y the more
clearly emerge into view the essential and inseparable evil of sin, the
actual breach between us and holiness. The accusation and misery which
sin brings generally either make us feel that we are expiating sin by
what we suffer, or put us into a self-defensive attitude. It is when
Jesus lifts His true eye to meet ours that the heart sinks humbled, and
recognises that apart from all punishment and in itself sin is sin, an
injury to God's love, a grievous wrong to our own humanity. In the
attitude of Christ towards sin and the sinner there is an exposure of
the real nature of sin which makes an ineffaceable impression.

But what will Jesus do with this woman thus left on His hands? Will _He_
not visit her with punishment, and so assert His superiority to the
accusers who had slunk away? He shows His superiority in a much more
real fashion. He sees that now the woman is self-condemned, lies under
that condemnation in which alone there is hope, and which alone leads to
good. She could not misunderstand the significance of her acquittal. Her
surprise must only have deepened her gratitude. He who had stood her
friend and brought her through so critical a passage in her history
could scarcely be forgotten. And yet, considering the net she had thrown
around herself, could our Lord say "Sin no more" with any hope? He knew
what she was going back to--a blighted home-life, a life full now of
perplexity, of regret, of suspicion, probably of ill-usage, of contempt,
of everything that makes men and women bitter and drives them on to sin.
Yet He implies that the legitimate result of forgiveness is renunciation
of sin. Others might expect her to sin; He expected her to abandon sin.
If the love shown us in forgiveness is no barrier to sin, it is because
we have not been in earnest as yet about our sin, and forgiveness is but
a name. Do we need an external scene such as that before us as the
setting which may enable us to believe that we are sinners, and that
there is forgiveness for us? The entrance to life is through
forgiveness. Possibly we have sought forgiveness; but if there follows
us no serious estimate of sin, no fruitful remembrance of the holiness
of Him who forgave us, then our severance from sin will last only until
we meet the first substantial temptation.

We do not know what became of this woman, but she had an opportunity of
regarding Jesus with reverence and affection, and thus of bringing a
saving influence