Richard Sibbes.
-(1577 - 1635)
-Pastor and author
-Anglican
Although known as a Puritan, Richard Sibbes was an Anglican priest who remained in the Church of England throughout his life. He was born in Suffolk, England, and received his education at St. John's College, Cambridge. He became a lecturer at Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge. Then, he went on to preach at Gray’s Inn, London, for many years. In 1626, he returned to Cambridge as Master of St Catherine’s Hall and later to Holy Trinity Church in Cambridge as its vicar.
Sibbes' pastoral care, deep understanding of Scripture, and ability to apply biblical truths to believer’s practical struggles dubbed him the “Heavenly Doctor Sibbes.” He had a unique ability to combine deep theological insight with a warm and pastoral style, making his writings accessible and edifying for scholars and the average believer.
Throughout his ministry, Sibbes emphasized the grace of God and the sufficiency of Christ's work for salvation. He exalted Christ as the believers’s ultimate comfort, encouragement, and transformation source. He believed in the power of the Holy Spirit to regenerate hearts and sanctify believers. He consistently pointed readers to the grace and love of God as the foundation of their faith and assurance, including the believer's union with Christ, true faith's nature, the importance of self-examination, and the transformative power of God's Word. He believed the secret of sanctification was 2 Corinthians 3:18: And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. We become like what we worship; as we behold Christ, we become like Him. Whatever we fix our desires on, we will become like it.
One of Sibbes' most well-known works is The Bruised Reed, where he portrays the broken and contrite believer and how Christ, as the gentle shepherd, restores and strengthens those who are weak and wounded in spirit. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, “I shall never cease to be grateful to Richard Sibbes, who was balm to my soul at a period in my life when I was overworked and badly overtired, and therefore subject in an unusual manner to the onslaughts of the devil.”
“Sibbes never wastes the student’s time. He scatters pearls and diamonds with both hands.”
Biography of Richard Sibbes (webpage) - This reverend divine was eminently distinguished for a meek and quiet spirit, consistently unwilling to offend those in power. He was a zealous and faithful steward of the manifold grace of God and one of the most celebrated preachers of his time. He enjoyed much sweet communion with God, was mild, quiet, and peaceable, and consistently unwilling to provoke his superiors.
Richard Sibbes and the Returning Backslider by Geoff Thomas (article) - Satan has two eyeglasses. Looking through one big thing seems small, and so he makes our sins seem insignificant. His other eyeglass makes small things seem huge. So when the backslider tries to return, Satan exaggerates the task and makes the problems seem enormous.
Richard Sibbes: On Preaching (article) - Preaching is a profoundly relational act joining preacher and listener in Christ. This is why God decided that mere men would preach His Word. That is not to say that the preacher wins his hearers by his charisma; he calls them to “obedience to the truth.” Nevertheless, in preaching, God aims to “knit man to man by bonds of love.”
The Sealer of our Souls by Joel Beeke (article) - According to Sibbes and many other Puritans, looking at the role of the Spirit in sealing the souls of believers is very much like examining His work in the personal assurance of faith and salvation. Sibbes, however, viewed our sealing in the Spirit as two distinct matters. He distinguished between the office or function of the Spirit as a seal given in regeneration to a sinner and the work of the Spirit in applying that seal to the believer’s consciousness. When the Holy Spirit puts His holy seal on a believer, that person will bear the fruits of holiness. Sealing prompts assurance, and the more assurance we have, the more love we feel for God and the more we obey Him.
Puritan Richard Sibbes on Entertaining the Holy Spirit by Joel Beeke (audio) - Sibbes influenced Anglicanism, Presbyterianism, and Independency, the three dominant parties of the church in England at that time. He was a pastor of pastors and lived a life of moderation. "Where most holiness is, there is most moderation, where it may be without prejudice of piety to God and the good of others," he wrote.
Richard Sibbes Sermon Audio Series - Sibbes was a gentle man who avoided the controversies of his day as much as possible. "Fractions breed fractions," he insisted. His battles with Archbishop Laud, Roman Catholics, and Arminians were exceptions. He also remained close friends with many pastors and leaders who wanted more radical reform than he did for the Church of England.
Richard Sibbes Resources (webpage) - devotions, sermons, free ebooks.
“God takes it unkindly if we weep too much for the loss of a wife, child, or friend, or any cross in this life, for it is a sign that we do not fetch our comfort from Him. Nay, though our weeping is for sin, we must keep moderation, with one eye looking on our sins and the other on God’s mercy in Christ. If the best grief should be moderated, how much more the other!”
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Richard Sibbes is known for his "affectionate theology" and elegant words on one's relationship with Christ. He was a member of the Church of England but would sometimes get in trouble for his ties to the Puritans.
His sermon, "I Am My Beloved, And My Beloved Is Mine," allegorically interprets the Song Of Solomon and puts Christ in the place of Solomon and the woman as the church. He then uses this relationship to describe our current relationship with Christ as we wait for Christ to return.
"The Saint's Hiding Place In The Evil Day" is a sermon by Richard Sibbes offering profound insight into finding solace and refuge in God during times of trial, temptation, and spiritual conflict. He begins by acknowledging the reality of evil days, referring to the various challenges and afflictions that believers may face in their Christian journey. He highlights the importance of seeking a hiding place, a sanctuary, where the soul can find comfort and protection amidst the storms of life.
Michael Reeves refreshes us with Richard Sibbes's life and thoughts. His writings and sermons glow with a sunny warmth. He's a man who enjoyed knowing God, and his relish is infectious. He spoke of the Living God as a life-giving, warming sun who spreads his beams and influence to make things.
Sibbes expounds Isaiah 42:3, “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.” There is no better introduction to the Puritans than Richard Sibbes's writings, who is, in many ways, a typical Puritan. Since its first publication in 1630, The Bruised Reed has been a spiritual help and comfort source.
This book is a meditation on Matthew 12:18-20 and Isaiah 42:1-3, and it is a masterful explanation of how Christ tenderly cares for his Christians. Bruising is needed so that reeds may know they are reeds, not oaks. Whatever claim sin has on a man, bruising or breaking, is the end of it. It cannot but cheer the heart of the church to consider, despite all the infirmities and miseries she is subject to, that she has a Bridegroom with a kind disposition.
Richard Sibbes always sought to penetrate the superficial layer of his listeners' behavior and deal with their hearts, affections, and desires. In The Tender Heart, he explains that tender-hearted people do not simply desire salvation; they want the Lord of salvation himself. Only when a person is brought to love the Lord with heart-felt sincerity will they begin to truly hate their sin instead of merely dreading the thought of God's punishment.
Do you yearn to see Christ face to face? Richard Sibbes fans the flame of the Christian’s desire to see God from Psalm 27:4 in an extraordinary treatise on the beatific vision.
Sibbes takes for his text Isaiah 26:6-9 to display Christ's gracious invitation and royal entertainment of believers. The subject matter is a perfect blend of rich doctrine and practical application. Here is an 'admirable feast indeed ... Jesus Christ is the master of the feast, and the cheer and provision too.' If you have lost the 'spiritual relish of savory practical truths, ' these sermons, if read prayerfully, will help you recover it.
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