The Spirit's Work in Salvation by Charles Spurgeon

The Holy Spirit lays bare his heart, lets him see the lonesome cancer that is there eating away his life, uncovers to him all the blackness and defilement of that sink of hell, the human heart. And then the man stands aghast. I never thought I was like this. Oh, those sins I thought were little have swelled to an immense stature. What I thought was a molehill has grown into a mountain. It was a hyssop on the wall before, but now it has become a cedar of Lebanon.

Then the man says to himself, Oh, I will try to reform. I will do enough good deeds to wash these black deeds out. Then the Holy Spirit comes and shows him that he cannot do this, takes away all his fancied power and strength. So that the man falls down on his knees in agony and cries, Oh, once I thought I could save myself by my good works. But now I find that could my tears forever flow? Could my zeal no respite know? All for sin could not atone. You must save, and you alone."

Then his heart sinks, and the man is ready to despair. He says, I can never be saved. Nothing can save me. Then the Holy Spirit comes and shows the sinner the cross of Christ, gives him eyes anointed with heavenly eye salve, and says, look to yonder cross. That man died to save sinners. You feel you are a sinner. He died to save you. And then the Holy Spirit enables the heart to believe and come to Christ.

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