they much less criminal, who, for the sake of upholding certain peculiar doctrines and ceremonies, which, in the minds of some, are identified with Christianity itself, refuse to bring them to the test of Scripture, and will not submit to its supreme authority. By such means as these, irreligion is encouraged and sanctioned, and immortal spirits are driven to perdition. It is, however, an awful truth that the blood of these lost souls will be required at the hands of those, who, having taken from them the key of knowledge, have closed against them that kingdom of heaven which Jesus Christ has by his own death opened to all believers. : Reader, do you wish to believe what is true? Are you willing to be convinced that the word of God is of Divine original, and therefore cannot fail? Take the Scriptures, then they are worthy of your perusal, and the very design of their existence is, that they may be read by every man. Get for yourself this precious book, and read it with all the attention of which you are capable. Let no man forbid what God has commanded. Let no man, be he whom he may, prevent you from acquiring the knowledge contained in the word of God. You have seen that according to the testimony of an infidel, by facts attested by himself, the very facts by which he sought to overturn the Christian faith, that the judgments of God are proved to be true, and that the same word of truth, which contains the prophecies of these remarkable facts, teaches also the way of salvation. Take care, then, that while you "believe the truth" you have no "pleasure in unrighteousness," 1 Thess. ii. 12; for asno nation can escape the just judgments of God, so neither shall any individual; and there is no other way of deliverance from the dominion and consequences of sin, but through the merits of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the only Mediator and Intercessor between God and man. London: Printed by WILLIAM CLOWES and SONS, Duke street, Lambeth, for THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY; and sold at the Depository 56, Paternoster row, and 65, St. Paul's Churchyard; by J. NISBET and Co., 21, Berners street, Oxford street • and by other Booksellers, [Price 3s. 6d. per 100.] Considerable Allowance to Subscribers and Booksellers. THE LEPROSY CURED. WHO is that miserable looking object yonder, who appears to shrink from the gaze of the passers-by? and what is it that he seems to mutter to himself, as though ashamed to be heard by those who appear, as he thinks, to approach him too nearly? Let us turn aside, and see this strange sight. But as we draw nearer, what horrid deformity meets our view! See! his flesh is covered with scales, his features are eaten away by some awful disease, his eyes are red and bloodshot, and his tottering limbs can scarcely bear even the light weight of his emaciated frame; and what is that single syllable, or word, or sentence, that drops, half unconsciously, from his lips at measured intervals? Listen! what does he say? "Unclean, unclean, unclean." Ah, then, this is a leper! Away, away! we can bear the sight no longer. But see! a crowd approaches, and low murmurs of wonder and admiration reach our ears; it draws nearer and nearer. What can it be that attracts such attention? Still it draws nearer and nearer, and now there appears One in that concourse upon whom all the eyes of the assembled multitude are fixed; and well they may be, for see what dignity in his deportment! What benevolence in his eye! What music in his voice! and hear the exclamation, Surely this is the Son of God. But what is become of the poor leper? he has disappeared from his solitary standing place; and-is it possible-yes, he is hurrying on, fast as his feeble limbs can carry him, to meet the approaching crowd. Why, but now, he appeared to avoid all contact with his fellow man! What infatuation has seized him? Is it some new turn of his disorder, some sudden gust of passion, that has bewildered his already enfeebled mind, and driven him to desperation? Look, the crowd separates as he attempts to mingle with it; disgust and indignation settle on every countenance as he still hurries on; the multitudes who, before, were pressing on and surrounding the distinguished One, fall back appalled THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, INSTITUTED 1799. 56, paternoster row, and 65, ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD, at the horrid sight, fearful of breathing the air tainted with the presence of a leper. Jesus alone stands still; and the tear of compassion is in his eye, and the tones of compassion are on his lips, while the poor wretch, as though amazed at his own boldness, falls at the Saviour's feet, lifts up his feeble arms, opens his quivering lips, and with the energy of conflicting hope and despair, exclaims, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” One moment's pause, and then, the arm of mercy is outstretched, and the hand placed gently on the prostrate suppliant; and a voice of heavenly sweetness falls musically on the ear, "I will, be thou clean." And oh! the change: Can this be the same man who, a few short minutes ago, appeared so miserably afflicted, that it seemed as though death would be a welcome relief? See! the bloom of youth glows on his cheek, and the vigour of youth is renewed in his limbs; no longer a disgusting spectacle, a loathsome object, he is restored to his friends, his family, his employments, and his recreations-a new creature. Yes! such was the leprosy. Commencing with a single spot, it spread itself gradually through the system; one limb after another became affected, the flesh by slow but sure degrees was eaten away, the whole frame became a living mass of corruption, loathsome to all around, till at last death relieved the sufferer of his pain, and the world of his presence. And not only was this disease so painful in itself, but among the Jews it was attended with other terrors: by their ceremonial law it was pronounced to be most unclean, and no person afflicted with it was allowed to present himself with the rest of the people before the Lord; and thus they were entirely shut out of the temple and all the sacred assemblies of the congregation of Israel. And beside all this, it was a disease that no human power could cure; no medicine, however powerful, could reach it; no physician, however skilful, could stay its progress; no attention, however persevering, could abate its virulence: as far as human effort was concerned, it was incurable; and not only was it incurable, but in the course of time it would prove fatal-unless removed by the means which God himself had appointed, death inevitably ensued. It is your mercy, reader, that you are not subject to such a sad disorder; but ah! there is a disease to which you are liable, by which you are infected, more by far to be dreaded than the leprosy; more loathsome in its nature, more insidious in its approaches, more dreadful in its consequences. This disease is sin. And oh, how has this spiritual leprosy rendered all our race unclean in the sight of God! how has it excluded us from his presence! how does it shut us out from a place among his people! This is our condition by nature. We came into the world with this leprosy on our souls, and " who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ?" Job xiv. 4. "Lord, we are vile, conceived in sin, "Soon as we draw our infant breath, "Behold, we fall before thy face; No outward forms can make us clean, Turn to your past life, my friend, and answer the questions faithfully to yourself, Am I not a sinner? Have I not loved sin? Do I not love it still? This, then, is leprosy, and leprosy of such a tremendous nature, that nothing, nothing, but the blood of Jesus can cleanse from it, and blessed be his name that that fountain has been opened. But let us, more particularly, consider the points of resemblance between the leprosy of the body and the leprosy of the soul. We remarked that the individual afflicted with this disease was shut out from the temple and the worship of God, and was not permitted to mingle with his people; and so it is with sin. It does not indeed shut you out from the earthly courts of God's house, but it closes the doors of heaven against you. It does not forbid your mingling with God's people here, but it effectually excludes you from the blessed company which surrounds the throne above. "Those holy gates for ever bar And though you may think little now what it is to be far from God, and though you may care little now that sin debars you from the privileges of his people, depend upon it, a time is coming when you will feel that there is something lost in all this. You may not care now, that sin separates you from God, but to know that you are separated from him for ever, to hear him say, "Depart from me, ye cursed," and to feel the awful reality of living without God for ever and for ever; to know that you have lost your best Friend, and made him your enemy for ever and for ever, oh! this will alter your sentiments and your feelings. But again we observed, that the leprosy was a disease that no human skill could cure; and so it is with sin. You may try to cure yourself; you may make the most solemn resolutions; you may exercise the most rigid self-denial; you may observe all the outward forms of religion, and you may fancy that all is well; but it will not do, the disease remains unhealed; no self-sacrifices, no self-abasement, no self-righteousness can take away the load of guilt that sin has laid upon you. And as you cannot cure yourself, so neither can any human being take away your sins, and heal the leprosy of your soul. The Bible tells you plainly that this cannot be ; hear what it says, "None of them can, by any means, redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him for the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever," Psalm xlix. 7, 8. What, then, is the leprous sinner to do? Can no kind hand bring relief? Must he sink lower than the grave with this burden of guilt upon him? "And can no sovereign balm be found? And is no kind physician nigh, To ease the pain, and heal the wound, Ere life and hope for ever fly? See in the Saviour's dying blood, Can ease thy pain, and heal thy woe." We said also that the leprosy was fatal; and so is sin. "The wages of sin is death;" awful sentence! but no less true; for as the leprosy of the body terminated in the death |