If you now will perceive these and other sins in thyself, yea, if you consider, that the sins you have committed in ignorance, are many more than those you know and feel in your heart, which nevertheless the all knowing God places in the light of His countenance, then you will tremble in your conscience and experience sorrow and penitence on account of them, that you have so grievously offended your God and have been so unthankful for His blessings. The second part of confession is faith, and indeed faith in Jesus Christ, who hath made satisfaction for all thy sins and has also obtained forgiveness of the same. Faith is as a hand which appropriates the forgiveness of sins and receives it as an unmerited gift of divine grace. Without this faith all knowledge and sorrow for sin is only the confession of a Cain or a Judas, which ends in despair. But by faith in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all sinners, the heart is comforted and made quiet. But this faith you cannot produce in your own heart, but it is the work and gift of God the Holy Spirit. And if you experience that you are wanting in this faith, and that you cannot believe but desire to believe, then call upon God for this faith, and he will give it thee. Thereupon the fruits of penitence must follow. These consist in this, that you no more knowingly and intentionally will commit the sins which have been forgiven you, but you much more will hate and forsake them, and by the assistance of the Holy Spirit contend against them. If now you bring such a penitent heart with you to confession, then you are able to receive the absolution which your confessor gives you, by virtue of which your sins are really and certainly forgiven thee by God in heaven. Forgiveness of sins Christ has obtained for all sinners by his death and the shedding of His blood and sealed it by His resurrection and commanded it to be preached and delivered to all the world through the Gospel. Now when the confessor absolves thee, he does nothing else than declare unto you the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins; and yet this is not merely an empty declaration, but such a one through which forgiveness of sins is really presented and offered to penitent sinners. As often as you hear the words of absolution from his mouth, do not doubt, but firmly believe that your sins are forgiven thee before God in heaven, as certainly as if Christ would immediately speak from heaven: "Be of good cheer, my son (my daughter), thy sins be forgiven thee," for He says: "Whosoever heareth you, heareth me, and whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them." 34. Complaint of a poor Sinner concerning the Impenitence of his Heart.