The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 240

be d,°J!tinct f1·om the world. 'l'o him all "men of the world " are, in character, aims, pursuits, to be as "them that are without." There is to be a contrast between him nnd them as between those who are "within" and those who are "without" the assembly of the righteous, the Church of the loving and the pure. But it is taught: 2. That he is to have interco1trse with the world. This is in contradiction to the Colossian l1eresy of asceticism, and in contradiction, too, to the pictism thnt some sects affect iii :England to-day. "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without." This is the very opposite of walking away from them, in separation, into seclusion. Indeed, on thi~ point we notice that seclusion from the world is: (1) Impossible. Even those who shun the social and political life of the world are drawn into its commerce very willingly and in their best moods into its philanthropy also. (2) Undtsirable. It leads eithe; to higotry, as of the Pharisees, or to fragile life, as of hot-house plants. (3) Unlika Jesus Christ. The strnets, the cities, the houses of men, and of sinful men, their feasts, :ind their funerals, were lrequented by the Holiest, who has left us an example that we should follow in his steps. 3. What is to mark the fotercourse of the Christian with the world. Two directions are given: (1) "Walk in wisdom." This is more than knowledge, mo1,e than discretion. It is a right use of knowledge, of the knowledge of God and of man. In that element of godly thoughtfulness a Christian man is to move. (2) "Redeeming the time." In the faue you spend with men, buy up the timll .and make the best use of it for themselves and for you. No squandering of anything so precious as their time and yours is to be permitted in your intercourse with men. 'fhus it is taught the Christian must have to do with the world. • IL THE CHRISTIAN'S CONVERSATION WITH TIIE WORLD. It is to be di~tinguished by" grace,~ pleasantness of the highest sort-" salt.," pungency of the truest kind. In a sen:encc, we may say the influence of his conversation is to be good. 1. Because it is to be persuusive. The higher form of" grace," Divine acceptableness, may be implied here. The other form of it, human convincingness, is certainly indicated. For this it must be appropriate, (1) as to topic, (2) as to time, (3) as to manner. 2. Because it is to be distinctive. Not talk of tasteless insipidity, making no impression, but conver- sation as clear and definite in purifying influence as Christ meant the disciples them- ;elves were to be when he said," Ye are the salt of the earth." "Certain it is," says Jeremy Taylor, "that as nothing better can do it, so there is nothing' greater for which God made our tongues, nex:t to reciting his praises, than to minister comfort to weary souls. And what greater pleasure can we have than that we should bring joy to our brother, who with his weary eye looks to heaven and round about, and cannot find so much rGSt as to)ay his eyelids together? Then thy tongui, should be tuned with heavenly accents, and make the weary soul to listen for light and ease. This is glory to thy voice, an,i employment fit for the brightest angel. I have seen the sun kiss the frozen earth, which was bound up with the images of death and the cold breath of the north, and then the waters break from their enclosures, and melt with joy, and run in useful cham,els. So is the heart of a sorrowful man under the discourses of a wise comforter. He breaks from the despairs of the grave; he blesses God, and he feels his life returning. God is pleased with no music below so much as in the thanksgiving songs of rejoicing, comforted persons.''-U. Il. T. Vers. 1-18.-Christian greeting. As we read this last paragraph of our Epistle, we are ~truck: 1. With the humanity of our holy religion. There is a natural tone about the endin" of every one of Paul's letters; there is the naming of men, the greeting of friends, the talk about personal affairs. If the Bible were concerned only with systems, iw;titutions, theories, doctrines, arguments, it would never be, o.s it surely is, the great heart-book of the world. Its charm is its humanness. And it is so of Christianity becaure its Founder and its Theme, its Alpha and its Omega, is the Son of man. 2. With the mutual fellowship of the early Churches. Between the Christians at Rome and at Colossm though the waters of the Mediterranean rolled between them, there was, as these g;eetings indicate, intimate and intellige!1t _personal fellowship. Passing from these introductory considerations of the great principles to be found here, let us notice three things about Christian greetings. I. Tr:uE ClllilSTIAN GREE1'1NG RECKONS VEBY LITTLE OF SOCIAL POSITION. Who would know, from the forw of the greeting, how vastly different were the social positions OH, IV, 1-18.) 'l'HE EPISTLE 'l'O THE COLOSSJANS. 237