PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes — Volume 6
Richard Sibbes · 366,494 words · 364 reading sections
Section 1
NICHOL'S SERIES OF STANDARD DIVINES. PURITAN PEEIOD. ttt^ ^tmxnl ^xdna BY JOHN C. MILLEE, D.D., UNCOLN COLLEGE ; BONOEAKT CANON OF WORCESTEB ; BECTOB OF ST MARTIN'S, BIBMINOHAHi THE WOEKS OF RICHARD SIBBES, D.D. VOL. VI. COUNCIL OF rUBLICATION. W. LINDSAY ALEXANDER, D.D., Professor of Tlieology, Congregational…
902 wordsSECTION 2Section 2
The way to get out of misery is to get discharged of sin. The way to take away sin, is by confession. Sin is in the best. .... Community of oflenders lessens not sin. God makes his children see and feel what sin is Four reasons of it. . How to be sensible of sin with seven directions. Three uses of it. . A soul stung…
902 wordsSECTION 3Section 3
2. They carry all before them. .... 543 8. They swell by opposition. . . . . 544 4. They are restless till they are emptied. . . 544 5. They increase in running. .... 544 6. They rest in their proper place. . . . 544 7. They constantly send up vapours. . . . 544 Five observations making way to the main point : — 1…
1,009 wordsSECTION 4Section 4
Now after this fall, man's happiness was to recover again his communion and fellowship with God ; and therefore we must have a nev/ covenant before we can have life and comfort. God must enter into new conditions with us before we can have any communion with him. 4 THE FAITHFUL COVENANTER. GoJ therefore, loving man, …
1,065 wordsSECTION 5Section 5
Remember, I say, that the covenant of grace is distinct in the whole kind from the covenant of works ; yet this, they are both in the church, and both taught, one subordinate to the other ; as thus, the covenant of works is taught to shew us our failing, that seeing our own disability to perform what the law requireth,…
963 wordsSECTION 6Section 6
These are the qualities of the covenant. It is a sure, an everlasting, a peculiar, and a most free covenant, aiming specially at spiritual things. And then, lastly, you have the condition of the covenant ; and that, though it is not expressed, yet it is implied. ' I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed.' Therefore…
900 wordsSECTION 7Section 7
But why doth he say only, ' I will be thy God'? Why doth he not say, 0 THE FAITHFUL COVENANTER. 1 will give thee grace and protection, I will give thee heaven and life ever- lasting ? Because all is one, for all things in the world arc in this one promise, ' I will he thy God.' See the wisdom of heaven, how much he …
1,013 wordsSECTION 8Section 8
Well, to come to the trials. But let me first add this to the former : whomsoever God is a God to, it is known sjjecially by spiritual and eternal favours. A man cannot know certainly that God is his God by outward and common things that castaways may have ; for a castaway may have Ish- mael's blessing and Esau's porti…
1,012 wordsSECTION 9Section 9
Try yourselves therefore by this affection. If ire make God our God, ire will fear him ahore all ; for there being such a distance between God and us — he the mighty God, and we creatures whose breath is in our nostrils— there can no other way be a covenant of peace betwixt us, but with much reve- rence. Therefore all …
935 wordsSECTION 10Section 10
Again, If God be our God, xre will trust in him, rely and depend upon him above all things ; for whatsoever our trust is most in, that is our god. Now if our conscience tell us that we trust most in God, more than in wealth or friends, and will not, to displease God, please any man, it is a sign that we have made God o…
945 wordsSECTION 11Section 11
THE FAITHFUL COVENANTEE. 13 But God must be supreme. Others must be loved and feared, &c., in him and for him, but he chiefly, when we depend upon him for all deliverance out of ill and for all good, and shew our dependence on him by our subjec- tion to him in all his ways, by our yielding to him obedience answerable …
994 wordsSECTION 12Section 12
And where this sweet covenant is, that God is our God, as there is a separation from ourselves and our corruptions, so there is a separation from all that joineth with our corruption ; a separation in aflection from delighting in all that is not God, from all such occasions and company as strengtheneth our corruption. …
971 wordsSECTION 13Section 13
Having now thus unfolded these terms, let us see what we may draw from thence for our use and comfort. 1. First, then, if by these trials we find that God be not, or have not been, our God, alas ! let us never rest till ive make it good that God is our God. For what if we have all things, if we have not God with all t…
975 wordsSECTION 14Section 14
THE FAITHFUL COVENANTEE. 17 God is our God, and he hath promised to be our portion, lot it be sufficient for us ; let us not, for the displeasing of him, take any condition from Satan or the world upon any terms. 4. Again, If so be we know this for a truth, that God is our God, then let it be a use of exhortation to …
764 wordsSECTION 15Section 15
together in him. The names of all the creatures that are comfortable, God hath been pleased to take upon him, to shew us what a God he is. He is water to refresh us, a sun to comfort us, a shield to keep evil from us, a rock to support us, chambers to cover us in the time of danger, and such like ; and in every creatur…
980 wordsSECTION 16Section 16
It is thei'efore — to come to the first quality — called a free covenant. It Cometh from God merely of grace. It is of grace that he would enter into any terms of agreement with us. It is of grace that he would send Christ to die to be the foundation of the covenant. It is of grace that he giveth us hearts to take him …
972 wordsSECTION 17Section 17
And we may know that we are God's peculiar by some peculiar thing that we can do. What peculiar thing canst thou do ? To speak a little of that by the way. Thou lovest and art kind ; but, saith Christ, what pecuHar thing canst thou do ? A heathen man may be kind and loving, but canst thou overcome revenge ? Canst thou …
966 wordsSECTION 18Section 18
Why doth he make the covenant with his seed as well as with himself? I answer, We apprehend favours and curses more in our seed ofttiines than in ourselves ; and it will humble a man to see calamities on his posterity, more than on himself ; and a man more rojoiceth to see the flourishing of his seed than of himself. I…
948 wordsSECTION 19Section 19
There is a great deal of care taken by carnal parents here in the city (and everywhere too, but in the city especially) by covetousness, a reign- ing sin; they will not make God their God, but the wedge of gold to be their god. They labour to make their children great. If they can leave them rich men, great men in a pa…
970 wordsSECTION 20Section 20
Remember, therefore, that we do not only take hei'e God's kindness sealed in the sacrament, but we re-promise back again to lead new lives. All must resolve by his grace to obey him henceforward, and to take him for our God. The way, therefore, will be to put this into the condition of your promise now, and prayer afte…
911 wordsSECTION 21Section 21
THE TENDEE HEART. SERMON I. Aud as for the king of Judah, who sent yon to inquire of the Lord, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel concerning the uords irhich thou hast heard, Because thine heart was tender, dc. — 2 Chkon. XXXIV. 26. These words are a part of the message whicli the prophetess…
1,114 wordsSECTION 22Section 22
Ver. 27, ' Because thine heart was tender,' &c. Now here comes a comfortable message to good Josiah, that he should * That is, 'naughty,' wicked G. THE TENDER HEART, 31 be taken away and not see the miseries that should befall his people ; the cause whereof is here set down, ' Because thy heart was tender, and thou …
1,058 wordsSECTION 23Section 23
Doct. 2. That it is a supernatural disposition of a true child of God to have a tender, soft, and a melting heart. I say that a disposition of a true child of God, and the frame of soul of such an one, to be tender, apprehensive, and serviceable, is a supernatural disposition ; and of necessity it must be so, because n…
1,043 wordsSECTION 24Section 24
Christ is the first gift to the Church. When God hath given Christ, then comes the Spirit, and works in the heart a gracious acceptance of mercy ofiered. The Spirit works an assurance of the love and mercy of * Qu. ' melted '?— Ed. VOL. VI. 0 84 THE TENDER HEART. Gotl. Now loYC and mcrc}' felt, ^York upon the tender…
951 wordsSECTION 25Section 25
4. Again, Good company ivill preserve tenderness of heart, sortiur/ ourselves with those that are tender-hearted. For the soul will reason thus : Doth such a one make conscience of swearing, profaning the Sabbath ? and doth he mourn for the miseries of the church ? Then what a hard piece of dead flesh am I, that have n…
1,143 wordsSECTION 26Section 26
9. Lastly, If thou wilt preserve tenderness of heart, consider the viiserahle estate of hardness of heart. Such an one that hath an hard heart is next to hell itself, to the estate of a damned spirit, a most terrible estate. A hard heart is neither melted with promises nor broken with threatenings. He hath no bowels of…
1,122 wordsSECTION 27Section 27
Obj. But some may demand how God doth harden. Sol. I answer, the cause is first fi'om our own selves ; but he hardens four ways : First, Privativehj, by withholding and withdrawing his melting and soften- ing power. For as the sun causeth darkness by withdrawing his light and warming power, so God withdrawing that me…
902 wordsSECTION 28Section 28
Ans. I answer. Easily, by applying of the soul unto objects, as 1, to God ; 2, to his word ; 3, to his works ; 4, to man. We may try our tenderness and pliableness of heart these four ways : 1. To God. As it is tender from God, so it is tender for God ; for the three persons of the Trinity. He that hath a tender hear…
904 wordsSECTION 29Section 29
But to apply this ; how is this afiection of Josiah in the hearts of men in these days ? How many have melting hearts when they hear God blasphemed, and the religion of Christ wronged ? How few are there that yield to the motions of the Spirit ! We may take up a wonderful complaint of the hardness of men's hearts in th…
915 wordsSECTION 30Section 30
1. First, What an excellent tliin;/ a tender heart is. God hath promised to dwell in such an heart, and is it an excellent thing to have God dwell in our hearts, as he hath promised, Isa. Ivii. 15, ' For thus saith ho that is high and excellent, he that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is the Holy One : I will dwell in …
1,098 wordsSECTION 31Section 31
1. The person that did humble himself: * Josiah,' a king, a great man. 2. Humiliation itself, and the qualities of it: ' and humbledst thyself before God,' which argued the sincei'ity of it. 3. The occasion of it : ' when thou heardest the words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof.' 4. Tlie outwa…
1,054 wordsSECTION 32Section 32
1. The kinds and degrees of it. 2. Some directions how we may humble ourselves. 3. The motives to move us to it. 4. The notes whereby it may be known. 1. First, for the nature and kinds of it ; we must know that humiliation is either (1.) Inward, in the mind fii'st of all, and then in the affections; or, (2.) Out…
1,131 wordsSECTION 33Section 33
1. Rending of clothes. And 2. Weeping, But of these I shall speak afterwards when I come at them. Thus we have seen the degrees and kinds of humiliation. Seeing it is such a necessary qualification, for humiliation is a funda- 48 THE Xm OF SEI.F-UUMnLING. mental grace that gives strength to all other graces ; seein…
1,396 wordsSECTION 34Section 34
I 5. If we would humble ourselves, let us set before us the example of our blessed Saviour ; for we must be conformable to him, by whom we hope to be saved. He left heaven, took our base nature, and humbled himself to the death of the cross, yea, to the washing of his disciples' feet, and among the rest, washed Judas's…
931 wordsSECTION 35Section 35
Oh that we could be brought to these inward reflected actions, to examine indict, judge, and condemn ourselves, that so we might spare God a labour, and so all things might go well with us ! 3. Now I come to the third thing I propounded, the motives to move us to get this humiliation. (1.) First, Let us consider of t…
1,262 wordsSECTION 36Section 36
Quest. But here it may be demanded, considering that wdcked men do oftentimes humble themselves, being convinced in their consciences, and thereupon ashamed, 4. How maij ice know lioly from hypocritical humiliation ? which is the last thing I propounded concerning humiliation, namely, the notes and marks whereby we ma…
911 wordsSECTION 37Section 37
i2.j We sbould Iiatc sin the more, the nearer it comes to us, in our cbildren and friends, or any otber way. It was David's fault to let Absalom bis son go unreproved in bis wicked practices, and Eli for not correcting bis sons. We see wbat came of it, even tbeir utter overtbrow. [3.] He tbat truly bates sin ivill not…
1,017 wordsSECTION 38Section 38
4. Fourthly, True humiliation jiroceeds from faith, and is in the faithful not only when judgment is upon them, but before the judgment comes, which they foreseeing by faith, do humble themselves. True humiliation quakes at the threateuings, for the very frowns of a father will terrify a dutiful child. As Josiali, when…
949 wordsSECTION 39Section 39
THE ART OF SELF- HUMBLING. 57 a bulrush for a time ; but it is, like Ephraim's morning dew, quickly gone. They have no sound and thorough humiliation. It is but a mere oiler of humiliation. Whereas the children of God, when they begin, they never cease working upon their own hearts with meditation, until they have br…
1,034 wordsSECTION 40Section 40
THE ART OF MOURNING. SERMON III. But because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his ivords against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me ; I have even heard thee also, saith the…
1,104 wordsSECTION 41Section 41
* Query, Is tliis an alhision to the Sultan — tTie 'raging Turk' of the Puritans — in his anguish at the siege of Scodra? Cf. among others Trapp on Ezra ix. 3. — G. THE ART OF MOURNING. 61 expression and j'et to have no inward grief. Tiiis is but acting of humilia- tion, when we hang down the head like a bulrush, and…
964 wordsSECTION 42Section 42
1. First, The soul and body have communion together hij way of impres- sion or information ; for sensible things have an impression upon the senses, and so come into the soul ; for nothing comes into it but through the senses of the body ; because, though the soul may imagine golden moun- tains, and things that it neve…
1,140 wordsSECTION 43Section 43
64 THE ART OF MOURNING. for sins is a carriage not unbeseeming for a king. Therefore it is a desperate madness not to humble ourselves and be abased, now we have to deal with God. Your desperate atheists of the world will not tremble at threatenings, nor humble themselves till death comes, which humbles them and makes…
873 wordsSECTION 44Section 44
Duct. 5. That it is the duty of every 'Christian to take to heart the threaten- ings of God against the place and people where he doth live ; to take to heart the afflictions and miseries of the church and commonwealth, the grievances of others as well as his own. The mourning and weeping of Josiah was for the estate o…
912 wordsSECTION 45Section 45
3. Thirdly, Where there is true grace there will be weeping and mourn- ing for the church, in regard of the insolency of the churclis enemies and their blasphemous speeches. Where is now their God ? their religion ? "What is now become of their Reformation ? What child can hear the reproach and dishonour of God his Fat…
961 wordsSECTION 46Section 46
4. Again, Let us read [o/] the estate of God's church, what it hath been from the beginning of the world ; what miseries God's children have en- dured in former ages by reason of war and the like, that so we may work grief upon our own hearts. We have always matter of grief while wo aro in this world; if we look abroad…
1,297 wordsSECTION 47Section 47
Quest. Yet here may be a question, How shall we know when to cease and leave off mourning ? for the soul is a finite thing, and cannot dwell upon one action always, because it hath many things to do ; and therefore it cannot always mourn nor always rejoice. Ans. To this I answer, that we have mourned enough, and disch…
909 wordsSECTION 48Section 48
But to come to the question more directly, we ought to think our estates not so good as they should be, if we cannot at one time or other weep for the sins and miseries of the church. If we can shed tears for outward things at one time or other, and cannot weep for spiritual, it is a bad sign ; for certainly, one time …
977 wordsSECTION 49Section 49
Therefore, as any would hope for comfort, and have God to wipe away their tears from them in another world, let them work upon their hearts hore, to shed tears for their own sins first, and then for the sins of the time ; for their own first, I say, for a man must first be good in himself before he can be good to other…
900 wordsSECTION 50Section 50
0!)j. But some will object, God doth not hear me: I have prayed a long while, and yet he hath not given me an answer. Ans. 1. I answer, God doth always hear, though he seemeth not to hear sometimes, to increase our importunity. Christ heard the woman of Canaan at first ; but yet, to increase her importunity, he gave h…
927 wordsSECTION 51Section 51
1. First, Then hear him. If we will have God to hear us, then let us hear God, as Josiah did. When he heard the woi'd read, his heart melted. For ' he that turneth away his ears from hearing the law, even his prayers shall be abominable,' saith God, Prov. xxviii. 9. And is it not good reason, think we, for God not to …
998 wordsSECTION 52Section 52
The words contain a promise of a reward, and great farour unto good Idng Josiah, that he should die, and be gathered unto his fathers ; and that which is more, the manner considered, that he should ' die in peace ; ' the ground whereof is shewed unto him : ' Because thine eyes shall not see all the evil that I will bri…
1,022 wordsSECTION 53Section 53
' Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace.' Doct. 2. Mark hei'e the language of Canaan, how the Spirit of God in common matters doth raise up the soul to think hitihhj of them. Therefore it is that the Holy Ghost sweetens death with a phrase of * gathering.' Instead…
1,226 wordsSECTION 54Section 54
80 THE saint's refreshing. tlie brethren," 1 John iii. 14. And on the contrary, those that are brethren in evil here, may read in their own wicked courses and conversation what will become of them hereafter. They are all tares, and shall be gathered together in a bundle, and cast into hell fire for ever. * And thou s…
918 wordsSECTION 55Section 55
From hence we learn this instruction, Doct. 6. That death may he less miserable than the ill which a man may live to see in this life; or, that the miseries of this life may be such as that death may be much better than life, and far rather to be chosen. We may fall into such miseries whilst we do live, that we may de…
1,042 wordsSECTION 56Section 56
' Neither shall thy eyes see the misery I will bring upon this people.' Voct. 8. Here we learn again that it is the sight of misery which n-orJcs the deepest impression. It is not the hearing of a thing, but the sight of it, which affecteth most deeply ; as in the sacrament, the seeing of the bread broken, and the wine…
982 wordsSECTION 57Section 57
84 THE SAINT S EEFRESHING. was a mercy, because it prevented bim from seeing tbe evil to come, and so bkewise brongbt bim sooner to beaven. It is a strange tbing to see bow tbe wisdom of beaven can mingle crosses and favours, corrections and mercies togetber ; tbat tbe same tbing sbould be botb a mercy to Josiali to …
1,016 wordsSECTION 58Section 58
What should we learn from hence ? Use 1. This should teach us to make much of such meii as truly fear God, seeing it is for their sakes that God doth spare us. They carry the bless- ing of God with them wheresoever they go. As Laban's house was blessed for Jacob's sake. Gen. xxs. 27, and Potiphar's for Joseph's sake. …
968 wordsSECTION 59Section 59
The ill which seizeth upon the soul after death ; or else, the evil which seizeth upon the whole man, both soul and body, both in this and after this life. Thus God is said to bring evil, not the evil of sin, but the evil of punish- ment. Doct. 12. Hence we leam, that the evils uhich ive suffer, they are from the evi…
908 wordsSECTION 60Section 60
Here we sec that the messengers deal faithfully with Josiah. They brought the direct message which the prophetess did bid them, which was good for himself, but doleful for his estate. He was a gracious man, and God gave him gracious servants. Doct. 13. For God idll r/ive f/ood men faithful servants, that shall deal fa…
941 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.