xiv. And when he has drunk into his inmost soul the wholesome lesson,

then let him meditate on chapter xv, and we feel assured he will not seek to push “the stranger” off the platform, for he will be ready to confess himself a debtor to mercy alone, and to acknowledge that the same mercy which has reached him can reach the stranger, and he will rejoice to go in company with that stranger to drink of the wells of salvation thrown open by the sovereign grace of the God of Jacob.

Are we not forcibly reminded, by the teaching of this part of our book, of that profound section of dispensational truth presented in Romans ix.-xi, particularly of its magnificent close? “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye [strangers] in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed in your mercy [_i. e._, mercy shown to the Gentiles—_see Greek_], that they also may obtain mercy [_i. e._, come in on the ground of mercy like the stranger]. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all [Jews and Gentiles—Israel and the stranger]. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counselor? Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things; to whom be glory forever. Amen.” (Rom. xi. 29-36.)

From verse 22-31 of our chapter, we have instructions as to sins of ignorance and presumptuous sins—a very grave and important distinction. For the former, ample provision is made, in the goodness and mercy of God. The _death_ of Christ is presented, in this portion of the chapter, in its two grand aspects, namely, the burnt-offering and the sin-offering; that is, its aspect to Godward and its aspect to usward; and we have also all the preciousness, fragrance, and joy of His perfect _life_ and service as a man in this world, as typified by the meat-offering and drink-offering. In the burnt-offering, we see atonement wrought according to the measure of Christ’s devotedness to God, and of God’s delight in Him: in the sin-offering, we see atonement wrought according to the measure of the sinner’s necessities and the hatefulness of sin in God’s sight. The two offerings, taken together, present the atoning death of Christ in all its fullness. Then, in the meat-offering, we have Christ’s perfect life and the reality of His human nature, as manifested in all the details of His path and service in this world; while the drink-offering, typifies His complete surrender of Himself to God.

Into the rich and marvelous instruction conveyed in the different classes of sacrifices presented in this passage, we do not attempt to enter now. The reader who desires to study the subject more fully is referred to a little volume entitled “Notes on the book of Leviticus.” (Pages 1-140.) We merely state here, in the very briefest manner, what we judge to be the main import of each offering; to go into details would only be to repeat what we have already written.

We would merely add that the claims of God demand that sins of ignorance should be taken cognizance of. We might feel disposed to say, or at least to think, that such sins ought to be passed over; but God does not think so. His holiness must not be reduced to the standard of our intelligence. _Grace_ has made provision for sins of ignorance, but _holiness_ demands that such sins should be judged and confessed. Every true heart will bless God for this. For what would become of us if the provisions of divine grace were not adequate to meet the claims of divine holiness? and adequate they most surely could not be if they traveled not beyond the range of our intelligence.

And yet, while all this will, generally speaking, be fully admitted, it is often very sorrowful to hear professing Christians making excuses for ignorance, and justifying unfaithfulness and error on the ground of ignorance. But very often, in such cases, the question may very cogently be urged, why are we ignorant, in reference to any point of conduct, or the claims of Christ upon us? Suppose a question comes before us demanding a positive judgment, and calling for a certain line of action; we plead ignorance. Is this right? will it avail? will it dispose of our responsibility? will God allow us to shirk the question after such a fashion? Nay, reader; we may rest assured it will not do. Why are we ignorant? Have we put forth all our energies, have we adopted every available means, have we made every possible effort, to get at the root of the matter and reach a just conclusion? Let us bear in mind that the claims of truth and holiness demand all this of us; nor should we be satisfied with any thing less. We cannot but admit that were it a question involving, in any measure, _our own_ interests—_our_ name, _our_ reputation, _our_ property, we should leave no stone unturned in order to make ourselves fully acquainted with all the facts of the case. We should not long plead ignorance in such matters. If information were to be had, we should have it. We should do our very utmost to know all the ins and outs, the _pros_ and _cons_, of the question, so that we might form a sound judgment in the matter.

Is this not so, reader? Well, then, why should we plead ignorance when the claims of Christ are in question? Does it not prove that while we are quick, earnest, energetic, all alive, when _self_ is concerned, we are indifferent, sluggish, slow-paced, when Christ is concerned? Alas! alas! this is the plain, humbling truth. May we be humbled under a sense of it. May the Spirit of God make us more thoroughly in earnest in things which concern our Lord Jesus Christ. May self and its interests sink, and may Christ and His interests rise in our estimation, every day; and may we at least cordially own our holy responsibility to go diligently into every question in the which the glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ may, even in the most remote degree, be involved, however we may fail practically in our research. Let us not dare to say or think or act as though we thought that aught that concerns Him is a matter of indifference to us. God, in His mercy, forbid! Let us esteem all that merely concerns ourselves to be comparatively non-essential, but the claims of Christ to be of paramount authority.

We have said thus much on the subject of ignorance, in the sense of our responsibility to the truth of God and to the soul of the reader. We feel its immense practical importance. We believe we very often plead _ignorance_, when _indifference_ would be the truer term to use. This is very sad. Surely, if our God, in His infinite goodness, has made ample provision even for sins of ignorance, that is no reason why we should coolly shelter ourselves behind the plea of ignorance, when there is the most abundant information within our reach had we only the energy to make use of it.

We might not, perhaps, have dwelt at such length upon this point were it not for the conviction, which becomes each day more strengthened in the soul, that we have reached a serious moment in our history as Christians. We are not given to croaking: we have no sympathy whatever with it. We believe it is our privilege to be filled with the most joyful confidence, and to have our hearts and minds ever garrisoned by the peace of God that passeth all understanding. “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. i. 7.)

But it is impossible to close our eyes to the startling fact that the claims of Christ, the value of truth, the authority of holy Scripture, are being more and more set aside each day, each week, each year. We believe we are approaching a moment in the which there will be toleration for any thing and every thing save the truth of God. It behooves us, therefore, to look well to it that God’s Word has its own proper place in the heart, and that the conscience is governed in all things by its holy authority. A tender conscience is a most precious treasure to carry about with us from day to day—a conscience that ever yields a true response to the action of the Word of God—that bows down without a question to its plain statements. When the conscience is in this fine condition, there is always a regulating power wherewith to act upon one’s practical course and character. Conscience may be compared to the regulator of a watch. It may happen that the hands of the watch get astray; but so long as the regulator has power over the spring, there is always the means of correcting the hands. If that power be gone, the entire watch must be taken to pieces. So with the conscience. So long as it continues true to the touch of Scripture, as applied by the Holy Ghost, there is always a safe and sure regulating power; but if it becomes sluggish, hardened, or perverted—if it refuses to yield a true response to “Thus saith the Lord,” there is little, if any, hope. It then becomes a case similar to that referred to in our chapter,—“But the soul that doeth aught _presumptuously_, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, _the same reproacheth the Lord_; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. _Because he hath despised the word of the Lord_, and hath broken His commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.” (Ver. 30, 31.)

This is no sin of ignorance, but a presumptuous, willful sin, for which nothing remained but the unmitigated judgment of God. “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” (1 Sam. xv. 23.) These are weighty words for a moment like the present, when man’s will is developing itself with such extraordinary force. It is deemed manly to assert our will, but Scripture teaches the direct opposite. The two grand elements of human perfection—of perfect manhood—are these, namely, _dependence_ and _obedience_. In proportion as any one departs from these, he departs from the true spirit and attitude of a man. Hence, when we turn our eyes to Him who was _the_ perfect Man—the Man Christ Jesus, we see these two grand features perfectly adjusted and perfectly developed from first to last. That blessed One was never, for a single moment, out of the attitude of perfect dependence and absolute obedience. To prove and illustrate this fact would take us through the entire gospel narrative. But take the scene of the temptation, and there you will find a sample of the whole of that blessed life. His one unvarying reply to the tempter was, “_It is written_.” No reasonings, no arguments, no questions. He lived by the Word of God. He conquered Satan by holding fast the _only_ true position of a man—dependence and obedience. He _could_ depend upon God, and He _would_ obey Him. What could Satan do in such a case? Absolutely nothing.

Well, then, this is our example. We, as having the life of Christ, are called to live in habitual dependence and obedience. This is walking in the Spirit: this is the safe and happy path of the Christian. Independence and disobedience go together: they are utterly unchristian and unmanly. We find these two things in the first man, as we find the two opposites in the second. Adam in the garden sought to be independent. He was not content with being a man, and abiding in the only true place and spirit of a man, and he became disobedient. Here lies the secret of fallen humanity—these are the two elements which make up fallen manhood. Trace it where you will—before the flood, after the flood, without law, under the law, heathen, pagan, Jew, Turk, or nominal Christian,—analyze it as closely as you please, and you will see that it resolves itself into these two component parts—independence and disobedience. And when you reach the close of man’s history in this world—when you view him in that last sad sphere in which he is to figure, how do you see him?—in what character does he appear? As “the willful king,” and the “lawless man.”

May we have grace to ponder these things aright. Let us cultivate a lowly and an obedient spirit. God has said, “To this man will I look, even to him who is of a contrite spirit and trembleth at My word.” May these words sink down into our ears and into our hearts; and let the constant breathing of our souls be, “Keep back Thy servant, O Lord, from presumptuous sins, and let them not have dominion over him.”[13]

It only remains for us, ere closing this section, to notice the case of the Sabbath-breaker and the institution of “the ribband of blue.”

“And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the Lord said unto Moses, ‘The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.’ And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses.” (Ver. 32-36.)

This surely was a presumptuous sin—it was flying in the face of a most plain and positive commandment of God. It is this that specially marks a presumptuous sin, and leaves it utterly inexcusable. Ignorance cannot be pleaded in the face of a divine command.

But why, it may be asked, had they to put the man in ward? Because, although the commandment was explicit, yet the breach of it had not been anticipated, nor had any penalty been enacted. To speak after the manner of men, Jehovah had not contemplated such folly on man’s part as the interruption of His rest, and therefore He had not formally provided for such an occurrence. We need not say that God knows the end from the beginning; but in the matter now before us, He purposely left the case unnoticed until occasion required. But, alas! occasion did require, for man is capable of any thing. He has no heart for God’s rest. To kindle a fire on the Sabbath day was not only a positive breach of the law, but it evidenced the most complete alienation from the mind of the Law-giver, inasmuch as it introduced into the day of rest that which is the apt symbol of _judgment_. Fire is emblematical of judgment, and as such it was wholly out of keeping with the repose of the Sabbath; nothing therefore remained but to visit the Sabbath-breaker with judgment, for “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ‘Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments, throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue. And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart, and your own eyes, ... that ye may remember, and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your God. I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.’” (Ver. 37-41.)

The God of Israel would keep His people in continual remembrance of His holy commandments. Hence the beautiful institution of “the ribband of _blue_,” which was designed to be a _heavenly_ memorial attached to the very borders of their garments, so that the word of God might ever be held fast in the remembrance of the thoughts of their hearts. Whenever an Israelite cast his eyes upon the blue ribband, he was to think of Jehovah, and yield a hearty obedience to all His statutes.

Such was the great practical intention of “the ribband of blue.” But when we turn to Matthew xxiii. 5, we learn the sad use which man had made of the divine institution.—“But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and _enlarge the borders of their garments_.” Thus the very thing which had been instituted for the purpose of leading them to remember Jehovah, and to yield a lowly obedience to His precious word, was turned into an occasion of self-exaltation and religious pride. Instead of thinking of God and His word, they thought of themselves, and of the place which they held in the estimation of their fellows. “_All_ their works they do to be _seen of men_.” Not a thought of God. The spirit of the original institution was completely lost, while the outward form was kept up for selfish ends. Can we not see something like this around us and among us? Let us think of it—think deeply and seriously. Let us see to it that we do not turn the heavenly memorial into an earthly badge, and that which ought to lead to lowly obedience into an occasion of self-exaltation.