March 9

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and he unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour:

3 Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:

4 Then, it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was

delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found.

5 Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth; in the day of his trespass offering.

6 And he shall bring his trespass-offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass-offering, unto the priest:

7 And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD; and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.

The trespass-offering was an offering for sins of wrong-doing, either towards God or towards man. The sin-offering recognizes the inherent sinfulness of our nature, while the trespass-offering takes account of our transgressions or actual sins. It is not so much here what a man was, as what he did which is considered, his acts of sin; and, therefore, this offering was accompanied with restitution on the part of the sinner. He was not only forgiven, but he was to "restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten." This signifies, first, the blessed truth that "where sin abounded," and even because sin abounded, "grace did much more abound." And also teaches us that forgiveness is not the whole of salvation, but righteousness must accompany it.

"To me the one grand lesson of the offerings is to be found in the constant repetition of the declaration, 'and it shall be forgiven him.' No room was left for doubt here. God said it, and the question was settled. No Israelite could look inside at his own feelings to settle this question, nor outside at his life. The one only point was, had he brought the offering, and had it been consumed on the altar? If so, then he was forgiven, whether he felt it or not, and we cannot imagine an Israelite entertaining a doubt on the subject. Had such a thing occurred, I cannot but think that the friends and neighbors of the unfortunate man, and, in fact, the whole nation, would have been horrified at such presumption. 'Do you dare to doubt God's word?' they would have asked. 'Are your feelings to be put in opposition to His express declaration?' But if they could be thus sure of forgiveness, who only offered a bullock, or a lamb, or a turtle dove, surely we, for whom Christ has been offered, ought to be infinitely more sure; and doubts with us should be even more summarily dealt with. May the type teach this all-important lesson!"—H. W. S.

Closet Promise.—In His love and in His pity He redeemed them.—Isa. lxiii. 9.

For those who have done wrong to any degree there is yet a place in God's heart. For those who have sought to break away from wrong and met with the poorest success, there is a place of mercy and pity with God. For those who have tried to reform—not once, but twice, and thrice, and many times—and broken solemn resolutions and obligations—there is divine leniency. For those who have given God occasion to draw his sword of judgment and sante them asunder, there is hope of salvation if only they are willing to be subdued and led by the infinitude of divine goodness. If they love sin and mean to sin, there is no grace for them; but, if sinning, their heart abhors sin, and if, in their better moments, they abjure it, and, like the apostle, they cry out, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" there is grace for them. For all those who will repent, there is room for repentance, and help for repentance, and succor during reformation.—H. W. Beecher.