for the way, till the journey be ended. Till He come, come when He may, bringing His glory with Him, they must stand in His grace. For the Lord gives both, and grace leads to glory. The wilderness is now proving that he He has riches and stores of the one for us, and Canaan will, by and bye, prove that He has riches and stores of the other for all who love Him in this thankless and evil world.

This article, "On the Revelation," has been inserted (with the kind consent and corrections of the author) by the special request of several who found profit in the perusal of it in manuscript.

To the editor it seems, at the present moment, to be most important that the various students of the Apocalypse should freely communicate that which each can say he has gleaned for himself in the study of the book.

That the Lord may, in these, apparently the closing days of the Church's sojourn upon earth, cause the light to shine out of this His Revelation, and by the Holy Ghost open the hearts of His Saints to see light as to their actual position, their path, and their hope,—is the prayer of his heart.

FRAGMENT.

"I am that I am," was the glorious name under which God introduced Himself to Israel. God over all-none by searching could find Him out: He would be God, and take His own way: and He would have mercy on whom He would have mercy, and would have compassion on whom He would have compassion. God is God.

"By the grace of God, I am what I am," was Paul's joy; it is mine may it be thine, too. But, then, how different the force of the sentence when applied to Him and when applied to me. Compare word with word and you will see this only the moro forcibly. And yet in both applications, the finger points out to reality, and what is-is owned, as being AS IT IS.

"God is God."

"And I am a poor sinner and nothing at all. But Jesus Christ is my all in all."

Never, until we get to reality-never, until we let things be as they are, can we possibly have rest.

And the beauty of the gospel is, that it puts God as God; and myself, just as I am, blessedly together, and appropriates all that He is to me, and identifies all that I am with Him, according to the worth of the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of God and of Christ.

No. XVII.

SOME CONSECUTIVE REMARKS ON THE CONTENTS OF THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS.

THE profound character of this epistle consists in its being, in the first chapter, a concentration of the epistles to the Thessalonians, Ephesians, and Philippians, presenting the person of Christ substantially, to faith, in relation to the subjects of all these three epistles. The second chapter is to teach us the exclusiveness of Christ. The third is the highest practice of the condition brought in by this. The fourth contains some practical exhortations. The current of it is full and highly practical.

It has been a question among critics, whether this epistle preceded or followed those to the Ephesians and Philippians. Those to the Thessalonians are acknowledged to be prior. This, and the two former, were written during St. Paul's first captivity. The difference would be, that, if written first, the former epistles (with the introduction of the subject of those to the Thessalonians) would be a development of these; or, if written after, a throwing of their subjects together, with Christ more distinctly introduced. But, whether written before or after, we see the goodness of God, showing us very emphatically, that holding the Head in all things, and for all ends, will ever be the sum of blessing to the Church.

Verses 1 and 2.-As there is something peculiar in the opening address of every epistle, so there is in this—ar Apostle, by the sovereign will of God. Timothy is "the brother." They might have stood together as "servants" (or slaves) of Jesus Christ, as in the epistle to the Philippians; but not as Apostles. But Timothy here is (implying special designation to the Colossians) "the brother."

The diversity in the method of addressing them from that in the other Epistles is manifest, and in all,

with definite purpose, in the spirit. Ayos, is most generally taken, in the writings of Paul, substantively, as saints. It is used alone in the epistle to the Philippians, with Bishops and Deacons, manifesting the subjec tion to order, and consistency of the whole body as such.

In the Ephesians, it is to the saints at Ephesus, having the distinctive character of the word, and believers in general; but this is (i.e. the address to all believers) not as manifest as in Corinthians. We have, in the epistle before us, the Separation of Saints, and Separation Confessed; and also believing brethren, as in the epistle to the Ephesians. In the Philippians, the saints, and none other; and the subjection of the body and its order. We see this distinctly, from the first action of the Gospel, by the hands of the Apostles. After the death of Ananias and Sapphira, the people greatly magnified them, but no man durst join themselves to them; but, at the same time, multitudes, both of men and women, believed. They wondered at the power. They acknowledged the righteous exercise of discipline, and rejoiced in the grace proclaimed; but kept aloof in fear, and thus were not subject to the rule which God vouchsafed, nor to one another in the fear of God. Among those with the Apostles, there was fellowship under their teaching, prayer, breaking of bread, and confession of the Lord. The others are mentioned as believers, but aloof in some degree or measure, suffering assuredly loss, by missing all that the Lord intended in blessing, by their being together under Him; and peculiarly as the object of His care as representing His body, and in faith of the Spirit (not only as in individuals, but) as in the body of Christ. The table expressed all. The epistle to the Thessalonians is addressed to the Church, or assembly, in that fullest corporate character and confession. And in what blessing! "In God the Father," as said to none else"Knowing, beloved of God, your election." The Apostle seems more warmed to them than to any other body (except though, in another way, the Colossians). He addresses

Ayios is an adjective translated-holy; but holy, when intending disposition and conduct, is óotos.-Heb. viii. 26, and so adverbially (i Thes. ii. 10.)

them, joying in the manner of their reception of the word of God, sympathising with them in the righteous judg ment that should place them both in the rest of glory. The salutation of the epistle we are considering is the usual one-" Grace and peace."

3-5. "The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," is the Church-name of Christ. Subject as the obedient man to God. The Son of the Father. Bringing the children of the Father in Him into the obedience of God. All is fulness in this epistle.

Thanksgiving is offered by the Apostle (since he heard of the faith and love to saints, or the saints at Colosse) for the hope laid up for them in heaven.

We have again here the peculiar fulness of this epistle; the hope which they had heard in the word of the truth of the Gospel from Epaphras, who was a minister of this fulness, and though the gospel of grace was much; this was the "grace of God" in truth, embracing all that grace which was in Christ. And it is said, that they had acquaintance with it. No wonder that he to whom it was committed, to make the fulness known, should have his heart drawn out to the Colossian assembly, bearing as it did its excellent fruit, and increasing continually.

6-11. For this cause, and on this ground, he prayed and made petition to God, that, in order that they might walk worthy of the LORD, they might be filled with the knowledge of the will of God, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; bearing fruit, and increasing in acquaintance with God,

The result of what they should receive on his petition to God, was acquaintance with God. Experimental knowledge of God, through intelligent fulfilment of his mind under Christ. An habituation of walk and service in subjection to Christ and His word, was to work this. This order is deeply to be observed. In Ephesians, the knowledge of the Son of God comes through the unity of the faith wrought through a true course of Church action in the Spirit; and so in the Epistle of Peter, "growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." But this goes beyond them

all. IT IS ACQUAINTANCE WITH GOD: first came knowledge of God's will in spiritual understanding; then practice, and thereby true acquaintance.

What a solemn occupation for the soul! But in this walk, what practical proof and experience was required. The walk here contemplated is in face of the enemy; and the power of the glory to which suffering was attached was to sustain it in all patience and long-suffering, with joyfulness. The confession of the Lord was the confession of the supremacy of God in the world, in the kingdom of the Son till He come, in all virtue and grace, according to the heavenly calling of the saints.

Thus far is the subject of the Thessalonians, where, as in this portion of this epistle, all are regarded as members of the rejected Kingdom.b

12-14. Our present ground of thanksgiving to the Father is, that He made us meet, or, is making us meet unto the share of the inheritance of the saints in light, who saved us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have redemption, even the remission of sins. The depth of this epistle cannot be plainer seen than in the following verses. Christ is presented in all His eminence. Let us collect a few of the expressions, and we shall see how our redemption, and the reconciliation of all things, is connected with this eminence. He, by whom is our redemption, even the forgiveness of sins, is the image of the invisible God, and the Head of all creation (what a new

b"When the Church also, in the thought of making themselves spiritual, take advantage of their glory and position, as priests and prophets (characters which do indeed belong to them), to disown the rights of Christ, the King in Jeshurun, having authority over the house of God, there is room for considering whether they are not guilty of the rebellion here spoken of. For my part, I believe they are."-P. T. vol. ii. p. 213.

"

The words in the Greek which are rendered "hath made us meet (ver. 12); "hath delivered" (ver. 13), and "hath translated (ver. 13.), being all aorists. I have left out the word "hath," because though, feebly, it indicates the preterite. The aorist only gives the historical sense, and the participle less still. Observe, also, this remarkable sequel of obedience in this respect. He gave His spirit to them that obeyed Him; Tedaрxew is used for obey; and so Titus, iii. 1.