PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes — Volume 7
Richard Sibbes · 412,687 words · 416 reading sections
Section 61
Vol. I. pp. cxxv. for remarks of Fuller. A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES: OK, Christ in our Nature. Wherein is contained The Wonderfull Conception, Birth, and Life of Christ, who in the fulnesse of time became man to satisfie divine Justice and to make reconciliation between God and Man. Preached to the honourable So…
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Again, it hath force of a reason thus. The promise of our Messiah is the grand promise of all, and the cause of all promises ; for all promises made to the church, are either promises of Christ himself, or promises in him and for his sake, because he takes all promises from God, and con- veyeth them, and maketh them go…
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110 MIRACLE OF MIRACLES. to come by the ordinary way of propagation. He was to covaQfrom Adam, but not hj Adam; for he was to be sanctified by the Holy Ghost.^ Because he was indeed to be a sacrifice, and he must be without spot or sin himself, that was to ofier himself for the sins of others. Therefore the foundation…
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This is not a mere analogical truth, but it floweth naturally. Whoso- ever are to have the benefit of his birth and conception, Christ sendeth into their heart the same Spirit that sanctified the mass whereof he was made, and so frameth a disposition suitable to himself. He sets his own stamp upon the heart. As the uni…
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III. Thirdly, This God and man must be one person ; for if there were two persons, God one distinct person and man another, then there were two Christs, and so the actions of the one could not be attributed to the other. As man died and shed his blood, it could not have been said that God died; but because there was b…
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It requires hearts warmed by the Spirit of God to think of and admire these things answerable to their natures. The angels, when Christ was born, could not contain, but break out, ' Glory to God on high, on earth peace, good will towards men,' Luke ii. 13, 14, because there was then peace; peace between God and us, and…
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He is not only God with us in our nature, but he is God for us in heaven at all times. He is God in us by his Spirit, He is God amongst us in our meetings : ' Where two or three be gathered together in my name, I will be in the midst of them,' Mat. xviii. 20. He is God for us to defend us, for he is for us in earth, fo…
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MIRACLE OF MIRACLES. (THE SECOND SEBMON.) Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. — Isaiah VII. 14. The occasion of these words we have heard. The church was in great dis- tress under two mighty kings, that threatened great matters ; but indeed were but two smoking firebran…
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And then all is for us. ' To ks a child is born, to us a Son is given,' in the same chapter. For us, and for us men, he came down from heaven. And then to the eye of faith all these things are present. Faith knoweth no difierence of time. Christ is present to the eye of faith now. We see him sacrificed in the sacramen…
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(3.) And then in manyier of propagation. His was extraordinary alto- gether. Adam was of the earth, neither of man, nor woman ; Eve of man, without a woman ; all other of Adam and Eve ; Christ of a virgin, and without a man. But setting aside his subsistence in the second person, and extraordinary means of propagation,…
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(5.) And from hence, that our nature is engrafted into the Godhead, it followeth, that what was done in our nature was of wonderful extension, force, and dignity ; because it was done when our nature was knit to the Godhead, and therefore it maketh up all objections. As, How could the death of one man satisfy for the …
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THE SECOND SERMON. 123 eecond person in the Trinity. And then he is God and man, and there- fore he is fit to be mediator, to lay his hand on both sides, on man as man, on God as God, And Christ is a friend to both, to God as to God,* and to man as man, and therefore he is fit to be an umpire, to be a day's-man, to be…
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There be divers evidences whether we have any ground of comfort in this Emmanuel or no. This shall be one. (1.) We may know we have benefit by the first coming of Emmanuel, if we have a serious desire of the second coming, if we have a desire to be with him ; if, as he came to us in love, we have desires to be with hi…
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We have many against us. The devils are against us, the world is against us, to take away the favour of God, to hinder access to him in prayer, to stop the church's communion with God, and hinder the sweet * Qu. ' nearer ' ? — Ed. 12G MIEACLE OF MIRACLES. issue of all things that befall us as far as they can. ' ' But…
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Next, now sixthly and lastly, for ending of this text, I am to speak of the marks of this change; or rather, I may call them, the effects of this change, the certain and infallible signs of the same. Yet look not that here I will undertake to handle a commonplace, and shew unto you all the si^ns of regeneration ; only …
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First, If we tvoidd not do evil, though tee mir/ht do it unseen of any creature : as, when a little child shall lay his hand on the cockatrice's den, the serpent might sting, and yet, unseen of any, pull in the head again. This, likewise, is a true^sign of harmlessness — when, though a man may do some hurt unseen, yet …
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THE TOUCHSTONE OF EEGENEBATION. 133 speaketh, ' By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another.' This nearness imports consanguinity. It is common, in the Scripture, to call the children of God brethren. [l.J No man can love a saint, as a saint, but a saint. This is a sure sign of this si…
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But I hasten to the next. The fourth is, 4. Inwardness. How is this implied ? Their little ones shall lie down together. There is nothing so dear unto all creatures as their young ones, of which they are most jealous. There are no creatures which are not jealous and tender of their young ones, chiefly the bear, which…
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1, For consolation; 2, for exhortation. Use 1. The first thing is, for the place. But how shall this be brought in ? What of the place ? I say a trial by the place, where all shall be in: 'In my holy mountain.' It shall be therefore for trial of religion. Where the mountain is, there is the true religion, there is the…
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THE TOUCHSTONE OF EEGENERATION. 137 to be angry and chafing still. If such raging be at home in thy house, I can give thee no comfort ; as thou wouldest look for the evidences of thy lands, as certainly must thou look for this mildness, meekness, and this change in thyself. Mark this still, when a good man hath found …
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Then he comes to the consolation, the sum whereof is, that none loseth by God's afflictions, but rather they are gainers, and great gainers. This he shews by two comparisons, both taken from a husbandman, who when he hath sowed will not harrow it always, but will give every ground sufficient labouring and manuring ; wh…
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Use. The use hereof is, to take no more such unprofitabte courses for com- fort and ease in afflictions, as we have done in running to broken cisterns that can hold no water. It is usual with us, when afflictions are great, and pressing down, to complain, Oh, I have great crosses, never the like ; they are beyond my st…
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* Doth he open and break the clods of his ground, when he hath made plain the face thereof ?' &c. The sum is, as if he should say, I appeal to your consciences, if you did see a husbandman ploughing and breaking the clods of his ground, casting out rubbish and the like, would you imagine he did spoil the ground, to bre…
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VOL. VII. K 14G THE DISCREET PLOUGHMAN. ' For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.' Whence, in brief, leana we thus much : Voct. 6. Skill in hushandnj is the gift of (jod, msdom viust come from him. ' Every good gift, and every perfect gift,' says James, « is from above, and cometh down from …
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Use. The use hereof, briefly, is thus much, to reform our judgments, to be comforted, not to be dismayed, nor condemn ourselves or others because of great afflictions. The afflictions of wicked men make them more proud ; but what afflictions bring out more prayers, and drive us nearer to God, these are happy affliction…
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But how shall all this be made good ? What assurance may we have of this discreet and seasonable ploughing, in time, measure, and continuance, we having so many enemies without us, and corruptions within us ? * This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.' From…
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150 THE DISCREET PLOUGHMAN. arm them with his power against us ; that he is a fiery wall about us, and hath hedged us, and all that we have, about ; that he loves us, pities us, delights not in chastising and afllicting us ; that he doth it not willingly, but enforced, in a manner, for our good ; and that all the whil…
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Ans. To this he answereth, It is true : God, to your thinking, seemeth to be gone from you. Ay, but despair not, stay your mind in peace a while ; he hath but turned away his face for a little, he will turn again, he will have compassion upon you, &c. Though he correct and humble you for a while, yet you shall have a j…
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Reason 1. First, Because mercy is God's nature. It is his name, even an attribute as infinite as himself. And he himself being infinite for measm-e, infinite in continuance, so his mercy must needs be as infinite as himself. Reason 2. Secondly, Because all creatures in heaven and earth have their mercy by derivation f…
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Use 2. Secondly, It is comfort unto such who have been sorry and grieved for their sins, who have got power against them, to be thankful for such deliverances, yea, to be thankful for all crosses in the mean time, for all such following crosses are but as wholesome medicines to cure our souls from our sins, that we may…
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Use 2. Secondly, It is matter of comfort unto us, that since God always dwelleth with his heritage, he therefore sees all our sorrows and cares ; and because of this his abode, for this cause the church shall stand, because he loveth his dwelling-place ; yea, though all the power of hell should be turned loose, yet the…
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Use 2. Secondly, We must hereby learn to imitate and be like unto God. If we will needs be now and then angry, let it be quickly gone ; let us spend our anger upon our sins, and not let the sun go down upon our wrath. But now here ariseth another objection, worse than the former, for the troubled soul might object. Oh…
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Use 2. Secondly, If we have lost our feeling, like the church, Cant. iii. 1, let us seek it again night by night, that is, constantly, diligently, and earnestly ; as Isa. Ixii. 7, let us give God no rest until he return ; l6t us, with David, entreat him to 'restore unto us his Spirit again,' Ps. li. 12. Now, restoring …
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Doct. 8. Those icho have their sins subdued whilst they Jive, shall have them all drowned when they are dead. We see, 1 Cor. xv. 26, it is said, ' The last enemy we have is death;' but this is only in regard of nature — to them it is a passage to heaven, for the others, unto hell. Rev. xiv. 13, the dead in the Lord are…
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NOTES. (a) P. 153. — ' The Original, in the time present, reads " taking away;" ' And again — (6) P. 157. — 'As it is in the Original, in the present number, "passing by iniquity.'" The Hebrew is J7^3~7^ ^^y, = passing by transgression. So Dr Henderson, and all the early and recent Commentators. Q. THE SUN OF RIGHT…
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* Shall the Sun of righteousness arise.' From the most glorious creature, ' the sun,' he expresseth the most glorious Creator, * Christ Jesus,' taking * That is, ' those that fear temptations and fear not God, are not secure. — G. THE SUN OF EIGHTEOUSNESS. 1G9 occasion to help our understandings in grace by natural…
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How, then, shall we know whether Christ be a sun to us or not ? I answer, If ire Jind that we feel the heat and comfort of a Christian, \i is a sign Christ hath effectually shined upon us. We know that a stone, being naturally cold, if it be hot, that either the sun hath shined on it, or it hath been near some fire. T…
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' With healing in his wings.' By wings are understood beams of the sun, for beams are spread from the lightsome body, as wings from the body ; and thus Christ, though but one, can spread all his graces to all parts of the world ; and by the beams are conveyed all that is in the sun, as light and power ; and the like e…
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THE SUN OF EIGHTEOUSNESS. 173 as Manasseh ; all come whole from him ; and therefore when Satan would tempt us to despair, we should call to mind that we have a mer- ciful God that ' forgives all our sins, and heals all our infirmities,' Ps. eiii. 3. Quest. But it will be asked, Why then are we not healed ? What means…
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'a going out' was promised to tliem; for when a comfortable worldly estate is good for the church, it shall have it. Secondly, there is a going out of the bonds of sin, by httle and little in this world ; and because here we are in a warring estate, and our freedom here is but from the dominion of sin ; there is anothe…
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In the next place, loe should come to good food. When we have purged out the ill humours of our corruption, digest some comfortable truths, and that presently after we are humbled, lest Satan get advantages on us; therefore we should resort to the preaching of the word whiles we may. That study is accursed that takes u…
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3. A third sign of our growth is, if ive find ourselves able, like Samson, to break the (jrcen cords of pleasure and profits, that they cannot bind us, and to run lightly away with a heavy load of aftlictions, as Samson did with the city gates of Gaza, counting them light and momentary, as the apostle calls them, 2 Cor…
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* That, is of ' the Tower of London,' within which State prisoners were confined. — Gr. VOL. VTI. M 178 THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. hereafter for ever, and in the mean time God considers of him as his dear son, and it is no matter how high or low he is in the subsidy"' book. If we see ill men therefore advanced, and…
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There he beholdeth his unspeakable mercy to a prisoner condemned to * That is, ' distilling.'— G. 182 TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. die, without which at the last in a desperate case he is led and haled unto execution, by the cursed crew of hellish furies. Here she learneth how the Holy Land is entailed, and retaileth by…
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And for want of this, God's children go limping in their knowledge, and carry the fire of zeal in a flinty heart, which, unless it be hammered, will not yield a spark to warm and cheer their benumbed and frozen afiections towards the worship and service of God, and the hearty embracing of his truth. By this God's work…
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10. God pities our weakness in all our troubles and afflictions. He will not stay too long, lest we out of weakness put our hands to some shifts.* He will not suffer the rod of the wicked to rest upon the lot of the righteous, Ps. cxxv. 3. 11. Is it not an unreasonable speech for a man at midnight to say it will never…
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28. An hypocrite will not pray always, but a child of God never gives over; because he sees an excellency, a necessity, and a possibility of obtaining that he desires. He hath a promise for it: 'The Lord will fulfil the desires of them that fear him,' Ps. cxlv. 19. 29. Prayer doth exercise all the graces of the Spirit…
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40. Take heed of Satan's policy, ' That God hath forgotten me because I am in extremity;' nay, ratlaer God will then shew mercy, for now is the special time of mercy, therefore beat back Satan with his own weapons. 41. "Whatsoever God takes away from his children, he either supplies it with a great earthly favour, or …
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55. When the soul admires spiritual things, it is then a holy frame; and so long it will not stoop to any base comfort. We should therefore labour to keep our souls in an estate of holy admiration. 5G. All those whom Christ saves by virtue of his merit and payment, to those he discovers their wretched condition, and i…
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66. When we find any grace wrought in us, we should have a holy esteem of ourselves, as when we are tempted to sin. What ! I that am an heir of heaven, a king, a conqueror, the son of God, a freeman, shall I stain myself? God hath put a crown upon my soul, and shall I cast my crown into the dirt ? No ; I will be more h…
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78. When we see God blasphemed, or the like, let us think, how would Christ stand affected if he were here ? When he was here upon earth, how AND HOLY CONTEMPLATIONS. 193 zealous was lie against profaneness, and shall I be so cold ? When he saw the multitude wander as sheep without a shepherd, his bowels yearned ; an…
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89. There are four things observable in the nature of love : first, an estimation of the party beloved ; secondly, a desire to be joined to him ; thirdly, a settled contentment ; fourthly, a desire to please the party in all things. So there is first in every Christian an high estimation of God and of Christ. He makes …
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101. The word of God is then in our hearts, when it rules in the soul, when it rules our thoughts, affections, and conversations, so that we dare not do anything contrarjT^ but we shall be checked. Who shall get out that which God's finger hath written in our hearts ? No fire nor faggot, no temptation whatsoever. 102.…
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^- That is = ' in a state of nature.' — G. AND HOLY CONTEMPLATIONS. 197 refuses others. This should therefore teach us sound humility, consider- ing that God must open or else we are eternally shut. 116. Seeing grace is not of our own getting, therefore Una should teach us patience towards those that are under us, w…
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12G. Christians are like to many men of great means, that know not how to make use of them. We live not like ourselves. Bring large faith, and we shall have large grace and comfort. We are scanted in our own bowels, therefore labour to have a large faith, answerable to our large riches. And though Christians be low eno…
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138. A Christian will not do common things, but, first, he sanctifies them, and dedicates himself, his person, and his actions to God, and so he sees God in all things. Whereas a carnal man sees reason only in all that he doth; but a Christian sees God in crosses to humble him, and every- thing he makes spiritual. Yet …
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149. It is good and comfortable to compare our condition with the con- dition of the men of the world; for howsoever they may excel in riches and learning, yet we have cause to bless God, as Christ saith in the 11th of St Matthew, ver. 25, 'I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these t…
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158. Naturally, men labour to put out all checks of conscience by sen- sualit}'. Men are loath to know themselves to be as they are. They are of the devil's mind, they would not be ' tormented before their time,' Mat. viii. 29. Such men, when they are alone, are afraid of themselves. As the elephant will not come near …
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170. In the ark there was manna, which was a type of our sacraments ; and the Testament, which was a type of the word preached ; and the rod of Aaron was a type of government. Wheresoever, therefore, there is spiritual manna, and the word preached, and the rod of Aaron in the go- vernment, there is a true church, thoug…
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179. Sincerity is the perfection of Christians. Let not Satan therefore abuse us. We do all things, when we endeavour to do all things, and AND HOLY CONTEMPLATIONS. 205 purpose to do all things, and are grieved when we cannot do better, tbau* in some measure we do all things. 180. A Christian is able to do great mat…
937 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.