September 29

“Behold, if the leprosy have covered all hisjlesh, he shall vrono.nci him clean that hath the jilague.” — Leviticus xiii. 13.

IS’TRANGE enough this regulation appears; yet there was wisdom in it, for the throwing out of the disease proved that the constitution was sound. This morning it may be well for us to see the typical teaching of so singular a rule. We, too, are lepers, and may read the law of leper as applicable to ourselves. When a man sees himself to be altogether lost and ruined, covered all over with the defilement of sin, and no part free from pollution; when he disclaims all righteousness of his own, and pleads guilty before the Lord; then is he clean through the blood of Jesus, and the grace of God. Hidden, uufclt, unconfcsscd iniquity is the true leprosy; but when sin is seen and felt, it has received its death-blow, and the Lord looks with eyes of mercy upon the soul afflicted with it. Nothing is more deadly than self-righteousness, or more hopeful than contrition. We must confess that we are “nothing else but sin,” for no confession short of this will be the whole truth; and if the Holy Spirit be at work with us, convincing us of sin, there will be no difficulty about making such an acknowledgment — it will spring spontaneously from our lips. What comfort does the text afford to those under a deep sense of sin! Sin mourned and confessed, however black and foul, shall never shut a man out from the Lord Jesus. Whosoever cometh unto Ilim, He will in no wise cast out. Though dishonest as the thief, though unchaste as the woman who was a sinner, thougl fierce as Saul of Tarsus, though cruel as Manassch though rebellious as the prodigal, the great heart of luv»- will look upon the man who feels himself to have no soundness in him, and will pronounce him clean, when he trusts in Jo.«ui. crucifisd. Come to Him, then, poor heavy-laden sinner,

“Come needy, come guilty come loathaome und Od’p;
You can’t come too filthy -come just as you are.”