Grace, a period, that is, during which God is ready to give pardon and
strength and guidance, and that if this Day of Grace be wasted, then
those things belonging to our eternal peace which were offered are
withdrawn, or hidden from the eyes. This is, in fact, the same thing
as what I said about the measure of sin; after a time of sin and
neglect, the opportunity for redeeming the past is lost beyond recall,
and that time is measured out by the amount of the transgressions of
the person or the people with whom God is dealing.

SUBJECT.--I am not, however, going to speak to you again on this
subject from another aspect, but of sin itself, and the consequences it
brings. Those consequences we overlook. We believe that God for
Christ's sake pardons sin and wipes away transgressions, but we forget
altogether that He does not deliver us from the consequences of sin,
or, at least, not from all of them.

I. Sin is the transgression of God's commandment. And it entails
three consequences. 1. It separates from God. 2. It entails
punishment. 3. It leaves a stain.

God has given His Commandments for the good of men. They are the
maxims by which they must rule their conduct, in order that the world
may go on in peace and orderliness, and that they may remain in
communion with Him. Sin is the violation of this law, the break-up of
order, the disturbance of peace, and the interruption of communion.

II. _It separates from God_. When mortal sin has been committed, the
flow of divine grace is arrested, just as when something gets into a
pipe it chokes it, so that the stream of water can no longer run till
the stoppage is removed. Thus the presence of mortal sin in the
conscience at once cuts off from the favour of God, and prevents growth
in the spiritual life. The sinner is guilty in the sight of God, and
if he die in unpardoned deadly sin, stands in great danger of being
lost.

Now, here it is that Christ intervenes. He reconciles the sinner to
the Father, and He takes away the barrier which separates them. He
removes the stoppage which interferes with the flow of Grace. In one
word, He removes the guilt. That is the work of the Atonement. For
this Christ died. But for the Cross of Calvary, man, once alienated
from God by sin, must remain in alienation. "Christ," says S. Paul,
"having made peace through the blood of the Cross, hath reconciled all
things unto Himself. And you, that were sometimes alienated