Spurgeon Meditations

 

Behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague.

Lev 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 noconfession short of this will be the whole truth, and if theHoly Spirit be at work with us, convincing us of sin, there willbe no difficulty about making such an acknowledgment--it willspring spontaneously from our lips. What comfort does the textafford to those under a deep sense of sin! Sin mourned andconfessed, however black and foul, shall never shut a man outfrom the Lord Jesus. Whosoever cometh unto Him, He will in nowise cast out. Though dishonest as the thief, though unchaste asthe woman who was a sinner, though fierce as Saul of Tarsus,though cruel as Manasseh, though rebellious as the prodigal, thegreat heart of love will look upon the man who feels himself tohave no soundness in him, and will pronounce him clean, when hetrusts in Jesus crucified. Come to Him, then, poor heavy-ladensinner, Come needy, come guilty, come loathsome and bare; You can't come too filthy--come just as you are.% 09/30/AM Sing forth the honour of His name make His praise glorious." --Psalm 66:2 It is not left to our own option whether we shall praise God or not. Praise is God's most righteous due and every Christian as the recipient of His grace is bound to praise God from day to day. It is true we have no authoritative rubric for daily praise; we have no commandment prescribing certain hours of song and thanksgiving: but the law written upon the heart teaches us that it is right to praise God; and the unwritten mandate comes to us with as much force as if it had been recorded on the tables of stone or handed to us from the top of thundering Sinai. Yes it is the Christian's duty to praise God. It is not only a pleasurable exercise but it is the absolute obligation of his life. Think not ye who are always mourning that ye are guiltless in this respect or imagine that ye can discharge your duty to your God without songs of praise. You are bound by the bonds of His love to bless His name so long as you live and His praise should continually be in your mouth for you are blessed in order that you may bless Him; "this people have I formed for myself they shall show forth my praise"; and if you do not praise God you are not bringing forth the fruit which He as the Divine Husbandman has a right to expect at your hands. Let not your harp then hang upon the willows but take it down and strive with a grateful heart to bring forth its loudest music. Arise and chant His praise. With every morning's dawn lift up your notes of thanksgiving and let every setting sun be followed with your song. Girdle the earth with your praises; surround it with an atmosphere of melody and God Himself will hearken from heaven and accept your music. E'en so I love Thee, and will love, And in Thy praise will sing, Because Thou art my loving God, And my redeeming King.


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