self he must give her up to be burnt with fire (ver. 9; Gen. :x:uviii 24). Such, accordingly, is to be the fate of the scarlet lady (Rev. :r.vii. 16, 17 ; :r.viii. 9, 10 i xix. 2, 3). II. THE PRmsTS :M:UBT BE WITHOUT BLEMISH. 1. Those who typified Ohrist mu.,t be so. (1) We have an enumeration of blemishes, any of which would disqualify for that sacred office (vers. 18-20). No doubt Jesus was physically, as well as mentally and spiritually, a perfect hnman being. Those expressions in Isaiah (Iii. 14; !iii. 2) obviously had reference to his sufferings and humiliations. (2) He that had a blemish among the sons of Aaron "must not come nigh to offer the bread of his God." Had not Christ been perfectly free from sin, he could not have atoned for us (ver. 17; 1 Pet. i. 19). (3) "He shall not go in unto the vail" (ver. 23). He shall not represent him that is the Way to heaven, who is qualified to sanctify the people with hie own blood (Heb. vii 26-28; xiii 10). 2. Bkmishd, priests might represent Ohristians. (1) " The bread of their God they may eat" (ver. 22). Men that have infirmities may live on Christ; but he that represents that Bread must be without blemish. (2) Blemished ones might eat of the holy things, but unclean ones must not. Between infirmities and sins there is a wide di1ference. Infirmities do not exclude men from fellowship with God, but sins do (Isa. li:r.. 1, 2; Rom. viii. 35-39). Those who eat the bread of the Eucharist should be holy in lire, else they profane the Name they profess to revere. (3) Too frequently have blemished priests represented gospel ministers. The New Testament gives laws to ministers and their wives; and those who instruct others should do so by example as well M precept (1 Tim. iii. 11 ; iv. 12). They should not be" blind," viz. to the meaning of God's Word. They should not be "lame" in hand or foot, but able to sho:w an example in working and walking. They must have nothing superfluous nor deficient. "They must not be wise above," or wise without, " that which is written." The priest who was "holy to bis God" was, therefore, to be holy to bis people (vers. 6-8) ; and so must the gospel minister be esteemed for his work's sake (1 Thess. v. 13).-J, A. M.
EXPOSITION, beyond sunset on the day on which ft was OIIA.PTER XXII. incuned., but oooasionally, as when a· priest This cha.pt.er, which is a continnatfon of became a leper, a permanent disqualification eh. lli, (1) commands that the ceremo- would be caused, or one that lasted for a nially defiled priest sba.11 not officiate or considerable length of time. The law with respect to abstaining from holy things partake of the sacrificial offerings; (2) de- while unclean is to be of permanent obliga- clares who may e.nd who may not partake tion. Whoever disobeys it is to be out ofl' of the priests' portions of the sacrifices; from God's presenoe ; that is, he is to be (3) orders tba.t every sacrificial victim be excluded from the sanctuary by being de- unblemished. prived of his priestly offioe. Ver. 8 repeats Vere. 1-9.-In the previoUB· chapter, the the ctrohibition of eating flesh containing priests have been commanded to avoid oc- bloo casions of ceremonial defilement, but there Vere. 1O-lS.-The previons paragraph are times in which they mnst be unclean. ba.ving forbidden the priests to eat of the At these times they are here instrncted holy things while in a state of oeremonial that they must abstain from their priestly uncleanness, naturally leads to the question, functions, and not even eat of the priests' Who has the right of eating them? The portions until they have been cleansed. answer is, the priest's family. The members The command to Aaron and to his BOD8, that of the priest's family here specified are those they separate th8D18elves from the holy only about whom any question might have thing& of the ohildren of Israel, in ver. 2, arisen, namely, the slaves, who, as being must be read in the light of the following Incorporated into thefriest's household, have verses, and understood to mean that they a right of eating o the priestly food not are to aeparate tkemselflu from the holy things enjoyed by lodgers in hie house or by s_er- when they are unclean. The different forms vants hired with his money; and married of uncleanness which are to produce this daughters who have returned to their father'.e effect are Eenumerated in vere. 4-6. In roof in consequence of the death of the1t most caees the uncleaunen would not last husband, or of being divorced, without uny OH, X.X.U. 1-33.] 'l'HE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 820