom we realize a growth in all the graces of the Spi1it (Gal. v. 22); "Because I live, ye shall live also;" "I am come that ye may have life ... more abundantly." (3) God is himself the" sphere or element in which our life is hid. It is "with Christ in God." The Son is "in the bosom of the Father," and thus we have fellowship with both the Father and the Son (1 John i. 3). 'l'hus the believer is doubly secure. He is not only hidden in God's home ; he is hidden in God's heart. Therefore we can understand the import of the phrase, "And ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's" (1 Cor. iii. 23).-T. C.