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Acton s Jbcctureg. 825
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Acton's Lectures. *
divine law ; not one passage in-which it is said tliat his mode of redeeming mankind by bis blood , was by purchasing of Gnxi the forgiveness of sins at the price of his blood . The reputed orthodox doctrine of Atonement still renK & iftS t *> be assumed ; it must be inferred , fwwost assuredly it is mo where stated in the Sacred Volume * We may be askedi pethaps ^ wh another meaning # an be attached to this language ? It were better to attach none at all , in Wie ^ eBafer to confess our complete ignorance * £ ha & ta di * awcoii elusions
wlueti change the merciful covenant of the gospel Into a closfc ; bargain between the justice of one Divine person and the compassion of another . But we are ndt reduced to this necessity . We are not disposed to allow that the glowing worcU of scripture must be without meanings unless Uhey bear the sense which $ he prejudice of ages has ascribed to them . We are willing , I trust , to meet our brethren in the spirit of Christian seriousness and humility ^ and to consider for our mutual edification , what is the real importance , what
weres the teal effects of the sufferings and death of Christ . Only , we must beg € q provide , that beyond what is written nothing shall be assumed , nothing shall be inferred , which is inconsistent with the clear and acknowledged principles of divine revelation . We must put in a preliminary caution in behalf of the free grace of God , It is surely a reasonable condition , that no doctrine shall be made an article of Christian faith by deduction , wliich . goes to contradict , or even to qualify , such truths as are enforced and repeated in tlao wor 4 s of inspired authority / ' —Pp . 66— 68 .
The last passage we referred to is in the second Leciure 5 ' * The Father the Fountain of all Grace ; Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant , ' It respects the agency of Christ , as the minister of God 9 not only in the introduction and establishment of the gospel dispensation ,, but in the carrying on of its purposes . With this we will conclude our present notice of these truly valuable and interesting Lectures . " On this topic I must crave to express my own sentiments fully . It was the solemn promise of our Saviour to his disciples , when he was about to
deprive them of his bodily presence , that he would * be with them even to the end of the world ; ' or according to a more probable meaning of the words , unto 4 the end of the age' that then was . Now , whatever may have been the exact meaning of our Saviour ' s promise , whether we suppose it to be confined to the apostles and the apostolic age , or to extend to his disciples in all ages , it plainly relates to a large exercise of personal agency , as the medium of divine blessings to men . Nor can we entertain a doubt that the promise has been faithfully accomplished . For my own part , I can see no
reasonable grounds for denying that the actual mediation of Christ in the salvation of souls , and the moral regeneration of the world , ia still continued ,, and shall be continued throughout all probationary ages . It is worthy of consideration , that a period is foretold in the Scriptures , when the agency of Clurist In the n » oral government of the world shall be still more splendidly exhibited , than it has ever yet been . At his voice , we are told , the dead shall b o raised ; he isliall come again in the glory of his Father , and of . the holy angels , and the whole race of mankind shall be judged by him . We are expressly informed , that he is not to give up the kingdom to which he has been
appointed , until a future and glorious period , when sin and death and all other enemies shall have been put under his feet ; then he shall resign it to the Fat her % that ' God maybe all in all . ' This being so clearly repealed , why should it be supposed that the personal mediation of Christ between ( iod and < sinful men is ut present entirely suspended ? He ia not slumbering ia itUe lomb . lie is possessed of immortal life * and crowned with the eternal reward of his obedience and sufferings . Why should we imagine that the discharge of his mediatorial ofliee is interrupted , since we know that his work is not yet finished ? - It is surely far more reasonable ^ it is more agreeable to the language of Scripture , to believe in him and to acknowledge him
Acton S Jbcctureg. 825
Acton s Jbcctureg . 825
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1830, page 825, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/mrp_02121830/page/25/
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