Soon as the word is uttered, "I have sinned," that very moment flies the seraph. (Isa. 6) God "is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." When we confess them in the name of Jesus, justice, having been satisfied by the blood of Christ, is swift to pardon. God cannot seal a pardon in the soul without confession. (Ps. 32:3-5.) As we practise confession, so will be our happiness and joy; for all true confession is followed by the spirit of praise. If in coming to God we complain against ourselves, let us thank Him that we have a heart to complain. The Spirit of God never heals save as He wounds; and if those seeking Christ have not peace, it is because there is still in them some remnant of fancied goodness. Tell out the whole heart to God, and the conscience will be cleansed by confessing sin over the head of the scapegoat. There is a counterfeit Confession of Sin; let us beware of this counterfeit. We may be sure the sorrow is not deep if the sin be not subdued. If so be we are ready in the confession of our faults, and have faith in the blood of sprinkling, those very faults will serve our growth in grace: they will be like manure to the field or garden. God kills to make alive. He smites men's consciences to make them judge themselves. The first great step when a man desires to be saved is unqualified self-condemnation. Sin unconfessed is imputed; but sin confessed is blotted out by God. The sinner, coming in the name of Jesus, has a _title_ to life: the ground of that title is the very name and justice of God. We should confess to God every inward evil as soon as it is discovered to us: and if we have trespassed against our brother, to Him also we should speedily make confession. By so doing we shall keep up the communion of love with God and with each other. It was the imputation of our sins to Christ that hid from Him the face of God the Father. It is our unconfessed disobedience that brings a cloud between Christ and us. When on entering a house I see a child in disgrace for disobedience, although I tenderly consider the erring child, I especially feel with the grieved, sorrowing parent. When we sin, and are chastened of God, we should rather consider how the heart of our heavenly Father has by us been grieved, than be taken up with the smart of our stripes by His rod of correction. If we practise the true Confession of Sin, and so cease to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, we shall have the testimony of the Spirit that the ear, thumb, and toe, are tipped with blood and oil. Keep no secrets from God. Confession of Sin to Him in all detail will greatly help us in the subduing it. The sinful thought of the heart is, in the sight of God, the act: evils in life always proceed from evils nourished in the heart. Do we think that God is pleased with shallow confessions of deep sins? Compare Job 40:4 with 42:2-6.