God exhorteth for these reasons —
(1.) To demand his right. Though we have lost our power, yet he must not lose his right. As a debt may be demanded from a prodigal creditor who hath wasted his substance, so may our duty be required of us, especially when it is demanded practically, to convince us of our impotency ; that is, that upon trial we may acknowledge the debt, confess our impotency, and beg grace.
(2.) Because God by calling conveyeth his grace : ' For he calleth the things that are not as though they were,' Rom. iv. 17. His word is a creating word. He cried with a loud voice to the dead man that was ready to stink, John xi. 43, ' Lazarus, come forth ; ' so to the man with a withered hand, Mat. xii. 13, ' Stretch forth thine hand.'
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That was the defect ; he could not stretch forth his hand ; but God often commandeth those things which he performeth by his own grace, and giveth us to do what he biddeth us to do ; and by these exhorta- tions and commands his Spirit worketh that efiPectually in us which he requireth of us.
(3.) Sinners without these exhortations would be careless, and go on contentedly in sin, and be mindless of these things ; therefore it is good to rouse them up, to charge them with their duty, and speedily and earnestly to go about it, if they mean to be saved, that they may take care of this duty as well as they can, else all these rebukes ag- gravate their sin : Pro v. i. 25, ' They set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof.' To put it off when conscience boggleth is aggravated wickedness : Acts xxiv. 25, ' When Paul reasoned of right- eousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled,' and would hear Paul at a more convenient season.
(4.) When the Lord hath begun with us, we must not remain dead, careless, and sleepy. . What God commandeth we must set ourselves to obey ; it is our work, though grace be from him. It is I that must be awakened ; it is I must arise from the dead, and turn to God ; it is I must believe and obey.
[3.] But it seemeth we prevent God.
(1.) This giving light is not an effect or consequent following after, either in order of nature or time, but a cause ; for by and in these things God giveth us light, or bringeth us into this lightsome condition of Christianity.
(2.) It may be understood not of God's converting or assisting grace, but his rewarding grace ; that is, blessing, comfort, peace, and glory, or some further degree of knowledge and grace, whereby a christian may glorify his profession. But often in scripture the Spirit is pro- mised to the penitent : Prov, i. 23, ' Turn ye at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you ; ' Acts ii. 38, ' And Peter said unto them. Repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.' To the believer : John vii. 38, 39, ' He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water : but this he spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.' But none of this doth exclude his preventing grace, by which he worketh all our works in us.
SERMON XVII.
Wherefore he saith, Aiualce thou that sleepcst, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. — Erii. v. 14.
Use. If this be the intent of Christ, it serveth for exhortation, to awaken sinners out of the sleep of sin, that they may rise from the dead, and obtain the light of life. Look every one to yourselves, for
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the voice of God speaketh to every one particularly: 'Awake tliou that sleepest, and rise tliov, from the dead,' A tender waking con- science is a great mercy, whereas a dead and stupid conscience is a heavy judgment ; for then neither reason nor grace is of any use to us ; we can neither do the functions of a man or a christian while we are asleep. Because every one will shift this off from himself, and think it concerneth not him, I shall show you how it concerneth both the regenerate and unregenerate, and how far both the one and the other may be said to be asleep in sin.
First, For those that are carnal, and live in a course and trade of sin, habitual customary sinners, there is no doubt but they are asleep, and dead in trespasses and sins ; for —
1. Their great work lietli undone, which is entering into God's peace, and accepting the grace offered to them for the pardon of their sins, and healing their natures : Luke x. 42, ' One thing is needful.' And what is that one thing, but returning to God from whom we have fallen by our folly and sin, or seeking his renewing and reconciling grace ? this is the main thing : Mat. vi. 33, ' But first seek ye the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you ; ' Phil. iii. 13, ' This one thing I do.' All men in their wits would mind this.