PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes — Volume 1
Richard Sibbes · 358,611 words · 362 reading sections
Section 181
And therefore let us sift our actions, and our passions, and see what is flesh in them, and what is spirit, and so separate the precious from the vile. It is good likewise to consider what sin we were guilty of before, which moved God to give us up to excess in any passion, and wherein we have grieved his Spirit. Passi…
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THE SOUL S CONFLICT. 167 tincler some abasement, it is in a less distance from God. Others are not so afflicted as we, then they have less experience of God's gracious power than we. Others may have more healthy bodies, but souls less weaned from the world. We would not change conditions with them, so as to have their…
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The Hebrews placed all their happiness in peace, and when they would comprise much in one word, they would wish peace. This was that the angels brought news of fi-om heaven, at the birth of Christ, Luke ii. 14. Now peace riseth out of quietness and order, and God that is ' the God of peace, is the God of order' first, …
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2. It is a good evidence of some prevaihng when, xipon religious grounds, we can cross ourselves in those tilings unto ivhich our liearts stand most affected. This sheweth we reserve God his own place in om- hearts. 3. When, being privy to our own inclination and temper, we have gotten such a supply of Spirit as that …
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THE soul's conflict. 171 For the further subduing of ourselves, it is good to follow sin to the first hold and castle, which is corrupt nature ; the streams will lead us to the spring head. Indeed, the most apparent discovery of sin is in the outward carriage ; we see it in the fruit before in the root, as we see grac…
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Chapter XII. — Of original rightcoiis7iess, natural corruption, Satan's joining with it, and our duty thereupon. Object. § I. But here mark a plot of spiritual treason. Satan, joining with our corruption, setteth the wit on work to persuade the soul that this inward rebellion is not so bad, because it is natural to us…
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And because corruption is natural to us, therefore, 1, We delight in it ; wll^ce it comes to pass, that om: souls are carried along in an easy current, to the committing of any sin without opposition. 2. Because it is natural, therefore it is unwearied and restless, as light bodies are not wearied iti their •motion upw…
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Those that think it their happiness to do what they will, that they might be free, cross their own desires, for this is the way to make them most per- fect slaves. When our will is the next immediate cause of sin, and our consciences bear witness to us that it is so, then conscience is ready to take God's part in accus…
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3. Consider the spiritualness and large extent of the law of God, together with the curse annexed, which forbids not only particular sins, but aU the kinds, degrees, occasions, and furtherances of sin in the whole breadth and depth of it, and our very nature itself, so far as it is corrupted ; for want of which we see …
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VOL. I. M 178 THE soul's conflict. fort, 1, that Ckrist hath all fulness for us, and that our nature is perfect in him ; 2, That Christ in our nature hath satisfied divine justice, not only for the sin of our lives, but for the sin of our nature. And, 3, That he will never give over until by his Spirit he hath made o…
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And, which is worse, a coiTupt desire of being great in the opinion of others creeps into the profession of religion, if we live in those places wherein it brings credit or gain. Men wiU sacrifice their very lives for vainglory. It is an evidence a man lives more to opinion and reputation of others than to conscience, …
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^ Spirit, should erect a government in our hearts to captivate and order V> this licentious faculty. 2. Likewise, it is good to present real things to the soul, as the true riches and true misery of a Christian, the true honour and dishonour, true beauty and deformity, the true nobleness and debasement, of the soul. …
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If it break loose, as it will soon run riot, yet give no consent of the will to it. Though it hath defiled the memory, yet let it not defile the wiU. Though it be the first-born of the soul, yet let it not, as Reuben, ascend imto the father's bed — that is, our will, — and defile that which should be kept pure for the …
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184 THE soul's conflict. grief and shame from his own experience, ' Vanity of vanities,' &c. Eccles. i. 2. Fancy will take fire before we be aware. Little things are seeds of great matters. Job knew this, and therefore made a ' covenant with his eyes,' Job xxxi. 1 ; but a ' fool's eyes are in the corners of the earth,…
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But yet it ought not to invent or devise what is good and true m reU- gion. Here fancy must yield to faith, and faith to divine revelation. The things we believe are such as neither ' eye hath seen, nor ear heard, neither came into the heart of man,' 1 Cor. ii. 9, by imagination stirred up from anything which we have s…
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* ' Meditations.' Sibbes liimsolf prnotised tbis cxcollent counsel, as witness his golden little volume of ' Meditations,' first published in 1638, 18mo. t That is, ' fancy.' — G. THE soul's conflict. 187 It is an indignity for men to be led with surmises and probabilities, and so to pass a rash judgment upon persons…
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§ V. Ohj. Many flatter themselves, from an impossibility of ruling their imaginations, and are ready to lay all upon infirmity and natural weak- ness, &c. Ans. But such must know that if we be sound Christians, the Spirit of God will enable us to do all things, evangelically, that we are called unto, if we give way wi…
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3. Some out of their high and airy imaginations, and out of their iron and fliaty philosophy, will needs think outward good and ill, together with the affections of grief and delight stin-ed up thereby, to be but opinions and conceits of good and evil only, not true, and really so founded in nature, but taken up of our…
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THE soul's conflict. 191 pleasing error until that time, wherein the sight of our en-or will fill our hearts with horror and shame, without hope of ever changing our condition ? Here, therefore, is a special use of these soliloquies, to awake the soul and to stir up reason cast asleep by Satan's charms, that so scatt…
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Some will shew a great deal of humanity in comforting others, but little Christianity ; for as kind men they will utter some cheerful words, but as Christians they want wisdom from above to speak a gracious word in season, Isa. 1. 4, 2 Tim. iv. 2. Nay, some there are who hinder the saving work- ing of any affliction up…
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Incase of stiflness and standing out, it is fit the man of God, 1 Tim. vi. 11 and 2 Tim. iii. 17, should take some authority upon him, and lay a charge upon the souls of men in the name of Christ, to give way to the truth of Christ, and to forbear putting ofi' that mercy which is so kindly ofiered, when we judge it to …
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* ' Forsates and puslies away,' in B and C ' Forsake and push away,' and ' estrange themselves' dropped. + Ambrose. The reference is to Ambrose de Off. Min. lib. iii. cap. 22, and is more exactly as follows : — ' Solatium quippe vitse hujus est, ut habeas cui pectus aperias tuum.' — G, 196 THE soul's conflict. true …
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Ans. Yes ; then look up to God, the father and fountain of comfort, as David doth here ; for the more special means whereby he sought to recover himself was by laying a charge upon his soul to trust in God. For having let his soul run out too much, he begins to recollect himself again, and resign up all to God. § I. Q…
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§ III. 2. We see here that there is a sanctified use of all troubles to God's children. First, they drive them out of themselves, and then draw them nearer to God. Crosses, indeed, of themselves estrange us more from God, but by an overruling work of the Spirit they bring us nearer to him. The soul of itself is ready t…
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Ohj. But conscience may object, upon any offence is God offended, and therefore not to be trusted ? Ans. It is true, where faith is not above natural conscience ; but a con- science ' sprinkled with the blood of Christ,' Heb. x. 22, is not scared from God by its infirmities and failings, but as David here is rather st…
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And it is good to renew our resolutions again and again : for every new resolution brings the soul closer to God, and getsfiu-ther in him, and brings fresh strength from him ; which, if we neglect, our corniption joining with outward hindrances vdll carry us further and further backward, and this will double, yea multi…
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Chapter XVI. — Of trust in God • grounds of it ; especially his providence. But to come nearer to the unfolding of this trust in God, which David useth here as a remedy against all distempers. Howsoever confidence and trust be an affection of nature, yet by the Spirit's sanctifying and carrying it to the right object,…
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4. Therefore, for the better drawing of us to trust in God, we must conceive of him under the sweet relation of a Father. God's nature is fatherly now unto us, and therefore lovely. 5. And for further strengthening our faith it is needful to consider what excellencies the Scripture giveth unto God, answerable to all o…
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For settling of our faith the more, God taketh liberty in using weak means to great pm-poses, and setting aside more likely and able means ; yea, sometimes he altogether disableth the greatest means, and worketh often by no means at all. It is not for want of power in God, but from abundance and multiplying of his good…
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THE soul's conflict. 207 sions to great purposes. And by those very ways wliereby proud men have gone about to withstand God's counsels, they have fulfilled them, as we see in the story of Joseph and Moses, ' in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, he was above them,' Exod. x. 11. Divinum consilium, dum devitatur, im…
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Nothing should displease us that pleaseth God : neither should anything be pleasing to us that displeaseth him. This conformity is the ground of comfort. Our own will takes away God, as much as in it Hes. Propria voluntas Deum quantum in ipsa exbnit. ' If we acknowledge God in all our ways, he will direct our paths, an…
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We must look, to our place wherein God hath set us. If we be in sub- jection to others, their authority in doubtful things ought to sway with us. It is certain we ought to obey ; and if the thing wherein we ai-e to obey be uncertain unto us, we ought to leave that which is uncertain and stick to that which is certain ;…
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After all advice, extract what is fittest, and what our spirits do most bend unto ; for in things that concern ourselves God aftbrds a light to discern, out of what is spoken, what best suiteth us. And every man is to follow most what his own conscience, after infoi-mation, dictates unto him ; because conscience is God…
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Now these promises are, 1, for their spring from whence they proceed, free engagements of God, for if he had not bound himself, who could ? and 2, they are for their value precious ; and 3, for their extent large, even of aU things that conduce to happiness ; and 4, for their virtue quickening and strengthening the sou…
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And thus we return to God by cleaving to him, from whom we fell by distrust, hving under a new covenant merely of grace, Jer. xxxi. 3, and no grace fitter than that which gives all to Christ. Considering the fountain of all our good is, out of ourselves, in him, it being safest for us, who were so ill husbands at the f…
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5. Again, labour to fit the promise to every condition thou art in. There is no condition but hath a promise suitable, therefore no condition but wherein God may be trusted, because his truth and goodness are always the same. And in the promise, look both to the good promised and to the faithfulness and love of the pro…
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10. For our better encouragement in these sad times, and to help our trust in God the more, ive should often call to mind the former experiences, which eitlier ourselves or others have had of God's goodness, and make use of the same for our spiritual good. ' Our fathers trusted in thee,' saith the head of the church, '…
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218 THE soul's conflict. things, upon spiritual gi'ounds, overrules both sense and reason, or what ever else prevails with carnal hearts. Chapteb XIX. — Faith to be prized, and other things undervalued, at least not to he trusted to as the chief. That faith may take the better place in the soul, and the soul in God,…
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2. They are beneath the worth of the soul, and therefore debase the soul, and di-aw it lower than itself ; as a noble woman, by matching with a mean person, much injures herself, especially when higher matches are ofiiered. Earthly things are not given for stays wholly to rest on, but for comforts in our way to heaven.…
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3. And for any works that proceed from grace, by trusting thereunto they prove like the reed of Egypt, which not only deceives us, but hurts us with the splinters. Good works are good, but confidence in them is hurt- ful ; and there is more of our own in them, for the most part, to humble us, than of God's Spirit to em…
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222 THE soul's conflict. faith desires healing mercy as well as pardoning mercy, and then to heaven and all things that may bring us thither. By all this we see that it is not so easy a matter as the world takes it, to bring God and the soul together by trusting on him. It must be effected by the mighty power of God,…
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None so opposed as a Christian, and in a Christian nothing so opposed as his faith, because it opposeth whatsoever opposes God, both within and without us. It captivates and brings imder whatsoever lises up against God in the heart, and sets itself against whatsoever makes head against the soul. And because mistake is…
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* That is, complying, yieldiug. — G. f That is, ' respect ful.' — Ed. THE soul's conflict. 225 7. This dependency is either in the use of means, or else when means fail us. True dependency is exactly careful of all means. When God hath set down a course of means, we must not expect that God should alter his ordinary …
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The use of trust is best known in the worst times, for naturally in sickness we trust to the physician, in want to our wit and shifts, in danger to policy and the arm of flesh, in plenty to our present supply, &e. ; but, when we have nothing in view, then indeed should God be God unto us. In times of distress, when he …
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In this kind of desertion, seconded with this kind of temptation, the way is to call home the soul, and to check it, and charge it to trust in God, even though he shews himself an enemj- ; for it is but a show, he doth but put on a mask, with a purpose to reveal himself the more gi-aciously afterwai'd. His manner is to…
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That which Satan would use as an argument to drive us from God, we should use as a strong plea with him. Lord, the greater my sins are, the greater will be the glory of thy pardoning mercy. David, after his heinous sins, cries not for mercy, but for ' abundance of mercy ;' * according to the multitude of thy mercies, d…
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And when their consciences are thoroughly awaked with sense of their danger, let them seriously consider whither sin, and Satan by sin, is carry- ing of them, and lay to heart the justice of God, standing before them as an angel with a drawn sword, ready to lall upon them if they post on still. Yet to keep them from u…
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In this case, we must go to God, with whom all things are possible, to put forth his almighty power, not only in the pardoning, but in subduing our iniquities. He that can make a camel go through a needle's eye, can make a high conceited man lowly, a rich man humble. Therefore, never question his power, much less his w…
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THE soul's coxflict. 233 Ans. 2. Secondly, if we could grieve and cast down ^oui-selvcs beneath the earth, as low as the nethennost pit, yet this uvidd be no satisfaction to God for sin ; of itself, it is rather an entrance, and beginning of hell. Ans. 3. Thirdly, we must search what is the cause of this ivant of gri…
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Caution. We speak only of those that are so far displeased with them- selves for their ill temper, as they do not favour themselves in it, but are willing to yield to God's way in redressing it, and do not cross the Spirit, moving them thus with David to check themselves, and to trust in God. Otherwise, an unfeeUng and…
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1. Now the soul may be known to hate sin when it seeks the utter abolishing of it ; for hatred is an implacable and irreeoncileable affection. 2. True hatred is carried against the whole kind of sin, without respect of any wrong done to us, but only out of a mere antipathy and contrariety of disposition to it, as the …
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All this that hath been said tends not to the abating of our desire to THE soul's conflict. 237 have a tender and bleeding heart for sin ; but that in the pursuit of this desire, we be not cast down so as to question our estates, if we feel not that measure of grief which we desire and endeavour after, or to refuse o…
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Obj. But I carry continually about me a corrupt heart ; if that were once changed, I could have some comfort. A new heart is God's creature, and he hath promised to create it in us, Ps. li. 10, Eph. ii. 10. A creating power can, not only bring something out of nothing, but contrary out of contrary. Where we are sure o…
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Friends often prove as the ' reed of Egypt, as a broken staff,' Ezek. xxix. G, * and as a deceitful brook,' Job vi. 15, that fails the weary passenger in summer time, when there is most need of refreshing ; and it is the imhap- piness of men, otherwise happy in the world, that dming their prosperous condition, they kno…
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not only pardoned, but in some measure healed, and the proud flesn eaten out, then a healthy soul will bear anything. After repentance, that trouble that before was a correction, becomes now a trial and exercise of grace. ' Strike, Lord,' saith Luther, ' I bear anything willingly, because my sins are forgiven.' We shou…
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Chapter XXY. — Of the defects of gifts, disquieting the soul; as also the afjiictions of the church. Among other things, there is nothing more disquiets a Christian, that is called to the fellowship of Chiist and his church here, and to glory hereafter, than that he sees himself unfurnished with those gifts that are f…
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* ' Estate,' in C. 244 THE soul's conflict. Ohj. Bnt you will say, though by God's blessing my particular condition be comfortable, yet the state of God's people abroad, and the miseries of the times, disquiet me. Ans. We complain of the times, but let us take heed we be not a part of the misery of the times : that …
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Sin itself never wanted a reason, such as it is, but we call it unreason- able, because it hath no good reason for it ; for reason being a beam of God, cannot strengthen any work of darkness. God having made man an under- standing creatm'e, guides him by a way suitable to such a condition, and that is the reason why Go…
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' I shall praise him,' because I have prayed unto him. It is God's direc- tion, to call upon him in trouble, Ps. 1. 15, and it is his promise to deliver, and then both his direction and promise that we shall glorify him. When troubles stir up prayer, God's answer to them will stir up praises. David, when he says I shal…
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Sometimes, indeed, where there is no malicious intention, God pardons some breakings out of flesh and blood, endeavouring to help ourselves in danger, so far as not to take advantage of them to desert us in trouble ; as in David, who escaped from Achish by counterfeiting, 1 Sam. xxvii. 10 ; and this yields a double gro…
976 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1862); OCR text from Internet Archive. OCR may contain scanning/transcription errors. Verify quotations against page images when precision matters.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.