Hello everyone,
I would like to highlight one portion of Sibbes’
introduction, To the Christian Reader, that gives me much comfort and food for
thought. (By the way, I don't think Puritans believed in paragraphs 😉):
The more glory to God, and the more comfort to a Christian
soul, arising from the belief and application of these things, the more the
enemy of God's glory and man's comfort labours to breed misconceptions of them,
that if he cannot keep men from heaven, and bring them into that cursed
condition he is in himself, yet he may trouble them in their passage. Some,
and none of the worst, Satan prevails with so far as to neglect the means, upon
fear they should, being so sinful, dishonour God and increase their sins; and
so they lie smothering under this temptation, as it were bound hand and foot by
Satan, not daring to go to Christ, and yet are secretly upheld by a spirit
of faith, showing itself in hidden sighs and groans unto God. These are
abused by false representations of Christ; all whose ways to such, are ways of
mercy, and all his thoughts, thoughts of love. The more Satan is malicious
in keeping the soul in darkness, the more care is to be had of establishing the
soul upon that which will stay it. Rev. xxii. 17 [ Revelation 22:17]. Among
other grounds to build our faith on, such as the free offer of grace to all
that will receive it; the gracious invitation of all that are weary and heavy
laden, those that have nothing to buy with, the command binding to believe; the
danger of not believing, being shut up prisoners thereby under the guilt of all
other sins; the sweet entreaty to believe, and ordaining ambassadors to desire
peace; putting tender affections into them, answerable to their calling;
ordaining sacraments for the sealing of the covenant; besides these, I say, and
such moving inducements, this is one infusing vigour and strength into all the
rest, that they proceed from Christ, a person authorized, and from the
compassion that moved him, not only to become a man, but a curse for us; hence
it is, that he will not quench the smoking wick or flax. It adds strength to
faith to consider, that all expressions of love issue from nature in Christ,
which is constant. God knows that as we are prone to sin, so when conscience is
thoroughly awakened, we are as prone to despair for sin; and therefore he would
have us know, that he sets himself in the covenant of grace to triumph in
Christ over the greatest evils and enemies we fear, and that his thoughts are
not as our thoughts are, Isa. v. 8; that he is God, and not man, Hos. xi. 9 [Hosea
11:9]; that there are heights, and depths, and breadths of mercy in him above
all the depths of our sin and misery, Eph. iii. 18 [Ephesians 3:18]; that we
should never be in such a forlorn condition, wherein there should be ground of
despair, considering our sins be the sins of men, his mercy the mercy of an
infinite God. (Emphasis added.)[1]
If I could attempt a brief paraphrase: Satan will assault the
believer, especially the believer who is prone to despair over indwelling sin.
He will attempt to steal the joy of our salvation and bind us “hand and foot”
under condemnation. Satan will also hold before us a false representation of
Christ. But at these times, when we may be tempted to flee from Christ, we must
run to Him. We must remember that the love of Christ is constant, it does not ebb and flow. Remember all He has done and continues to do as our Redeemer and High Priest. And we must remember that we are in a covenant of grace with a God of infinite mercy.
Lastly, Sibbes’ ends his introduction with this prayer, may it
be ours as well:
The Lord guide our hearts, tongues, and pens, for his glory
and the good of his people.[2]
[1] The
Bruised Reed (p. 4). Kindle Edition.
[2] The
Bruised Reed (p. 4). Kindle Edition.
Comments
Post a Comment