Category: Richard Sibbes

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

For how wondrously doth this stablish our faith when we believe in a Saviour that is God; the Son of God, Jesus Christ by eternal generation. In a word, here are these prerogatives of Christ’s generation from all other sons whatsoever. Other fathers are before their sons, this Son of God was eternal with his Father. Other fathers have a distinct essence from their sons, the father is one, and the son another; they have distinct existences; but here there is one common essence to the Father and the Son. Other fathers beget a son without them, but this Father begets his Son within him. It was an inward work. So it is a mystical divine generation, which indeed is a subject of admiration rather than of explication, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Son of man.  – Richard Sibbes, An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 1

For the devil ploughs with our heifer. The most mischief that he hath done in the world, it is by the correspondency that he hath with our flesh, our enemy within.   – Richard Sibbes, An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 1

If we be less than the least, then we must be thankful for the least. Humility is always thankful. A humble man thinks himself unworthy of anything, and therefore he is thankful for anything.  – Richard Sibbes, An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 1

Prayer is a prevailing course with God.

It prevails for the removing of ill, or for the preventing of ill, or for the obtaining of good, ‘I shall be delivered,’ I shall be continued in the state of deliverance; but yet you must pray. Your prayers will obtain and beg this of God.

Reason 1. Prayer is a prevailing course, because, as I said, it is obedience to God’s order. He bids us call upon him, and he will hear us. Prayer binds him with his own promise. Lord, thou canst not deny thyself, thou canst not deny thy promise, thou hast promised to be near all those that call upon thee in truth; and though with much weakness, yet we call upon thee in truth; therefore we cannot but be persuaded of thy goodness that thou wilt be near us. So it is a prevailing course, because it is obedience to God’s order.

Reason 2. And it is a prevailing course, because likewise it sets God on work. Faith, that is in the heart, and that sets prayer on work, for prayer is nothing but the voice of faith, the flame of faith. The fire is in the heart and spirit, but the voice, the flame, the expression of faith, is prayer. Faith in the heart sets prayer on work. What doth prayer? That goes into heaven, it pierceth heaven, and that sets God on work; because it brings him his promise, it brings him his nature. Thy nature is to be Jehovah, good and gracious, and merciful to thine! thy promise is answerable to thy nature, and thou hast made rich and precious promises. As faith sets prayer on work, so prayer sets God on work; and when God is set on work by prayer (as prayer must needs bind him, bringing himself to himself, bringing his word to him; every man is as his word, and his word is as himself), God being set on work, he sets all on work. He sets heaven and earth on work, when he is set on work by prayer. Therefore it is a prevailing course. He sets all his attributes on work for the deliverance and rescue of his church from danger, and for the doing of any good. He sets his mercy and goodness on work, and his love, and whatsoever is in him.  – Richard Sibbes, An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 1

God will have it thus in his wise dispensation, because he will have every man esteemed, and because he will have no man to be proud. He will humble his own to let them know that they stand in need of the prayers of the weakest. Every man in the church of God hath some gifts, that none should be despised; and none have all gifts, that none should presume over-much and be proud. In the church of God, in the body of Christ, there is no idle member. In the communion of saints there is none unprofitable. Every one can do good in his kind.  – Richard Sibbes, An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 1