598 HOW THE SPIRIT CONVINCES OP'SIN. ofpeace from him ; to wrestle with him earnestly in pub- lic and private duties, and have been content to lie at his foot till his time of speaking peace and deliverance was come. We are ready, if we understand any thing of the skill of faith, very ready under sin and guilt, to speak peace to our souls, by the application of some promise, and all is well ; but when God powerfully convinces of sin under affliction, and says, " this is the reason of my displeasure manifested against you so " long," then the soul acknowledges it is God's piero- gative to comfort; " I'create the fruit of the lips, peace." It is not then an easy matter to speak peace to a soul, then a common application of a promise will not do ; it is God himself must powerfully speak it. Peace is not such small mercy, but God himself must give it, even to those who are brought nigh to him, before the soul can rejoice in that peace, When David was under sore distress because of sin, he waited till God should speak peace to him, and watched for a word of comfort more than they that watch for the morning; I say, " more than they that watch for the morning :" three warm expressions in one verse of his waiting upon God ; and as the soul waits for pardon and peace to be spoken to it, so it waits for deliverance also from the particular affliction, and that without quarrelling Knd repining : before it was ready to wonder why God should thus con- tendwith it : " What have I done thatGod should lay his afflictingjudgments on memore thanon those about me But there is no such complaint and wonder when the sin is discovered by the Spirit of God : the soul then says, I am satisfied and well pleased, and cries out in humility of spirit, " I will bear the indignation of the Lord.' When we are once convinced of sin by the Spirit, we cry out, " If God will but pardonmy guilt, and speak peace to my conscience, and not condemn me, I will bear his hand till he thinks fit to take it off." This is the language of a convinced soul under sorrow. 4. When the Spirit convinces of sin under afflictions, it gives occasion to the soul to bless God for afflictions. Ifwe cannot see the reason why we are afflicted, it is very hard to bless God for these afflictions; faith in the love, wisdom and grace of God, that he does not afflict willingly, or that he afflicts on just grounds, does not
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