PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes — Volume 2
Richard Sibbes · 364,886 words · 367 reading sections
Section 1
Elizabethan Bookseller Waukegan, Illinois NICHOL'S SERIES OF STANDARD DIVINES. PUKITAN PERIOD. Mitlj (imral f nfate By JOHN C. MILLER, D.D., LINCOLN COLLEGE ; HONORABT CANON OF WORCESTtR; BECTOE OF ST MAKTIN'S, BIBMINGHA.U THE WORKS OF RICHARD SIBBES, D.D. VOL. II. COUNCIL OF PUBLICATION. W. LINDSAY ALEXANDER…
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There is a mutual feasting betwixt Christ and his church, . 30 Resemblances betwixt corporal feasts and the feast Chi'ist maketh us of himself, ...... 30-32 What we should bring with us to the feast Christ makes us, . 32 The means to procure an appetite to Christ, . . . 32, 33 All kinds and degrees of friendship mee…
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How the church is said to be undefiled, . . . 79, 80 How Christ's righteousness, not being in the chm-ch, may yet be said to be the church's, .... 80 How we, being sinners, may yet be said to be undefiled, . 80-83 Christ's love to us should make us love him again, . . 84 Direction how afflicted in conscience are to…
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of his ordinances is a sweet and delightful manifestation, . 152 Christ's doctrine is sweet and sound, . . . 153 All Christ's actions are precious, .... 153, 154 The best discovery of our state in grace is by our affection to the word of Chi'ist, . . . . .155 Christ, every way considered, is altogether lovely, . . …
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Use. Exhortation to examine our desires, . Strong desires how to Imow when they are so, " Observation 8. Holy desires are to be turned into prayers, Eeason I. Thereby we maintain acquaintance with God, Keason 2. Thereby we manifest a good conscience Observation 4. Perseverance and importunity requisite in prayer, ....…
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The creature cannot help of itself, . . . 278-281 We are not to place our confidence in forces at home or abroad, 281 War is lawful, ...... 281 How we shall know when we exceed in confidence in the creature, 282 Boasting is idolatry, ..... 283 The danger of carnal confidence, .... 284 The emptiness of the creature,…
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Ver. 7. — ' And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations,' ...... 458-470 Ver. 8. — * He will swallow up death in victory ; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces ; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from…
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Of Christian's tears, Good men are apt to weep, 1. for sin ries of others. We ought to weep, and yet to rejoice God will wape away all tears, God is a God of tender mercy, Christians are not to be judged by appearance, and by their sufferings, ..... Christians have a mixed condition and a mixed disposition, Ther…
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(c) 3d edition, 4to, 1648. This is designated ' 3d edition,' and the pagination differs from a and b. Prefixed to it is a portrait of Sibbes, cetat 68. Underneath it are these lines, without signature or initial : ' Thy learning, meekness, wisedoine, heavenly minde, Soe full of love, soe zealous, soe discreete. Thy wo…
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Othee books of Solomon lie more obvious and open to common under- standing ; but, as none entered into the holy of holies but the high priest, Lev. xvi. 2, seq., and Heb. is. 7, so none can enter into the mysteiy of this Song of songs, but such as have more near communion with Christ. Songs, and specially marriage song…
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1 . A strong desire of the church of nearer communion with Christ ; and then, 2. Some declining again in affection. 3. After this we have her recovery and regaining again of love ; after which, 4. The church falls again into a declining of affection ; whereupon follows a further strangeness of Christ to her than bef…
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Use 1. Hence it is that the manifold wisdom of Christ maJceth use of such variety of conditions ; and hence it is that the Spirit of Christ is mild in some men's ministries, and sharp in others : nay, in the very same minister, as the state of the soul they have to deal withal requires. Use 2. Sometimes, again, the jj…
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And we need blowing : our spirits will be becalmed else, and stand at a stay ; and Satan will be sure by himself, and such as are his bellows, to blow up the seeds of sinful lusts in us. For there are two spiiits in the church, the one always blowing against the other. Therefore, the best had need to be stirred up ; ot…
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7. So also, * their fountains were sealed up,' Cant. iv. 12 ; so the joys of the church and particular Christians are, as it were, sealed up. A stranger, it is said, ' shall not meddle with this joy of the church,' Prov. xiv. 10. 8. Lastly, a garden siands always in need of weeding and dressing. Con- tinual labour and…
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But to what end must these winds bloiv upon the garden ? * That the spices thereof may flow out.' The end of this blowing is, you see, ' that the spices thereof may flow out.' Good things in us He dead and bound up, unless the Spirit let them out. We ebb and flow, open and shut, as the Spirit blows upon us ; -svith- …
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W heresoever grace is trubj begun and stirred up, there is still a further desire of Christ's presence ; and approaching daily more and more near to the soul, the church thinks Mm never near enough to her until she be in heaven with 14 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON I. him. The true spouse and the bride always, unless in des…
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2. Again, that we may please Christ the better, labour to be cleansed from that which is ofiensive to him : let the spring be clean. Therefore the psalmist, desiring that the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart might be acceptable before God, first begs ' cleansing from his secret sins,' Ps. xix. 12. 3…
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The loving intercourse heticixt Christ and the church one with another. Now Christ, upon the secm-e estate and condition of the church, desfres her ' to open imto him,' ver 2 ; which desire and waiting of Christ is put off and slighted with poor and slender excuses : ver. 3, ' I have put off my coat ; how shall I put …
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vox,, n. c 18 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON I. this case the Spirit dictates the words of prayer, or else, in a confusion of thoughts, sums up all in a volley of sighs and unexpressible groans. Thus it is true, that our hearts can neither be lifted up to prayer, nor rightly prepared for it, in any frame fitting, but by God'…
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Now there are diverse cases wherein the soul is not in a state fit for prayer. As that fii'st, Ps. Ixvi. 18, ' If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not regard my prayer.' If a man hath a naughty heart, that pur- poseth to hve in any sin against God, he takes him for an enemy, and therefore will not regard hi…
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Again, in that Christ is thus ready to come into his garden upon the church's invitation, we may further observe, that Christ vouchsafes his gracious presence to his children ujwn their desire of it. The point is clear. From the beginning of the world, the church hath had the presence of Christ alway ; for either he …
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What a comfort is this to Christians, that they have the presence of Christ so far forth as shall make them happy, and as the earth will afford. Nothing but heaven, or rather Christ in heaven itself, will content the child of God. In the mean time, his presence in the congregation makes their souls, as it were, heaven.…
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Again, It should be a motive to have good Christians in high estimation, and to take heed how ice urong them, for their brotber will take their part. ' Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? ' Acts ix. 4, saith the Head in heaven, when bis members were trodden on upon earth. It is more to wrong a Cbi-istian than the wor…
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In this sweet conjunction we must know, that by nature we are clean otherways than spouses ; for what was Solomon's wife, Pharaoh's daughter ? A heathen, till she came to be Solomon's spouse. And as we read in Moses, the strange woman must have her hair cut off, and her nails pared, Deut. xxi. 12. Before she should be …
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Ans. 2. Again, a wiUijifiness to follow Christ in all conditions as he is dis- covered in the word. To sufter Christ to have the sovereignty in our affections, above all other things and persons in the world ; this is the right disposition of a true spouse. For as it was at the first institution, there must be a leavin…
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Second, They are the graces of his Spirit. K we have anything that is good, all comes from the Spirit, which is fii'st in Christ om* husband, aid then in us. As the ointment was first poured on Aaron's head, Ps. cxxxiii. 2, and then ran doimi upon his rich gannents, so all comes fi'om Christ to us. St Paul calls the wi…
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' I have gathered my myrrh with my spice ; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey,' &c. That is, I have taken contentment in thy graces, together with accepta- tion. There is a delight, and God not only accepts, but he delights in the graces of his children. * All my delight,' saith David, ' is in those that are exce…
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We have need to have Christ's Spirit to help ns to know what good is in us. And indeed a Christian should not only examine his heart for the evil that is in him, to be humbled ; but what good there is, that he may joy and be thankful. And since Christ accepts the very fii'st fruits, the earnest, and delights in them, w…
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Let not the weakest of all others be discouraged. Christ looks not to what he brings, so much as out of what store ; that which is least in quan- tity may be most in proportion, as the widow's mite was more in accept- ance than richer offoi'ings, Luke xsi. 3, ' A pair of turtle doves,' Levit. v. 7, was accepted in the …
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3. Therefore, as we have in Christ a feast for variety, so for sufficiency of all good. No man goeth hungiy from a feast. It was never heard for any to famish at a feast, in Christ there is not only abundance, but redun- dance, a diffusive and a spreading goodness ; as in breasts to give milk, in clouds to drop down sh…
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That which we should labour to bring with us is a taste of these dainties, and an appetite to them. The soul hath a taste of its own, and as aU creatures that have life have a taste to relish and distinguish of that which is good for them, from that which is offensive, so wheresoever spiritual hfe is, there is likewise…
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86 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON III. understanding,' Philip, iv. 7. What will the fulness do ? This taste we feel in the ordinances will bring us to that fulness hereafter. Oh, let us keep our appetites for these things which are so dehghtful, so suitable to the soul. How great is that goodness which he both lays up for her…
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In friendship, there is mutual solace and comfort one in another. Christ deUghteth himself in his love to his church, and his church delighteth her- self in her love to Chi-ist. Christ's delight was to be wnth the sons of men, and ours is to be with him. In friendship there is a mutual honour and respect one of anothe…
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Obs. 3. We may observe the ingenuity \ of the church in laying open her own state. It is the disposition of God's people to be ingenuous in open- ing their state to God, as in David, Nehemiah, Ezra, &c. The reason is thus : — (1.) By a free and full confession we give God the honour of his wisdojn in knowing of our o…
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The church, as she consists of a double principle, flesh and spirit mingled together in all parts, as darkness and light in the twilight and dawning of the day ; so here she expresseth her condition in regard of either part. So far as she was carnal, she slept; so far as she was spiritual, she was awake. In this mixed…
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3. In sleep, phantasy ruleth, and dreams in phantasy. Men in sleep dream of false good, and forget true danger. Many cherish golden dreams ; dream of meat, and when they awake, their soul is empty, Isa. xxix. 8. Vain hopes are the dreams of waking men, as vain di'eams are all the waking of sleeping and carnal men, who…
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* Theodoret, lib. 5. t Augustine, Epist. ad Januar. cxix. Toleratilior Judseorum conditio quam nostra. X Si tuo temporo li£ec dicebas (0 sapiens Augustine) quid nostra tempestate dixisses ? Si tenerentur in sue rigore, maxima pars Ecclesia) damnaretur. Gerson de vit. spiritual. g That is, ' trifle.' — G. U That is, …
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3. Again, look to the examples of others that are more rjracious. I have as many encouragements to be thankful to God, and fruitful. They enjoy no more means than I ; and yet they abound in assurance, are comfortable in all conditions. I am do\\Ti in a little trouble, subject to passion, to ban-en- ness, and distrust, …
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3. Besides, God meets them with some crosses in this world, that they shall gain nothing by it. There is none of God's children that ever gained by yielding to any comaption, or di'owsiness, though God saved their souls. It is always true, a secure state is a sure forerimner of some gi'eat cross, or of some great sin. …
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Obs. 1. You see here, then, first of all, in this correction, that a Christian hath two principles in him, that which is good, and that which is evil, whence issueth the weakness of his actions and afiections. They are all mixed, as are the principles from which they come forth. Cant. V. 2.] * i sleep, but my heakt wa…
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(4.) The conscience likewise is awake. The heart is taken ofttimes for the conscience in Scripture. A good conscience, called a merry heart, is ' a continual feast,' Prov. xv. 15. Now, the conscience of God's children is never so sleepy but it awaketh in some comfortable measure. Though perhaps it may be deaded* in a p…
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Obs. 2. This is a sound doctrine and comfortable, agreeable to Scripture and the experience of God's pieople. We must not lose it, therefore, but make use of it against the time of temptation. There are some pulses that dis- cover Ufe inthe sickest man, so are there some breathings and spiritual motions of heart that w…
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Another difference from the words you may have thus. A Christian, by the power of God's Spirit in him, is sensible of the contrarieties in him, complains, and is ashamed for the same. But an hypocrite is not so ; he is not sensible of his sleepiness. ' I sleep,' saith the church. So much as the church saith she slept, …
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Ans. 3. Aiid withal, labour for abundance of the Spirit of God. For what makes men sleepy, and drowsy? The want of spirits. We are dull, and overloaden with gross humours, whereby the strength sinks and fails. Christians should know, that there is a necessity, if they will keep them- selves waking, to keep themselves s…
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There is no Christian, but he hath some special sin, to which he is more prone than to another, one way or other, either by course of life, or com- plexion. Here now is the care and watchfulness of a Christian spirit, that knowing by examination, and trial of his own heart, his weakness, he doth especially fence agains…
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* Tliat is, ' seeing it is.' — G. t That is, ' attempts.' Sibbes's spelling is ' assaies,' — Qu.' assaults ?' — G. Cant. V. 2.] ' it is the voice of my beloved.' 56 as the proverb is, a snare under every blessing of God, and in every condi- tion, ■which Satan useth as a weapon to hurt us ; adversity to discourage us…
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And sm-ely so it is, that this is one way to discern a true Christian from another, even by a taste in hearing. For those that have a spiritual relish, they can hear with some delight things that are most spii'itual. As the heathen man said of a meadow, that some creatures come to eat one sort of herbs, others another,…
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Again, whereas the church saith here, It is the voice of my beloved, &c., and knows this voice of her beloved, we may note — Obs. That the church of God, and every Christian, taJces notice of the means that God useth for their salvation. 58 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON V. A Christian is sensible of all the blessed helps h…
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You know what he says to the church of Laodicea — ' Behold, I stand at the door, and knock,' Rev. iii. 20 ; so here — ' It is the voice of my beloved that kuocketh.' Therefore, in such a case, search your own hearts, where, if there be deadness and desertion of spirit, lay the blame upon yourselves, and enter into a se…
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(1.) By mercies. All the creatures and blessings of God carry in them, as it were, a voice of God to the soul, that it would entertain his love. There goes a voice of love with every blessing. And the love, the mercy, and the goodness of God in the creature, is better than the creature itself. As we say of gifts, the l…
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He speaks by them, and they use all kind of means that Christ may be entertained into their hearts. They move all stones, as it were, sometimes threatenings, sometimes entreaties, sometimes they come as ' sons of thun- der,' Mark iii. 17 ; sometimes with the still voice of sweet promises. And because one man is not so …
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The answer is, first, Christ speaks to the spouse here, and so, many such exhortations are given to them that have the Spirit of God already, who could by the help thereof open. For good and gracious men are moved first by the Spirit, and then they move ; they are jnoti moventes, and acti arjentes. They are acted fii's…
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Quest. How shall we know whether Christ dwells in our hearts or not ? Ans. We may know by the servants what master dwells in an house. If Christ be in the soul, there comes out of the house good speeches. And we watch the senses, so as there comes nothing into defile the soul, and disturb Christ, and nothing goes out …
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VOL. n. E 66 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON V. after so long knocking ! for the entertaining of liis word is the welcoming of himself, as it is, Col. iii. 16. ' Let the word of God dwell plentifully in you.' And, ' Let Christ dwell in your hearts by faith,' Eph. iii. 17. Com- pare those places ; let the word dwell plenteousl…
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If we find not our suits answered so soon as we would, remember, we have made him also wait for us. Perhaps to humble us, and after that to encourage us, he will make us wait ; for we have made him wait. Let us not give over, for certainly he that desires us to open, that he may pour out his grace upon us, he will not …
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Cant. V. 2.] * open to me, my sister.' 69 farther way, because they cannot learn the first lesson in Christ's school, to deny themselves and take up their cross. This is an undoubted conclusion. Our blessed Saviour giveth such means and motions of his Spirit to the vilest persons in the church, that their own hearts …
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Again, he sets down, to move the church the more to open to him, the inconveniences that he endured, ' My head is filled with dew,' &e. Wherein he shews what he sufiered, which sufferings are of two sorts : in himself ; in his ministers. In himself, and in his own blessed person, what did he endure ! What patience had …
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' My sister.' This was spoken of before in the former verse. The church of God is Christ's sister and spouse. We are knit to him both by con- sanguinity and by affinity. The nearest affinity is marriage, and the nearest consanguinity is sister. So that there are all bonds to knit us to Christ. Whatsoever is strong in a…
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1. This phrase imports divers things. 1. That, there is no savin r/ Jove to any out of the church, which is his love. It is, as it were, confined in the church, as if all the beams of his love met in that centre, as we see when the beams of the sun meet in a glass, they burn, because many are there united. So in the ch…
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Quest. But how shall we know that Christ loves us in this peculiar manner? Ans. 1. First, search what course he takes and hath taken to draw thee nearer unto him. 'He chastiseth every one that he loveth,' Heb. xii. 6. Seasonable corections sanctified, is a sign of Christ's love ; when he wiU Cant. V. 2.] 'my love.' 7…
994 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.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.