Struggles of Conscience

Spurgeon attacks a subtle form of self-righteousness common in his day — the idea that a sinner must first feel their guilt deeply enough, with strong conviction and sorrow, before they have any right to trust Christ — arguing instead that this demand is itself a disguised legalism, since the gospel invites "sinners" as sinners with no qualifying adjective and no preparation of feeling required. He comforts those struggling with this by pointing out that wanting to feel one's sin more is itself evidence of real spiritual life (since the truly wicked never wish to see their guilt at all), gives practical advice on how to gain a deeper sense of sin through examining specific transgressions, sitting under a direct and personal preaching ministry, studying God's law, and especially meditating on Christ's sufferings, and warns sharply against confusing the Holy Spirit's work of conviction with Satan's counterfeit work of driving a soul to despair. He closes with an urgent appeal that anyone waiting to feel "enough" before coming to Christ will wait forever, since the true gospel command is simply "look unto Me" rather than to one's own feelings, and that the sinner's only safety lies in coming exactly as they are now, trusting that Christ's blood — not their preparation for it — is what saves.Sermon delivered by Charles Spurgeon on September 22nd, 1860.