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THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF ATONEMENT. 



importance. In addition to Col. i, may one be permitted to refer 

 to Rom. viii, 18-23, and to numerous passages in Eph., Rev., etc.; 

 even, one might say, to Gen. i 1 



Are we not, in fact, tempted often to ignore even what Calvary 

 means to ourselves 1 Every good gift of God is on account of that. 

 " Thou hast ascended on high. Thou hast led captivity captive : Thou 

 hast received gifts for men ; yea, for the rebellious also." Even 

 the fact that we can approach God in prayer and communion 

 springs from this : we have "boldness to enter into the holiest by 

 the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath 

 consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh." 



One speaker dealt very clearly with the distinction between the 

 Christian Doctrine of Atonement and the idea underlying heathen 

 sacrifice. Can we not sum up the distinction by saying that 

 heathen sacrifice is based on the assumption that we are able to offer 

 God something which is pleasing unto Him ; Christian sacrifice (by 

 which I mean the sacrifice of Calvary, together with all ritual 

 sacrifice prefiguring this, from the time of Abel onwards) is based 

 on the recognition that this is not so. The one springs from that 

 central doctrine of heathenism, salvation by works, or merit ; the 

 other embodies the doctrine of salvation by faith in the finished 

 work of Christ, and by that alone. 



