2. On the contrary, a deep conviction that we are not yet whole, that our hearts are not fully purified, that there is yet in us _a carnal mind_, which is still in its nature _enmity against God_; that a whole body of sin remains in our heart, weakened indeed, but not destroyed, shews beyond all possibility of doubt, the absolute necessity of a farther change. We allow, that at the very moment of justification, we are _born again_: in that instant we experience that inward change, from _darkness into marvellous light_; from the image of the brute and the devil, into the image of God, from the earthly, sensual, devilish mind, to the mind which was in Christ Jesus. But are we then _entirely_ changed? Are we _wholly_ transformed into the image of him that created us? Far from it: we still retain a depth of sin: and it is the consciousness of this, which constrains us to groan for a full deliverance, to him that is mighty to save. Hence it is, that those believers who are not convinced of the deep corruption of their hearts, or but slightly and as it were notionally convinced, have little concern about _entire sanctification_. They may possibly hold the opinion, that such a thing is to be, either at death, or some time, they know not when, before it. But they have no great uneasiness for the want of it, and no great hunger or thirst after it. They cannot, until they know themselves better, until they repent in the sense above described, until God unveils the inbred monster’s face, and shews them the real state of their souls. Then only, when they feel the burden, will they groan for deliverance from it. Then and not till then will they cry out, in the agony of their soul, Break off the yoke of inbred sin And fully set my spirit free! I cannot rest, till pure within, Till I am wholly lost in thee! 3. We may learn from hence, secondly, that a deep conviction of our _demerit_ after we are accepted, (which in one sense may be termed _guilt_) is absolutely necessary, in order to our seeing the true value of the atoning blood; in order to our feeling that we need this as much, after we are justified, as ever we did before. Without this conviction we cannot but account the blood of the covenant _as a common thing_, something of which we have not now any great need, seeing all our past sins are blotted out. Yea, but if both our hearts and lives are thus unclean, there is a kind of guilt which we are contracting every moment, and which of consequence would every moment expose us to fresh condemnation, but that He ever lives above, For us to intercede, His all-atoning love, His precious blood to plead. It is this repentance and the faith intimately connected with it, which are expressed in those strong lines.