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52 And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:

53 But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.

ness.

54 This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and scall,

55 And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house,

56 And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:

57 To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.

LECTURE 209.
The duty of cleanliness.

Here we find a

We have read before of leprosy in garments. notice that when the Israelites should be settled in Canaan, and dwell no longer in tents but houses, the plague of leprosy would sometimes exist in the walls of a house. This might probably be some unwholesome affection of the materials with which the house was built, resembling in appearance the leprosy of the human body, and in some sort connected with it. And like the leprosy of garments, and that of the human body, it most likely was much aggravated by neglect of cleanliness on the part of those who suffered by it. Now cleanliness has been well said to be next to godliOr it might be better to say that it is a part of godliness. For whatsoever duty we have to do, we ought always to regard it as a part of our duty to God; we ought to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. And if we had no other authority for so regarding cleanliness, it would be enough to turn to those passages of the Law, in which God was pleased to provide so carefully for his people, that they should be cleanly in their persons, their garments, and their dwellings. But there is a worse leprosy than that of outward foulness. And they whose bodies are clean washed daily, may be foul with sin within. And is not this also true of clothes and dwellings? What garments are so unclean as costly finery, worn, and perhaps not paid for; or paid for, but ministering to a taste for pomps and vanities, alike in the wearers and in the beholders? What leprosy in a house can render it so foul, as to have been built out of the gains of dishonesty, or by means of treasure amassed in some trade that encourages iniquity, or to have been finished and furnished with an extravagance of luxury which leaves nothing or little for the poor; or to be filled with guests who know not God, or to be used for feasts wherein is excess? God forbid that we should ever thus pollute our houses, ever thus defile our garments! See Rev. 3. 4. God forbid that we should expose ourselves to that curse of his ; which has been threatened against the swearer and the thief, that "it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the stones thereof, and the timber thereof!" Zech. 5. 4.

O. T. VOL. I. PART II.

E e

The uncleanness of men in their issues; and their cleansing.

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.

3 And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his uncleanness.

4 Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.

5 And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

6 And he that sitteth on any thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

7 And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

8 And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

9 And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean.

10 And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the even: and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

11 And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

12 And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.

13 And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.

14 And on the eighth day he shall take to him two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and give them unto the priest:

15 And the priest shall offer them, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD for his issue.

16 And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.

17 And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the even.

18 The woman also with whom man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even.

LECTURE 210.

The necessity of cleansing the heart.

What particular kind of issue is meant in the first part of this passage is not known with certainty, though there can be little doubt that it was more or less connected with what is spoken of in the latter part of the passage. And this accounts for the subject being obscure; it is one of which we ought to be reluctant to think, or speak, or write. Why then, it will be asked, why is it mentioned in the Bible? Why is it set forth at length in that law, which God gave his people Israel by Moses? We answer, that it was set forth for their correction, reproof, and instruction in righteousness. See 2 Tim. 3. 16. We answer, that our most secret things are no secret unto God; but that we ourselves, and all our infirmities, are naked and open before Him, with whom we have to do. If therefore He have any command to give, by which we may be less likely, in matters such as these, to offend against his holiness, if He have any rule to communicate, which may help to render us more pure in his sight, more meet to dwell for ever in his presence; it is of his infinite mercy that He condescends in these things to reveal his will, it is out of his perfect purity that He warns us expressly against all that is impure. And we knowing that He already is privy to every thing, are not ashamed to receive such counsel at his lips; but are rather covered with confusion of face to think how greatly we need it; how deep rooted is our "filthiness of the flesh and spirit;" 2 Cor. 7. 1; which nothing short of the word of God can expose, which nothing short of the blood of Christ can cleanse. To Him, and to the atonement which He made for us, we are here directed to look, for the purifying of that in us which is foul, as well as for the forgiveness of that which is faulty. Whether it be the consciousness of actual transgression that makes us feel at enmity with God, and makes us fear the manifestation of his wrath; behold Jesus has made our peace; behold Jesus has died for our reconciliation. Or whether it be by reason of weaknesses which we cannot help, or for the vileness of pleasures in which here we are allowed, that we feel ourselves unfit for our inheritance in heaven; behold Jesus "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body;" Phil. 3. 21; behold "When Christ who is our life shall appear," then shall we " also appear with him in glory." Col. 3. 4. Let us therefore now mortify our "members which are upon the earth." Col. 3. 5. Let us have our conversation in heaven. See Phil. 3. 20. Let us cleanse, as St. James tells us, not only our hands, but our hearts. See James 4. 8. Let us remember, as our Lord teaches us, that the things which really defile a man are those which come out from the heart within. See Mark 7. 20, 21.

The uncleanness of women in their issues, and their cleansing.

19 And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the

even.

20 And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.

21 And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

22 And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the

even.

23 And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.

24 And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean.

25 And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean.

26 Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her sepa

ration: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation. 27 And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

28 But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.

29 And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

30 And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the LORD for the issue of her uncleanness.

31 Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them.

32 This is the law of him that hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith;

33 And of her that is sick of her flowers, and of him that hath an issue, of the man, and of the woman, and of him that lieth with her that is unclean.

LECTURE 211.

The holiness of God, to whom we have access through Christ. Ceremonial uncleanness is not to be confounded with the commission of sin. It disqualified a person, at the time, both for enjoying the comforts of society, and for frequenting God's worship in the tabernacle. But it followed upon acts done unconsciously,

or upon conditions to which the human frame was subject unavoidably; not upon presumptuous transgressions of the law. For these would subject the transgressor to the extremity of punishment, in the very same matter, wherein otherwise he had only to submit to the inconvenience of being pronounced unclean. See ch. 20. 18. It appears therefore that the Levitical ordinances of uncleanness were intended, in the first place, to enforce and ensure that due seclusion, which was suitable to the real state of the unclean. And in the next place they would tend to prevent the commission of unintentional offences against the law, and to discourage, by the inconveniences which ensued, those modes and habits of life, in which there was most risk of uncleanness.

But further, these laws did most plainly teach the Israelites, what reverence was due unto that God, whose tabernacle was defiled, not only by the presence of gross transgressors, but by those who were suffering in their persons the consequences of the sin of their inheritance, the pains and penalties, the diseases and infirmities, entailed, through the fall of our first parents, on their children to the latest posterity. And thus we also learn the offensiveness of sin. We, who are no longer bound by those laws of uncleanness, learn from them the holiness of our God. We learn to look upon his worship as a privilege. And instead of thinking that we do Him a favour, by frequenting the courts of his house, we shall do well to reflect how richly we deserve to be debarred from all access to his presence, and how marvellously He condescends, when He invites us to assemble in his name. Whether we call to mind our own personal transgressions, or consider the infirmities which we have inherited from our fathers before us, or reflect on the pollution which we contract by our daily intercourse with a sinful world; we ought to feel ourselves abundantly disqualified for entering into the place where God's honour dwelleth. But let us touch the hem of our Saviour's garment, and our faith makes us whole; virtue goes out of Him and heals us. See Luke 8. 46. And “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water," we are allowed, encouraged, and exhorted, "to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus." Heb. 10. 19, 22.

"To enter into the holiest," what a privilege is this! What a striking figure, to convey to us the freedom of access which Christians enjoy in making their requests known unto God! How much must we owe to Him, who has opened to us this way of grace and salvation! How deeply are we concerned, since we have this hope in us to purify ourselves, even as He is pure! May He grant us, of his abundant goodness, that we may make it the study of our lives to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God!

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