And in every age, wherever the means of communication, with the increased population of mankind in the Old, and in the recently-discovered countries of the New World, have afforded the opportunity, the same tidings of the "word of the truth of the Gospel" have been brought.

Through the instrumentality of Britain's sons, they have reached India; and wherever our chaplains are stationed, or our missionaries begin to break up the ground, we may say to the few scattered flocks, as St. Paul in the instance before us, The Gospel is come unto you, as it is in all the world.

And bringeth forth fruit as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard it, and knew the grace of God in truth.

The Gospel is a traveller, as we have seen, in one point of view; but as respects the word communicated, it is like a seed sown by a divine hand, having a life-giving power and influence in it, which, like vegetable life in nature, tends to the production of appropriate fruit.

"The seed of the word," in our Lord's parable, falling on the prepared ground, " brought forth fruit,

light of the Gospel; and Cranmer, Ridley, and Jewel, at last, in the sixteenth century, accomplished the glorious Reformation by the regular and canonical authority of our bishops and clergy in convocation, and under the sanction of our natural and lawful princes-so vain is the Romish insinuation that the English Reformation was an irregular, unauthorised, and hasty act.

some sixty-fold, and some thirty, and some an hundred."

This fruit we have already adverted to, in speaking of the "faith, love, and hope," of the Colossian converts. The apostle, however, marks the time and the intimacy of the knowledge of the Gospel, which were connected with this fruitfulness.

The peculiarity of their case and their commendation was, that" since the day they heard it," without any delay, any reluctance, any opposition, any gainsaying, as in other places, they at once embraced the blessed tidings-that, as the Bereans," they received the word with all readiness of mind."

The apostle adds, "And knew the grace of God in truth,” and not with the perversions and corrupt admixtures of the false teachers. They understood, apprehended, experienced the Gospel to be "the grace of God in truth" to their souls; felt its blessed efficacy, were renewed and changed by its power, were touched really and deeply by the love of God manifested by it to guilty man, and saw all the infinite grace which it revealed.

Let us closely examine ourselves, brethren, on these points. The Gospel messengers have come to us; have we received them as bringing the grace of God in truth? We have heard of this grace, often and often before this time, from their lips; has it brought forth in us the fruits of "faith, hope, charity?" Have we "a hope laid up in heaven?"

Or are we living "without hope and without God in the world?" Do we see that the one grand, commanding truth for a dying sinner, is the word of the Gospel?

Remember, there is a time marked in the Epistle as to the fruitfulness of the Colossians-let it be marked also as to us. If not before, yet now, from this very day that we are again hearing of it, let it be said of us that we began to bring forth fruit.

7. As ye also heard of Epaphras, our dear fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ.

St. Paul bears this testimony to the doctrine of Epaphras, that he might stop the progress of the new inventions in religion, of which this faithful minister had brought him an account, by assuring them of the soundness of the doctrine Epaphras had been preaching among them.

He speaks of him with affectionate confidence, As ye have also heard of Epaphras, our dear fellowservant. There is no jealousy amongst the true ministers of Christ. God gives them different gifts, and places them in different stations; some are young and inexperienced; others, like Paul the aged, are full of faith and love; some are in the lower, and others in the higher ministries of the church; but charity and mutual esteem unite them all, as St. Paul with Epaphras.

The apostle himself had been more than once in

Phrygia; but not being able to visit every city, he had probably sent on Epaphras, who is supposed by many to be the same with Epaphroditus, to preach the Gospel to them, as he was a native, or at least an inhabitant, of Colosse.*

St. Paul, in mentioning him, says not a word of his own imprisonment, lest the Colossians should be grieved; but, after calling him his dear fellow-servant, adds his testimony to his fidelity, whatever the false apostles might insinuate, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ.

8. Who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

We had one summary of the christian character before—“ faith in Christ Jesus, love to all the saints, and a hope laid up in heaven." But here is a more compendious one still. The leading grace of their hearts was love. If one point only can be touched on, it shall be, not so much faith or hope, as love; love in the spirit, proceeding from the Holy Ghost, of a spiritual and genuine nature, and relating to spiritual hopes and joys.

This is the temper of heaven. Faith will cease when superseded by sight; hope will hereafter be swallowed up in enjoyment; but love will remain, the most appropriate mark of the true Christian under all circumstances on earth; the most important grace especially, in a time of conflict in the visible church, and the best preparation for a world

* "Who is one of you." Col. iv. 12; Phil. ii. 25; iv. 18.

D

of love in heaven. Let us ask ourselves whether our faithful ministers could declare of us, wherever they went, "this love in the spirit," as the characteristic and prominent feature of our religion? And let us pray to the Holy Ghost to shed abroad more copiously this love in all our hearts!

LECTURE IV.

THE APOSTLE'S PRAYER FOR THE PROGRESS OF

THE COLOSSIANS IN SPIRITUAL

AND CHRISTIAN GRACES.

COL. i. 9-11.

KNOWLEDGE

THE apostle, in these verses, closes his introduction with a most sublime and comprehensive prayer for the progress of the Colossians in grace.

9. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you.

From the day that Epaphras had brought St. Paul tidings of their "love in the Spirit," he began his unceasing prayers.

We should lose no time it addressing ourselves to Phil. i. 6. prayer for those in whom we hear that a "good work," as the apostle speaks, has been begun. And in this holy exercise we must not relax nor forget the daily recurring duty. Prayer for others