ing the streets, if it were not for unbelief; there would
not be a murderer, if it was not for unbelief; it is the germ of all
sin. Don't think for a moment that it is a misfortune, but just bear
in mind it is an awful sin, and may the Holy Spirit convict every
reader that unbelief is making God a liar. Many a man has been knocked
down on the streets because some one has told him he was a liar.
Unbelief is giving God the lie; that is the plain English of it. Some
people seem to boast of their unbelief; they seem to think it is quite
respectable to be an infidel and doubt God's Word, and they will
vainly boast and say, "I have intellectual difficulties; I can't
believe." Oh that the Spirit of God may come and convict men of sin!
That is what we need--His convicting power, and I am so thankful that
God has not put that into our hands. We have not to convict men; if we
had I would get discouraged, and give up preaching, and go back to
business within the next forty-eight hours. It is my work to preach
and hold up the Cross and testify of Christ; but it is His work to
convict men of sin and lead them to Christ. One thing I have noticed,
that some conversions don't amount to anything; that if a man
professes to be converted without conviction of sin, he is one of
those stony-ground hearers who don't bring forth much fruit. The first
little wave of persecution, the first breath of opposition, and the
man is back in the world again. Let us pray, dear Christian reader,
that God may carry on a deep and thorough work, that men may be
convicted of sin so that they can not rest in unbelief. Let us pray
God it may be a thorough work in the land. I would a great deal rather
see a hundred men thoroughly converted, truly born of God, than to see
a thousand professed conversions where the Spirit of God has not
convicted of sin. Don't let us cry "Peace, peace, when there is no
peace." Don't go to the man who is living in sin, and tell him all he
has to do is to stand right up and profess, without any hatred for
sin. Let us ask God first to show every man the plague of his own
heart, that the Spirit, may convict them of sin. Then will the work in
our hands be real, and deep, and abide the fiery trial which will try
every man's labor.

Thus far, we have found the work of the Spirit is to impart life, to
implant hope, to give liberty, to testify of Christ, to guide us into
all truth, to teach us all things, to comfort the believers, and to