The Nature and Universality of Spiritual Death

Next Part The Nature and Universality of Spiritual Death 2

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved!" Ephesians 2:1-5

There is a kind of death which we all expect to feel, which carries terror in the very sound, and all its circumstances are shocking to nature:
The ghastly countenance,
the convulsive agonies,
the stupor,
the insensibility,
the universal inactivity,
the expiring groan,
the coffin,
the grave,
the devouring worm—
these strike a damp to the spirit, and we turn pale at the thought!

With such objects as these in view—courage fails, levity looks serious, presumption is dashed, the cheerful emotions sink—and all is solemn, all is melancholy. The most stupid and hardy sinner cannot but be moved to see these things exemplified in others; and when he cannot avoid the prospect, he is shocked to think that he himself must shortly feel them!

But there is another kind of death, which indeed is little regarded, little feared, little lamented—yet which is infinitely more dreadful—the death, not of the body—but of the soul! This is a death which does not stupefy the limbs—but the faculties of the mind! This is a death which does not separate the soul and body, and consign the latter to the grave—but that separates the soul from God, excludes it from all the joys of his presence, and delivers it over to everlasting misery! This is a tremendous death indeed!

"A death unto death." 2 Corinthians 2:16. The expression of Paul is prodigiously strong and striking: Death unto death, death after death, in all dreadful succession, and the last more terrible than the first! And this is the death meant in my text—dead intransgressions and sins.

To explain the context, and show you the connection—I shall make two short remarks. The one is, That the apostle had observed in the nineteenth and twentieth verses of the foregoing chapter that the same almighty power of God, which raised Christ from the dead—is exerted to enable a sinner to believe. "We believe according to the working (or energy) of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead." The one, as well as the other, is an exploit of omnipotence. The exceeding greatness of his mighty power is exerted towards us who believe, as well as it was upon the dead body of Christ to restore it to life, after it had been torn and mangled upon the cross, and lain three days and three nights in the grave. What strong language is this! what a forcible illustration!

Methinks this passage alone is sufficient to confound all the vanity and self-sufficiency of mortals, and entirely destroy the proud fiction of a self-sprung faith produced by the efforts of degenerate human nature. In my text the apostle assigns the reason of this. The same exertion of the same power is necessary in the one case—and the other. Because, as the body of Christ was dead, and had no principle of life in it, so says he, you were dead in transgressions and sins; and therefore could no more quicken yourselves than a dead body can restore itself to life! "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us;" that God, who raised the entombed Redeemer to life again, that same almighty God, by a like exertion of the same power, "has quickened us, even when we were dead in sins;" dead, senseless, inactive, and incapable of animating ourselves.

Let any man carefully read these verses, and consider their most natural meaning, and I cannot but think common sense will direct him thus to understand them. The Scriptures were written with a design to be understood; and therefore that sense which is most natural to a plain unprejudiced understanding, is most likely to be true.

The other remark is, That the apostle having pronounced the Ephesians dead in sin, while unconverted, in the first verse, passes the same sentence upon himself and the whole body of the Jews, notwithstanding their high privileges, in the fifth verse. The sense and connection may be discovered in the following paraphrase: "You Ephesians were very lately heathens, and, while you were in that state—you were spiritually dead, and all your actions were only dead works. In time past you walked in transgressions and sins, nor were you singular in your course; though it be infinitely pernicious—yet it is the common course of this world, and it is also agreeable to the temper and instigation of that evil prince—that malignant spirit who works with dreadful efficacy in the numerous children of disobedience. But this was not the case of you heathen alone: we also who are Jews, notwithstanding our many religious advantages, and even I myself, notwithstanding my high privileges and unblemished life as a Pharisee—we also, I say, "lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature". We all, as well as they, walked in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires and inclinations of our sensual flesh, and of our depraved minds; for these were tainted with spiritual wickedness, independent upon our physical passions and appetites!

And we are all, even by nature, are children of wrath even as others; in this respect, we Jews were just like the rest of mankind, corrupt from our very birth, transgressors from the womb, and liable to the wrath of God! Our external relation and privileges as the peculiar people of God, distinguished with a religion from heaven, make no distinction between us and others in this matter. As we are all children of disobedience by our lives—so we are all, without exception, children of wrath by nature!

But when we were all dead in sins, when Jews and Gentiles were equally dead to God, then, even then, God who is rich in mercy, had pity upon us; he quickened us; "he inspired us with a new and spiritual life by his own almighty power, which raised the dead body of Christ from the grave." He quickened us together with Christ: "We received our life by virtue of our union with him as our vital head, who was raised to an immortal life, that he might quicken dead souls by those influences of his spirit which he purchased by his death; and therefore by grace are you saved." It is the purest, richest, freest grace—that such dead souls as we were made alive to God, and not allowed to remain dead forever.

This is the obvious meaning and connection of these verses; and we now proceed to consider the text, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins!"

You are dead; we are dead; Jews and Gentiles are all dead together in transgressions and sins! A dismal, mortifying character! "This one verse," says Beza, "like a thunder-bolt, dashes all mankind down to the dust, great and proud as they are; for it pronounces their nature not only hurt—but dead by sin, and therefore liable to wrath!"

Death is a state of insensibility and inactivity—and a dead man is incapable of restoring himself to life; therefore the condition of an unconverted sinner must have some resemblance to such a state, in order to support the bold metaphor here used by the apostle. To understand it aright, we must take care, on the one hand, that we do not explain it away in flattery to ourselves, or in compliment to the pride of human nature; and, on the other hand, that we do not carry the similitude too far, so as to lead into absurdities, and contradict matter of fact.

The metaphor must be understood with several limitations or exceptions; for it is certain that there is a wide difference between the spiritual death of the soul—and the natural death of the body, particularly in this respect:

BODILY death puts an entire end to all the powers, actions, and sensations of our physical nature universally, with regard to all objects of every kind.

But a SOUL dead in sin, is only partially dead; that is, it is dead only with regard to a certain kind of sensations and exercises—but in the meantime it may be all life and activity about other things. It is alive, sensible, and vigorous about earthly objects and pursuits; these raise its passions and engage its thoughts. It has also a dreadful power and faculty of sinning, this is not its life—but its infirmity, its death, like the tendency of a dead body to corruption. It can likewise exercise its intellectual powers, and make considerable improvements in intellect. A sinner dead in transgressions and sins may be a living treasury of knowledge, a universal scholar, a profound philosopher, and even a great theologian, as far as mere speculative knowledge can render him such; nay, he is capable of many sensations and impressions from religious objects, and of performing all the external duties of religion. He is able to read, to hear, to pray, to meditate upon divine things! Nay, he may be an instructor of others, and preach perhaps with extensive popularity; he may have a form of godliness, and obtain a name to live among men! He is in some measure able, and it is his duty to attend upon the means which God has instituted for quickening him with spiritual life; and God deals with him as with a rational creature—by laws, sanctions, promises, expostulations, and invitations.

These concessions I make, not only to give you the sense of the text—but also to prevent the abuse of the doctrine, and anticipate some objections against it, as though it were an encouragement to continue idle, and use no means to obtain spiritual life: or as though it rendered all the means of grace needless and absurd, like arguments to the dead, to restore themselves to life!

But, notwithstanding all these concessions, it is a melancholy truth that an unregenerate sinner is dead! Though he can commit sin with greediness, though he is capable of physical actions and secular pursuits; nay, though he can employ his mind even about intellectual and spiritual things, and is capable of performing the external duties of religion—yet there is something in religion with regard to which he is entirely dead! There is a kind of spiritual life of which he is entirely destitute. He is habitually insensible with regard to divine and eternal things! He has no activity, no vigour in the pure, spiritual and vital exercises of religion! He has no prevailing bent of mind towards them! He has not those views and apprehensions of things which a soul spiritually alive would necessarily receive and entertain! He is destitute of those sacred affections—that joy, that love, that desire, that hope, that fear, that sorrow—which are, as it were, the innate passions of the new man. In short, he is so inactive, so listless, so insensible in these respects—that death, which puts an end to all action and sensation, is a proper emblem of his state; and this is the meaning of the apostle in my text.

He is also utterly unable to quicken himself. He may indeed use means in some way; but to implant a vital principle in his soul, to give himself vivid sensations of divine things, and make himself alive towards God—this is entirely beyond his utmost ability! This is as peculiarly the work of almighty power—as the resurrection of a dead body from the grave!

As to this spiritual death—it is brought upon him by, and consists in, transgressions and sins. The innate depravity and corruption of the heart, and the habits of sin contracted and confirmed by repeated indulgences of inbred corruption—these are the poisonous, deadly things that have slain the soul! These have entirely indisposed and disabled it for living religion. Transgressions and sins are the grave, the malignant diseases, the rottenness of a dead soul! It lies dead, senseless, inactive—buried in transgressions and sins. Transgressions and sins render it ghastly, odious, abominable, a repulsive putrefaction before a holy God—like a rotten carcass, or a mere mass of corruption! The vilest lusts, like worms, riot upon and devour it—but it feels them not, nor can it lift a hand to drive the venom off!

Such mortifying ideas as these, may be contained in the striking metaphor, dead in transgressions and sins; and I hope you now understand its general meaning. If you would know what has turned my thoughts to this subject, I will candidly tell you, though with a sorrowful heart.

I am sure, if any objects within the compass of human knowledge have a tendency to make the deepest impressions upon our minds, they are those things which Christianity teaches us concerning God, concerning ourselves, and a future state. And if there are any exercises which should call forth all the life and powers of our souls into action—they are those of a religious nature: but alas! I often find a strange, astonishing stupor and listlessness about these things. In this I am not singular; the best among us complain of the same thing; the most lively Christians feel this unaccountable languor and insensibility; and the generality are evidently destitute of all habitual concern about them! They are all alive in the pursuit of pleasure, riches, or honours; their thoughts are easily engaged, and their affections raised by such trifling things as these. But the concerns of religion, which above all other things are adapted to make impressions upon them, and stir up all the life within them, seem to have little or no effect!

When I have made this observation with respect to others, and felt the melancholy confirmation of it in my own heart, I have really been struck with amazement, and ready to cry out, "Lord, what is this that has befallen me, and the rest of my fellow-mortals? What can be the cause of such conduct in a rational being—to be active and eager about trifles, and stupid and careless about matters of infinite importance! Oh, whence is this strange infatuation!"

Thus I have been shocked at this astonishing fact, and I could account for it in no other way—but by reflecting that we all have been dead in transgressions and sins. In such a solemn hour the apostle's expression does not seem at all too strong. I have no scruple at all to pronounce, not only from the authority of an apostle—but from the evidence of universal experience, that I, and all around me, yes, and all the sons of men, have been dead; in the spiritual sense, utterly dead!

Multitudes among us, yes, the generality are dead still; hence the indifference about true religion among us; hence the stupor, the carelessness about eternal things, the thoughtless neglect of God, the insensibility under his providential dispensations, the impenitence, the presumption that so much prevail.

God has indeed, out of the great love with which he loved us, quickened some of us, even when we were dead in sins; and we have a little life, some vital sensations and impressions at times—but oh! how little, how superficial, how much of a deadly stuporyet remains! How little life in prayer, in hearing the preached Word, or in the nearest approach to the living God! The reflection is shocking—but alas! it is too true! Consult your own hearts—and you will find it even so.

Physical life seems to be a gradual thing; it gradually grows in an infant, it is perfect in mature age, and in old age it gradually decays until all is gone; but how small is the degree of life—when the foetus is just animated, or the infant born into the world! It is but little superior to that of a plant or an oyster. What faint sensations, what obscure and languid perceptions, what feeble motions! Such are the children of grace in the present state.

Spiritual life is gradual; it is infused in regeneration; but oh! how far from perfection while on this side heaven! Alas! the best of us are like the poor traveller that fell among thieves, and was left half dead! However, it is an unspeakable mercy to have theleast principle of spiritual life; and we should prize it more than crowns and empires!

If you would know my design in choosing this subject, it is partly for the conviction of lost sinners, that they may be alarmed with their deplorable condition, which is the first step towards their being quickened. And it is partly to rouse the children of grace to seek more life from their vital head. And it is partly to display the rich grace of God in quickening such dead sinners, and bestowing upon them a spiritual and immortal life! Surely nothing can inflame our gratitude and raise our astonishment, more than the consideration that we were dead in transgressions and sins!

If I may but answer these ends, it will be an unspeakable blessing to us all. And oh, that divine grace may honour this humble attempt of a poor creature, at best but half alive, with success! I hope, my brethren, you will hear seriously—for it is really a most serious subject!

You have seen that the metaphoric expression of DEATH in my text, is intended to represent the stupidity, inactivity, and impotence of unregenerate sinners about divine things. This truth I might confirm by rational argument, and Scripture authority; but I think it may be a better method for popular conviction, to prove and illustrate it from plain instances of the temper and conduct of sinners about the concerns of religion, as this may force the conviction upon them from undoubted matters of fact, and their own experience. This, therefore, is the method I intend to pursue; and my time will allow me to particularize only the following instances:

I. Consider the excellency of God—who is the sum total, the great original of all perfections. How infinitely worthy is he of the adoration of all his creatures! How deserving of their most intense thoughts and most ardent affections!

If majesty and glory can strike us with awe and veneration—does not Jehovah demand them, who is clothed with majesty and glory as with a garment, and before whom all the inhabitants of the earth are as grasshoppers, as nothing, as less than nothing, and vanity!

If wisdom excites our pleasing wonder—here is an unfathomable depth! "Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!"

If goodness, grace, and mercy attract our love and gratitude—here these amiable perfections shine in their most alluring glories!

If justice strikes horror to the guilty—here is justice in all its tremendous majesty!

If any, or all of the moral virtues engage our esteem—here they all centre in their highest perfection!

If the presence of a king strikes a reverence; if the eye of his judge awes the criminal, and restrains him from offending; then certainly we should fear before the Lord at all times, for we are surrounded with his omnipresence, and he is the inspector and judge of all our thoughts and actions!

If riches excite desire—here are unsearchable riches!

If happiness has charms which draw all the world after it—here is an unbounded ocean of happiness! Here is the only complete portion for an immortal mind!

Men are affected with these things in one another, though found in a very imperfect degree:
human power awes and commands;
human virtue and goodness please;
human beauty charms;
human justice strikes with solemnity and terror;
human genius is admired;
human benevolence and mercy are loved.

Thus men are affected with created excellences. Why is it, then, they are so stupidly unaffected with the supreme excellences of the infinite Jehovah?

Here, my brethren, turn your eyes inward upon yourselves, and inquire: are not several of you conscious that, though you have passions for such objects as these, and you are easily moved by them—yet, with regard to the perfections of God, the supremeand best of beings, your hearts are habitually senseless and unaffected? It is not an easy thing to make impressions upon you by them! And what increases the astonishment, and aggravates your guilt, is, that you are thus senseless and unaffected, when you believe and profess that these perfections are really in God, and that in the highest degree possible! In other cases—you can love what appears amiable, you revere what is great and majestic, you eagerly desire and pursue what is valuable and tends to your happiness; and all this you do freely, spontaneously, vigorously, by the innate inclination and tendency of your nature, without reluctance, without compulsion, nay, without persuasion! But as to God and all his perfections, you are strangely insensible, backward, and averse! Where is there one being that has any confessed excellency in the compass of human knowledge, who doesnot engage more of the thoughts and affections of mankind—than the glorious and ever blessed God!

The sun, moon, and stars have had more worshippers—than the uncreated fountain of light from which they derive their lustre. Kings and princes have more homage paid to them—than the King of kings and Lord of lords! Trivial worldly enjoyments are more eagerly pursued, than God—the supreme good! Search all the world over, and you will find but very little motions of heart towards God; little love, little desire, little searching after him. You will often, indeed, see him honoured with the compliment of a bended knee, and a few heartless words, under the name of a prayer—but where is the heart, or where are the thoughts, where theaffections? These run wild through the world, and are scattered among a thousand other objects. The heart has no prevailing tendency toward God, the thoughts are shy of him, the affections have no innate propensity to him.

In short, in this respect, the whole man is out of order: here he does not at all act like himself; here are no affectionate thoughts, no delightful meditations, no ardent desires, no eager pursuits and vigorous endeavors; but all is listless, stupid, indisposed, inactive, and averse! And what is the cause of this astonishing stupidity? "Lord! what is this that has seized the souls of your own offspring—that they are thus utterly disordered towards you?"

The reason is, that they are dead—dead in transgressions and sins. It is impossible a living soul should be so stupid and unaffected with such an object; it must be a dead soul, which has no feeling. Yes, sinners, this is the melancholy reason why you are so thoughtless, so unconcerned, so senseless about the God who made you: you are dead!

And what is the reason that you, who have been begotten again to a spiritual life, and who are united to Christ as your vital head; what is the reason that you so often feel such languishments; that the pulse of spiritual life beats so faint and irregular, and that its motions are so feeble and slow? All this you feel and lament—but how does this comes to pass? What can be the cause that you, who have indeed tasted that the Lord is gracious, and are sensible that he is all-glorious and lovely, and your only happiness; Oh! what can be the cause, that you, of all men in the world, should have so little delight and love to him? Alas! the cause is, you have been dead, and the deadly stupor has not yet left you! You have (blessed be the quickening Spirit of Christ!) you have received a little life—but, alas! it is a feeble spark! It finds the principles of death still strong in your constitution; these it must struggle with, and by them it is often borne down, suppressed, and just expiring.

Walk humbly, then, and remember your shame, that you were once dead, and children of wrath, even as others. The carelessness and indisposition of the soul towards the supreme excellence will appear yet more evident and astonishing, if we consider,

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