So thcs!' physical members are but symbols of the morn!. Anyhow, there is olenrly cnjoin<'d here: 1. Death to corrupt livi11g. This corrupt living is diYidcd her11 into t~rn classes-impurity nnd covetousness. 'l'hese divided betw!'en them include the whole domain of sin and 8el_fishness. Covetousne~s,. wl)ich. is cherished by mnny who ha Ye the repute of respectab1!1ty and even of Chnst1amty, 1s so base, so loathsome so irreligious, that it is here linked with hideous uncleanness, and is distinctly decl;red to be idolatrous. Avarice becomes the worldling's religion; greed of gain the miser's worsl1ip. Evils such as these, and on which the apostle says God's wrath rC'sts, must be slain. 2. Death to w,-ong conversation. Paul deals with the sins of speech which sceme,l, like C'Chocs of the past, to linger on the lips of the Colossians. 'l'hey nre to Jl'.lt off (1) "an_ger,"_i.e. se~tl!'d hatrecl; (2) "wrath," i.e. tumultuous outburst of pass10n; (3) "mahcc," i.e. mal1gn1ty, spitefulness; (4) "blasphemy" i.e. slanderin" • (5) "foul-mouthed abuse," i.e. all such rough speech as now is know~ a.s the Billin"~~ gate of social, political, or theological controversy ; (6) "falsehood," a word, alas! that needs no description. All these six evils of speech are to be slaiu. 3. Death to con- ventional distinctions. The special errors that we have seen were prevalent at Colossai \\"ere those that primarily led Paul to deal with this evil. Four conventional distinc- tions that, wherever they separate men's interests or destroy their mutual sympathies, must be slain, are here described. (1) National distinctions: "Greek and Jew.'' (2) C'erernonia.l : "circumcision or uncircumcision.'' (3) Distinctions of culture: "bar- barian, Scythian.'' Max Millier finely shows how, until Christianity inserted the word "brother" instead of" barbarian," as descriptive of humanity, there was no science of language. (4) Social: "bond and free.'' 'l'here seems to be special referenco here to the rnnaway slave who was going to carry to his master the apostle's letter, and who was to be received as a brother both of Philemon and Paul. II. How THIS DEATH rs TO BE EFFECTED. Evil does not die of itself, but must be slain. Nor docs it die easily; it must be strug~led with. It is to be put to death: I. By huma,n endeavour. " Put to death.'' You are wrestler in some tragic game, soldier in the momentous battle, executioner in the solemn judgment; therefore you must throw your opponent, stay your enemy, bang or gibbet the culprit. Here is abundant and righteous scope for all our fighting instincts. 2. By Divine renewal. " Which is renewed.'' The death of the old is ensured by the life ot' the new; just a.s old leaves a.re pushed off the boughs and branches by the young vegetation of spring, so the old character is displaced by the new. This power is (1) Divine; (2) constantly put forth; (3) according to Divine ideal-" after the image of him that created him.'' Christ the Ideal is Christ the Source of all. He is in the renewed man a.s the germ of life, whose outbursting, as by one blow, kills evil, and whose constant development insures all good.-U. R. T.
Vers. 12-17.- 71ze marks, TMthod, and motive of the Christian life. This paragraph is part of the practical application of the great principle St. Paul has been expounding in this chapter, viz. the Christian's death to evil through the death of Christ, and life to holiness through bis life. We have here- 1 THE MARKS oF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. When the Christian life is illustrated, as here, by a garment, the analogy must not be pressed too far, For instance, unlike a garment, the Christian ehara.cter is not (1) merely outside a man, nor (2) separable from a man. But that character is like a. garment: 1. Deca.use by it a man is known and rrxognizable. 2. Because by it a. man is adorned. Tl:crc are in Paul's description eight characteristics by which, as by a beautiful garment, the Christian man is recognizablo and is adorned. (1) "Bowels of mercies," which we may paraphrase as "a. heart of compassion." .Anthropologists largely judge what physical race a man be!ongs to Ly his skull; the Christian must judge what race a man belon~s to by his heart. T811der-hea.rtcdness is a sign of the Christian a.s certainly as truthfulness, or temperance, or honesty. (2) "Kindness:" this is the constant, steady, often noiseless, but al ways beneficent, stream flowing from such a heart. (3) " Meekness ; " for whilst the aposLle sternly condemns mock humility, which the pietistic among the Colossinns had affected, be ri~orously insists on that self-humiliation without which no roan can be reckoned a. follower of the meek and lowly Jesus. (4) ••Long-suffering:" this is a temper of life described iu the beautiful_ word "patience,'' cu,ri it indicates freedom frolJ). the OU, m.1-25.] THE EPISTLE 'l'O 'l'HE COLOSSIANS. 193