“Thou hast no lightnings, O Thou Just! 
  Or I their force should know;
  And if Thou strike me into dust,
  My soul approves the blow.

  The heart that values less its ease,
  Than it adores Thy ways;
  In Thine avenging anger, sees
  A subject of its praise.

  Pleased I could lie, concealed and lost,
  In shades of central night;
  Not to avoid Thy wrath, Thou know’st,
  But lest I grieve Thy sight.

  Smite me, O Thou whom I provoke! 
  And I will love Thee still;
  The well deserved and righteous stroke
  Shall please me, though it kill."[2]

Now, it is only when the human spirit is under the illuminating, and discriminating influences of the Holy Ghost, that it possesses this pure and genuine sense of guilt.  Worldly losses, trials, warnings by God’s providence, may rouse the sinner, and make him solemn; but unless the Spirit of Grace enters his heart he does not feel that he is ill-deserving.  He is sad and fearful, respecting the future life, and perhaps supposes that this state of mind is one of true conviction, and wonders that it does not end in conversion, and the joy of pardon.  But if he would examine it, he would discover that it is full of the lust of self.  He would find that he is merely unhappy, and restless, and afraid to die.  If he should examine the workings of his heart, he would discover that they are only another form of self-love; that instead of being anxious about self in the present world, he has become anxious about self in the future world; that instead of looking out for his happiness here, he has begun to look out for it hereafter; that in fact he has merely transferred sin, from time and its relations, to eternity and its relations.  Such sorrow as this needs to be sorrowed for, and such repentance as this needs to be repented of.  Such conviction as this needs to be laid open, and have its defect shown.  After a course of wrongdoing, it is not sufficient for man to come before the Holy One, making mention of his wretchedness, and desire for happiness, but making no mention of his culpability, and desert of righteous and holy judgments.  It is not enough for the criminal to plead for life, however earnestly, while he avoids the acknowledgment that death is his just due.  For silence in such a connection as this, is denial.  The impenitent thief upon the cross was clamorous for life and happiness, saying, “If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us.”  He said nothing concerning the crime that had brought him to a malefactor’s death, and thereby showed that it did not weigh heavy upon his conscience.  But the real penitent rebuked him, saying:  “Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds.”  And then followed that meek and broken-hearted supplication:  “Lord remember me,” which drew forth the world-renowned answer:  “This day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”