HOMILETICS. Vere. l, 2.-The ainfulness of man mars the full effect of the good purposes of Gorl on the very day of the consecration of the priests. I. THE BIN OF NA.DAB AND A.nmu. Presumption. They chose their own method of returning thanks and giving praise to God, a method unsanctioned by God's com- mand, unauthorized by their official superiors. II. THEm PUNISHMENT. Death. We might have thought that a lesser penaltJ would have sufficed for such a sin, if we had not had their example before us. IIL ITs LEBBONB. 1. The necessity of obedience to positive precepts as well as moral commands. Moral commands, which rest for their basis on some reason which we can. apprehend, being m their nature of far greater importance than positive precepts, which are binding simply because they have been ordered, we are tempted to under- value the latter. We say, "I know God's purpose, and will carry it out; it is slavish to be bound by the letter. He will prefer the course which has now become the best tu that which he commanded under perhaps altored circumstances." This arises- on. x.1-7.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 151
from pride. We make ourselves judges of God's purposes, In respect to which we are in truth ignorant or can at best guess blindly. There may be a. thousand other objects of the Divine counsels beside that which we think that we see, which we regard as the only one. The questions which alone we must ask are, "Does this injunction come from God? and does it affect me?" IC so, we must obey it without respect to conse- quences, and we may not substitute for it a course of action which appears to our- selves better adapted to effect the end which we suppose to be in view. 2. The special necessity of this obedience in Divine worship. God knows how he wills to be wor- shipped, and why he should be so worshipped. Man does not. Under the old dis- pensation, the forms of worship appointed by him were typical. What they were typical of be knew, but man did not; therefore man could not judge of their pro- priety. Under the new dispensation, he has by positive injunction appointed two rites -the sacrament of Baptism and the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. To dispense with either of them would be an act of the highest presumption. He appointed certain forms by which they were to be administered. Buman authority may not in baptism change water for any other element, or substitute other words than those appointed, nor may it alter;tbe form of the consecration in the administration of the Holy Communion; nor when Christ bas said, "Drink ye all of this," may it, without sin, enjoin, "Ye 6ball not all drink of it." 3. Human authority to be obeyed where God has not tipoken. There must be regulations of some kind for Divine worship, and these it is the office of the Church to supply, ordaining, abolishing, and changing, as it seems good from time to time. "Every particular or national Church bath authority to ordain . . . ceremonies or rites of the Church;" and also "to change and abolish" them when "ordained by man's authority, so that all things be done to edifying" (Art. XXXIV.). When once ordained, they have a binding force over the conscience until abolished by the same authority. "Whosoever through his private judgment, will- ingly and purposely, doth openly break the tradition and ceremonies of the Church, which be not repugnant to the Word of God, and be ordained and approved by common authority, ought to be rebuked openly (that others may fear to do the like), "-as he that offendeth against the common order of the Church, and hurteth the authority of the Magistrate, and woundeth the consciences of the weak brethren" (Ibid.). Although the intention be good, though the purpose be to improve the worship of God, and, as in tho case of Nadab and .Abihu, to light up in the sanctuary the golden altar of incense and prayer, yet, if a man act without the authority of his Church, he is guilty of presumption, and will have to bear his iniquity. Ver. 2.-Fire was the instrument of the destruction of Nadao and Abihu, whilst just before it had been the means of consuming the sacrifice, and in passing to the altar it had probably bathed Moses and Aaron in its harmless flames as they stood at the door of the tabernacle. Thus it is that the same thing serves as a means of glorifica- tion or of destruction, according to the qualities of that with which it comes in contact. 'l'he discipline of daily life makes one a saint, another a more determined sinner. The dis?ipline of suffering softens one heart, hardens another. The difficulties of religious behef make one the more submissive, another an unbeliever. God is the joy of the believer and the misery of the infidel. And so we may suppose that it will be here- after. The presence of God will be the exceeding great reward of those who have sought him, and that same presence would be the torture of those who have not sub- mitted their wills to his. It may be that this in itself will be suffici11nt tg constitute the punishment of th11 unrighteous in the world to come, Ver. 3.-Increase of privilege involves increase of danger. The nearer men are bro~ght to God, the more liable they are to chastening at his hands. This is more part!cularl! the case with those who are made his ministers. What might pass un- punished m others will be punished in them. What would be allowed in others will not be allowed in them (ver. 6). Had Nadab and .Abihu not been called to be priests, they would not have met their untimely fate; and had .Aaron, Eleazar, and Itbamar been laymen, they would have been permitted to make uso of the ordinary signs of mourning for their dead. But God's work must come before any other duty, and if it be not done as God has willed it to be done, a sorer 11unishment will fall upon those 152 'l'BE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. [en. x. 1-7.
who have specially devoted themselves to the immediate service of God tho.n on others. This is a solemn thought for those who are ordained to be the ministers of God.