us sinners that live upon earth. As often as we can sin, so often, if we ask pardon of Thee, Thou wilt pardon us, for Thy mercy is greater than our misery. I will confidently approach to ask pardon for the injury, seeing He Himself that is injured so liberally offers it to me!
2. Secondly, I will ponder how this sovereign Judge, being about to make a most strict judgment of our lives at the end of them and at the end of the world, would mercifully change this rigorous judgment of our sins into the merciful judgment that we shall make of them in this sacrament; so that (as the Apostle says) if we would judge ourselves, and be absolved, we should not be judged [1] and condemned for those sins; for to this end the Scripture says that " there shall not rise a double affliction." [2]
3. Finally, this sacrament, according to the prophecy of Zacharias, is a fountain of living water, that Almighty God has in His Church "for the washing of" [3] the uncleanness of our sins, to heal the infirmities and wounds of our vices, to restore to us the life of grace, the beauty of charity and the splendour of virtues; to repair lost merits, and to remedy the other evils of our sins. And it is a continual and open fountain, for it is never dry, nor does Almighty God ever shut it so long as we live; but rather desires that as soon as ever we have sinned we should approach to wash ourselves therein.
Colloquy. — Oh, blessed be the fountain of God's goodness, whence springeth this fountain of so great mercy! Come, O my soul, for " waters out of thy Saviour's fountains!" [4] Come with grief by reason of thy sin, but with joy through hope to wash thyself therein!
(This point shall be handled more largely in the fifth part.)
