Eph. v. 14. Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
THERE is a harmony in the Scriptures which many overlook and destroy : detached passages are often wrested to establish a favourite system3. But
a Calls to duty are supposed to imply the sufficiency of man to do the will of God ; while the. confessions or petitions of the saints, and the promises of Divine aid given to them, are brought to justify a negligence in the use of means.
the various truths of God should be viewed as they stand connected with each other ; there would then be diversity indeed, but no contrariety between themb. This observation will throw light, as on many other parts of Scripture, so on that before us in particular ; in which we have,
I. A command —
The Scripture abounds with useful and instructive metaphors. Our state is here represented under the images of sleep and death.
Sleep implies a state of inactivity and security —
[Men are busily employed about their worldly concerns ; but a lamentable supineness prevails with respect to spiritual things. The generality do not apprehend their souls to be in any danger : death, judgment, heaven, and hell, do not seem worthy their notice : God's threatenings against them are denounced without effect : they are like Jonah, sleeping in the midst of a storm : hence they are described as " at ease from their youth0." To the same effect is the testimony of Him who searcheth the heart d — ]
Death includes the ideas of impotence and corrup- tion—
[An inanimate body cannot perform any of the functions of life : it has within itself the seeds and principles of corrup- tion. The soul also, till quickened from the dead, is in a state of impotence : it is incapable of spiritual action or discernment6 ; its powers and faculties are altogether vitiatedf; whatever is loathesome and offensive to God proceeds from itg. So true is that humiliating declaration11 — !]
Yet, notwithstanding this state appears so despe- rate, we must address, to every one that is under it, the command, " Awake," &c.
[Your inactivity and security involve you in the deepest guilt : your corruption of heart and life provokes the majesty of God : nor is your impotence any excuse for your disobe- dience. It is your love of sin that disables you for duty : nor
b God gives a command, Ezek. xviii. 31. David, knowing his duty, and feeling his inability to perform it, had long before presented this to God in the form of a petition, Ps. li. 10. And God, to encourage such applications to him, promises to work in us that which he re- quires of us, Ezek. xxxvi. 26.
o Jer. xlviii. 11. d Ps. x. 4, 5. e John xv. 5. 1 Cor. ii. 14.
f Rom. vii. 18. s Markvii. 21, 22. & Job xv. 14—16.
2118.1 AN EXHORTATION TO CARELESS SINNERS. 3(Jl
is God deprived of his right to command, because you have lost your power to obey. Let every one then strive to comply with his heavenly call. They who exert their feeble powers may expect divine assistance1.]
To convince us that none shall fail who use the appointed means, God enforces his command with,
II. A promise —
Sleep and death are states of intellectual darkness. Hence light is promised to those who obey the Divine mandate. Light in Scripture imports knowledge1", holiness1, comfort™, and glory"; and all these bless- ings shall they receive from Christ, the fountain of light0.
Knowledge —
[Spiritual knowledge every natural man stands in need of: nor is it attainable by the teaching of men, or the efforts of genius13: we can receive it from none but Christ*1. Hence Christ invites us to come to him for itr: nor shall an applica- tion to him ever fail of success s.]
Holiness —
[A despair of attaining this deters many from seeking it. They think their inveterate habits cannot be rooted out4; but Christ is our " sanctification" as well as our wisdom11. His very name encourages us to expect deliverance from himx, and he will fulfil the promises which he has made to this effect y.]