54 FORGIVENESS OF SIN. all those dreadful and terrible excellences, coming to deal with sinners according to the tenor of his fiery law, can- not but make him cry out with Moses, " I exceedingly quake and tremble." These things work in their minds the conclusion that God's marking sin according to the tenor of the law, and man's salvation, are utterly incon- sistent; a conclusion that must shake a soul when press- ed under a sense of its own guilt. When a person who is really guilty, and knows him- self to be guilty, is brought to his trial, he has but these four grounds of hope that his safety and his trial may be consistent. He may think that either, 1. The Judge will not be able to discover his crimes ; or, 2. That some one will powerfully intercede for him with the Judge ; or, 3. That the rule of the law is not so strict as to notice his errors ; or, 4. That the penalty is not so severe but there may be a way of escape. Cut hü.a short of his expectations from some one or all of these, and all his hopes must of necessity perish. 1. Of the Judge we have spoken somewhat already. The present inquiry is, Whether any thing may be hid from him, and so a door of escape be opened to a sin- ner 1 The apostle tells us, " That all things are naked and open unto Him," Heb. 4 : 13 ; and the Psalmist, that there " is not a thought in our hearts nor a word in our tongue but he understandeth it afar off, and knoweth it altogether." Psalm 139 : 2, 4. What the sinner knows of himself which may cause him to fear, that God knows; and what he knows not of himself that deserves his fear, that God knows also : " He is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things." 1 John, 3 : 20. When God shall not only set in order before the sinner the secret sins which he retains some remembrance of, but also bring to mind that world of abominations of which either he never took any notice or hath utterly forgot- ten, it will trouble, yea, confound him.
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