“ all things, whether upon the earth, whether in the heavens," you are not to run wild and understand universal redemption of angels and men; for there are no evil angels in heaven, nor evil men, both being reserved in darkness until the judgment of the great day. It means simply all the things upon the earth, and in the firmament which the Jews called the heavens; that is, in the region where clouds and tempests, and lightning and thunder, and other the most violent commotions of the elements dwell. On which account Satan is called "the prince of the power of the air," and amongst our enemies are enumerated "spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places." But the dwelling place of God is the heaven of heavens, or the third heavens; all the things upon the earth and the heavens which he originally created, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers, are represented as at variance and in strife with God, and needing to be reconciled. And yet a few verses above they are declared to have been created both by Christ and for Christ. How then came they to be thus in opposition to God? No doubt by the invasion of sin and the present possession of Satan, the invisible power who ruleth over the darkness of this world. And how are they to be reconciled? how is the peace between all the creatures and God to be made? it is answered, "making peace by the blood of his cross." Wherefore we conclude that his death was the reconciliation of God to the creatures, his body the peace-offering, which being offered up, a dispensation of reconciliation might begin to run its course, but not till then : for it is said, “ by him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace by the blood of his cross." It is further to be observed,

that Christ is not the passive victim only, through whose blood the reconciliation is brought about, but also the active minister by whom it is carried on; by him to reconcile all things, by him by whom they were created. The things in the heavens and on the earth, which fell on war with God and with one another, and which are still at war, through Adam's disobedience, are, by the obedience of the Second Adam unto death, brought back into a state of reconciliation; and their reconciliation is proceeding according to the rate and progress approved of by that wisdom which dwelleth in Christ; wherefore the Gospel is called the ministry of reconciliation, committed unto the Apostles first, and now unto us, the ministers of the church. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature old things are passed away: behold all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." (2 Cor. v. 17—19.) Wherefore also it is called the Gospel of Peace; "preaching peace by Jesus Christ;" and was proclaimed by the heavenly host "peace on earth,' which language were not only unmeaning but false, if the old creation, "the all things," the world, were not in a state of war with God, and under the sentence of wrath. This alienation, this curse, it appears, from the passage under consideration, is removed from them, and their peace made by the blood of the cross of Christ. And how doth this great peace-offering affect the souls of men? The

Apostle immediately addeth, speaking to the church of the Colossians, and in them to the church of the Gentiles universally, "And you that were some time" (or heretofore) "alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works hath he reconciled." This then is the natural estate of all the men of the world; for the church, whose former state it is declared to have been, is gathered out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And what state is this? "alienated and enemies by disposition in wicked works;" the disposition of the mind or the will being averse and inimical from God. For that which is here translated mind, is the same which is changed by repentance; for "mind” and “repentance" are the same word in Greek compounded with a different preposition. This which requires to be changed, is by nature alienated from, and at open war with, God, and this is shewn forth and expressed in wicked works; but these works are only the evidences and fruits of the evil, and not the evil itself, which is more deeply seated in the mind alienated from, and at war with, God. This declaration of the natural state of men brings to our mind what Paul says in another Epistle (Eph. ii. 1-3): "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." And what becometh of such alienated sinners, such active enemies of God and ministers

of evil, as we are here described to be? Observe what follows: "Yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death." The peace of all creatures was made through the blood of his cross, and the reconciliation of his church is made "in the body of his flesh by means of death;" which expressions exactly agree to what we have already seen in Peter, and contain this mystery, that the body of Christ's flesh, or his human nature, the part of him which could suffer and die, hath become by its death the reconciliation of the church, and will become the peace of the world. This is the seed which had to be cast into the ground in order to bear much fruit; the handful of corn cast out upon the top of the mountains, which is to fill the whole earth with prosperous fruit; the Lamb of God that takethaway the sin of the world. This humanity of Christ, therefore, being offered upon the cross, accomplisheth the reconciliation of the church and the future pacification of the world. With respect to the church of which at present we inquire, it is further added, here as every where, that the end of this reconciliation is "to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight." In whose sight? In the sight of God, even the Father, who is accomplishing this great work of reconciling all things unto himself by his Son: "who is in Christ reconciling all things to himself." But this glorious presentation of the church hath not, neither can have place, until she is made holy unblameable and unreprovable, because evil cannot stand in the sight of God. At present the church is under the sanctifying operation of the Holy Ghost. That same Spirit will raise her body from the dead, which wrought in Christ to raise him from the dead. Then shall we have to serve him in his kingdom;

for which end he did call, and choose, and sanctify us during this reign of evil, that when the fulness of times shall come for gathering together the "all things" into him, we might serve for his ministers, the hands, the feet, the tongue, the eye, the ear, and every member of that universal government which he is then to exercise over the earth: after which honourable fellowship of his glorious and active government of power, we shall, as his spouse, with all those, the children of our mutual love and care, with this earth, their purified and blessed abode, be presented to the Father, who thenceforward shall be all in all; that is, shall be manifest in his glorious Son, directly owning, directly governing, directly blessing the world with all the dwellers therein for ever and ever; or, if it seem meet, advancing us to whatever power and honourable office may seem good unto himself.

We have thus ascertained that Christ's sufferings were vicarious, and his death was reconciling of the world; and that atonement for sin is an essential part of the Divine purpose in the incarnation of his Son. Let us proceed a step farther, and consider what is revealed in Scripture concerning the communication or application of the fruits of his work unto others, for this also is an essential part of the idea of the atonement. And for this end we choose out a passage in the third chapter of the Romans, at the twenty-third verse, which casts a very steady light upon this part of the subject. You observe, that it sets out by stating the great proposition of the world's sinfulness, which the Apostle had been proving throughout the preceding chapters of that Epistle, both by the observation of the fact and by the word of God.