LECTURE IX.

PEACE, AND RECONCILIATION OF ALL THINGS BY

CHRIST.

COL. i. 20.

THE apostle having finished his astonishing description of the glory of our Lord in his divine nature and mediatorial office, verses 15-19, proceeds in the verse before us to press still further the main point of his epistle, the all-sufficiency of Christ for man's salvation, by showing that our reconciliation with God, in all the amplitude of that vast benefit, must be sought for in Christ, and Christ only.

In order to this, he notices, 1st, The foundation of this reconciliation in the blood of the cross and 2nd, The extent of it, reaching to things in heaven and things on earth.

20. And having made peace through the blood of his

cross.

1. Here is the foundation laid of the reconciliation between God and man.

Peace implies a previous state of warfare; reconciliation a previous state of alienation and separation.

Man by the fall rose up in rebellion against his Creator and Lord, and dared to place himself in opposition to him. The peace which Adam enjoyed

in obedience to his Maker and communion with him was thus broken; nor can it be restored, as it should appear, without two things previously taking place, neither of which can man effect—a ground of reconciliation must be laid in a satisfaction made to the violated law and justice of the great moral Governor of the universe; and a disposition must be produced in the rebel to return to his obedience, and seek to be again united to God, the fountain of life. For how can "two walk together unless they are agreed?"-and how can man be restored to happiness in God, unless he be desirous to be reconciled, and willing to accept of the means which God may reveal for that purpose?

God, then, is the sole and primary author of this peace, and has laid a solid foundation for it, by giving his only-begotten Son to be a propitiatory Isa. lix. 16. sacrifice for sin; as the prophet foretells," When he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor, then his arm brought salvation unto him, and his righteousness, it sustained him."

Christ, then, being the Creator, Preserver, and Final End of all things, undertook by his incarnation to become" the head of his body the church, and the beginning and first-born from the dead," in order that he might, in his human nature, joined by an ineffable union with his divine, make peace through the blood of his cross.

Such is the commencement and bond of our

re-union with God. Out of Christ we are miserable, and must remain so, because we are at enmity with the Author of all blessedness.

In Christ a ground is laid for peace, both in the honour done to the justice of God, and in the preparation for the sinner's renouncing his rebellion and seeking to be reconciled to his offended Maker.

What a stupendous view of the work of our Lord and Saviour does this present! Well may he have been foretold as "the Shiloh," the peaceable One, yea," the Prince of peace." Well may it be said, "Peace is preached by Jesus Christ." Well may our apostle have declared, "We have redemption through his blood." (verse 14.) Well may he so anxiously shut out all other mediators, whether of redemption or intercession, and all pretended merits of saints or angels, when the office of peace-maker is claimed for Him, who, by one sacrifice on the cross, propitiated for ever the offended majesty of heaven towards all who shall rely on his satisfaction in seeking to be reconciled to God. There, there is the expiatory victim, there is the meritorious ground of the peace which the Gospel proclaims, and which the ministers of that Gospel are sent to promote, by "beseeching men in Christ's stead to 2 Cor. v. 20. be reconciled to God. There is the pledge and purchase-price of our pacification with our heavenly Father." There is the object on which faith reposes in approaching "the throne of grace" for pardon, reconciliation, and eternal life.

This explains what the apostle had said, "That in all things Christ was to have the pre-eminence.” (verse 18.) This shows us in what sense "it pleased the Father that in Christ should all fulness dwell." (verse 19.) This unfolds St. Paul's language in his Eph. ii. 14 Epistle to the Ephesians, " For He is our peace""who came and preached peace to you,"-addressing himself to the Ephesian converts," which were far off, and to them that were nigh," the Jewish believers" For through him we both have access by one Spirit, to the Father."

-18

Rom. viii. 20-23.

By him to reconcile all things unto himself: by him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven.

2. Such is the surprising extent of this reconciliation; for though, strictly speaking, it takes place only between God, and man the sinner and rebel; yet as holy angels, and all creatures in heaven and earth, entered, so to speak, as legal subjects into the quarrel, and took part with their Almighty and insulted Lord, Christ is said to have reconciled them "by the blood of his cross."

Thus the reconciliation embraces analogically* every creature and thing, to which the breach itself in any degree extended.

66

The whole creation was made through man's sin subject to vanity;" and "groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." The fabric of nature, and the inferior animals, were compelled, as it were,

* Davenant.

to take up arms against man, to whom originally the "dominion" over them was given.

Gen. i. 26.

The heathen world, having lost the traditions of the divine revelation made to Adam, "groaned un- Rom. viii. der the bondage of corruption."

The chosen nation were dissevered from the great family of mankind, and were generally filled, at the time of our Lord, with bitterness and contempt for the Gentiles.

Holy angels were separated and estranged from the fallen race, and became their adversaries and the instruments of the divine displeasure against them. They ranged themselves on the side of their Creator, and renounced all friendship with man, the moment his rebellion broke out.

20-23.

19-22.

But, lo, in Christ it hath pleased the Father to reconcile all things unto himself, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven: it hath pleased him, as our apostle more fully expresses himself in his Epistle to the Ephesians, "In the Eph. i. 10, dispensation of the fulness of times, to gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth"-" according to the working of his mighty power, when he raised Christ from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come and put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church."