This is the concluding chapter to this excellent work by Richard Sibbes. As Spurgeon said he scatters pearls and diamonds throughout this book. The last chapter is as if Sibbes has taken his collection of pearls and diamonds and is now showing them off to the reader. This chapter is rich in its concluding remarks.

Quick Outline:

• Why Christ’s Government is Opposed
• We Must Expect Opposition
• Our Victory in Christ is Certain
• Treasure the Least Degree of Grace
• Encouragement to Come to Christ
• Christ is the Hope of the Church
• Faith Will Prevail

Summary:

Sibbes point is this concluding chapter is to show us that there will be combat, yet in this combat we will be victorious. To think that we will not have a battle is ridiculous. “There can be no victory if there is no combat”. Certainly, Christ will be opposed. Yet, in all of this, Sibbes encourages us that our victory in Christ is certain; our faith will prevail.

The government of Christ will be opposed. Sadly, this opposition will come from our very own flesh. As Sibbes points out, “The flesh still labours to maintain its own government, and therefore it cries down the credit of whatever crosses it, such as God’s blessed ordinances, and highly prizes anything, though never so dead and empty, if it allows the liberty of the flesh.”

It is utterly stupid that any would oppose Christ, yet we all do at times. Why? We can see from our own hearts that the flesh opposes any type of government. We abhor restraint. The very nature of Christ’s rule (it being a rule) will cause men to oppose it. Yet, further still, it is a spiritual government. Since, the flesh constantly wars against the spirit we must not be surprised that Christ is opposed. He is also opposed because men are opposed to judgment. We hate to be censured. We balk at the word no. Therefore, it is obvious that Christ will be opposed by the flesh. We must expect opposition.

“It is therefore no sign of good condition to find all quiet, with no opposition; for can we think that corruption, which is the older element in us, and Satan, the strong man who has many holds over us, will yield possession quietly?” Therefore, we must understand that “wherever Christ comes there will be opposition”.

As Sibbes always does, before we get discouraged with our remaining corruption, he reminds us that our victory in Christ is certain. Thankfully, “the victory lies not with us, but with Christ, who has taken on him both to conquer for us and to conquer in us…they are his enemies as well as ours”. Is that not very encouraging? It must really strengthen us and frustrate the father of lies to know that “a grain of mustard seed should be stronger than the gates of hell”. Oh, the wonderful power of the grace of Christ!

Because of this beautiful reality we must be certain (as Sibbes has labored to prove) that we must treasure the least degree of grace. This all should prove an encouragement to believers and an allurement to unbelievers to come fully under the rule of Christ’s government. We shall do so because Christ is the only hope of the Church. (Oh, that we would remember this!) We shall take heart in all of this because faith will prevail! Thanks be to Jesus Christ. We close our summary as did Sibbes, “And may he grant that the prevailing power of his Spirit in us should be an evidence of the truth of grace begun, and a pledge of final victory, at that time when he will be all in all, in all his, for all eternity. Amen.”

Discussion:

Do you agree with Sibbes’ statement that it is “no sign of a good condition to find all quiet”? My personal take is that he should have (and perhaps in the Puritan language he has) added the word “sure”. Therefore it would read: “It is therefore no sure sign of a good condition to find all quiet”. It appears as if Sibbes is saying that if all is quiet then something is wrong. (I believe Owen considers something of the like in his work Overcoming Sin and Temptation). What is your take on this?

What are your thoughts on this book, overall? How has the Lord used it in your life? Questions? Comments?

Pearls and Diamonds:

“Though corruption does not prevail so far as to make void the powerful work of grace, yet there is not only a possibility of opposing, but a proneness to oppose, and not only a proneness, but an actual withstanding of the working of Christ’s Spirit, and that in every action” (p.118)

“…wherever Christ comes there will be opposition”. (p.121)

“…we see the conflicting, but yet sure and hopeful, state of God’s people.” (p.122)

“Satan will object, ‘You are a great sinner.’ We may answer, ‘Christ is a strong Saviour.'” (p.123)

“Oh, what a confusion is this to Satan, the he should labour to blow out a poor spark and yet should not be able to quench it; that a grain of mustard seed should be stronger than the gates of hell…” (p.124)

In this chapter we consider Christ’s Public Triumph over evil. From this Sibbes will show that “grace will become glory, and come forth into the sight of all”. The prospect of this is quite encouraging, and I am certain it would be very much so to a depressed and discouraged soul.

Quick Outline:

• The Open Glory of Christ in His Members
• Follow Sincerity and Truth
• Christ Alone Advances this Government
• We Must Not Look to Ourselves
• Christ Makes us Feel our Dependence
• The Triumph of Grace

Summary:

Oh, what a glorious truth is behind this chapter. It appears at present that Christ is not advancing and that Satan is reigning victorious. Yet, in this chapter, Sibbes will display for us the open glory of Christ and all that it entails for us. At one glorious point in history, Sibbes proclaims, “then there shall be no glory but that of Christ and his spouse.”

What are the implications of this? Sibbes says that if men believed this truth then they would “make more account of sincerity, which alone will give us boldness, and not seek for covers for their shame, confidence in which, as it makes men now more presumptuous, so it will expose them hereafter to their greater shame”. We should thus be very vigorous in our pursuit of holiness and hatred of evil. We must “take heed that we follow not the ways of those men whose ends we shall tremble at”.

Sibbes at this point decides to throw in some deep biblical theology. Given the depravity of man we must understand that Christ alone advances His government. “Nature, as corrupted, favours its own being, and will maintain itself against Christ’s government”. Christ then must do a mighty work in establishing his government within us. He must remove sin, weaken it, suspend opposite hindrances, and advance the power of His grace in us. Therefore, we must not look to ourselves in all of this. As Sibbes says, “…it is dangerous to look for that from ourselves which we must have from Christ”. Given all of this we must be very cautious to depend upon Christ and not on ourselves.

I believe Sibbes is trying to get us to see that this is another reason why we often struggle. Sometimes Christ allows us to fall into sin to further teach our dependence on him, and to further implant in us His grace and a hatred for wickedness. This is comforting and yet spurs us on to follow Christ even more boldly. Yet, in all of this grace will triumph!

Discussion:

Have you had an experience in your life when because of “irreverent and presumptuous conduct” you gave Christ a cause to “suspend his gracious influence and leave you to the darkness of your own heart”? In doing so, what was the fruit? Do you find that Sibbes is correct in what he says in this chapter?

In this chapter we see how Sibbes’ Reformed theology reflects everything that he says. Why is it important that we realize fully that Christ alone advances this government? How might Semi-Pelagianism lead to gross pride and cause our growth to be hindered?

Pearls and Diamonds:

“Can we think that he that threw the angels out of heaven will suffer dust and worms’ meat to run a contrary course, and to continue always so?” (p.111)

“A woeful condition, when both we and that which we highly esteem shall vanish together.” (p.112)

“Let us know, therefore, that it is dangerous to look for that from ourselves which we must have from Christ.” (p.114)

“Nothing is stronger than humility, which goes out of itself, or weaker than pride, which rests on its own foundation.” (p.114)

“…that which is begun in self-confidence ends in shame.” (p.115)

“Hence it is that we often fail in lesser conflicts and stand firm in greater, because in the lesser we rest more in ourselves, in the greater we fly to the rock of our salvation, which is higher than we.” (p.116)

This is a very important chapter on the heels of Chapter 13. Some might be tempted to stop their pursuit of holiness because of the grand truth that Christ will be victorious. Yet, if this chapter is heeded we will see that even though Christ is victorious, “he accomplishes it by training us up to fight his battles”. How then do we fight? Sibbes will explore in this chapter the Means to Make Grace Victorious.

Quick Outline:

• Rules for Right Judgment
• Keeping Our Judgment Clear
• Reasons for Seeming Lack of Progress
• All Should Side with Christ

Summary:

It seems like Sibbes has developed in these latter chapters a propensity for list making. He offers us several lists again. They are indeed very important for us to consider. It is not in list form but Sibbes begins by giving several rules for right judgment. They appear to be questions to ask yourself in making decisions. I will try to reformat them into a question form list:

• Does it help or hinder my main purpose?
• Does it make me more or less spiritual?
• Does it bring me nearer the fountain of all goodness; God Himself?
• Will it bring me peace or sorrow?
• Will it commend me more or less to God?
• What was the consequence of similar reflections in the past? Did it lead to grace?
• How does God judge this?
• How do men, with nothing invested, advice in the matter?

After considering rules for right judgment, Sibbes now will consider seven ways to keep our judgment clear. First, we ought to “store up true principles in our hearts, and refresh them often, that, in virtue of them, our affections and actions may be more vigorous”. Secondly, “because knowledge and affection help one another, it is good to keep up our affections of love and delight by all sweet inducements and divine encouragements; for what the heart likes best, the mind studies most”. Thirdly, we should discover where our weaknesses are. Fourthly, we should “use all means by which fresh thoughts and affections may be stirred up and preserved in us”. Fifthly, “we must keep grace in exercise”. Sixthly, all of these resolutions must be made in the strength of Christ. Lastly, we should labor to discover what frame our soul ought to be in. In other words we ought to labor to be always prepared.

Some will object to this, and ask, “Why do I remain at a standstill”? Sibbes offers two quick responses. 1) Grace grows in ways that we know not. It may appear that you are at a standstill but you are actually growing. 2) Sometimes victory is suspended because of sin or because we are betraying our helps. How do we gain victory? “First, to get the victory over the pride of our own nature by taking shame to ourselves, in humble confession to God; and then, secondly, to overcome the unbelief of our hearts by yielding to the promise of pardon; and then, thirdly, in confidence of Christ’s assistance, to set ourselves against those sins which have prevailed over us.”

It is almost as if the last section does not belong in this chapter. Sibbes closes by urging all souls to side with Christ. He will be victorious, therefore, we ought to side with the victor. Not only because He is the victor, but because, “Where Christ is, all happiness must follow. If Christ goes, all will go.”

Discussion:

What do you think of Sibbes’ tips on making right judgments? Would you add anything? Do you agree with all that are there? Is such a list beneficial? Can it be simplified?

Sibbes says, “For what the heart likes best, the mind studies most”. How might we get our hearts in such a frame that we will study most what our heart should like best?

Pearls and Diamonds:

“…faith is an obedient and wise grace.” (p.101)

“True judgment in us advances Christ, and Christ will advance it. All sin is either from false principles, or ignorance, or thoughtlessness, or unbelief of what is true.” (p.102)

“If Christ has possessed the affections, there is no dispossessing of him again. A fire in the heart overcomes all fires without”. (p.103)

“…how can we think that Christ will lead us out to victory, when we take counsel with his and our enemies?” (p.104)

“It is not sleepy habits, but grace in exercise, that preserves us.” (p.104)