(3.) This reconciling of us to himself is the matter committed to the preachers of the gospel ; whereby, or by the declaration whereof, they should persuade us to be reconciled to God. " He hath com- mitted to us rov Xoyov TT^g y.arak'h.ayrig, this doctrine concerning recon- ciliation mentioned, ' we therefore beseech you to be reconciled to God.' " That which is the matter whereby we are persuaded to be reconciled to God cannot be our conversion itself, as is pretended. The preachers of the gospel are to declare this word of God, namely, " that he hath reconciled us to himself" by the blood of Christ, the blood of the new testament that was shed for us, and thereon per- suade us to accept of the tidings, or the subject of them, and to be at peace with God. Can the sense be, " We are converted to God, therefore be ye converted?" This testimony, then, speaks clearly to the matter under debate.
The next place of the same import is Eph. ii. 12-16, "At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world : but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far ojGf are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances ; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace ; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby."
1. Here is mention of a twofold enmity: — (1.) Of the Gentiles unto God; (2.) Of the Jews and Gentiles among themselves.
(1.) Of the Gentiles unto God, verse 12. Consider them as they are there described, and their enmity to God is sufficiently evident. And what in that estate was the respect of God unto them? what is it towards such persons as there described? " The wrath of God abideth on them," John iii. 36; they are "children of wrath," Eph. ii. 3. So are they there expressly called. " He hateth all the work- ers of iniquity," Ps. v. 5, and " will by no means clear the guilty," Exod. xxxiv. 7 ; yea, he curseth those families that call not on his name, Jer. x. 25.
(2.) Of the Jews and Gentiles among themselves ; which is ex- pressed both in the thing itself and in the cause of it. It is called
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" enmity," and said to arise from, or be occasioned and improved by, " the law of commandments contained in ordinances/' The occasion, improvement, and management of this enmity between them see elsewhere.
2. Here is mention of a twofold reconciliation: — (1.) Of the Jews and Gentiles among themselves: Verses 14, 15, " He is our peace, who hath made both one, abolishing the enmity, so making peace/' (2.) Of both unto God: Verse 16, "That he might reconcile both unto God/'
3. The manner whereby this reconciliation was wrought: "In his body, by the cross/'
The reconciliation unto God is that aimed at. This reconciliation is the reconciling of God unto us on the account of the blood of Christ, as hath been declared, — the bringing of us into his favour by the laying away of his wrath and enmity against us: which appears, —
(1.) From the cause of it expressed; that is, the body of Christ, by the cross, or the death of Christ. Now, the death of Christ was immediately for the forgiveness of sins: "This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." It is by shedding of his blood that we have remission or forgiveness. That this is by an atoning of God, or our acceptance into favour, is confessed.
(2.) From the expression itself: ' AToKaraXXd^ri h hi <su)[j.ari rS) Qiuj. Tw 0£w denotes one party in the business of reconciliation. He made peace between them both, between the Gentiles on the one hand and the Jews on the other, and he made peace between them both and God, Jews and Gentiles on the one hand and God on the other. So that God is a party in the business of reconciliation, and is therein reconciled to us; for our reconciliation to him is men- tioned in our reconciliation together, which cannot be done without our conversion.
(3.) From the description of the enmity given, verse 12, which plainly shows (as was manifested) that it was on both sides. Now, this reconciliation unto God is by the removal of that enmity ; and if so, God was thereby reconciled and atoned, if he hath any anger or indignation against sin or sinners.
(4.) Because this reconciliation of both to God is the great cause and means of their reconciliation among themselves. God, through the blood of Christ, or on the account of his death, receiving both into favour, their mutual enmity ceased; and without it never did nor ever will.
And this is the reconciliation accomplished by Christ.
The same might be said of the other place. Col. i. 20-22; but I shall not need to multiply testimonies to the same purpose. Thus we have reconciliation by Christ, in that he hath made atonement or satisfaction for our sins.