SERMON THREE
Awake, Thou That
Sleepest
Preached
on Sunday April 4, 1742, before the University of Oxford, by
the Rev. Charles Wesley, M.A. student of Christ-Church
"Awake,
thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall
give thee light." Eph. 5:14.
In discoursing on these words, I shall, with the help of God,
--
First. Describe the sleepers, to whom they are spoken:
Secondly. Enforce the exhortation, "Awake, thou that sleepest,
and arise from the dead:" And,
Thirdly. Explain the promise made to such as do awake and arise:
"Christ shall give thee light."
I. 1. And first, as to the sleepers here spoken to. By sleep
is signified the natural state of man; that deep sleep of the
soul, into which the sin of Adam hath cast all who spring from
his loins: That supineness, indolence, and stupidity, that insensibility
of his real condition, wherein every man comes Into the world,
and continues till the voice of God awakes him.
2. Now, "they that sleep, sleep in the night." The
state of nature is a state of utter darkness; a state wherein
"darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people."
The poor unawakened sinner, how much knowledge soever he may
have as to other things, has no knowledge of himself: in this
respect "he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know."
he knows not that he is a fallen spirit, whose only business
in the present world, is to recover from his fall, to regain
that image of God wherein he was created. he sees no necessity
for the one thing needful, even that inward universal
change, that "birth from above," figured out by baptism,
which is the beginning of that total renovation. that sanctification
of spirit, soul, and body, "without which no man shall
see the Lord."
3. Full of all diseases as he is, he fancies himself in perfect
health. Fast bound in misery and iron, he dreams that he is
at 
liberty. he says,
"Peace! Peace!" while the devil, as "a strong,
man armed," is in full possession of his soul. he sleeps
on still and takes his rest, though hell is moved from beneath
to meet him; though the pit from whence there is no return hath
opened its mouth to swallow him up. A fire is kindled around
him, yet he knoweth it not; yea, it burns him, yet he lays it
not to heart.
4. By one who sleeps, we are, therefore, to understand (and
would to God we might all understand it!) a sinner satisfied
in his sins; contented to remain in his fallen state, to live
and die without the image of God; one who is ignorant both of
his disease, and of the only remedy for it; one who never was
warned, or never regarded the warning voice of God, "to
flee from the wrath to come;" one that never yet saw he
was in danger of hell-fire, or cried out in the earnestness
of his soul, "What must I do to be saved?"
5. If this sleeper be not outwardly vicious, his sleep is usually
the deepest of all: whether he be of the Laodicean spirit, "neither
cold nor hot," but a quiet, rational, inoffensive, good-natured
professor of the religion of his fathers; or whether he be zealous
and orthodox, and, "after the most straitest sect of our
religion," live "a Pharisee;" that is, according
to the scriptural account, one that justifies himself; one that
labours to establish his own righteousness, as the ground of
his acceptance with God.
6. This is he, who, "having a form of godliness, denies
the power thereof;" yea, and probably reviles it, wheresoever
it is found, as mere extravagance and delusion. Meanwhile, the
wretched self-deceiver thanks God, that he is "not as other
men are; adulterers, unjust, extortioners": no, he doeth
no wrong to any man. he "fasts twice in a week," uses
all the means of grace, is constant at church and sacrament,
yea, and "gives tithes of all that he has;" does all
the good that he can "touching the righteousness of the
law," he is "blameless": he wants nothing of
godliness, but the power; nothing of religion, but the spirit;
nothing of Christianity, but the truth and the life.
7. But know ye not, that, however highly esteemed among men
such a Christian as this may be, he is an abomination in the
sight of God, and an heir of every woe which the Son of God,
yesterday, to-day, and for ever, denounces against "scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites"? he hath "made clean the
outside of the cup and the platter," but within is full
of all filthiness. "An evil disease cleaveth still unto
him, so that his inward parts are very wickedness." Our
Lord fitly compares him to a "painted sepulchre,"
which "appears beautiful without;" but, nevertheless,
is "full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness."
The bones indeed are no longer dry; the sinews and flesh are
come upon them, and the skin covers them above: but there is
no breath in them, no Spirit of the living God. And, "if
any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
"Ye are Christ's, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell
in you": but, if not, God knoweth that ye abide in death,
even until now.
8. This is another character of the sleeper here spoken to.
he abides in death, though he knows it not. he is dead unto
God, "dead in trespasses and sins." For, "to
be carnally minded is death " Even as it is written, "By
one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so
death passed upon all men;" not only temporal death, but
likewise spiritual and eternal. "In that day that thou
eatest," said God to Adam, "thou shalt surely die;"
not bodily (unless as he then became mortal), but spiritually:
thou shalt lose the life of thy soul; thou shalt die to God:
shalt be separated from him, thy essential life and happiness.
9. Thus first was dissolved the vital union of our soul with
God; insomuch that "in the midst of" natural "life,
we are" now in spiritual "death." And herein
we remain till the Second Adam becomes a quickening Spirit to
us; till he raises the dead, the dead in sin, in pleasure, riches
or honours. But, before any dead soul can live, he "hears"
(hearkens to) "the voice of the Son of God": he is
made sensible of his lost estate, and receives the sentence
of death in himself. he knows himself to be "dead while
he liveth;" dead to God, and all the things of God; having
no more power to perform the actions of a living Christian,
than a dead body to perform the functions of a living man.
10. And most certain it is, that one dead in sin has not "senses
exercised to discern spiritual good and evil." "Having
eyes, he sees not; he hath ears, and hears not." he doth
not "taste and see that the Lord is gracious." he
"hath not seen God at any time," nor "heard his
voice," nor "handled the word of life." In vain
is the name of Jesus "like ointment poured forth, and all
his garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia." The soul
that sleepeth in death hath no perception of any objects of
this kind. his heart is "past feeling," and understandeth
none of these things.
11. And hence, having no spiritual senses, no inlets of spiritual
knowledge, the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of God; nay, he is so far from receiving them, that whatsoever
is spiritually discerned is mere foolishness unto him. he is
not content with being utterly ignorant of spiritual things,
but he denies the very existence of them. And spiritual sensation
itself is to him the foolishness of folly. "How,"
saith he, "can these things be? How can any man know
that he is alive to God?" Even as you know that your body
is now alive. Faith is the life of the soul; and if ye have
this life abiding in you, ye want no marks to evidence it to
yourself, but elegchos pneumatos, that divine consciousness,
that witness of God, which is more and greater than ten
thousand human witnesses.
12. If he doth not now bear witness with thy spirit, that thou
art a child of God, O that he might convince thee, thou poor
unawakened sinner, by his demonstration and power, that thou
art a child of the devil! O that, as I prophesy, there might
now be "a noise and a shaking;" and may "the
bones come together, bone to his bone!" Then "come
from the four winds, O Breath! and breathe on these slain, that
they may live!" And do not ye harden your hearts, and resist
the Holy Ghost, who even now is come to convince you of sin,
"because you believe not on the name of the only begotten
Son of God."
II. 1. Wherefore, "awake, thou that sleepest, and arise
from the dead." God calleth thee now by my mouth; and bids
thee know thyself, thou fallen spirit, thy true state and only
concern below. "What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise! Call
upon thy God, if so be thy God will think upon thee, that thou
perish not." A mighty tempest is stirred up round about
thee, and thou art sinking into the depths of perdition, the
gulf of God's judgements. If thou wouldest escape them, cast
thyself into them. "Judge thyself, and thou shalt not be
judged of the Lord."
2. Awake, awake! Stand up this moment, lest thou "drink
at the Lord's hand the cup of his fury." Stir up thyself
to lay hold on the Lord, the Lord thy Righteousness, mighty
to save! "Shake thyself from the dust." At least,
let the earthquake of God's threatenings shake thee. Awake,
and cry out with the trembling jailer, "What must I do
to be saved?" And never rest till thou believest on the
Lord Jesus, with a faith which is his gift, by the operation
of his Spirit.
3. If I speak to any one of you, more than to another, it is
to thee, who thinkest thyself unconcerned in this exhortation.
"I have a message from God unto thee." In his name,
I warn thee "to flee from the wrath to come." Thou
unholy soul, see thy picture in condemned Peter, lying in the
dark dungeon, between the soldiers, bound with two chains, the
keepers before the door keeping the prison. The night is far
spent, the morning is at hand, when thou art to be brought forth
to execution. And in these dreadful circumstances, thou art
fast asleep; thou art fast asleep in the devil's arms, on the
brink of the pit, in the jaws of everlasting destruction!
4. O may the Angel of the Lord come upon thee, and the light
shine into thy prison! And mayest thou feel the stroke of an
Almighty Hand, raising thee, with, "Arise up quickly, gird
thyself, and bind on thy sandals, cast thy garment about thee,
and follow Me."
5. Awake, thou everlasting spirit, out of thy dream of worldly
happiness! Did not God create thee for himself? Then thou canst
not rest till thou restest in him. Return, thou wanderer! Fly
back to thy ark, This is not thy home. Think not of building
tabernacles here. Thou art but a stranger, a sojourner upon
earth; a creature of a day, but just launching out into an unchangeable
state. Make haste. Eternity is at hand. Eternity depends on
this moment. An eternity of happiness, or an eternity of misery!
6. In what state is thy soul? Was God, while I am yet speaking,
to require it of thee, art thou ready to meet death and judgement?
Canst thou stand in his sight, who is of "purer eyes than
to behold iniquity"? Art thou "meet to be partaker
of the inheritance of the saints in light"? Hast thou "fought
a good fight, and kept the faith"? Hast thou secured the
one thing needful? Hast thou recovered the image of God, even
righteousness and true holiness? Hast thou put off the old man,
and put on the new? Art thou clothed upon with Christ?
7. Hast thou oil in thy lamp? grace in thy heart? Dost thou
"love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all
thy mind and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength"?
Is that mind in thee, which was also in Christ Jesus? Art thou
a Christian indeed, that is, a new creature? Are old things
passed away, and all things become new?
8. Art thou a "partaker of the divine nature"? Knowest
thou not, that "Christ is in thee, except thou be reprobate"?
Knowest thou, that God "dwelleth in thee, and thou in God,
by his Spirit, which he hath given thee"? Knowest thou
not that "thy body is a temple of the Holy Ghost, which
thou hast of God"? Hast thou the witness in thyself? the
earnest of thine inheritance? Hast thou "received the Holy
Ghost"? Or dost thou start at the question, not knowing
"whether there be any Holy Ghost"?
9. If it offends thee, be thou assured, that thou neither art
a Christian, nor desirest to be one. Nay, thy very prayer is
turned into sin; and thou hast solemnly mocked God this very
day, by praying for the inspiration of his Holy Spirit, when
thou didst not believe there was any such thing to be received.
10. Yet, on the authority of God's Word, and our own Church,
I must repeat the question, "Hast thou received the Holy
Ghost?" If thou hast not, thou art not yet a Christian.
For a Christian is a man that is "anointed with the Holy
Ghost and with power." Thou art not yet made a partaker
of pure religion and undefiled. Dost thou know what religion
is? --that it is a participation of the divine nature; the life
of God in the soul of man; Christ formed in the heart; "Christ
in thee, the hope of glory;" happiness and holiness; heaven
begun upon earth; "a kingdom of God within thee; not meat
and drink," no outward thing; "but righteousness,
and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost;" an everlasting kingdom
brought into thy soul; a "peace of God that passeth all
understanding;" a "joy unspeakable, and full of glory"?
11. Knowest thou, that "in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision
availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith that worketh
by love;" but a new creation? Seest thou the necessity
of that inward change, that spiritual birth, that life from
the dead, that holiness? And art thou throughly convinced, that
without it no man shall see the Lord? Art thou labouring after
it? --"giving all diligence to make thy calling and election
sure," "working out thy salvation with fear and trembling,"
"agonizing to enter in at the strait gate"? Art thou
in earnest about thy soul? And canst thou tell the Searcher
of hearts, "Thou, O God, art the thing that I long for!
Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I would
love Thee!"
12. Thou hopest to be saved; but what reason hast thou to give
of the hope that is in thee? Is it because thou hast done no
harm? or, because thou hast done much good? or, because thou
art not like other men; but wise, or learned, or honest, and
morally good; esteemed of men, and of a fair reputation? Alas!
all this will never bring thee to God. It is in his account
lighter than vanity. Dost thou know Jesus Christ, whom he hath
sent? Hath he taught thee, that "by grace we are saved
through faith; and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of
God: not of works, lest any man should boast"? Hast thou
received the faithful saying as the whole foundation of thy
hope, "that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners"?
Hast thou learned what that meaneth, "I came not to call
the righteous, but sinners to repentance? I am not sent, but
unto the lost sheep"? Art thou (he that heareth, let him
understand!) lost, dead, damned already? Dost thou know
thy deserts? Dost thou feel thy wants? Art thou "poor in
spirit"? mourning for God, and refusing to be comforted?
Is the prodigal "come to himself," and well content
to be therefore thought beside himself" by those who are
still feeding upon the husks which he hath left? Art thou willing
to live godly in Christ Jesus? And dost thou therefore suffer
persecution? Do men say all manner of evil against thee falsely,
for the Son of Man's sake?
13. O that in all these questions ye may hear the voice that
wakes the dead; and feel that hammer of the Word, which breaketh
the rocks in pieces! "If ye will hear his voice to-day,
while it is called to-day, harden not your hearts." Now,
"awake, thou that sleepest" in spiritual death, that
thou sleep not in death eternal! Feel thy lost estate, and "arise
from the dead." Leave thine old companions in sin and death.
Follow thou Jesus, and let the dead bury their dead. "Save
thyself from this untoward generation." "Come out
from among them, and be thou separate, and touch not the unclean
thing, and the Lord shall receive thee." "Christ shall
give thee light."
III. 1. This promise, I come, lastly, to explain. And how encouraging
a consideration is this, that whosoever thou art, who obeyest
his call, thou canst not seek his face in vain! If thou even
now "awakest, and arisest from the dead," he hath
bound himself to "give thee light." "The Lord
shall give thee grace and glory;" the light of his grace
here, and the light of his glory when thou receivest the crown
that fadeth not away. "Thy light shall break forth as the
morning, and thy darkness be as the noon-day." "God,
who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shall shine
in thy heart; to give the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ." On them that fear the Lord shall
"the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings."
And in that day it shall be said unto thee, "Arise, shine;
for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon
thee." For Christ shall reveal himself in thee: and he
is the true Light.
2. God is light, and will give himself to every awakened sinner
that waiteth for him; and thou shalt then be a temple of the
living God, and Christ shall "dwell in thy heart by faith;"
and, "being rooted and grounded in love, thou shalt be
able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and
length, and depth, and height of that love of Christ which passeth
knowledge."
3. Ye see your calling, brethren. We are called to be "an
habitation of God through his Spirit;" and, through his
Spirit dwelling in us, to be saints here, and partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light. So exceeding great are the
promises which are given unto us, actually given unto us who
believe! For by faith "we receive, not the spirit of the
world, but the Spirit which is of God" --the sum of all
the promises-- "that we may know the things that are freely
given to us of God."
4. The Spirit of Christ is that great gift of God, which at
sundry times, and in divers manners, he hath promised to man,
and hath fully bestowed since the time that Christ was glorified.
Those promises, before made to the fathers, he hath thus fulfilled:
"I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk
in My statutes" (Ezek. 36:27). "I will pour water
upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I
will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine
offspring (Isa. 44:3).
5. Ye may all be living witnesses of these things; of remission
of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. "If thou canst
believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."
"Who among you is there that feareth the Lord, and"
yet walketh on "in darkness, and hath no light?" I
ask thee, in the name of Jesus, Believest thou that his arm
is not shortened at all? that he is still mighty to save? that
he is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever? that he hath
now power on earth to forgive sins? "Son, be of good cheer;
thy sins are forgiven." God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven
thee. Receive this, "not as the word of man; but as it
is indeed, the word of God;" and thou art justified freely
through faith. Thou shalt be sanctified also through faith which
is in Jesus, and shalt set to thy seal, even thine, that "God
hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."
6. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you, and suffer
ye the word of exhortation, even from one the least esteemed
in the Church. Your conscience beareth you witness in the Holy
Ghost, that these things are so, if so be ye have tasted that
the Lord is gracious. "This is eternal life, to know the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent." This
experimental knowledge, and this alone, is true Christianity.
he is a Christian who hath received the Spirit of Christ. he
is not a Christian who hath not received him. Neither is it
possible to have received him, and not know it. "For, at
that day" (when he cometh, saith our Lord), "ye shall
know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you."
This is that "Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him;
for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:17).
7. The world cannot receive him, but utterly reject the Promise
of the Father, contradicting and blaspheming. But every spirit
which confesseth not this is not of God. Yea, "this is
that spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
come into the world; and even now it is in the world."
he is Antichrist whosoever denies the inspiration of the Holy
Ghost, or that the indwelling Spirit of God is the common privilege
of all believers, the blessing of the gospel, the unspeakable
gift, the universal promise, the criterion of a real Christian.
8. It nothing helps them to say, "We do not deny the assistance
of God's Spirit; but only this inspiration, this receiving
the Holy Ghost: and being sensible of it. It is only
this feeling of the Spirit, this being moved by
the Spirit, or filled with it, which we deny to have
any place in sound religion." But, in only denying this,
you deny the whole Scriptures; the whole truth, and promise,
and testimony of God.
9. Our own excellent Church knows nothing of this devilish
distinction; but speaks plainly of "feeling the Spirit
of Christ" [Article 17]; of being "moved by the Holy
Ghost" [Office of consecrating Priests] and knowing and
"feeling there is no other name than that of Jesus,"
[Visitation of the Sick] whereby we can receive" life and
salvation. She teaches us all to pray for the "inspiration
of the Holy Spirit" [Collect before Holy Communion]; yea,
that we may be "filled with the Holy Ghost" [Order
of Confirmation]. Nay, and every Presbyter of hers professes
to receive the Holy Ghost by the imposition of hands. Therefore,
to deny any of these, is, in effect, to renounce the Church
of England, as well as the whole Christian revelation.
10. But "the wisdom of God" was always "foolishness
with men." No marvel, then, that the great mystery of the
gospel should be now also "hid from the wise and prudent,"
as well as in the days of old; that it should be almost universally
denied, ridiculed, and exploded, as mere frenzy; and that all
who dare avow it still are branded with the names of madmen
and enthusiasts! This is "that falling away" which
was to come--that general apostasy of all orders and degrees
of men, which we even now find to have overspread the earth.
"Run to and fro in the streets of Jerusalem, and see if
ye can find a man," a man that loveth the Lord his God
with all his heart, and serveth him with all his strength. How
does our own land mourn (that we look no farther) under the
overflowings of ungodliness! What villanies of every kind are
committed day by day; yea, too often with impunity, by those
who sin with a high hand, and glory in their shame! Who can
reckon up the oaths, curses, profaneness blasphemies; the lying,
slandering, evil-speaking; the Sabbath-breaking, gluttony, drunkenness,
revenge; the whoredoms, adulteries, and various uncleanness;
the frauds, injustice, oppression, extortion, which overspread
our land as a flood?
11. And even among those who have kept themselves pure from
those grosser abominations; how much anger and pride how much
sloth and idleness, how much softness and effeminacy how much
luxury and self-indulgence, how much covetousness and ambition,
how much thirst of praise, how much love of the world, how much
fear of man, is to be found! Meanwhile, how little of true religion!
For, where is he that loveth either God or his neighbour, as
he hath given us commandment? On the one hand, are those who
have not so much as the form of godliness; on the other, those
who have the form only: there stands the open, there
the painted, sepulchre. So that in very deed, whosoever
were earnestly to behold any public gathering together of the
people (I fear those in our churches are not to be excepted)
might easily perceive, "that the one part were Sadducees,
and the other Pharisees": the one having almost as little
concern about religion, as if there were "no resurrection,
neither angel nor spirit;" and the other making it a mere
lifeless form, a dull round of external performances, without
either true faith, or the love of God, or joy in the Holy Ghost!
12. Would to God I could except us of this place! "Brethren,
my heart's desire, and prayer to God, for you is, that ye may
be saved" from this overflowing of ungodliness; and that
here may its proud waves be stayed! But is it so indeed? God
knoweth, yea, and our own consciences, it is not. Ye have not
kept yourselves pure. Corrupt are we also and abominable; and
few are there that understand any more; few that worship God
in spirit and in truth. We, too, are "a generation that
set not our hearts aright, and whose spirit cleaveth not steadfastly
unto God." he hath appointed us indeed to be "the
salt of the earth: but if the salt hath lost its savour, it
is thenceforth good for nothing; but to be cast out, and to
be trodden underfoot of men."
13. And "shall I not visit for these things, saith the
Lord? Shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?"
Yea, we know not how soon he may say to the sword, "Sword,
go through this land!" he hath given us long space to repent.
he lets us alone this year also: but he warns and awakens us
by thunder. his judgements are abroad in the earth; and we have
all reason to expect the heaviest of all, even that he "should
come unto us quickly, and remove our candlestick out of its
place, except we repent and do the first works;" unless
we return to the principles of the Reformation, the truth and
simplicity of the gospel. Perhaps we are now resisting the last
effort of divine grace to save us. Perhaps we have well-nigh
"filled up the measure of our iniquities," by rejecting
the counsel of God against ourselves, and casting out his messengers.
14. O God, "in the midst of wrath, remember mercy!"
Be glorified in our reformation, not in our destruction! Let
us "hear the rod, and him that appointed it!" Now
that Thy "judgements are abroad in the earth," let
the inhabitants of the world "learn righteousness!"
15. My brethren, it is high time for us to awake out of sleep
before the "great trumpet of the Lord be blown," and
our land become a field of blood. O may we speedily see the
things that make for our peace, before they are hid from our
eyes! "Turn Thou us, O good Lord, and let Thine anger cease
from us. O Lord, look down from heaven, behold and visit this
vine;" and cause us to know "the time of our visitation."
"Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy
name! O deliver us, and be merciful to our sins, for Thy name's
sake! And so we will not go back from Thee. O let us live, and
we shall call upon Thy name. Turn us again, O Lord God of Hosts!
Show the light of Thy countenance, and we shall be whole."
"Now unto him that
is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask
or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him
be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages;
world without end. --Amen!"
Edited
anonymously at the Memorial University of Newfoundland with
corrections and other modifications by Ryan Danker and George
Lyons of Northwest Nazarene University.
Copyright
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