When the Judge wants to forgive, he regards the human being, not the offense. When the Father wants to show mercy to the son, he considers his affection, not the sin. So in the case of the human being, God is mindful of his own work so as to forget the human being's work. So you who criticize and murmur about why Christ altered his course for a sinner, come in and grasp from this the way to salvation, an example of pardon, and the hope for mercy; and be on your guard against your making a matter of blasphemy out of an opportunity for your salvation.
Sermon 54, section 6. I suspect that 'Judge' and 'Father' should not be capitalized in the first two sentences.
