intellectual impatience which makes men proud and restive, and from the emotional im- patience which makes men fretful and irritable. (5) "Forbearance and forgivingness," which need no description. (6) "Charity;" the love that girdles and holds together all the graces. (7) "Peace of Christ;" which is the peace Christ gives, and is like the peace he possesses. (8) "Thankfulness;" gratitude to God and to one another, which implies a whole catalogue of virtues. II. THE METHOD OF ATTAINING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. The method here described is threefold. 1. Ohrist's dealing with us. "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly." "The Word of Christ." By this we understand: (1) The vVord that came from Christ to us. That Word is not to pass away, but to "dwell" in us. (2) 'l'he Word that spoke of him. Whether it were in Scripture prophecy, parable, or statement, it unveiicd Christ to us. That vision is not to pass away, but to "dwell" in us. (3) The Word that Christ himself speaks. He communes with us in the secret chambers of our soul, and what his still, small voice says to us there about pardon, duty, God, must not pass away; it must dwell there. (4) 'l'he Word is indeed Christ himself. He is theuttere<l thought, the expressed love from God to our soul. He must dwell in us. 2. Our words to one another. We only gain ourselves as we help others. vVe must communicate what we have received if we are to become strong. ( l) We are to tench. (2) vV e arc to admonish. Of this there are many ways. One is here described by" psalms and hymn~ and spiritual songs." 3. Our word to God. "Singing with grace in your hearts to tho Lord." '!'here must be the outpouring of the heart to God. III. THE MOTIVE INSPIRING CHRISTIAN LIFE. 1. Here is the widest description of the Christian life. It covers "word and deed." 2. Here is the deepest motive of the Christian life. "The Name of the Lord Jesus." It is the Name of him who brings God near, who is the Reconciliation of all things to God, So that what is truly done in the Name of Christ brings the world near God, lifts up human nature into fellowship with God. No wonder that Paul adds, for all this let there be" giving of thanks." 'l'he Christian life ought to•he a eucharist.-U. R. 'l'. Vere. 18-21.-The Christian view of family life. The spirit which wa.. abroad in the early Colossian Church was at once so ascetic and so pietistic that it underval netl home, depreciated family ties, despised human relationships. We have heard Paul boldly meet this spirit with the great doctrine that Christ is the Fulness of all things, Sustainer of all, Mediator of all, King of all, End of all. Here, and in preceding paragraphs, he is meeting detailed developments of that evil spirit by detailed precepts flowing out of that great doctrine of Christ the Fulness. In our text the apostle teaches what we may group around three points. I. TRE DUTmB OF FAMILY LIFE ARE RECIPROCAL, He addresses first one and then another of the group in a home, He does not speak of them or describe them to one another, but sharply, smartly, directly, he turns to each with the summons," Ye." And thus he summons each to the task of his own duty, the fulfilment of his own obligation, As in some noble antiphon the singers take up their alternative parts, so in the music of home life the members of the family respond with their alternative duties, Between husband and wife, parent and child, the only truly Christian relllLion- ship is that of inter-dependence and of reciprocity. II. TRE PBIN0IPLEB TO GUIDE FAJIIILY LIFE ARE SIMPLE AND YET SUFFICIENT, The statement of the principles here does not seem intended to be exhaustive. Sorue parallel passages to the Ephesians are much more complete. But the principles here noted are specimens. They are moral samples of what must actuate family life. And they are simple enough. Nothing grand, romantic, or impossible. "Wives, submit." '!'his cannot mean where conscience protests. It must rather indicate where taste or opinion differ. Defer rather than strive. " Husbands, love." '!'his great king-word" love" ( which Paul explains in 1 Cor. xiii.) claims from the husband what Christ gives to the Church- his all. And one injunction of that lovo will be "Be not bitter," i.e. rough, rude. Many a courtier in society is uncouth as a hear at home. '!'hen he is not a Ghristian husband after this model. "Children, obey." Cultivate the spirit in which the chil,l Jesus went down to NazareLh, and was subject to his parents. Such a going down prepares for the true exaltation; such subjection qualities for sub,equ~nt sovereignty. "Fathers, provoke not," Avoid the harsLuc,s, aod even the though tlcs:i c::i:.actiuus from COLOSSLU\8, U THE EPISTLE 'l'O 'l'HE COLOSSIANS. [cH, III, 1-25,
your children by which their spirits will become sullen, hopeless, moody. They will want spirits that parents have helped to make buoyant, not that pa.rents have broken. III. THE MOTIVE FOR FULFILLING TllE DUTIES OF FAMILY LIFE IS DIVINE, Whilst secondary motives are thus given to fathers, etc., we find in the pa.ssa.o-e the highest motive is a.gain and ..gain pressed. "In the Lord," " Well-pleasing to the Lord " " As unto the Lord," etc. Such a life a.s Paul described can only be achieved by the force of sufficient motive. And such motive he supplies, Here is argument enough for such a course of conduct, inspiration enough for such a spirit of family life. "In the Lord." There is a wonderful fulness of meaning in that phrase, as the Greek language employed it. But not a profounder fulness than the Christian experience interprets when it shows Jesus to be the Source of motive, the Standard of duty, the ,ery Sphere of being to the Christ-loving ma.n.-U. R. T.