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 Christ died  and  poured  forth  His  Blood. The Blood of  Jesus  Christ,  says  the  apostle,  speaks  more in favor  of  sinners  than  the  blood  of  Abel  spoke against Cain,  who  slew  him.

It is  true  that  without  a  divine  revelation  no  man can possess  an  infallible  certainty  of  his  own  salvation;  but  he  that  has  given  himself  with  a  true  heart to God. and is  ready  to  lose  everything,  even  life  itself, rather  than  lose  the  divine  grace,  has  a  moral certainty that  he  will  be  saved. This certainty  is founded  on  the  divine  promises:  "  no  man,"  says  the Scripture, "  ever  trusted  in  God  and  was  confounded  " (Ecclus. ii.  11). Almighty God  declares  in  many passages that  He  does  not  desire  the  death  of  the sinner, but  that  he  be  converted  and  live. " Is  it  My will  that  a  sinner  should  die,  saith  the  Lord  God, and  not  that  he  should  be  converted  from  his  ways and  live?" (Ezech. xviii.  23.)  And  in  the  same  chapter God  laments  over  those  obstinate  sinners  who choose to  perish  because  they  will  not  leave  their  sins, and says:  "Why  will  you  die,  O  house  of  Israel?" And to  those  who  repent  of  their  sins  He  promises to forget  all  their  iniquities. " If  the  wicked  do penance  for  all  his  sins  which  he  hath  committed,  he shall  live.  I  will  not  remember  all  his  iniquities that  he  hath  done"  (Ezech.  xviii.  21).

When a  sinner  also  hates  the  sins  he  has  committed, it  is  a  certain  sign  that  he  has  been  pardoned. A holy  Father  says  that  whoever  can  say  with  truth, " I  hate  and  abhor  my  iniquities,"  may  be  certain that they  are  forgiven. We have  another  sign  of pardon  when  we  recover  grace  and  persevere  in  a good  life  for  a  considerable  time  after  having  sinned. It is  also  a  sure  sign  to  the  same  effect  when  we  have a fixed  resolution  to  die  rather  than  lose  the  friendship of  God,  as  also  when  we  earnestly  desire  to  love Him, and  to  see  Him  loved  by  others,  and  when  we feel  distress  at  seeing  Him  offended.