九月二十九日
全身的肉若長滿了大麻風，就要定那患災病的爲潔淨。（利13：13）
這一條規矩好像很奇怪，但這是很有智慧的，因爲疾病全發出來，就證明身體已經痊愈了，今晨我們也可以從這一條規矩得到教訓。我們也是長大麻風的人，檢驗大麻風的條例也適用于我們。當人看到自己已完全失喪、毀滅、罪污遍滿了全身，到處沾染了污穢的時候；當他看到自己無義可言，在神面前顯爲罪的日子，那末他便因耶穌的血和神的恩得了潔淨。隱藏的，未發覺和未承認的罪才是真的大麻風，但當罪發覺幷感到必因它致死的時候，主就用憐憫的眼光看那受罪所折磨的人。再沒有比自以爲義更該死，也沒有比痛悔更有希望的事了。我們必須承認自己“除了罪別無所有”。認罪必須這樣徹底，當聖靈在我們裏面動工的時候，就叫我們不能推諉我們的罪，所以不難這樣招認，而且這話必自然而然地出于我們的口。這節聖經也安慰了那深深感到已罪的人！罪經過憂傷幷且承認之後，不認有多黑、多髒，必不能再把人關在主耶穌之外了。凡到他面前的人，他總不丟弃。像不誠實的強盜、不潔淨的婦人那樣的罪人，或像凶惡的在數人掃羅、殘暴的瑪拿西、悖逆的浪子，神偉大的愛心仍看顧那自己覺得內心毫無良善的人。當他投靠釘十架的耶穌時，他便宣告他是潔淨的。受重壓的罪人哪！來就他吧！我們要赤裸裸地，毫不掩飾地來到他面前！
“求主的寶血塗抹幷潔淨我！”
September
29
“Behold,
if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that
hath the plague.” — Leviticus 13:13
Strange enough this regulation appears,
yet there was wisdom in it, for the throwing out of the disease proved that the
constitution was sound. This morning it may be well for us to see the typical
teaching of so singular a rule. We, too, are lepers, and may read the law of
leper as applicable to ourselves. When a man sees himself to be altogether lost
and ruined, covered all over with the defilement of sin, and no part free from
pollution; when he disclaims all righteousness of his own, and pleads guilty before
the Lord, then is he clean through the blood of Jesus, and the grace of God.
Hidden, unfelt, unconfessed iniquity is the true leprosy, but when sin is seen
and felt it has received its death blow, and the Lord looks with eyes of mercy
upon the soul afflicted with it. Nothing is more deadly than
self-righteousness, or more hopeful than contrition. We must confess that we
are “nothing else but sin,” for no confession short of this will be
the whole truth, and if the Holy Spirit be at work with us, convincing us of
sin, there will be no difficulty about making such an acknowledgment–it will
spring spontaneously from our lips. What comfort does the text afford to those
under a deep sense of sin! Sin mourned and confessed, however black and foul,
shall never shut a man out from the Lord Jesus. Whosoever cometh unto Him, He
will in no wise cast out. Though dishonest as the thief, though unchaste as the
woman who was a sinner, though fierce as Saul of Tarsus, though cruel as
Manasseh, though rebellious as the prodigal, the great heart of love will look
upon the man who feels himself to have no soundness in him, and will pronounce
him clean, when he trusts in Jesus crucified. Come to Him, then, poor
heavy-laden sinner,
Come needy, come guilty, come loathsome and
bare; You can’t come too filthy–come just as you are.
