248, 249 Christ's confession of man's sin and intercession It was necessary that the elements of man's alienation from God should be present to the spirit of Christ, True meaning of being "washed in the blood of Christ," 251 A moral and spiritual atonement, when understood, is seen THE DEATH OF CHRIST CONTEMPLATED AS HIS TASTING DEATH, AND FOR EVERY MAN; AND THE LIGHT IT SHEDS ON HIS LIFE, AND ON THAT FELLOWSHIP IN HIS LIFE, THROUGH BEING CONFORMED TO HIS DEATH, TO Christ's faith in death identical with his faith in life, His death was (1) the perfect manifestation, . The view now taken of the nature of the Atonement is in- Illustration of the directly practical aspect in which the cross of Christ is contemplated in the Scriptures, The present teaching appeals to the conscience even more than (i.) The ultimate ground of the Atonement is to be seen in (ii.) The work of Christ is to be seen in the light of its results THAT GOD IS THE FATHER OF OUR SPIRITS, THE ULTIMATE TRUTH ON WHICH FAITH MUST HERE ULTIMATELY REST— Relation of redemption to the fatherliness of God according to Two considerations to be here noted- (i.) It is a special glory to God that His fatherliness is itself (ii.) Our reconciliation to God must have this origin, True significance of the words, "The Father sent the Son," The faith that God is the Father of our spirits has as deep a Progress of mind often experienced in reference to this Luther's teaching as to faith superior to that of the Calvinists, 307 But, as to Sonship, he falls short of the Apostles' teaching, Possible objections to the present teaching, INTRODUCTION. I AVAIL myself of a second edition to ask attention to some thoughts in relation to the Atonement which may be a needed help to some of my readers, but which I was not led to notice in writing this book. That is an abiding obligation which the Apostle expresses when he says, "Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. The freedom of thought which so strongly characterises our time, and the liberty taken to regard all questions on the subject of Religion as open questions, render due obedience to this charge of the Apostle's peculiarly difficult the range of the questions which may be put to us is so wide, and our answers are so likely to suggest previous questions. At the same time the field in which we are to look for our answer may be regarded as narrowed by the words a reason of the hope that is in you." The Apostle's "becoming all things to all men suggests a wide range, which yet is narrowed by the words, "by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." 66 The free controversy of the present day would be regarded with less anxiety and with more hope than it often is if this were clearly seen to be the course to which that controversy shuts us up. We believe that God is, that God is light, that it is His will that in His light we should see light. We, therefore, cannot recognise, in the questioning and controversy which abound, |