In an unrestricted sense, the text includes not merely human
beings, but every created object, such as beasts, birds, fishes,
reptiles, planets, &c. As none will contend that these things



172 UNITSBSALIBM NOT OV THS BIBU. [Parti.
are included, we see Uiat the text is to be understood in a re-
stricted sense. John the Baptist came to " restore aU things/*
Matt. 17 : 11. It was not his office to restore the universe to
its original order, or to restore the whole human race to bliffi ;
but to restore all things to be restored by his ministry. (Sec.
XXX.) So God in the fulness of times will gather all things in
Christ to be gathered. The idea is, that in the " fullness of
times," when Christ shall have finished his work as mediator,
when he shall deliver up the kingdom to the Father, (1 Cor.
15 : 24,) from whom he received it, (Matt. 28 : 18,) all the
saints in heaven, and all the faithful then living upon earth,
whether Jews or Gentiles by birth, shall be made to constitute
one triumphant church, as they are in fiict one fiunily now.
Eph. 3 : 15.
