The Bruised Reed – Reading #5

I'll be giving an abbreviated summary of chapters 8 & 9 due to my absence from home and attending the Basics Conference (see Tuesday's post).

Chapter 8 – Duties and Discouragements

Sibbes seeks to continue his pastoral comforting of those who are weak, bruised and only smouldering. He wants to encourage the Christian to continue on in Christian duties, for this will be part of the means God uses to bring us strength, more light and heat.

We Should Persist In Duties – reasons given:

1. Our hearts of themselves are reluctant to give up their liberty.

It is as in rowing against the tide, one stroke neglected will not be gained in three; and therefore it is good to keep our hearts close to duty, and not to listen to the excuses they are ready to frame. (page 52)

2. As we set about duty, God strengthens the influence that he has in us.

3. Obedience is most direct when there is nothing else to sweeten the action. The duty will still be imperfect, but obedience will make it acceptable unto God.

4. What is won as a spoil from our corruptions will have as great a degree of comfort afterwards as it has of obstruction for the present.

As in sailing the hand must be to the helm and the eye to the star, so here we must put forth that little strength we have to duty and look up for assistance, which the Spirit, as freely as seasonably, will afford. (page 54)



Overcoming Discouragements

If God brings us into the trial he will be with us in the trial, and at length bring us out, more refined. We shall lose nothing but dross (Zechariah 13.9) (page 54)



Here, we are reminded why we have been given the Lord's Supper. We need not only reminding, we need strengthening. It is through the grace we receive in the bread and the cup that we are strengthened to fight discouragement, to fulfill our duty, to obey through faith and to rejoice in the Lord.

The Source of Discouragements

Through three listed points, Sibbes shows clearly that the Trinity is not responsible for our discouragements. In fact, God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit do all they do in order to lighten our load, heal our soul and breath fuel onto our smoking wick.

Some Scruples Removed

Here we have some doubts removed in order that we may see our weaknesses overcome as we grow in Christ.

1. Weaknesses do not break covenant with God. If they did, we'd all be undone.
2. Weaknesses do not debar us from mercy. Rather, they make us all the more in need of it.
3. If Christ should not be merciful to our weaknesses, he should not have a people to serve him.

What Are Sins of Infirmity?

1. Where sins of infirmity are in a person, there must be the life of grace begun.
2. There must be a sincere and general bent to the best things.
3. There must be a right judgment, allowing of the best ways, or else the heart is rotten.
4. There must be a conjugal love to Christ. After all, He is our Bridegroom; we are the Bride.

So, we must embrace Christ, not flee from him.

We must know for our comfort that Christ was not anointed to this great work of Mediator for lesser sins only, but for the greatest, if we have but a spark of true faith to lay hold on him. (pages 61)



Chapter 9 – Believe Christ, Not Satan

It seems almost not to need statement, yet how many weak, barely burning Christians have felt so bruised that they flee not to Christ, but away from Him?

How We Should Think of Christ

If the sweetness of all flowers were in one, how sweet must that flower be? (page 62)



We are weak, but we are his; we are deformed, but yet carry his image upon us. (page 62-63)

When Christ Seems To Be An Enemy

Christ may act the part of an enemy a little while, as Joseph did, but it is to make way for acting his own part of mercy in a more seasonable time.



As his Father was never nearer him in strength to support him than when he was furthest off in sense of favour to comfort him, so Christ is never nearer us in power to uphold us than when he seems most to hid his presence from us. (page 64)



When Doubt Assails Us

He cannot find in his heart to hide himself long from us. (page 65)

The sighs of a bruised heart carry in them a report, both of our affection to Christ, and of his care to us. The eyes of our souls cannot be towards him unless he has cast a gracious look upon us first. (page 66)



Whatever may be wished for in an all-sufficient comforter is all to be found in Christ:

1. Authority from the Father

2. Strength in himself

3. Wisdom

4. Willingness. (page 66)

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