Category: Heroes

When a man sees the gospel of God trodden down, for a man now to be quiet, that shews his heart is dead. It is better to rage than to be quiet in such a case; for that shews life, though with much distemper. God will set light by his salvation that sets light by his honour. – Richard Sibbes, Discouragement’s Recovery

These desires, first of all, they were but flashes: for we never read that he [Balaam] had them long. They were mere flashes; as a sudden light, that rather blinds a man than shews him the way. So these enlightenings they are not constant. Wicked men ofttimes have sudden motions and flashes and desires. ‘Oh that I might die the death of the righteous. ‘Oh that I were in such [a] man’s estate. But it is but a sudden flash and lightning. They are like a torrent, a strong sudden stream, that comes suddenly and makes a noise, but it hath no spring to feed it. The desires of God’s children they are fed with a spring, they are constant; they are streams, and not flashes.  – Richard Sibbes, Balaam’s Wish

[R]efuse not all that ill men say; they may have good apprehensions, and give good counsel. It had been good for Josiah to have followed the counsel of wicked Pharaoh, a heathen. God often enlightens men that otherwise are reprobates. Refuse not gold from a dirty hand; do not refuse directions from wicked men.  – Richard Sibbes, Balaam’s Wish

As a tree, we cast not water on the branches, but on the root. All the branches are cherished by the root. So strengthen faith. We strengthen love, and hope, and all, if we strengthen faith, and assurance of God’s love in Christ.  – Richard Sibbes, An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 1

As in plants and tree, what is the fruit of the tree? nothing but the juice of the tree applied and digested into fruit; so, indeed, doctrine is that that runs through the whole life of a Christian, and the strength of doctrine is in comfort. Comfort is nothing but doctrine sweetly digested and applied to the affections. He will never be a good comforter, that doth not first stablish the judgment in some grounds of doctrine, to shew whence the comfort flows.  – Richard Sibbes, An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 1

For, beloved, the knowledge that must save us must not only be of divine things, but it must be divine; it must not only be of spiritual things, but it must be spiritual. The light that we have of spiritual things must be answerable to the things; we must see them by their own light. We cannot know spiritual and heavenly things by a human light; but as the things themselves are spiritual, so we must have the Spirit of God, that by it we may come to know spiritual things spiritually.  – Richard Sibbes, An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 1

Quest. How shall we know the doctrine of the gospel concerning Christ to be yea, undoubtedly true?

Ans. 1. I answer, how do we know the sun shines? I know it by its own light, and by a light that I have in my eye. There is an inward light joined with the outward light. So it is in this business, how do we know divine truth out of the book of God to be divine? By the light in itself, by the majesty of the Scriptures, by the consent of the Old and New Testament, by the opposition of the enemies, and the confusion of them at the last that have been opposers of it, by the miraculous preservation of it, and the like; but especially by the powerful work of it on the heart, by the experience of this blessed truth. I know this to be an undoubted truth, I find it quelling my corruptions, changing my nature, pacifying my conscience, raising my heart, casting down high imaginations, turning the stream of nature another way; to make me do that which I thought I should never have done, only because I have a strong light of divine truth and comfort. There is this experience of Christ, that a man finds in his soul. It sets him down that he can say nothing, but that it is divine truth, because he finds it so.  – Richard Sibbes, An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 1

Let us often think of our nature in him now exalted in heaven, and that we shall follow him ere long. Our head is gone before, and he will not suffer his body always to rot in the earth. Let us think of his natures, and his offices, and all the blessed prerogatives that we have by him, and all the enemies that are conquered by him, that in him we have God reconciled, and the devil vanquished, we have heaven opened, and hell shut; we have our sins pardoned, and our imperfections by little and little cured; in him we have all in all.  – Richard Sibbes, An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 1

There is nothing more terrible than God without Christ; but now in Christ we can think of the most terrible thing in God with comfort. – Richard Sibbes, An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 1

Indeed, Jesus Christ is all in all in our preaching, and he should be so in your hearing. Of all things you should desire to hear most of Christ. The apprehension of your sinfulness should drive you to Christ. The hearing of duties should be to make you adorn your Christian religion you have taken on you. Naturally men love to hear flashes, witty conceits, and moral points wittily unfolded; but all these in the largest extent do but civilize men. It must be Christ unfolded, and God’s love, and mercy, and wisdom in him reconciling mercy and justice together: the wondrous love of God in Christ, and his justice, and mercy; and the love of Christ in undertaking to work our redemption; and the benefits by Christ, his offices, estates, and conditions. These things work faith and love. These things do us good.

All other things, take them at the best, they do but fashion our carriage a little; but that which enlivens and quickens the soul is Jesus Christ.

Use. Therefore we should of all other things be desirous to hear of Jesus Christ. It is a point that the very angels are students in.   – Richard Sibbes, An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 1