s because he hath
sinned. Many speak of this blood, and think they apply it to the cleansing
of their sin past, but it is rather that they may sin with more liberty,
as if the end of vomiting up a surfeit of sin were to surfeit more, and
the end of washing, were nothing else but to defile again. Certainly this
blood is not for such souls,--not one word of comfort in the word,--not one
drop of hope in the blood, to those who pretend to believe in Christ's
blood, and continue in sin, as fresh and lively as ever they did, nothing
abated of their desires or customs. But if we confess our sins, God will
forgive, say you, and this we may do at any time, and this we do daily.
Nay, but saith John, this is "written that you sin not," not to encourage
you to sin. It is not recorded for this end, that you may live after your
own imaginations and former customs, with security and peace, upon this
presumption, that pardon is easily procurable, if say, "God have mercy
upon me, ere I die." Do not deceive yourselves, for it is written just for
the contrary, "that you sin no more, and return no more to folly." If he
had said, if we sin, though we confess yet he is just to punish us, you
would then be driven to desperation, and from that to a desperate
conclusion. Since we must be punished, however, let us not punish
ourselves here, in mortifying our flesh,--"let us eat and drink, for to
morrow we shall die." Die we must, let us deserve it, for where there is
no hope, there is no help for reformation.

But now, when there is such an unexpected proposal of grace, when God, who
is free to punish us, becomes indebted by his promise to forgive our
debts, we humbly submitting to him, and confessing our guiltiness, this
surprisal of clemency and moderation should, yea, certainly will, overcome
any heart that truly believes it, and conquer it to his love and
obedience. The more easily he forgives sin, the more hardly will a
believing heart be drawn to sin. You know any ingenuous spirit will more
easily be conquered by kindness and condescendency, than severity and
violence. These "cords of love are the bands of a man," suited to the
nature of men in whom there is any sparkle of ingenuousness remaining. How
often have men been engaged and overcome by clemency and goodness, who
could not be conquered by force of arms? Enemies have been made friends by
this means, such power is in it to knit hearts together. Augustus, when he
was acquainted with th