Unfreeze the Frozen Graces
God desires to see our graces in continual exercise, and He will use severe providences and fiery trials to revive, quicken, and recover our decayed graces.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the necessity of actively exercising the graces bestowed upon believers by God, warning that dormant graces yield no glory to God and little benefit to the believer. He illustrates that even the strongest saints can be easily overtaken by sin when their graces are not in action, much like powerful creatures that are vulnerable when asleep. Brooks reassures that God often uses severe trials and providences to awaken and revive these hidden graces, igniting love, faith, hope, and joy that may have grown cold. Ultimately, these challenges serve to deepen reliance on God's attributes and promises, leading to a more vibrant spiritual life.
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God loves to see the graces of His children in continual
exercise. All the glory which God has from us in this life,
is from the actings of our graces. Sleepy graces bring
God no glory--nor do us any good. There is little difference
--as to the comfort and sweet of grace--between sleepy
grace, and no grace at all.
The strongest creature, the lion; and the subtlest creature,
the serpent--if they are asleep, are as easily surprised and
destroyed as the weakest worm!
Just so, the strongest saints, if grace is not in exercise,
are as easily surprised and captivated by sin, Satan,
and the world--as the weakest saints are! O sirs! God,
by some severe providence or other, by some fiery
dispensation or other--will stir up your sleepy graces!
There are several cases wherein the graces in a Christian's
heart may seem to be hidden, cold, dead and covered over;
as sparks of fire are hidden in the ashes; or as bits of gold
are hidden in a dust heap, or as pearls may be hidden in
the mire. The sparks of divine grace, by the prevalency of
some strong corruption, or by the violence of some dreadful
temptation--may burn low, as to their lively operations. But
God, by one severe providence or another, by one fiery trial
or another--will blow that heavenly grace, that divine fire,
into a flame--and cause their hidden graces to revive!
By severe providences and fiery trials, God designs
the reviving, quickening, and recovering of our
decayed graces. By fiery trials, He will . . .
inflame that love which was ice-cold,
raise that faith which had fallen asleep,
quicken up those hopes which were languishing,
put life and spirit into those spiritual joys and
comforts which were withering and dying!
God, by fiery trials, will unfreeze the frozen graces
of His people, and put new life and spirit into them!
God may have burnt up your outward comforts,
so that He might lead you forth to live in a daily
exercise of grace . . .
upon Himself,
upon His power,
upon His all-sufficiency,
upon His goodness,
upon His faithfulness,
upon His fullness,
upon His graciousness,
upon His unchangeableness,
upon His promises.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Exercising Graces
- The Dangers of Sleepy Graces
- Reviving Hidden Graces
- The Purpose of Fiery Trials
- To revive, quicken, and recover decayed graces
- To put life and spirit into withering joys and comforts
Key Quotes
“Sleepy graces bring God no glory--nor do us any good.” — Thomas Brooks
“God, by some severe providence or other, by some fiery dispensation or other--will stir up your sleepy graces!” — Thomas Brooks
“God, by fiery trials, will unfreeze the frozen graces of His people, and put new life and spirit into them!” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- We must daily exercise our graces by living in a relationship with God, relying on His power, goodness, faithfulness, and promises.
- God will use severe providences and fiery trials to stir up our sleepy graces and bring us back to Him.
- We must not be surprised or captivated by sin, but rather rely on God's all-sufficiency to overcome it.