pass away, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law"
(Matt. 5:18). "Every transgression and disobedience received _a just
recompense of reward_" (Heb. 2:2); but there is no "_just recompense
of reward_" at all, if God lets the sinner off from the just penalty
of his sins because he prays and begs and cries to be let off, or
because priests or preachers pray and beg for him to be let off. "It
is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin"
(Heb. 10:4), because there is no "just recompense of reward" in such
cases. Much less can the sins be taken away when there is no
recompense of reward at all in the case, but simply the praying and
begging of the sinner to be forgiven, to be let off, and the praying
and begging of some priest or preacher that the sinner be forgiven,
let off. God has given a plain warning, "Apart from shedding of blood
there is no remission."--Heb. 9:22. Among what are called evangelical
denominations it would be looked upon as worse than folly for a Jew,
a Unitarian or a Universalist, who had asked God to forgive his sins,
or had confessed the sins, to claim that therefore he was forgiven and
was sure to go to Heaven. But it is just as fatal a delusion among
others as among Jews, Unitarians and Universalists. Every
transgression must have "_a just recompense of reward_," however sorry
the sinner may be, however much he may pray and beg to be forgiven,
let off; however much the priest or preacher or friends may pray for
him to be forgiven, to be let off. A man who has violated the state
law falls on his knees before the judge, confesses his sin and begs
the judge to forgive him, to let him off; and he calls men from the
audience to come and help him beg. The judge replies, "If I should
yield to these petitions I would be a perjurer; I would trample on
law. Every transgression must receive a just recompense of reward."
Would that all could realize that every prayer from sinner, priest, or
preacher, for a sinner to be forgiven, let off, is a prayer to God to
become a perjurer. If sinners could realize that, after all their
kneeling every night and confessing their sins, and praying to be
forgiven, to be let off, every sin ever committed is still there, and
that "Apart from shedding of blood there is no remission," they would
then realize their real need of a Saviour, a Redeemer.

One question for the reader: If God forgives, lets a sinner off,
simply because he is