i.e., brought them into being without the use of preexisting material, they are not left to persist and stand by inherent law, instinct or creature will. In him they live and move and have their being. The engine, for all its marvelous mechanism, must have an engineer. The harnessed team must have its driver whose master hand never turns loose the reins of guidance and restraint.

And "all things " means All things and beings— whether visible or invisible, whether in heaven above or earth below, whether thrones and principalities, powers and dominions, whether germs or developments, whether material, physical or spiritual; whether molecule or planetary system. Their being, their persistence, their times, their mutations, their environment, their orbits, their horizons, are all of his appointment. He leads forth Arcturus and his sons. He looses the bands of Orion and bindeth the sweet influences of the Pleiades. He is the father of the rain and hath begotten the drops of dew. He genders the hoar frost. He exhales vapor, gathers it into clouds, brews the pure water and by condensation sends down the supplies of perennial fountains.

But all this is but the approach to the climax. Sin had entered heaven and earth through the revolt of the angels and the fall of man. The unity of heaven above was broken and the earth below in rebellion acknowledged the sovereignty of an usurper. Then it was, according to the text, "The

good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fullness dwell, and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross: through him, I say, whether things upon earth or things in heaven."

I stand erect at my greatest height, and with uplifted hand, and reverent face to emphasize:

The highest relation of Christ to the universe is expressed in this reconciliation.

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We may not dilute, diminish or evade any element of the crowning doctrine of reconciliation. We may not limit its scope to men or time. There was war in heaven" as well as on earth. The things in heaven must be reconciled. If the earthly high priest must cleanse the tabernacle with the blood of the type, so "the heavenly things themselves must be cleansed with a better sacrifice than these." Ah! had I but time to discuss the reconciliation in the heavens! But this much we may not omit. Eight times in the text we have "all things." Having seen it to mean all things most literally and comprehensively in the seven times, we must not diminish its scope in the eighth time. He reconciles all things as he had created the same all things.

Be not startled. This does not mean universal salvation of fallen men and angels. But it does mean universal reconciliation. Sin jarred the universe and shattered its unity. Sin defiled heaven

and cursed the earth. Wherever there was war there must be peace-never to be broken again. Think

not this infinitesimal world alone involved nor man alone.

Let us get at the meaning of reconciliation by approachment. In an earthly kingdom there is organized and widespread rebellion under capable leaders of a mighty usurper. Large sections of the empire acknowledge the usurper's claims and their strongholds are garrisoned by his armies. There is a conspiracy in the palace of the king. The Son of the king is sent forth to crush the rebellion and pacify the disturbed empire. He inflicts overwhelming defeat on his adversary. The usurper himself is captured and banished from the realm and held. in everlasting chains. The leaders under him are punished and put beyond the power of a second revolt. The organized armies of opposition are shattered and disintegrated. The strongholds are captured. The masses of the rebels submit to authority and renew allegiance. The incorrigible are made to confess their crime and are imprisoned for life. The palace, defiled by conspiracy, is purged. The triumphant son returns to the king and reports: Father, the whole realm is pacified-the flag floats unchallenged over every rebellious province-the people everywhere bow to the supreme authority, the willing-hearted in forgiveness and joy, the incorrigible by compulsion, and there can be no more revolt."

Apply the illustration: Sinners whether among men or angels are overcome by the blood of the

Lamb. Our Lord reigns until all his enemies are under his feet. At the last grand assize every knee bows to him and every tongue confesses. The lost acknowledge their guilt, recognize the wisdom and righteousness of their judgment and accept their punishment. As the heavens where the revolt originated are cleansed by the blood on the mercy seat, so the earth, made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who subjected it in hope the earth under the curse, groaning and travailing with pain, is purged by fire-and lo! we behold a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. There shall be sin, death, sorrow and night no more. Hell holds in eternal chains all incorrigible men and angels. And the Son reports: Father, the universe is pacified, and so having reconciled all things by the blood of the cross, he turns over the kingdom to the Father, and God is all in all.

HIS RELATION TO THE CHURCH

That this relation may be understood, there must be antecedent definition. It concerns our people much to know what and why the church. I define in terse paragraphs:

1. In the divine purpose from eternity and in its consummation in glory the whole number of the redeemed is conceived of as a unit, and is set forth in the Scriptures in the following or like terms: The Church, The General Assembly and Church of

the Firstborn who are enrolled in heaven; The Body of Christ, the Bride or Wife of the Lamb; The House or Temple of God; The Flock of God; The True or Spiritual Israel.

2. This divine conception, according to varying terms, is foreshadowed or illustrated in the Old Testament:

(a) By Eve, the first woman, derived from Adam, the first man, so as by derivation to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.

(b) By the Tabernacle of Moses. (c) By the Temple of Solomon.

(d) By the convocation of National Israel.

3. This glory church, existent now only as a concept suggested by purpose and promise, and in the gathering and preparation of its material, will be constituted an organized General Assembly, or Glory Church, according to the following steps:

(a) Jesus comes, bringing from heaven with him the disembodied spirits of the just made perfect. (Heb. 12:23, last clause, and I Thess. 4:14.)

(b) He raises and glorifies their bodies. (I Thess. 4:14-16.)

(c) He glorifies living Christians without death. (1 Cor. 15:51-55.)

(d) Both classes are caught up in the air with the Lord. (1 Thess. 4:17.) This is the separation of the just from the unjust (Matt. 25:31-33) and the first assembling of the elect, so that now having made up his jewels, you may discern between the