Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc09/v10750

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 7KB | 121 lines

10754
 * The sin-offering of ignorance for the priest. (1-12) For the
 whole congregation. (13-21) For a ruler. (22-26) For any of the
 people. (27-35)

 #1-12 Burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, and peace-offerings, had
 been offered before the giving of the law upon mount Sinai; and
 in these the patriarchs had respect to sin, to make atonement
 for it. But the Jews were now put into a way of making atonement
 for sin, more particularly by sacrifice, as a shadow of good
 things to come; yet the substance is Christ, and that one
 offering of himself, by which he put away sin. The sins for
 which the sin-offerings were appointed are supposed to be open
 acts. They are supposed to be sins of commission, things which
 ought not to have been done. Omissions are sins, and must come
 into judgment: yet what had been omitted at one time, might be
 done at another; but a sin committed was past recall. They are
 supposed to be sins committed through ignorance. The law begins
 with the case of the anointed priest. It is evident that God
 never had any infallible priest in his church upon earth, when
 even the high priest was liable to fall into sins of ignorance.
 All pretensions to act without error are sure marks of
 Antichrist. The beast was to be carried without the camp, and
 there burned to ashes. This was a sign of the duty of
 repentance, which is the putting away sin as a detestable thing,
 which our soul hates. The sin-offering is called sin. What they
 did to that, we must do to our sins; the body of sin must be
 destroyed, #Ro 6:6|. The apostle applies the carrying this
 sacrifice without the camp to Christ, #Heb 13:11-13|.

10766
 #13-21 If the leaders of the people, through mistake, caused
 them to err, an offering must be brought, that wrath might not
 come upon the whole congregation. When sacrifices were offered,
 the persons, on whose behalf they were devoted, were to lay
 their hands on the heads of the victims, and to confess their
 sins. The elders were to do so, when the sacrifices were offered
 for the whole congregation. The load of sin was supposed then to
 be borne by the guiltless animal. When the offering is
 completed, it is said, atonement is made, and the sin shall be
 forgiven. The saving of churches and kingdoms from ruin, is
 owing to the satisfaction and mediation of Christ.

10775
 #22-26 Those who have power to call others to account, are
 themselves accountable to the Ruler of rulers. The sin of the
 ruler, committed through ignorance, must come to his knowledge,
 either by the check of his own conscience, or by the reproof of
 his friends; both which even the best and greatest, not only
 should submit to, but be thankful for. That which I see not,
 teach thou me, and, Show me wherein I have erred, are prayers we
 should put up to God every day; that if, through ignorance, we
 fall into sin, we may not through ignorance abide in it.

10780
 #27-35 Here is the law of the sin-offering for a common person.
 To be able to plead, when charged with sin, that we did it
 ignorantly, and through the surprise of temptation, will not
 bring us off, if we have no interest in that great plea, Christ
 hath died. The sins of ignorance committed by a common person,
 needed a sacrifice; the greatest are not above, the meanest are
 not below Divine justice. None, if offenders, were overlooked.
 Here rich and poor meet together; they are alike sinners, and
 welcome to Christ. From all these laws concerning the
 sin-offerings, we may learn to hate sin, and to watch against
 it; and to value Christ, the great and true Sin-offering, whose
 blood cleanses from all sin, which it was not possible that the
 blood of bulls and of goats should take away. For us to err,
 with the Bible in our hands, is the effect of pride, sloth, and
 carelessness. We need to use frequent self-examination, with
 serious study of the Scriptures, and earnest prayer for the
 convincing influences of God the Holy Spirit; that we may detect
 our sins of ignorance, repent, and obtain forgiveness through
 the blood of Christ.
10789
 * Concerning various trespasses. (1-13) Concerning trespasses
 against the Lord. (14-19)

 #1-13 The offences here noticed are, 1. A man's concealing the
 truth, when he was sworn as a witness to speak the truth, the
 whole truth, and nothing but the truth. If, in such a case, for
 fear of offending one that has been his friend, or may be his
 enemy, a man refuses to give evidence, or gives it but in part,
 he shall bear his iniquity. And that is a heavy burden, which,
 if some course be not taken to get it removed, will sink a man
 to hell. Let all that are called at any time to be witnesses,
 think of this law, and be free and open in their evidence, and
 take heed of prevaricating. An oath of the Lord is a sacred
 thing, not to be trifled with. 2. A man's touching any thing
 that was ceremonially unclean. Though his touching the unclean
 thing only made him ceremonially defiled, yet neglecting to wash
 himself according to the law, was either carelessness or
 contempt, and contracted moral guilt. As soon as God, by his
 Spirit, convinces our consciences of any sin or duty, we must
 follow the conviction, as not ashamed to own our former mistake.
 3. Rash swearing, that a man will do or not do such a thing. As
 if the performance of his oath afterward prove unlawful, or what
 cannot be done. Wisdom and watchfulness beforehand would prevent
 these difficulties. In these cases the offender must confess his
 sin, and bring his offering; but the offering was not accepted,
 unless accompanied with confession and humble prayer for pardon.
 The confession must be particular; that he hath sinned in that
 thing. Deceit lies in generals; many will own they have sinned,
 for that all must own; but their sins in any one particular they
 are unwilling to allow. The way to be assured of pardon, and
 armed against sin for the future, is to confess the exact truth.
 If any were very poor, they might bring some flour, and that
 should be accepted. Thus the expense of the sin-offering was
 brought lower than any other, to teach that no man's poverty
 shall ever bar the way of his pardon. If the sinner brought two
 doves, one was to be offered for a sin-offering, and the other
 for a burnt-offering. We must first see that our peace be made
 with God, and then we may expect that our services for his glory
 will be accepted by him. To show the loathsomeness of sin, the
 flour, when offered, must not be made grateful to the taste by
 oil, or to the smell by frankincense. God, by these sacrifices,
 spoke comfort to those who had offended, that they might not
 despair, nor pine away in their sins. Likewise caution not to
 offend any more, remembering how expensive and troublesome it
 was to make atonement.