PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes — Volume 4
Richard Sibbes · 362,113 words · 363 reading sections
Section 301
(2.) Then again, as death wrought in him, so life in them, that they might have good by his suft'erings, and the presence of God's Spirit in his sufierings, to be less troubled with the cross. We see St Paul nevertheless hath his partial death, his abasement in the world, as an ' earthen vessel ' despised of all ; how …
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rest of the members that now live. Now that I conceive is not so much his meaning,* as we having the same Spirit of faith with David, and them before Christ died, with all the professors of religion from the beginning of * Cf. as a7ite, in loc, and Webster and Wilkinson. — G. 440 commentahy on ilic world to the en…
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What need I prove it ? For all things abovef faith are above nature. The objects of faith are above nature, which are merely | mysteries. There is no seed of faith in us at all. It is harder to believe than to fulfil the law ; for there are seed of all commandments of the moral law, some impressions of it are yet left …
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Use 2. And then if God doth give this act of faith, this supernatural eye of faith, this supernatural hand of faith to lay hold, eyes to see, this super- natural hand of faith to lay hold, and stomach of faith to digest, then it is not every one that hath it; all have not faith. And therefore if we have faith, if we ca…
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Again, Because it is called the ' spirit of faith,' it sheweth that it is a free grace, and the grounds why some have more or less faith, it is free for measure and free for time. They that have faith have the spirit of faith. They have not faith at command. No. The Spirit bloweth where it listeth, more or less. If you…
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Now that faith is most catholic that all the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles believed, and that they themselves believe. They only add patcheries of their own, and therefore they have a new faith, but we the same. They believe the two sacraments, but they add their own. They believe the Scriptures, but they add trad…
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2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. TV, VER. 13. 447 of saints in this church, that the Spirit is in all, so to love communion of saints. We have ' one faith, one spirit, one baptism,' Eph. iv. 5. That wherein Christians agree is better advantageous to this purpose to enforce unity and peace than an3'thing wherein the}' disagree, to…
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There is not anything that befalls a Christian in his life, but there is a rule or pattern for it in Scripture. If w-e were skilful to bring the places and rules together, we should see a ground in Scripture for everything, both for all duties and all things to be believed. And there be not only rules in Scripture, but…
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For instance, a windy instrument is fit to sound, but it actually soundeth not till it be blown. So other instruments of hand are fit for music, but it makes not music till it be strucken by the hand. So we do not actually believe, but by an act of the Spirit ; but yei the act of believing is cm- own. The wind in one i…
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And therefore you say you have no faith. Your desires shew you have. You can reflect, and know you desire, mourn, hunger, and thirst, and would have grace. Now are the promises made to this desire ? ' Blessed are they that hunger and thirst, blessed are they that mourn, blessed are the poor in spirit,' Mat. v. G, seq. …
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(5.) As it is a working grace, so it is a hold grace. '1 believe, therefore I speak.' If there be faith in the heart, it will express itself in the tongue. If the heart be a good treasure, it will vent that treasure. ' Out of the abmidance of the heart the mouth will speak,' Mat. xii. 34. And there- fore as there will …
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454 COMMENTARY ON as if present to the soul. It cnlargcth the soul with thanks beforehand. Therefore when the apostles speak of the glorious condition to come, pre- sently they break out into praises. As they believe, so they speak, as Peter praycth, ' l\y the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that hath begotten us aga…
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And therefore they are called Nicodcmites ; that is, such as keep religion to themselves ; it is a false means.* For Nicodemus at first indeed [so] came for Christ, but after he defended him against the Scribes and Pharisees. And at his death, when all forsook him, then Nicodemus and Joseph appeared. So it was a growin…
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Second. Again, thatfaith may set up a regimentt in the soul, consider now that this is the grace that iiij'nseth rigour and strength into all our graces; all are nothing without faith. Faith must fetch from Christ strength for patience and contentation. There is no other grace but hath his vigour from faith, as faith f…
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Oltj. Ihit YOU will say, IMany divines speak excellent well for points of religion, and hold them, and yet their lives discover they have no faith. And therefore there may be a spirit without faith. Avs. Beloved, max'k what I said before. They may speak of religious things in a human manner, and sec spiritual things w…
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So that here is a comfort above comfort ; but yet ' knowing ' is prefixed. * Knowing that God will raise us up, because he hath raised up Jesus.' So that I may observe in the passage of it, that all comfort cometli into the soul by knouiedge. God not only raiseth us up, and presents us one with another, by the same pow…
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* Cf. i. 9— G. 2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. XV, VER. 14. 401 church for ever ? No ; ' that I dwell iu the house of the Lord for ever,' here while I live, and in heaven for ever when I am gone, Ps. xxiii. 6 : ' Douhtless I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever ;' here while I live, and for ever in heaven. Then they wil…
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Now the ground of this is, God that hath raised up Jesus, will by Jesus do this. He considers of God as serveth his puqjose. It is an act of a Christian, of a discreet and wise soul, to single out of God those attributes and those actions that suit to his present distress or present condition ; as if a man be in perple…
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But you will saj, Will Christ raise us out of trouble likewise ? Yes, by the same power and virtue. For the virtue of Christ's resurrection reacheth farther than to raise us from death, for it extendeth itself to all abasements in the world. God raiseth us out of all abasements by the power that he raised up Christ, an…
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* In margin here, ' Gunpowder Plot.' — G. t In margin here, ' By Gustavus AdolphuB, king of Sweden.' — G. 2 COEINTHIANS CHAP. IV, VEE. 15. 4G5 he would deliver tliem to heaven, and present them to his heavenly king- dom. Having heaven in their eyes, time to come in heaven, resurrection in their eyes, and glorious ti…
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That the world continueth, it is for the elect's sake, that they may be gathered out [of] the world. The world is as it were reprieved, because many are to be born in the world ; as lewd women are reprieved, being with child, for that's sake that is to be born. So the world continueth because there is a generation to c…
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Reason 2. A second subordinate ground to this is, the union with Christ the kin(j of the church. Now all things serve Christ, who is the king of heaven and earth ; his kingdom reaches from heaven to the bottom of hell ; he overruleth cursed devils and wicked spirits. Who is he whom the devils obey ? saith God. Now if a…
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2 COKINTHIANS CHAP. IV, \'ER. 15. 469 in their affections, and strengthened in their aims. They have poor aims and ends of their own. And in their aflcctious they ho straitened ; they cannot love, nor long after good things, yea, they he straitened to their own in all things. Ho is within his own circumference, within…
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' All things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace, through the thanksgiving of manj^ may redound to the glory of God.' The second ground of comfort is from the main end of all, ivhich is the glory of God. Here is a sweet combination of the grace of God and the glory of God, ' that abundant grace, through the th…
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So it is a grace, that God hath put bounds and limits to the boundless malice of Satan and his instruments, to deliver the church, or any poor member of the church, as Paul was, at any time ; and therefore they were to reckon all graces that they were to praise God for, both for his trouble and for his deliverance out …
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2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. IV, VER. 15. 473 The graces of God bestowed on St Paul raiseth up thankfulness of many, and that tcndeth to the glory of God. Many had the prayers of St Paul,* for he had commended himself to their praj'ers: Piom. xv. 30, ' Strive with God for mo by prayer ;' and so the Philippians and others, ' I …
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But how doth the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God ? Certainly it doth, ' that the thanksgiving of many may redound to the glory of God.' The more heart, the better music in God's ears, the better music and the louder music ; the more the prayers are, the more are the praises, Prov. xiv. 28. The wise man…
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But now ye see what cause he gave the church to be thankful. Beloved, if we havef the Spirit of God ; and if we consider the churches abroad to whom is not only grace, but to us also, we being all the spouse of one husband, branches of one root, heirs of one inheritance, sheep of one flock and pasture, all as from one …
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VERSES 16-18. For ichich cause ice faint not; but ihoiir/h our ouhrnrd man 2^eriiiJi, yet the iniiard ma)i is renewed day by day. For our Uyht ajfliction, vJiicJi is but for a moment, xvorketh for ns a far more eareediny ireiyht of ylory ; iihile ive look not at the tJiinf/s irJiich are seen, hut at the tJtinys iiJiic…
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But he saith afterwards, * causeth unto us an eternal weight of glory.' That is more than to say glory follows afflictions ; but there is a causal virtue in that we suffer, to work glory. We know the working by way of merit and desert, that is done by Christ ; we have right to glory only by Christ. And it is sacrilege …
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That the best tilings in tJtis world are not seen; the meanest things are those that are seen. The best things are to come ; the meanest things are present. The best things are such as are eternal ; the meanest things are temporal. 480 COMMENTARY ON And \vlien I luivo unfolJccl Ibcsc, then I will shew 3'ou a wise and…
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If it look upon them, it looks upon them as in a glass, to see farther. It looketh not upon them as clouds to stay our sight from the sun, or as placing contentment in them. For the soul taketh no rest here. The things seen ' are vanity and vexation of spirit,' Eccles. i. 14; ' unrighteous mammon,' Luke xvi. 11. We may…
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To give trial, whether we look at the things that be seen or no. '' (1.) If we look to things not seen, because they be eternal, this is a sight that ravisheth the soul, that iifteth the soul above itself. Things above be so exceeding above things below, that it makes the soul almost forget itself; it worketh an high e…
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There is no apprehension without light. We cannot see light without light ; we cannot see heavenly things without heavenly faculties. And therefore labour for something within gracious, which may have corre- spondency and harmony with what is in heaven, else contraries will not apprehend contraries. But heaven and a sa…
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But what is this particular wisdom, when in the general scope of his life he is foolish, not considering what is good for him as a Christian ? None is wise but a Christian. Every man else is a mad man, or a fool. What arc all other things but straw and baubles to eternity ? Therefore regard the things that bo beyond th…
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((f) P. 309. — ' God would have the very snufi'ers in the tabernacle pi<re gold.^ (See Exodus xxxvii. 23.) For a very effective enlargement of this thought, cf. ' The Golden Snufi'ers : or Christian Eeprovers and Reformers characterised, cautioned, and encouraged. By Daniel Burgess.' 12mo. 1697. (e) P. 315. — ' You kn…
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' Et capiendus erat, quia nullius obice claustri, Hie repellendis locus obsistebat iniquis. Nam foribus nullis in publica rostra patebat Serairuti paries malefidus fragmine muri. Sed divina maniis Sese sanctum inter et hostes Opposuit, miroque locum munimine sepsit ; Nou strue saxorum, neque ferratis data valvis Claust…
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* LIGHT FROM HEAVEN Discovering Fountaine Opened. Angels Acclamations, Churches Riches. kRich Povertie. Infoure Treatises. BY The late Learned and Reverend Divine, Rich. Sibs, Doctor in Divinitie, Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes Preacher at Grayes-Inne. Published according to the Authors …
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Your honour's to be commanded, John Sedewick,* * This is John Sedgwick, B.D., though curiously enough misspelled here ' Sedewick,' a younger brother of the more celebrated Obadiah Sedgwick. Against none of the Puritans has Anthony a-Wood written more bitterly or slanderously. He died in 1643. Thomas Case preached his…
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Thine in the Lord Jesus, A. Jackson, f London, Woodstreet, April 18, 1G3S. * This, -witli the other two, will duly appear in their respective places.— G. t Cf. Vol. II. p. 442.— G. THE CHURCH'S RICHES BY CHRIST'S POVERTY. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet he became poor …
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The devils, which were angels before they fell, would be gods by usur- pation and robbery. They were not content in the place they were in, but they would be gods, independent, of themselves. It was robbery for them to do it ; therefore from that high place of excellency they were thrown * That is, == commanding. — G.…
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The next thing I observe is this, that Doct. 2. Christ became poor. The poverty of Christ reacheth from his incarnation to his resurrection. All the state of his humiliation, it goes under the name of his poverty. The resurrection was the first step or degree of his exaltation. He wrought our salvation in the state o…
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He was poor in death especially, for when life is gone all is gone. ' He gave himself to death for us.' In death he was poor every way. They stripped him of all his clothes ; he had not so much as a garment to cover him. He was poor and destitute in regard of friends. They all forsook him when he had need of them most …
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As without application we can have no good by him, so we can have no comfort by his example. It is not prevalent, unless we can say as the apostle to the Corinthians here, ' for jont sakes.' Again, ' for your sakes, not for himself.' He became not poor to make himself richer ; he did not merit for himself. What need h…
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[3.] Then again, we are rich in prerin/atifcs. ' We are the sons of God % adoption. ' What love,' saith the apostle, ' hath the Father shewed, that we should be called the sons of God,' 1 John iii. 1. And this we have by the poverty of Christ. Whatsoever Christ is by nature, we are by grace. He is the Son of God by nat…
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(1.) We fell by i^ride, we maul he restored by humility . We would be like God; God to expiate it must become like us, and take our nature, and Bufier in it. (2.) Then again, God would restore us by a way suitable to his own excellency every way, wherein no attribute of his might be a loser. He would bring us to riche…
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And as we see ourselves freed from all ill in Christ, so for all good : see it in him first, and conveyed by him to us. Whatsoever he hath, I shall have. He is risen and ascended ; I shall therefore rise and ascend, and sit at the right hand of God for ever with him : ' We shall be for ever with the Lord.' Let us see o…
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506 THE church's riches. carry with him. But a Christian hath a fountain ; a mine that is unsearch- able, in the rich promises of God. Again, a Christian, though he bo never so poor, yet he hath a rich pawn.* Saith St Paul, ' If he spared not his own Son, but gave him to death for us all, how shall he not with him gi…
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Use. 3. Again, hath the poverty of Christ made us rich ; ichat will his riches do ? Could he save us when he was at the lowest, when he w^as on the cross, and satisfied divine justice by his death ; what can he do for us now he is in heaven, and hath triumphed over all his enemies ? What can we look for now by his rich…
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(1.) They are not our own, as Christ saith, Luke xvi. 1, seq., ' We are but stewards,' and we must give a strict account ere long how we have used them. (2.) And as they are not our own, so they are not true riches, because they make not us rich. We usually call a poor man a poor soul. A poor soul may be a rich Christ…
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* The whole race of the Antiochi seem to have been wicked ; but Sibbcs'a re- ference is probably to Antiochus II., suniamed the Great — G. t That 13 'naughty,' = wicked.— G. 510 THE church's hiches. capable of our spiritual wants. That we should profess ourselves to be Christians, to bo members of Christ, and yet hav…
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4. And not only know that they are ours, but use ours to our own good and benefit upon all occasions. If we offend God, as every daj^ we do, make use of our riches in Christ for the pardon of our sins. He is full of favour, he is our High Priest, he makes intercession for us. If we want knowledge he is a Prophet to tea…
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We must not think of Christ as an underling in the work of salvation. He is a principal, in the work, from his Father. The gi'ace of our Lord Jesus Christ it is the cause of all. It was the cause why he was man. It is the cause of all grace that is in us. That that is the cause of the cause, is the cause of the thing c…
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In the controversy between us and the papists, when we say we are jus- tified by grace, we must not understand it of inherent grace, whereby our natures are sanctified, and that but in part ; but it is meant of the fi'ee grace and mercy of God in Christ, and the free grace of Christ in his own breast. Let us take heed …
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And, to add this further, the grace of Christ, it is a fruitful grace, it is a rich grace, as the apostle saith here. ' You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who became poor to make us rich by his poverty.' The favour of God and Christ, it is no empty favour. It is not like the winter sun, that casts a goodly co…
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The next thing I observe briefly is, that THE church's riches. 517 Doct. 5. This fjrace must be known. Saitli the apostle here, ' You know the gi'ace of our Lord Jesus Christ.' A man may know his riches, ho may know his interest in Christ. The apostle useth it here as an argument to persuade them to good -works. Tha…
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You see from hence, likewise, that grace is no enemy to good works, neither the freedom of God's favour, being without any merit on our part ; nor the knowledge and assurance of salvation. It is no enemy to diligence and to good works ; nay, it is the foundation of them. The apostle doth not use it here as an argument …
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The gospel hath as strong encouragements, and stronger, to be good and gracious, than the law. Grace enforceth strictness of life more sweetly and strongly than- the law. The law saith, * We must not take the name of God in vain,' Exod. xx. 7 ; and we must be subject to our superiors, and to live chastely, &c., under a…
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THE cuukch's eiches. 521 some cases we must labour to know how to vindicate the truth, but when it comes to our own particuhir), lay other things aside, let us do our duty in the use of means, and think of the end of the gospel, of the end of Christ's incarnation and death, namely, to reveal the bowels of God's mercy …
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But to come to the particular duty whereunto the grace and example of Christ should stir us up to be like him ; that is, in kindness, and mercy, and bounty, to the poor saints ; for that is the scope of the apostle here, in this and the next chapter. ' You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was ric…
1,149 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.