Lev. v. 17 — 19. If a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity. And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, unth thy estimation , for a trespass-offering unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him
concerning his ignorance wherein he erred, and ivist it not; and it shall be forgiven him. It is a trespass-offering : he hath certainly trespassed against the Lord.
THE ceremonial law was intended to lead men to Christ, and was calculated to do so in a variety of ways. It exhibited Christ in all his work and offices, and directed every sinner to look to him. Moreover, the multitude of its rites and ceremonies had a ten- dency to break the spirits of the Lord's people, and to make them anxiously look for that period, when they should be liberated from a yoke which they were not able to bear, and render unto God a more liberal and spiritual service. It is in this latter view more especially that we are led to consider the trespass- offering, which was to be presented to God for the smallest error in the observation of any one ordi- nance, however ignorantly or unintentionally it might be committed. In order to elucidate the nature and intent of the trespass-offering, we shall,
I. Shew the evil of sins of ignorance, and the remedy prescribed for them —
It is often said that the intention constitutes the criminality of an action. But this principle is not true to the extent that is generally supposed.
It is certain that ignorance extenuates the guilt of an action —
[Our Lord himself virtually acknowledged this, when he declared that the opportunities of information which he had afforded the Jews, greatly enhanced the guilt of those who rejected him*, And he even urged the ignorance of his mur- derers as a plea with his heavenly Father to forgive them ; "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do V St. Peter also palliated their crime upon the very same prin- ciples ; " I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers c." And St. Paul speaks of himself as obtaining mercy because what he had done was done ignorantly and in unbelief d : whereas if he had done it, knowing whom he per- secuted, he would most probably never have obtained mercy.]
But it is equally certain that ignorance cannot excuse us in the sight of God —
a John ix. 41. and xv. 22. b Luke xxiii. 34.
c Acts iii. 17. A 1 Tim. i. 13.