leprosy of sin. The baneful evil is within us. But how does it manifest itself? We are not profligates at once. There is a beginning of a bad career. One vicious principle shows itself, leading to the practice of some sin. We think lightly of it; we excuse it; it is perhaps, so we flatter ourselves, no great evil.

2. The malady spreads. Chap. xiii. 7. The leprosy, if real, diffused itself, until it had covered the whole body.

Thus also sin is an evil leaven, and unless it be resisted, the sinner will soon be entirely corrupted by it, and wholly engaged in its service. Reason and conscience oppose sin; common decency and temporal interest compel us to oppose it: but in how many instances does sin triumph over all these. The sinful principle leads to a sinful act: the act is repeated: repeated actions become habits: and the life of the individual is altogether sinful.

3. The malady was infectious. This we presume, and we assign it as one great cause why so much attention was given to it.

So it is in spiritual matters. 1 Cor. xv. 33. Bad company is the ruin of thousands. Sinners take delight in corrupting others. They laugh at goodness and the good; and their invitations to folly are but too successful. The swearer makes all around him profane: the drunkard, the sabbath breaker, the fornicator, lead others into their sins.

4. The malady caused the separation of the individual from society. Chap. xiii. 46. It must have been a degrading and painful thing, to have deen excluded from society, civil and religious: but such was the case.

Thus too sin divides a man from the society of true Christians: he has no fellowship with God, nor with the people of God. Though a member of the visible, he is not a member of the invisible Church of Christ. The communion of Saints, is an article of our faith. Let not careless sinners deceive themselves. The peo

ple of Christ are saints, holy people: but all who live in sin, polluted with the spiritual leprosy, are out of the camp of the true Israelites: they are of the world, in sin, and under condemnation.

5. This malady compelled the individual to confess his pollution. Chap. xiii. 45. What a painful and humiliating circumstance! He cried, "Unclean, unclean."

But

So it is in spiritual matters. To his fellow creatures must the notorious sinner, to his shame and confusion, sometimes avow the wickedness of his character. more especially must all of us confess our sins to God in deep repentance. Did a prophet cry out, "Woe is me: I am undone: I am a man of unclean lips:" and what then shall the careless sinner, what shall every one of us say? "Unclean, unclean," may well be the cry of us all: what is he who is a stranger to it?

II. The cure of this Malady.

1. It was not to be cured by human means: see 2 Kings v. 7. In the same manner, we cannot cure our spiritual maladies. We may lop off some vices, and cultivate some virtues, and perform some duties. We may be amiable, and moral, and respectable. But can we błot out our sins? No. Can we change our hearts, and make ourselves holy creatures? No. Salvation is not of man.

2. The cleansing of the leper was connected with blood and water: read 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8th verses of this Chapter. A typical ceremony was appointed for cleansing him.

How are we cleansed from the leprosy of sin? By blood and water; by the redeeming sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the renewing agency of the Holy Ghost. We cannot cleanse ourselves from the pollution of sin: but through the tender mercy of God, there is salvation for us.. Are we penitents, crying before God, unclean, unclean? Then we may look to the "fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness," and

thus obtain the removal of sin, and a recovery to health and holiness.

3. On the cure of the Malady, the individual was to make various offerings. Chap. xiv. 10, &c. When we receive the mercy of God, when we become acquainted with salvation, let us daily offer to God spiritual sacrifices; let us present ourselves to him, to be his, engaged in his service, and always consulting his glory.

In conclusion: 1. How deplorable and awful is the state of a careless sinner! The body infected with leprosy is a loathsome object: but who can describe the soul polluted with the leprosy of sin? How offensive to Him who hateth iniquity!

2. How fatally do most Christians deceive themselves! We tell them of their depravity, corruption, disorder: but they will not believe us: they will not look inward, and see their own case; and thus they proceed in impenitence and unbelief, with all the defilement of sin about them. Still they think that they are good, pure, excellent, high in the favour of God. O fatal delusion! 3. How gracious is God towards our miserable world! Do we see and feel the malady? Then there is salvation for us. Wash in the true Jordan, look to the blood of Christ, and be clean. Pray for the Holy Spirit, and he will be given.

4. How great reason have we all to be humble! In certain cases, Chap. xiv. 45, the house of the leper was to be demolished. We are all lepers; and our house, our mortal tabernacle, must be taken down, and cast into the grave, before it be free from all pollution. It will sink into the grave a vile body: O, shall it in the last day be raised a glorious body? Yes; if we are the true followers of Christ. Let us then labour to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit."

THE PRAYER.

O gracious God, give me, I beseech thee, a just

sense of my spiritual condition. I own myself to be a miserable sinner: grant that I may rightly feel it. Lamenting my sins, may I obtain forgiveness through the blood of Christ, and also the grace of the Holy Ghost to renew me after thy image. Deliver me from all delusion, and lead me into all truth, that I may rejoice in thy salvation, and glorify thee for ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

LECTURE XXIV.

THE SCAPE GOAT.

And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. Leviticus xvi. 7.

SACRIFICE forms a most important subject in religion; one to which we cannot easily give too much attention. "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us," is the language of Saint Paul. Sacrifice lies at the foundation of our holy faith.

The tenth day of the seventh month was to the Israelites, the most solemn day of the year. Read verses 29, 30, 31, of this chapter; and chap. xxiii. 27-32. Various sacrifices were offered on this day, but that of the scape goat was the most remarkable. In this sacrifice there were two victims, of which one was slain as a sin offering, and the other was sent away alive into the wilderness.

To enter rightly into this chapter, it will be proper to read Hebrews ix. 7-12, and 24-26. We shall then clearly see that this sacrifice typified the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I. Let us state a few facts. Two goats were to be taken, and to be presented before God at the door of the tabernale. Aaron was to cast lots, that it might be determined which of them should be slain, and which should be sent away, or be the the scape goat. The blood of the slain goat, 15-19, was to be carried within the vail, into the Holy of Holies, and to be sprinkled on the mercy seat; and afterwards with the blood of another victim it was sprinkled on the altar. When all was done that was appointed with the blood of the slain goat, Aaron, 20-22, was to bring the live goat, to lay both his hands on the head of it, and to confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and then the goat was to be sent by a fit man into the wilderness. The goat was considered as bearing away all their iniquities into a land not inhabited. Aaron was then to wash himself, change his dress, and finish the services of the day.

II. Let us now briefly consider the meaning of these facts. In the whole transaction there was something very singular and striking, and calculated to impress the serious Israelites with a strong sense of the evil of sin, of the necessity of its removal, and of the impossibility of removing it in any other way than by sacrifice.

1. This sacrifice was a type of Christ. "As the slain goat," says Bp. Hall," shall represent Christ dying for sin, so the escaping goat shall represent him, freed from death, for our full justification, and taking away the sins of mankind, so that they shall not appear in the sight of God to their condemnation." "One animal," says Dr. A. Clarke, "could not point out both the divine and human nature of Christ, nor show both his death and resurrection, for the goat that was killed could not be made alive......The goat that was slain prefigured his human nature, and its death: the goat that escaped, pointed out his resurrection. The one