I. THE UNIVERSAL REQUIREMENT. "8peak unto all the congregation," etc. 1. No, exception. "All have sinned." 2. The natura of man requires him to be holy. The relation be~wee1;1 ma~ ~nd ~ - The laws of God not mere a~bitrary decrees, but th~ express10n, m poslt)ve rel~t1on to the fre1;dom_ of man, of the ~ternal Reality of the· universe. 3. The umversahty of revelation 1s the un1versahty of responsibility. "Their line is gone out in all the earth." "Having not the Law, they are a law unto themselves." What was said to the Jews was said to the world. The blessedness of humanity is the realization of the Divine image. A holy God, a holy universe. II. THE UNIVERSAL MOTIVE. "For I am holy." 1. Dependence upon God the root of religion, not as mere blind dependence, but that of the children on the Father. 2. Gratitude the constant appeal of the heart. The Lord your God, who has done so much for you, requires your holiness. 3. The Divine command is related to and blessed with the Divi~ provision of grace in a specific system of holiness, in which the people of God are held up. De holy, for I have prepared for your holiness. We are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. ii. 10). Work out salvation, for God worketh in you. III. THE MEDIATING MINISTRY. "The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation." 1. Here is the g1·acious method by which our holiness is made possible. The holy God speaks. The holy men of God speak as they are moved by the Holy Ghost. The holy Word speaks, everywliere and always. The holy life is maintained among the holy people. 2. The holiness of humanity ;will be achieved as a fact through a holy ministry of the people of God to the world at large; of the consecrated few to the many. The hope of a revived Church, in a revived ministry. The spiritual leaders should feel their responsibility, both in teaching and in example. 3. Personal holiness must underlie all other. The purification of temples and services is not the sanctification God requires. He says not, "Be ye punctilious in worship and profuse- in ritual;" but "Be ye personally holy, let your holiness be a transcript of mine, which is the holiness of will, of work, of thought, of character.-R. Vers. 3-3T.-17ie holy La.w in the holy life. I. REVERENCE FOB PARENTS. True- religion is seen in common, everyday life. If we love God, we Jove man. Family peace and order is best preserved by appeal to deep, religious motives. Natural affection is not sufficient against fallen human nature. " God says, Thou shalt," must be the support of natural feeling. II. SABBATH KEEPING. Not as a Jewish regulation, but as both the demand of physice.1 nature and the gracious provision of God for us. "The Son of man is Lord of the sabbath;" therefore, while preserving it from abuse to the oppression of human liberty, sanctifying it for the higher place it occupies in the Christian scheme. III. AllsoLUTE SEPARATION FROM IDOLATRY and all heathenism. Holy religion. IV. WILLINGHOOD IN RELIGION. Ver. 5, ".At your own will," or "that you may be accepted,'' i.e. do it as unto God, by his Word, for his glory, in dependence on his grace, with hearty resignation of self to him. • V. PHILANTHROPY AND COMPASSION FOB THE POOR. The true charity is a practical remembrance of the needy and suffering, beginning at home, from our own personal possessions. God is the Lord of all. All a.re brethren. VI. HONESTY OF DEALING is only to be maintained by religion. Mere social com,iderations and political economy will never purify trade and sanctify men's intercourse with one another. Truth is safe in no keeping but that of the sanctuary. VIL I'BoFilllTY in speech and in a.et is an evil to be cured by positive religion. VI.II. THE JUSTICE OF THE LIFE is the justice of the heart in expression. The law that is kept sacred within will be honoured without respect of persons, and not by mere negation, but in active benevolence. IX. REAL NEIGHBOUBLINEBB IS LOVE OF MAN PROCEEDING FROM LOVE OF GoD. No injury must be done either by word or deed, either by neglect of another's interests or unholy wrath against another or encouraging him to sin by withholding due rebuke. All summed up in the positive precept, "Love thy neighbour as thyself." All the various prescriptions of the Jewish law, both negative and positive, regard the pure and holy development both of individual and national life. Religion is the root, social morality is the blossom or the plant, national prosperity is the precious fruit, of which,. OH. XL 1-27.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 311
if we wou~d preserve the eeed and perpetuate the blessing, we must see to it that we find the very inmost centre and kernel, which is the love of God as the Father of all and the love of men 118 the brethren of the same Divine family.-R. '