It opens the eye of the mind
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Conversion is a deep work, a heart work. It makes a new
man in a new world. It extends to the whole man—to the
mind, to the members, to the motions of the whole life.
Conversion turns the balance of the judgment, so that God
and His glory outweigh all carnal and worldly interests. It
opens the eye of the mind, and makes the scales of its
native ignorance fall off, and turns men from darkness to
light. The man who before saw no danger in his condition,
now concludes himself lost and forever undone—except
renewed by the power of grace. He who formerly thought
there was little hurt in sin, now comes to see it to be the
chief of evils. He sees the unreasonableness, the deformity
and the filthiness of sin; so that he is affrighted with it,
loathes it, dreads it, flees from it, and even abhors himself
for it (Rom 7:15; Job 42:6; Ezek 36:31). He who could see
little sin in himself, and could find no matter for confession,
now sees the rottenness of his heart, the desperate and
deep pollution of his whole nature. He cries, 'Unclean!
Unclean! Lord, purge me with hyssop, wash me thoroughly,
create in me a clean heart.' He sees himself altogether filthy,
corrupt both root and branch. He writes 'unclean' upon all
his parts, and powers, and performances. He discovers the
filthy corners that he was never aware of, and sees the
blasphemy, and theft, and murder, and adultery, that is
in his heart, of which before he was ignorant.
His hatred boils, his anger burns against sin. He has no
patience with himself; he calls himself 'fool' and 'beast';
and thinks any name too good for himself—when his
indignation is stirred up against sin. He could once wallow
in it with much pleasure; now he loathes the thought of
returning to it, as much as of licking up the filthiest vomit!
Hitherto he saw no form nor loveliness in Christ, no beauty
that he should desire Him; but now he finds the Hidden Treasure,
and will sell all to buy this field. Christ is the Pearl he seeks.
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