"Behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague" (Leviticus 13: 13).
This regulation appears strange. Yet, there was wisdom in it, for the throwing out of the disease are lepers and may read the law of lepeers as applicable to ourselves. When a man sees himself to be altogether lost and ruined and pleads guilty before the Lord, then he is made clean through the blood of Jesus and the grace of God. When sin is seen and felt, it has received its death-blow, and the Lord looks with eyes of mercy on 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. If the Holy Spirit is at work within us, convincing us of sin, there will be no difficulty about making such an acknowledgment. It will spring spontaneously from our lips. What comfort this scripture provides. Sin that is mourned and confessed, however black and foul, will never shut a man out from the Lord Jesus. Whosoever comes to 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 rebellious as the prodigal, the great heart of love will look on the man who feels he has no righteousness in himself and will pronounce him clean when he trusts in Jesus crucified. Come to Him, then, poor, heavy-laden sinner.