God does not grudgingly or imperfectly forgive, but that he "abufadantly pardons." The subject demands our consideration of two things-- I. THE FULNEss OF Goo's ACCEPTANCE. God's mercy in Christ Je8UB embraces: 1. The entire forgiveness of all past sins, so that all our numerous transgressions of his Law, both the more heinous and the less guilty, are "blotted out" of his "book of remembrance," and no more regarded by him; and so that all our more numerous shortcomings, our failure to be and to do that which the heavenly Father looked for from his children, are entirely forgiven. 2. The overlooking of our present unworthi- ness; so that the scantiness of our knowledge, I.he imperfection of our penitence, the feebleness of our faith, the poverty of our resolutions, and our general unworthiness do not stand in the way of his "benign regard." 3. The bestowment of his Divine com- placency; so that he not only "receives us graciously," but "loves us freely " (Hos. xiv. 2, 4). He feels toward us the love and the delight which a father feels toward the children of his heart and his home. But to gain this inestimable blessing, let us be sure that we have fulfilled- H. THE CONDITIONS ON WHICH IT IS BESTOWED. These are twofold. Paul has ex- pressed them thus: (1) repentance toward God; and (2) faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts x.x. 21). He who inspired Paul has taught us the same truth in his own words (Luke xxiv. 47; Acts xxvi. 18). There must be the turning of the heart, in shame and sorrow, from sin unto God, and the cordial acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Divine Teacher, the all-sufficient Saviour, the rightful Lord of heart and life, which he claims to be.--C. Vers. 3, 13, 23, 27.-.Access for all: comparison and contrast. In the st.atutes of the Law given in this chapter we are reminded, by comparison and by contrast, of two of the ma.in features of the gospel of Christ. We are reminded by compari- son of- I. THE ACCESS THAT WAS PERMITTED TO EVERY ISRAELITE, AND 1B NOW GBANTED TO us. No single individual in the whole congregation of Israel could feel that he was forbidden to go with his offering "before the Lord," to seek forgiveness of bis sin. The priest could not think his office stood in his way (ver. 3); nor the ruler bis function (ver. 22); nor could any humble son of Abraham suppose himself too obscure to find attention at the door of the tabernacle (ver. 27). Special and explicit legislation pro- vided for each case, and there could not h11ve been one Hebrew family which <lid not know that the tabernacle of the Lord was open to all, and that on the altar of sacrifice every offender might have his offering presented and come "down to his house justified." 'l'hus broad, and indeed broader still, is the permission to approach which is granted in the gospel. For not only is the Christian sanctuary open to prince and people, to minister and member, to every class e.nd rank, but in Christ Jesus there is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, neither Greek nor Jew, neither male nor female; every distinction of every kind has disappeared, e.nd is utterly unknown. We are reminded by contrast of- II. 'llIAT ACOEBS WilICH WAS DENIED TO THEM, BUT WHICH 1B OFFERED TO UL The ordinRry Jew, one of the "common people," could go no further than the" door of the tabernacle : " there his entrance was barred. At that point he had to leave everything to the officiating priest; it was not permitted to him to enter the holy place, to sprinkle the blood upon the altar, to present any part of the victim in sacri.fico;- another must do that in his stead. But in Christ Jesus we h11ve: 1. Access to God our Father in every place (Eph. ii. 18; iii. 12; Heb. xiii. 16). 2. Right to plead, ourselves, the one Great Propitiation for sin. 3. Right to present ourselves nnd our gifts on his altar to God and his service (Rom. xii. 1; Heb. xiii. 16).. 4. Access to the table of the Lord (1 Cor. xi. 28). Let us try to realize (1) the height of our Christian privilege, and (2) the corresponding weight of the responsibility we bear. From us to whom such full and close access is given will much fruit be required to the glory of his Name, in the growth of our own souls and the salvation of others.-O.
Vers. 1, 2.-The sin offering. The main points in this offering were these: I. The Law of God is made the standard of righteousness. II. Sin is offence against the Law. III. Offences of ignorance or error involve guilt; that is, require that the Law 68 THE lroOK OF LEVITICUS. (oH. IV, 1-35,