Gospel reconciliation, or, Christ's trumpet of peace to the world

Further; Al things are reconciled in Christ too, in this regard: In that now all things are through him come to be made Serviceable to those that are his Saints, and reconciled ones; and in that regard all things may be said to be reconciled to God; because they are reconciled to Gods friends; whereas before, all Creatures were enemies t• us through Sin; and now through Christ they come to be made useful to us; and so unto God by us. A Second difficulty in this text is, How God hath by Christ reconciled all things in heaven; what things are there in Heaven that are Reconciled to God by Christ? We must understand that the things in Heaven that are said to be reconciled, are especially to be meant of the Angels. But you will say; How can the angels be reconciled to Christ, there was never a falling out, never an enmity between God and them? I Answer, That though in a proper sense, as reconciliation Concerns man, there is no reconciling of Angels unto God; yet because there is a nearer and a further and a more firm union made between God and the Angels through Jesus Christ than ever there was before or than ever there should have been, for ought we know, if Christ had not been; in that regard reconciliation may be said to be of things in Heaven; God and them being now by Christ more firmly made one, than ever they were before. And again though the Angels had never Sinned against God, and so were no actual enemies unto God; yet they were in a capacity of sinning, for they being but Creatures, they could not but be frail in themselves; and so liable to fall from ⟨p. 72⟩God and to sin against him as well as those that did fall; therefore in regard of the establishment which they have now through Jesus Christ, because they are now confirmed in such a condition, that they are in an impossibility of falling from God, God having so taken them to himself, and they being so one with God, that they can never fall from him; in this regard also they may be said to be reconciled. For notwithstanding all the perfection of their Creation, they might have fallen into the same condition that those did that are now reserved in Chains to the Judgment of the great day. But now God hath so reconciled all things in Heaven by Jesus Christ, that the Angels themselves are more firmly made one with God than they were before. And further;

Further; Al things are reconciled in Christ too, in this regard: In that now al things are through him come to be made Serviceable to those that are his Saints, and reconciled ones; and in that regard al things may be said to be reconciled to God; because they are reconciled to Gods friends; whereas before, al Creatures were enemies t us through Sin; and now through Christ they come to be made useful to us; and so unto God by us. A Second difficulty in this text is, How God hath by Christ reconciled al things in heaven; what things are there in Heaven that are Reconciled to God by Christ? We must understand that the things in Heaven that are said to be reconciled, are especially to be meant of the Angels. But you wil say; How can the angels be reconciled to Christ, there was never a falling out, never an enmity between God and them? I Answer, That though in a proper sence, as reconciliation Concerns man, there is no reconciling of Angels unto God; yet because there is a neerer and a further and a more firm union made between God and the Angels through Jesus Christ than ever there was before or than ever there should have been, for ought we know, if Christ hade not been; in that regard reconciliation may be said to be of things in Heaven; God and them being now by Christ more firmly made one, than ever they were before. And again though the Angels had never Sinned against God, and so were no actual enemies unto God; yet they were in a capacity of sinning, for they being but Creatures, they could not but be frail in themselves; and so lyable to fal from