SERIES VI. No. 8.

"A LITTLE LEAVEN

LEAVENETH

THE WHOLE LUMP."

A SERMON

PREACHED BY THE

Rev. J. BATTERSBY

(Vicar of St. James', Sheffield),

AT VERULAM MISSION CHURCH, KENNINGTON ROAD,

LAMBETH, LONDON,

THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 2ND, 1881.

In the 5th Chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians and at the 9th verse you will read the following proverb :"A LITTLE LEAVEN LEAVENETH THE WHOLE LUMP."

Some time ago I preached a Sermon upon our Lord's parable of "The Leaven," as recorded in the 13th chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. In consequence of the exposition which I then gave you of the parable, I have received many letters from Readers of my printed Sermon, some expressing themselves as agreeing, and others as disagreeing with my interpretation. I have not had time to acknowledge all the letters which have come to hand, nor yet have I had the disposition to enter into a paper correspondence upon the subject of my former Discourse. When I have prepared and preached a Sermon, and revised the rough proof of it, wish to have done with it, and then to take up another

Scriptural subject which will tend to increase the knowledge of my hearers.

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I propose on the present occasion to preach a Supplementary Sermon to the one on "THE LEAVEN WHICH A WOMAN TOOK." I do not intend it to be of a controversial nature, but rather to expound certain passages of Scripture, which are intended to illustrate and confirm the views already propounded by me. any friend differs from me in the interpretation of a passage of Scripture he is at perfect liberty to do so, as far as I am concerned. I make no pretensions to infallibility. I am no Pope amongst you, nor do I wish to be. I give you such expositions of The Scriptures as commend themselves to my own mind, and which I believe to be honestly consistent with the Spirit's teaching.

Before proceeding with the subject of the evening I must give you some idea of my former Sermon upon the parable of the "leaven." I opened it by reviewing the 13th chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel as a chapter of parables. I gave you the definitions of a parable, which have been given and generally accepted by the best of parabolic Interpreters. I explained to you first the Scriptural meaning of "the kingdom of heaven "-and secondly the comparison or similitude: The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." The kingdom of heaven, is the kingdom of the Messiah which is comprehensive of the Professing Christian Church during the Gospel Dispensation. That the parables are intended to give us different phases of this varying Professing Christian Church. I also pointed out the difference between "the kingdom of heaven," or Professing Christian Church in its mixed and in its unmixed state. That certain parables illustrate the mixed, and others the unmixed state of the Professing Church or Kingdom. I gave you a summary of the views of those who interperet the "leaven" in a good sense. I then shewed you that "leaven" is generally, if not univer

sally, used in a bad sense in the Scriptures, and that "leaven" in the parables ought not to be taken as an exception. I then spoke of the "woman," and after proving to you, that this term is applied both to the true and also to the apostate Church, I concluded that the parable of "the leaven" described the Professing Christian Church in her apostacy. The "woman" is the Apostate Church, the "leaven" is false doctrine, "the three measures of meal" represent the Gospel as coming from the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and the woman hiding the leaven in the meal, is the secret and subtle way of insinuating her false doctrine into the truths of the Gospel, until the whole becomes leavened. The corrupted state of the Professing Christian Church at the present day, I regarded as a manifest proof and confirmation of the view which I had given you of the parable.

There are some persons who contend earnestly that the "woman" in the parable means Christ. They do so, because sometimes "feminine" words are employed in the Scriptures in describing Him. I have dealt with this subject in my Sermon-"I WILL DRAW ALL UNTO ME,' and hence, I shall not dwell upon it now. I find that the term "woman" is often used literally in the Word of God. This I need not prove to you. (Gen. ii. 21, 22). It is also used figuratively for weak and timid rulers (Isa. iii. 12); for the true Church of God (Rev. xii. 1); and for a carnal, cruel, and Apostate Church (Rev. ii. 20, and Rev. xvii. 1-6). But I believe it is never used of Christ throughout the entire Scriptures. I have searched for this use of the word, but I have searched in vain. Truly Christ was "crucified through weakness" (2 Cor. xiii. 4), yet, we are never told, that the weakness of Christ is represented under the figure of a "woman." If I be wrong, I shall have to wait for more light upon this point. incline to the opinion that the parable of the "leaven" is an unfolding of the 5th of Zechariah, the 7th and 8th verses. "And this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the Ephah. And he said, This is wickedness. And

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he cast it into the midst of the Ephah." Compare the points together. "Leaven" and "wickedness." 66 А woman and "a woman." "The Ephah," "a measure," "three seah," and "three measures of meal." There may be some disparity in the comparison, but as a whole it is very striking, and on this account I throw it out for your thoughtful consideration. I shall now proceed with our subject:

The first fact which we shall notice is this, that leaven is both forbidden and commanded under the Mosaic Dispensation; Secondly, that leaven in the New Testament denotes that which is corrupt and corrupting in doctrine, in politics, in ceremonial, and in conduct: and Thirdly, we shall support and confirm our view of the leaven by Prophecy, by Parable, and by Proof. Here we have a large field before us, and may the Holy Ghost help us to survey it aright for Christ's sake.

First then, leaven was both forbidden and commanded under the Mosaic Dispensation. Why was this? What is the explanation of the fact? Well, it is a fact that leaven was strictly forbidden on pain of excommunication, or death. It was forbidden during the feast of passover. "Seven days shall ye eat unleaven bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel." "Whether he be a stranger or born in the land." "Ye shall eat nothing leavened." "Leavened bread shall not be seen in all your quarters.' (Exodus xii. 15, 18, 20; xiii. 3, 7; Deu. xvi. 4). Why, we ask, was leaven forbidden at this feast? sufficient to say "because the people took their dough before it was leavened" when they came up out of the land of Egypt? I think not. What answer then shall we give? Well, "It was the Lord's Passover." And "the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover" was not to be represented by corruption, nor by that which is of a fermenting, tainting, and corrupting nature. Christ was to be set forth by that which was pure and good. Christ crucified is the substance of the Passover, so we

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gather from what St. Paul says:-"Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." The leaven represented that which was evil, whilst the unleavened bread represented that which was good. Leaven was not even to be seen in the Lord's Passover neither is it to be seen in the Lord Jesus Christ, nor yet in his Gospel, nor in the grace of his Gospel. Again, leaven was forbidden to be offered in any of the sacrifices of the altar. shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread." (Exodus xxiii. 18; xxxiv. 25). "No meat offering, which he shall bring unto the Lord, shall be made with leaven: for he shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the Lord made by fire." (Lev. ii. 11). The offerings made by fire, or fire-offerings, as they are often called, were six in number. The burntoffering, the meat-offering, the peace-offering, the sin-offering, the trespass-offering, and the offering of consecration of a priest. These fire-offerings represented Christ in type and figure. I shall try to show you this from the Scriptures. The Burnt-offering was taken either from the herd, or from the flocks, or from the fowls according to a person's ability. (Lev. i.) It must be offered voluntarily, without blemish, for an atonment, to be wholly consumed on the altar, and of a sweet savour unto the Lord. This was a type of the one perfect offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for ever. Christ, through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot to God. There was no corrupt leaven either in the type or antitype. Both in their nature were perfect. THE MEAT-OFFERING comes next in order. The particulars of this offering are described in the 2nd of Leviticus. It was made of fine flour with oil and frankincense, and a memorial of it was burnt upon the altar, an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the Lord. The Meat-Offering seems to me to represent Christ in His life as "the bread of God." (Lev. xxi. 6). A part of it was offered upon the altar unto the Lord, and the remnant belonged to Aaron and his sons as a thing most holy. God and man fed upon the Meat-offering and were satisfied.