PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes — Volume 2
Richard Sibbes · 364,886 words · 367 reading sections
Section 61
THE SEVENTH SERMON. My love, mt/ dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. I havejmt off my coat; how shall I put it an ? I hare washed my feet ; and how shall I defile them ? — Cant. V. 2, 3. That the life of a Christian is a perpetual conflicting, appears evidentl…
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Use 1. Now this should stir us up to be fulhj 'persuaded of his love, that Mves us so much. Christ's love in us, is as the loadstone to the iron. Our hearts are heavy and downwards of themselves. We may especially know his love by this, that it di'aws us upwards, and makes us heavenly minded. It makes us desire further…
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Now, the church is compared to a dove, partly for the disjmsition that is and shoidd be in the church resembling that creature; and partly, also, for that the church is in a mournful suffering condition. I. For the like disposition as is found in a dove. There is some good in all creatures. There is no creature but it…
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4. Again, this creature is of a iieatf disposition. It will not lodge where it shall be troubled with stench, and annoyed that way ; and likewise feeds neatly on pure grain ; not upon carrion, as you see in the ark, when the raven was sent out it lights upon carrion, of which there was then plenty, and therefore never …
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' My undefiled.' Undefiled is a high word to be applied to the church of God here ; for the church, gr-oaning under infirmities, to be counted perfect and undefiled. But Christ, who judgeth aright of his chiu'ch, and knows best what she is, he yet thus judgeth of her. But, how is that ? The chm-ch is undefiled, especia…
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Cant. V. 2.] ' my undefiled.' 83 sttrely there can be no greater honom- to Christ than this. In the sense of sin, of wants, imperfections, stains, and blemishes, yet to wrap ourselves in the righteousness of Christ, God-man; and by faith , being thus covered with that absolute righteousness of Christ, with boldness to…
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Use 2. ' My love, my dove,' &e. There are all words of sweetness. He labours to express all the affection he can. For the conscience is subject to upbraid, and to clamour much. So that there must be a great deal of persuasion to still the accusing conscience of a sinner, to set it down, make it quiet, and persuade it o…
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86 BOWELS OPENED. [SeKMON VII. I rest in myself? Is there any harbour for me to rest in mine own righteousness ? Oh, no ; it drives a man out of all harbour. Nay, I will rest in that righteousness which God hath wrought by Chi-ist, who is God- man. That will endure the sight of God, being clothed with which, I can end…
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Obs. 2. That one icay, whereby the xmregenerate jmrt in us hinders this communion ivith Christ, and the shining of a believer in a Christian course, is by false pretences, reasons, and excuses. ' I have washed my feet; I have put off my coat,' &c. The flesh never wants excuses and pretences (there was never any yet ca…
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And thus every one, as their state and condition is, they have several pre- tences and excuses. Those that are young, their excuse is, we have time enough for these things hereafter. Others, as those that were negligent to build the second temple, ' the time is not yet, say they,' Hag. i. 2 ; whenas the uncertainty of …
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3. Again, there is another ground, that corrupt nature, in this like the devil and sin, which never appear in their o^vn colours, sets a man on this way. Who would not hate the devil if he should appear in his own like- ness ? or sin, if it should appear in his own colours ? And therefore wit stretcheth itself to find …
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THE EIGHTH SERMON. I have put off my coat ; Jiow shall I put it on? I have washed my feet ; how shall I defile them? — Cant. V. 3. We are now, by God's assistance, to speak of the remedies against the lazy distempers ue are prone unto in spiritual things ; where we left off the last day. Quest. What course should we…
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And to help resolution the more, let us have before our eyes the ex- amples of God's worthies, who (like unto David's worthies, who brake through the host of the Philistines for water, 2 Sam. xxiii. 16) have in all ages broken through all discouragements, and made a conscience more to please God, to hold commimion and …
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to Agrippa, * Would to God you were not almost, but altogether as I am, saving these bonds,' Acts xxvi. 29, to make conscience of all ways and courses. It stands with the most reason of the world, so to justify religion by reasons unanswerable, that may set down corrupt nature, and stop the mouth of the devil himself. …
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6. And then again, by Uttle and Uttle, not only to be inured to the yoke of religion, but likewise to endure difficulties, opposition, and hardship; as the apostle stands upon it to Timothy, ' to endui-e hardship and afflictions from the beginning,' 2 Tim. ii. 3. If the thing be good and warrantable, neglect the speech…
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Cant. Y. 3.] ' i have put off sry coat.' 97 we cannot bring our hearts to suffer, and to do what God would have us to do, but are led away with our own wiUs, we are not as we should be. Our wiUs should be conformable to Christ's in all things. It is our prayer, and therefore we should aim at it. Now, when flesh and bl…
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Now the Spirit of God brings faith with it, which is a conquering, victo- rious grace over the world, and ' sees him that is invisible,' Heb. xi. 27 ; which brings love also, ' which is strong as death,' Cant. viii. 6 : wherewith the soul being warmed, it constraineth us to do duties in spite of all impe- diments. The …
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* That is, ' liindrances.'— G. 100 BOWELS OPENED. [SeEMON IX. THE NINTH SERMON. 1 rose to open to my beloved ; hut my beloved had withdraivn himself. — jCant. V. 6. Natukaxly we are prone to delays in heavenly things, and then to cover all with excuses. A man is a sophister to himself, whom he first deceives, befo…
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(2.) It is true of the several members, and especially of the most eminent members, as we see holy Job complains, as if God had ' set him,' as it were, ' a butt to shoot at,' Job vi. 4, and had opposed himself against him. So David complains, Ps. Ixxxviii. 11, Ps. Ixxvii. 9, and Ps. Ix. 1, and in other Psahns, of God's…
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Cant. V. G.] 'my beloved had withdeawn himself.' lOB wrath of God for ns, which burden he could never have undergone, but had sunk under it, but for the hypostatical union. Use 1. Let us not, therefore, censure any Christian, xrhen ive find that their course hath been good and gracious, yet notwithstanding thcij seem…
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Ohs. 3. Well, for the third point. That howsoever Christ he provoked by the church's ingratitude, droivsiness, and careless carriarie, to leave her in re- gard of herfeelinri, and of inirard comfart ; yet notwithstanding he is so gracious, as to leave something behind him, that shervs indeed, that he had not left the c…
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tse. Wherefore let the discouraged soul make this use of it, not to he afraid to do that which is yood, upon fear ive should sin. Indeed, sin will cleave to that we do, but Christ will pai-don the sm, and accept that which i06 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON IX. is sweet of his own Spirit. Let us not esteem basely of that whi…
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ObJ. But you will say, How doth this appear, when in some desertion a Christian finds no gi'ace, strength, or comfort at all, that nothing is left? Ans. It is answered, theij always do. Take those who at any time have had experience of the love of God, and of Christ formerly, take them at the worst, you shall find fro…
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Cant. V. 6.] ' my belo^'ed had withdrawn himself.' 109 bowels' in another sense, out of love too, but in shame and mourning. Christ here leaves her to seek after him, that had waited and attended her leisure before, as we shall see after. The next thing we may hence obsei've in that, ' that her bowels were turned in …
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THE TENTH SERMON. 1 opened to mi/ beloved; but my beloved had ivithdraicn himself and was gone: m;/ soul failed when he spake; I sought him, but could not find him ; I called him, but he gave no answer. — Cant. V. 6. Thus we see that the life of a Christian is trouble upon trouble, as wave upon wave. God will not suf…
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Labour ue all of us to make this use of it, to be dUigent and careful to hear and attend upon the ordinances of God ; for howsoever that we hear is not effectual for the present, but seems as dead seed cast into the heart, yet God will give it a body after, as the apostle speaks, at one time or other, 1 Cor. xv. 38. An…
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Obs. 2. But mainly observe from this failing of the church, the differ- ence betivceii the true children of God and others. The child of God is cast down when he finds not the presence of God as he was wont ; his spirits fail. A carnal man, that never knew what this presence meant, regards it not, can abide the want of…
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Again, another difference may be observed. Carnal men, when they find the sense of God's anger, they seek not God's favour, but think of worse and worse still, and- so run firom God till they be in hell. But those that are God's children, when they fail and find the sense of God's displeasure, they are sensible of it, …
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THE ELEVENTH SEEMON. I opened to my beloved ; but my beloved had xvithdraxcn himself, and was gone : my sold failed ivhen he spake : I sought him, but I could not find him ; I called him, but he gave me no answer. — Cant. Y. 6, 7. The pride and security of the spouse provokes the Lord, her husband, oft to bring her v…
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4. Again, when we are in such a seeming forlorn estate, let us have recourse to former experience, \\1iat is the reason that God vouchsafes his children for the most part in the beginning of their conversion, in their first love, experience of his love to ravishment ? It is, that afterwards they may have recourse to th…
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Therefore let none distaste the way of godliness for this, that it is such a state as is subject to change and variety, whereas carnal men are upon their lees and find no changes. Ohj. But you will say, All Christians are not thus tossed up and down, so deserted of God and persecuted of others. Ans. I answer, indeed …
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120 BOWELS OPENED. [SeBMON XI. The cliurcli is Ckrist's spouse. The veil was a token of subjection. Now they that draw the people to themselves, as in popish churches, that desire to sit high in the consciences of people, and so make the church im- dutiful, ' they take away the veil of subjection,' and so force Christ…
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1. Magistracy. 2. Ministry. Magistrates are nursing fixthers and nursing mothers to the church. Ministers are watchmen by theii' place and standing. Now, for shepherds to become wolves, for watchmen to become smiters, what a pitiful thing is it! But thus it is. The chm'ch hath been always persecuted with these men …
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Cant. V. 7.] * i chakge you, o daughters.' 123 ' I charge you, 0 daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that ye tell him I am sick of love.' She goes to the ' daughters of Jerusalem' for help. Whence we may learn, That, {'/ ice find not comfort in one means, we must have recourse to another. If we find not…
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Quest. Why did not the church tell Christ herself ? Ans. So she did as well as she could, but she desired the help of the church this way also. Sometimes it is so with the children of God that they cannot pray so well as they should, and as they would do ; because the waters of the soul are so troubled, that they can …
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1. If we find ourselves carried to Christ, to run in that stream as strong as the affections of those that arc distempered with sickness of the love of other things, it trill discover to iis whetlier we he truly love-sick or not. 2. Take a man that is sick for any earthly thing, whether of Ahab's or Amjion's sickness,…
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' I charge you, 0 daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him I am sick of love.' Thus we may see that the way to heaven is full of changes. The strength of coiTuption overclouds many times, and damps our joys. How many several tempers hath the chiux-h been in ! Sometimes she is all compounded of j…
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Again, we see here, that ivhere the soul is sick of love, it stands not upon any tenns, hut it hnmhleth and ahaseth itself. We say that afiection stands not with mnjesty. Therefore Christ's love to us moved him to abase him- self in taking our natm-e, that he might be one with us. Love stood not upon terms of greatness…
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This beauty of grace, whereby it makes tiie church so fair, springs from these grounds. First. In that it is from a divine ■principle and original. It is not basely bred, VOL. II. I 180 BOWELS OPENED. [SeEMON XIII. hut from heaven. And therefore it raiseth the soul above nature, and makes the subjects wherein it is…
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Use 4. Learn again here, what to judge of the spirits of such kind of men as are all in disrjracincj and defacing the poor church. Their table talk is of the infirmities of Christians. They light upon them as flies do upon sore places, and will see nothing that is good in them. Oh ! where is the Spirit of Chi'ist, or o…
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What is the matter that such a one is so earnest, so careful, watchful, laborious, inquisitive ? It is not for want of wit ; surely he hath parts enough, he understands himself well. And then he begins to think, sure I am too cold. Hereupon come competition and co-rivality,* sui'ely I will be as good as he. Use. Let u…
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* • Syrian.' — Ed. 134 BOWELS OPENED. [SeEMON XIII. kindled, Luke xxlv. 32. For, nest to heaven itself, our meeting together here, it is a kind of paradise. The greatest pleasure in the world is to meet with those here whom we shall ever live with in heaven. Those who are good should not spend such opportunities frui…
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The question asked is, ' What is thy beloved more than another's beloved, 0 thou faii-est among women ?' What ! now fair when her veil was taken away ? now fair when the watchmen abased* her ? now fair when she was disgraced ? Yes ; now fair, and now fair in the sight of the daughters of Jerusalem, and in the sight o…
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It is a special part of Christians' wisdom to improve the excellency of others by questions ; to have a bucket to draw out of the deep wells of others. As Solomon saith, ' The heart of a wise man is as deep waters, but a man of understanding can tell how to fetch those waters out.' There be many men of deep and excelle…
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2. Besides soundness of constitution and comeliness of proportion, there is a grace of colour that maketh beauty, which ariseth out of the other. So that soundness and goodness of constitution, together with the exact pro- portion of the variety of parts, having with it this gracefulness of colour and complexion, makes…
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First, /or that he is so near to God by the personal union. And in regard likewise, that all others hare allfrom^ him. Of his fulness we receive grace for grace, John i. 16. Ours is but a derivative fulness. His glory and shining is as the shining of the body of the sun ; ours as the light of the air, which is derived…
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Use. The use of this is exceeding pregnant, eorafortable, and large, that we have such a Saviour, such an eminent person, so near, so peculiar to us. Our beloved, my beloved. If he were a ' beloved, the chief of ten thousand,' it were no great matter, but he is mine. He is thus excellent ; excellent considered with pro…
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Quest. But what is this to us or to the church ? Ans. Yes ; for his beauty and excellency is the church's, because he is the church's. ' My beloved is white and ruddy, and my beloved is the chief among ten thousand.' It is the peculiar interest that the church hath in Christ that doth relish her spirit ; excellency wi…
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Therefore let us consider how we hear those things. It concerns us 144 BOWELS OPENED. [SeEMON XV. nearly. On the one side we see what we get if we join with Christ ; we have him and his. On the contrary, we lose him ; and not only so, but we gain eternal misery, and perish eternally. 0 what baseness of mind possesset…
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1. First, let us enter into a serious consideration of the need we have of Christ, of our misery tvithout him, of our happiness if ice be joined with him. The soul being thus convinced, the affections must needs foUow the sancti- fied judgment. What will come of it if Christ be set in the highest place in our heart ? …
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The Passover was always eaten with sour herbs, because it should add a relish to the feast. So Christ, the true Passover, we never relish truly without sour herbs, the consideration of sin, with the desert of it. Christ savours otherwise to a man humbled for his sins than he doth to another man not touched therewith ; …
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Again, in general, observe fi*om hence> seeing the church fetcheth com- parison from doves' eyes, from the body of a man and other things, that tJiere are some beams of excellency in every creature. There is somewhat of 148 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON XVI. God in every creature. This makes the meditation of the creature t…
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The soul hath sights of Christ that God shews to it, and which the soul pre- sents to itself by the help of the Spirit. The sights that God in this kind shews, are to those in afliiction especially ; as Daniel and Isaiah saw Clxrist in his glor}' in a vision. So Ezekiel had a \ision, and John, Rev. i., where Christ was…
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3. Again, is our head so golden, and whatsoever excellency we have, is it from our head ? Therefore as the church in the Revelation, ' let us cast all our crowns at his feet,' Rev. iv. 10. Have we crowns of gold ? anything that is excellent within, any grace, any comfort ? Let us lay it down at his feet, for all is fir…
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Use 3. And as it is a point of comfort and terror, so it is a point of in- struction to us all, that ice having to deal tcith a judge that sees all, to icor- 152 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON XVI. ship Christ in spirit. If we had knowledge that such an eye of God is fixed upon us in all places, in all our affections and act…
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The word, to some kind of men, is like the northern air, which parcheth and cutteth. Ahab could not endure the breath of Elias, 1 Kings xxi. 18, seq., nor Herodias the breath of John Baptist, Mark vi. 16, nor the Phari- sees the breath of Stephen and Paul, Luke \'ii. 54, Acts xxii. 22. So too many now-a-days cannot end…
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Cant. V. 13.] * ms mouth is most sweet.' 155 ' Will ye also leave me ? ' Peter answered again, ' Whither, Lord, shall we go ? Thou hast the words of eternal life,' John vi. 68. The apostles, that had the Spirit of God, perceived an incredible graciousness to sit on his lips, and therefore they hung upon his lips. ' Wh…
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' He is altogether lovely.' Altogether desirable ; as if she should say, What should I stand upon particulars ? he is altogether, from top to toe, amiable, lovely, and delectable. ' He is altogether lovely.' Lovely to God, to us, to the soul ; lovely to him that can best judge of loveliness. The judgment of God I hope…
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Use 2. Again, if Christ be so lovely, * altogether lovely,' then let tts labour to be in him, that so we may be lovely to God ; because he is the first amiable thing in the world, in whom we are all lovely. All our love- Uness is in beloved Christ. Use 3. Again, if Christ be so lovely, here only ive have vherenpon to …
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4. Again, the church here is never content till she find Christ ; whatsoever she had, nothing contents her. She wanted her beloved. As we see here, she goes up and down inquisitive after him till she find him. So it is with a Christian. If he have lost, by his o\vn fault, his foimer communion with Christ, he will not r…
971 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.