Tho Church ie not an almshouse for the indolent ; it ie a hive of industry. Christ i~ Master ae well as Saviour. The first act of faith is to receive the grace of Christ in order that the second may be to obey his commandments (John xiv. 15). II. THE BEBVI0E OF CIIBIBT EXTENDS TO THE WHOLE OF LIFE. It is not simply a matter of what we call religious affairs, the devotions of the sanctuary, etc. It is not merely the doing of work that is called spiritual, such as preaching, teaching, etc. The bond-servants are bidden to serve Christ in their daily work. They are exhorted to work heartily as unto the Lord, in whatsoever they do (ver. 23). We must serve Christ in our daily business. III. THE SERVICE OF CHRIST MUST BE SINCERE. 1. It must not decrenerate into eye-service. Our work is not to please men, but to serve Christ. His eye is ever on us. It matters little whether men admire or neglect our work. 2. It must be done in singleness of heart. Christ will take no divided devotion. We must not be covertly seeking our own interests as distinct from the interests of Christ, so as to have a double, distracting, and often conflicting series of ends to be pursued. \Ve shall gain our own blessedness in the single-eyed service of Christ, and not as a side issue. 3. It must be done from the heart. It must be no mechanical work. \Ve must think about it and put our heart and soul into it. There is a world of difference between the obedience that simply follows the word of command as the signal rises or falls when the lever is moved, and the obedience that considers, feels, and adopts the wishes of the master, and carries them out intelligently and voluntarily, as the signalman interprets and follows the code of directions. IV. Suca SERVICE OF CHRIST ENNOBLES ALL WORK. Work is noble or mean, not so much because of the kind of things done, as on account of the motives that inspire it. A surgeon has to do things which would be disgusting in themselves, but which are refined by the humane motives that prompt them. No task undertaken for a pure purpose can be degrading. The most menial work done for Christ's sake is elevated to the level of the devotion of the angels. V. CaRISTWILL RECOMPENSE HIS SERVANTS ACCORDING TO THEIR SERVICE. "We shall all appear before the judgrnent-seat of Christ." This is the judgment of Christians. We are inclined to forget this while warning publicans and sinners of their coming juclgment. Christians will have to p:ive an account of the use of their talent. 1. Then deceitful eye-service will be exposed and punished, 2. Then/uithful, obscure devotioi• will be revealed and rewarded.-W. F. A.
EXPOSITION. Mark xiv. 88: compare the synonymous OHAPTER IV. a-ypu1rv,01, to be slee-ple8s, used in Eph. vi. l 8 ; Ver. 1.-{See p. 157.) llio.rk xiii. 33; Luke xxi. 36; Heb. xiii. 17. Vere. 2-6.-SECTION IX. PRAYER AND "To be awake" is to he alive in the fullest. SoOIAL CONVERSE. There o.re added some sense, to have all the powers of perception brief exhortations of a more geneml tenor, and o.ction in readiness. The o.cti vity of tho the contents of which are summed up in the soul in prayer is to be both energetic an, l he1uling given to this section. incess,mt. "With (literally in, ,v, not µ.eTa, Ver. 2.-Continue steadfast in prayer, o.s in Eph. vi. 18] thanksgiving" gives the being watchful (or, wakeful) therein, with pervading element or i11llncnce, in or nuder th,mksgiving (Eph. vi. 18 ; Rom. xii. 12; which the prayers or tho Colossinns wero tn Phil. iv. 6; 1 'rheas. v. 17, 18; 1 Tim. ii. 1; be offered (comp. eh. i. 12; ii. 7; iii.15, 17). Luke xi. 5-10; xviii. 1-8; xxi. 36; Acts Ver. 3.-Praying at the sama time also i. 14; xx. 31 ; 1 Car. xvi. 13; 1 Pet. v. 8; for us (Eph. vi. rn; Rom. xv. 30-3:2; l\'Co.tt. :::xvi. 41 ; Mark xiv. 38). "Steadfast 1 These. v. 25; 2 Thcss. iii. l, 2; Heh. xiii. continuanoe" in prnyer is speci11lly illus- 18). In Ephesians o.nd Romans tho apostlo trated in our Lord's sayings on tho subject implores prayer for himse(f alono, 11ncl dwellR in St. Luke (comp. Acts i. H, where tho on his personal circumst11nees. Hero uncl so.me peculiar yerb is used). In Phil. in the 'rhess11loniun letters ho unites his iv. 6; l 'l'bess. v. 17, 1S; 1 Tim. ii. l, fellow-labourers with him in the rcqnc-st. ngain "tho.nksgivin!l"" is associated_ with That Go1 may open to us n. door for the "pm_yer." lVahf11l11e•s i11 pmyer 1s en- "7o,·o. ( l Cor. xvi. D; '.l Cnr. ii. 12; 1 'l'hcss. joined by Christ iu J\Iutt. x;i;vi. 41 and i. l.J; ii, l). "Tlie wor,l" is tlw \\'. r,l ,,r COLOSSU~~, l' 210 'l'HE EPISTLE 'l'O THE COLOSSIANS. [on. Iv. 1-18.