[2.] It is not an universal slumber and sleep of the whole man, and to all goodness. The heart awaketh : Cant. v. 2, 'I sleep, but my heart waketh.' And it is not an estate of sin that they are in, but some particular sins they are tempted to: Ps. cxix. 133, ' Order my steps in thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.' There is something taketh God's part : 1 John iii. 9, ' Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin ; for his seed remaineth in him : and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.' They are unsatisfied with this drowsy dead estate, and complain of it. They complain of that senseless stupidity, and sluggish dulness, and cold indififerency to heavenly things which they have contracted : Isa. Ixiii. 17, ' 0 Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our hearts from thy fear ? Keturn for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.'
[3.] They are more easily alarmed and roused up out of it than those that sleep the sleep of death, when conscience hath but leisure and help to deliberate ; as a candle newly blown out doth sooner suck light than one that was never kindled : Ps. li. title, ' A psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.'
[4.] Wlien they rise again, they are more earnest and fervent than they were before ; they resolve, and arm themselves with the stronger resolution for the time to come : Ps. li. 6, ' Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts ; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.' In short, there is a difference between enmity and laziness ; some deadness that cometh upon us, and death in sin ; between a drowsy fit, and a state of carnal security ; between careless living in sin, without any fear of God's wrath and care of repentance, and some coldness and indififerency we contract.
[See some of these heads more enlarged on in the author's Sermon, on Mat. xxv. 5.]
346 SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SeR. XVII.
Well, then, since it is incident in part to God's children, I will press this admonition on them also.
(1.) Awake. It may seize on the young christian who has as yet no experience of the strength of sin, the danger of temptations, or their own weakness: Mat. xxvi. 33, 'Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.' It may seize on one of long standing, who, having made sure of his eternal interests, may grow negligent, as if he were now past all danger : Rev. iii. 17, ' Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing : and knowest not that thou art Avretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.' We are in danger not only in prosperity, but in adversity ; as before : Ps. xxx. 6, 7, ' And in my prosperity 1 said, I shall never be moved. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong ; thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled ; ' Phil. iv. 12, ' I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound ; everywhere and in all things I am instructed, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.' In public and in private duties. In private ; so it was with the disciples : Mat. xxvi. 45, ' Sleep on now, and take your rest.' In public : Mat. xiii. 25, * But while men slept, his enemy came, and sowed tares, and went his way.' Not only upon omission of our duty, but when we have performed some eminent service : 2 Chron. XXXV. 20, ' After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple,' &c., then did he rashly engage against Necho, king of Egypt, which cost him his life : Ezek. xxxiii. 13, ' If the righteous trust to his own right- eousness, and commit iniquity,' &c., viz., by neglecting his watch. Oh, let us watch then : 1 Thes. v. 6, ' Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober.' Take heed when a senseless stupidity is growing upon you, or a dulness and want of zeal for God, or any tedious irksomeness in God's service, or too much affection to worldly happiness. If you sleep, you hazard your souls, and expose yourselves to God's severe correction: Hosea v. 15, 'I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offences, and seek my face.' Let us rouse up ourselves : 2 Tim. i. 6, ' Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee.' Beg of God to quicken you, as David often did, Ps. cxix.
(2.) As you would show that you have your part in this lightsome condition of Christianity, do not only renounce the works of darkness, but reprove them, and shame them out of the world by a holy aweful conversation. We would all have our part in the comfort and peace of Christianity ; let us all have a hand in representing the glory and lustre of it to the world. Let your religion appear to be manifesting light, not only to direct yourselves, but to convince the world.