Struggles of Conscience

Spurgeon, Charles Haddon

Job 13:28

And he, as a rotten thing, consumes, as a garment that is moth eaten.

I. A LITTLE BY WAY OF CONSOLATION. We desire to comfort you who wish to feel more and more your sins. The best of men have prayed this prayer of the text before you. Remember that you never prayed like this years ago when you were a careless sinner. Then you did not want to know your guilt. Moreover, it is very probable that you do already feel your guilt, and what you are asking for you already have in measure realised.

II. A FEW WORDS OF INSTRUCTION. See how God will answer such prayers. Sometimes by allowing a man to fall into more and more gross sin. Or by opening the eyes of the soul; not so much by providence, as by the mysterious agency of the Holy Spirit. How can we get to know our sins and the need of the Saviour?

1. Hear a personal ministry.

2. Study much the law of God.

3. Go to Calvary.

III. A FEW SENTENCES BY WAY OF DISCRIMINATION. Discriminate between the work of the Holy Spirit and the work of the devil. It is the work of the Spirit to make thee feel thyself a sinner, but it never was His work to make thee feel that Christ could forget thee. Satan always, works by trying to counterfeit the work of the Spirit. Then take care thou dost not try to make a righteousness out of thy feelings.

IV. A LAST POINT BY WAY OF EXHORTATION. It is a very great sin not to feel your guilt, and not to mourn over it, but then it is one of the sins that Jesus Christ atoned on the tree. Come to Jesus, because it is He only who can give you that heart for which you seek; and because He can soften thy heart, and thou canst never soften it thyself.

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