ough all our lives. Perfume can be diffused into the air, and
dislodge no atom of that which it makes fragrant. This supreme aim can
be pursued through, and by means of, all nearer ones, and is
inconsistent with nothing but sin. 'Seek the things that are above.'

Lastly, we have here--

III. The discipline which is needed to secure the right direction of the
life.

The Apostle does not content himself with pointing out the aims. He adds
practical advice as to how these aims can be made dominant in our
individual cases, when he says, 'Set your affections on things above.'
Now, many of you will know that 'affections' is not the full sense of
the word that is here employed, and that the Revised Version gives a
more adequate rendering when it says, 'Set your _minds_ on the things
that are above.' A man cannot do with his love according to his will. He
cannot say: '_Resolved_, that I love So-and-So'; and then set himself to
do it. But though you cannot act on the emotions directly by the will,
you _can_ act directly on your understandings, on your thoughts, and
your thoughts will act on your affections. If a man wants to love Jesus
Christ he must think about Him. That is plain English. It is vain for a
man to try to coerce his wandering affections by any other course than
by concentrating his thoughts. Set your minds on the things that are
above, and that will consolidate and direct the emotions; and the
thoughts and the emotions together will shape the outward efforts.
Seeking the things that are above will come, and will only come, when
mind and heart and inward life are occupied with Him. There is no other
way by which the externals can be made right than by setting a watch on
the door of our hearts and minds, and this inward discipline must be put
in force before there will be any continuity or sureness in the outward
aim. We want, for that direction of the life of which I have been
speaking, a clear perception and a concentrated purpose, and we shall
not get either of these unless we fall back, by thought and meditation,
upon the truths which will provide them both.

Brethren, there is another aspect of the connection between these two
parts of our text, which I can only touch. Not only is the setting of
our thoughts on the things above, the way by which we can make these the
aim of our lives. They are not only aims to be reached at some future
stage of our progress, but they are possessions to be enjoyed at the
pre