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HOW THE
SPIRIT
CONVINCES
OP'SIN.
of
peace
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
pi
ero-
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-
tend
with
it
:
"
What
have
I
done
thatGod
should
lay
his
afflicting
judgments
on me
more than
on
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
pardon
my 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.
If
we
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