and that
they are undeserving: and many times, though they had not so particular
a sight of it at the beginning, they have very clear discoveries of it
soon afterwards, with great humblings in the dust before God.
Commonly persons' minds immediately before this discovery of God's
justice are exceedingly restless, in a kind of struggle and tumult, and
sometimes in mere anguish; but generally, as soon as they have this
conviction, it immediately brings their minds to a calm, and unexpected
quietness and composure; and most frequently, though not always, then
the pressing weight upon their spirits is taken away, and a general hope
arises, that some time or other God will be gracious, even before any
distinct and particular discoveries of mercy. Often they then come to a
conclusion within themselves, that they will lie at God's feet, and wait
His time; and they rest in that, not being sensible that the Spirit of
God has now brought them to a frame whereby they are prepared for mercy.
For it is remarkable, that persons when they first have this sense of
the justice of God, rarely, at the time, think any thing of its being
that humiliation they have often heard insisted on, and that others
experience.
In many persons, the first conviction of the justice of God in their
condemnation which they take particular notice of, and probably the
first distinct conviction of it that they have, is of such a nature, as
seems to be above any thing merely legal. Though it be after legal
humblings, and much of a sense of their own helplessness, and of the
insufficiency of their own duties; yet it does not appear to be forced
by mere legal terrors and convictions, but rather from a high exer
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