to Hell, but with
modern inadequate conceptions of the evil and guilt of sin, and with
many, the almost lost sense of justice, and of "stern moral
indignation against wrong." (Broadus.)

II

SINS NOT EXCUSED, NOR THE PENALTY EVER REMITTED WITHOUT REDEMPTION

"Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no
wise pass away from the law."--Jesus.

"Apart from shedding of blood there is no remission."--Heb. 9:22.

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to
you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the
blood that maketh atonement."--Lev. 17:11.

"It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take
away sins."--Heb. 10:4.

"Every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of
reward."--Heb. 2:2.

When one faces the question of his sins, and realizes that they
deserve just punishment, one of the first impulses is to pray and beg
of God to be let off, to be forgiven; and, alas! much of the religious
instruction to the sinner is to the same effect. Jesus to Nicodemus
gave no such instruction (John 3:14-16); Philip to the Eunuch gave no
such instruction (Acts 8:29-39); Paul and Silas to the jailer gave no
such instruction (Acts 16:30, 31); Peter to the household of Cornelius
gave no such instruction (Acts 10:42, 43); the gospel of John, the one
book specially given to lead a sinner to be saved (John 20:30, 31),
gives no such instruction.

But the objection is at once brought up that in the Lord's Prayer we
are taught to pray, "Forgive us our sins." That prayer begins "Our
Father," and God is not the Father of sinners ("Ye are all the
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."--Gal. 3:26); and the
prayer was given by the Saviour to disciples (Luke 11:1, 2), and not
to sinners.

But the objection is further raised that the Bible says, "If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins."
That is from the first epistle of John, and was not written to
sinners, but to believers. John says (1 John 5:13), "These things have
I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even
_unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God_." (R. V.) God
can and does forgive the believer on confession, because the believer
is a child of God. With the sinner it is a question of law, of
justice, of right. Hence, the Lord Jesus said, "Till heaven and earth