There is a wording here in Hebrew which beautifully expresses the fact that this forgiveness is without merits: “Blessed is he who becomes relieved of crime; who becomes concealed from sin.” 2 Notice that it is put in a purely passive way, for “the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance” (Rom. 11:29). Iniquities forgiven and sins covered can be said to differ in this way, that iniquity is that by which a man is turned toward the creature because he prefers its love to the love of God,