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.
