Unfreeze the frozen graces – Thomas Brooks

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.