February 26, Evening

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"Behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague." — Leviticus 13:13 · KJV

Strange as this regulation appears, there was wisdom in it, for the breaking out of the disease over the whole body proved that the constitution was sound. This evening it may be well to see the symbolic teaching of so singular a rule. We too are lepers, and may read the law of the leper as applying to ourselves. When a man sees himself utterly lost and ruined, covered all over with the defilement of sin, no part free from pollution; when he disclaims all righteousness of his own and pleads guilty before the Lord — then he is 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 deathblow, and the Lord looks with eyes of mercy on the soul afflicted with it. Nothing is more deadly than self-righteousness, nor more hopeful than contrition. We must confess that we are "nothing else but sin," for no confession short of this is the whole truth; and if the Holy Spirit is at work in us, convincing us of sin, there will be no difficulty in making such an acknowledgment — it will spring spontaneously from our lips. What comfort the text affords to truly awakened sinners: the very thing that so grievously discouraged them is here turned into a sign of a hopeful state! Stripping comes before clothing; digging out the foundation is the first thing in building — and a thorough sense of sin is one of the earliest works of grace in the heart. O poor leprous sinner, utterly without a sound spot, take heart from the text, and come as you are to Jesus; for let our debts be what they may, however great or small, as soon as we have nothing to pay, our Lord forgives us all. It is perfect poverty alone that sets the soul at large; while we can call one mite our own, we have no full discharge.