[2.] We are dead as we have lost the favour of God, and are obnoxious to his wrath. The law hath sentenced us to death, and our passing from death to life is not only put in opposition to corruption, but is opposite to condemnation : John v. 24, ' He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and fihall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life.' And sins are called 'dead works,' as they render us liable to death, Heb. ix. 14. They merit everlasting punishment. Now this is our woful condition, we are destitute of life spiritual, and obnoxious to the wrath of God, and therefore we should not allowedly continue in this estate for a moment.
Secondly, Let us speak of these terms conjunctly ; the one helpeth to explain the other. When we hear that man sleepeth in sin, possibly we might be apt to be conceited that man's heart is not so corrupt as it is, and are ready to say of it, as Christ did of the damsel whom he raised to life, Mat, ix. 24, ' She is not dead, but sleepeth.' Therefore we must take in the other expression to help it. We do not only sleep in sin, but are dead in trespasses and sins. So, on the other side, when we hear that we are in the state of the dead, we may misconceive of God's work in conversion, and press the rigour of the notion too far, as if he wrought upon us only as stocks and stones ; therefore we must take in the other expression ; we sleep in sins. Life natural is etill left us ; there is reason and conscience still to work upon, though we are wholly disabled from doing anything pleasing to God ; that is to say —
1. We have reason. Thou art a man, and hast reason, and there- fore art to be dealt with by way of exhortation. God infiuenceth all things according to their natural inclination, as he enliglitenetli the world by the sun, burneth with fire, so he reasoneth with man. God acts necessarily with necessary causes, and freely with free causes. He doth not oppress the liberty of his creatures, but preserveth the nature .and interest of his workmanship, and draweth men with the cords of a
334 SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SeR, XVI^
man, Hosea xi. 4, propoundeth reasons which we must consider, and so betake ourselves to the heavenly life. He maketh use of the faculties we have, and showeth us the misery of our lost estate, the possibility of salvation by Christ, sweetly inviting^ us to accept of his grace, that he may pardon our sins, sanctify and heal our natures, and lead us in a way of holiness to eternal life.
2. We have conscience (which is reason applying things to our case), and can judge of our actions morally considered with respect to reward and punishment, and accuse or excuse as the nature of the action deserveth : Rom. ii. 14, 15, ' For when the gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law to themselves : which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or else excusing one another.'
3. That we have a natural self-love and desire of happiness : Ps. iv. 6, ' There be many that say, Who will show us any good ? ' Mat. xiii. 45, 46, ' The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant-man seeking goodly pearls ; who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.' We would not be miserable, nor hated of God, nor cast into eternal torments, but would rather have eternal bliss. How can we preach to you ? What have we to work upon but this ? So that though we are dead, so as tO' do nothing savingly and acceptably, yet we must remember that we are also asleep, ignorant, slight, careless, do not improve our natural reason, conscience, and desires of happiness to any saving purpose, and will not mind things. Both together giveth us a right apprehension of" our woful condition by nature, that we are corrupt, and so are said to be dead ; and senseless and secure, so we are said to be asleep, mindlesa of our danger and remedy.
II. The manner of our recovery out of this wretched estate.
1. In the general, it is by calling of us. God's words are here put in the form of a call or invitation, ' Awake, arise.' 1 Peter ii. 9, ' Who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light ; ' 2 Thes. if. 14, ' Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.' This calling is both outward and inward ; outwardly by the gospel, and inwardly by the Spirit. The outward calling is necessary that we might have some visible sign of God's good-will towards us, and something from God himself to give us a right and warrant to lay claim to those excellent privileges by which he doth invite us to our duty, that we might not take this honour to ourselves, and seem to usurp and intrude upon the possession of those things which belong not to us : Heb. v. 4, ' And no man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is called of God.' None came to the wedding but those that were bidden, Mat. xxii., or went into the vineyard till they were hired, Mat. xx. It is necessary also to bring home his grace to us, and leave it upon our own choice : Acts xiii. 26, ' To you is the word of this salvation sent ; ' that if we refuse it, the fault may appear to be our own, and our destruction of ourselves. The inward calling by his Spirit is necessary also to make this grace effectual, otherwise we should remain dead and sleepy still : 2 Peter i. 3, ' Accord- ing as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto