A commentary on the whole Epistle to the Hebrews. By M. John Calvin. Translated…A commentarie on the vvhole Epistle to the Hebrevves. By M. Iohn Caluin. Translated…

The second article is as touching the free remission of sins. §2Although they have sinned, saith the Lord, ¹yet will I notwithstanding pardon their sins. This also is a very necessary article. For God never so frames and fashions us in obedience to his righteousness, but there still remains in us many wicked and corrupt affections of the flesh: yea and the corruption of our nature is regenerate but only in part: for every hand-while we feel wicked lusts, and naughty affections to boil in us. And from thence issueth that combat where of S. Paul complains, Rom. 7.23. where he testifies of himself, in the person of all the faithful, that he saw another law in his members, rebelling against the law of his mind, so that he obeyed not God as he ought to have done, but failed therein many ways. What good or holy ⟨p. 170⟩desire then soever it be which we have to live religiously, yet we shall be always guilty before God of eternal death, because our conversation is always far off from the perfection of the law. There is no stability in the covenant then in regard of us, unless God do freely forgive us our sins. But this is a special privilege belonging only to the faithful, who have embraced the covenant offered them in Christ: that is to say, to be assured that God favoureth them, and that the sins to which they are subject hurts them not, Note. because they have a promise of pardon. Neither is this promised them for a day only, but even to the end of their life: so that their reconciliation with God worketh and hath his efficacy continually. For this grace extends it self throughout the whole kingdom of Christ: which S. Paul also doth sufficiently show 2. ²Cor. 5. And indeed this is the city of our refuge, unto which if we flee not by faith, it is unpossible but we shall be plunged into continual desperation. For all of us are fast locked under condemnation, and can no otherwise be loosed, but by running to the mercy of God, whereby we are absolved.