In our last paper we saw Jesus meeting the desperate condition of man as in the possession of Satan and demons. We also saw Him as perfect Man, rising a great while before day, in a solitary place, in prayer. As God, we saw Him come forth in divine power, casting out devils in the synagogues of highly favored Galilee. Another sad picture of man's condition is before us. " There came a leper to him." (Mark 1:4040And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. (Mark 1:40).) Whenever Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, delivers a soul from Satan, there is sure to be this discovery—the loathsomeness of sin. Not merely what we have done, as blinded and led by Satan, but what we are. What so loathsome as leprosy? It is incurable, getting worse and worse, until the destruction of the body, in one mass of sore disease, ensues. Just so the sinner—every sinner, every man by nature—his very nature poisoned by sin. It is incurable sin, to any but God. Just as none but God could heal the incurable leper, so none but God could devise a means to meet and cleanse the sinner of his sin. Go into the leprosy hospital, and see the patients, slowly getting worse, worse, to final destruction of the body. Go abroad in this world, and see every unsaved soul slowly going on to endless destruction.
There were two things this poor leper knew. He knew his wretched condition, and he knew who alone could heal him. This being the case, to whom could he come but unto Jesus? This is the exact case of a truly awakened sinner. He knows his own true, wretched condition. His whole being is poisoned with sin. He may have tried many pretended cures, but he has found them all false. Very often it takes years to learn that he is, as to all efforts of his own, and all the religion of men, an incurable. Thousands of remedies have been prescribed by learned philosophers and religious Jews, and by professing Christians, mixing both philosophy and religion; but all in vain. Man is just like that leper. “And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."
Now, did he not come just as he was, in his leprosy? Did Jesus say, You must give up your leprosy first, and then come to me to be cured? Just as he was he came—an incurable, except to God. And God was there, God manifest in the flesh. Yes, just as he was he came straight to Jesus. Have you, as a wretched, incurable sinner, come straight to Jesus? He did not come to the blessed mother of Jesus, or to angels, or to any of His disciples—did he? Then why should you? That poor outcast came to Jesus, kneeling down to Him, and saying to Him, "If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." Precious faith! Have you ever thus come to Jesus? Read each sentence, and we ask you solemnly. Have you ever thus come to Jesus? If you have not, then you have never really known your true, incurable condition in the leprosy of sin. Oh, what mistakes are made on this subject. Men of great learning, and highly distinguished in this world, will, and do, direct thousands to seek the cure of their depraved nature by baptism, confirmation, and the Lord's supper; and will tell them, that if they do not feel good enough to take the Lord's supper, it is still safer to come to holy communion! Could there be greater ignorance of the gospel? Does not baptism show the utter incurableness of the flesh, the old man—that it is only fit to be buried with Christ in death? Has it not been utterly judged, and set aside, in the cross of Christ? How, then, can that be confirmed which is to be reckoned dead and buried? And is the Lord's supper for poor deceived souls who think themselves good enough s or for those who were so bad, that nothing short of the atoning death of Jesus could redeem them? Nay, for those, and those alone, who can give thanks because they have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins? To make the Lord's supper a make-up for those who are nearly good enough, is to lead souls to endless perdition.