And then what follows demonstrates Baxter's skill in persuasion to arouse awareness about the danger of sleeping in sin. To persuade us to rise up from our slumber, he gave us several illustrations, including physical sickness, sleeping on a dirty bed, hunger, sleeping in a dangerous place, sleeping during battle, hating oneself, and other disadvantages of sleeping. What follows are brief descriptions of those illustrations:

If any part of our body is in pain, it will not allow us to sleep. The guilt of sin is more painful than any physical pain. How come we take it for granted and remain in our sleep?

If there are frogs or lizards in our bed, they won't allow us to take a rest and sleep. How come we could sleep in sin, which is more odious than amphibians and reptiles?

If we haven't eaten for weeks, it will be a struggle for us to sleep. Yet, to be destitute of the grace of Christ is far worse than any want or hunger, and yet we remain in our sleep.

Can someone soundly sleep on the pinnacle of an abyss? Sin is more dangerous than such a place.

How about when bombs are dropped and bullets are fired? Can anyone sleep in the midst of a battle?

The enemy remains awake and is always busy.

The most educated physician has no difference from the unlearned while sleeping.

To go on living in "a godless, a graceless, a prayerless, and a careless life" (p. 98) is actually a form of self-hate.