The Spirit of Confession

Ne proicias me a facie tua.  Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis: et ne proicias me a facie tua. Cuius faciem timet, ipsius faciem invocat. Ne proicias me a facie tua: et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me. Est enim spiritus sanctus in confitente. Iam ad donum Spiritus sancti pertinet, quia tibi displicet quod fecisti. Immundo spiritui peccata placent, sancto displicent. Quamvis ergo adhuc veniam depreceris, tamen ex alia parte quia tibi displicet malum quod commisisti, Deo coniungeris: hoc enim et tibi displicet, quod et illi. Iam duo estis ad expugnandam febrem tuam, tu et medicus. Quia ergo non potest esse confessio peccati et punitio peccati in homine a seipso; cum quisque sibi irascitur et sibi displicet, sine dono Spiritus sancti non est. Nec ait, spiritum sanctum tuum da mihi, sed, ne auferas a me. Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensi, Enarratio in Psalmum L

'Do not cast me forth from Your face'  1 'Turn away Your face from my sins',2 and 'Cast me not forth from Your face.' The face of the One he fears, upon the same face he calls. 'Do not cast me forth from Your face, and Your Holy Spirit take not away from me.' 1 For the Holy Spirit is in the one who confesses. Even now to the gift of the Holy Spirit it belongs, that what you have done displeases you. Sins are pleasing to the unclean spirit, the Holy One they displease. Although there you may still implore pardon, yet on the other part because the evil thing that you have done displeases you, you are joined to God, for that which displeases you, displeases Him. Now, you are two to assail your fever, you and the Physician. For the reason that there cannot be confession of sin and punishment of sin in a man of himself; when someone is angry with himself and displeasing to himself, then it is not without the gift of the Holy Spirit. He does he say, 'Give me your Holy Spirit'  but 'Do not take it not away from me.' 1 Saint Augustine of Hippo, Commentary on Psalm 50 1 Ps 50.13 2 Ps 50.11