Richard Sibbes (1577 - 1635) was a devout English Puritan whose sermons dripped heavenly honey. Richard Baxter said he owed his conversion in large part to Sibbes' work, The Bruised Reed. Charles Spurgeon stated that Sibbes, scatters pearls and diamonds with both hands. Sibbes' sermons and exhortations demand heart work, as does the Holy Spirit, who led Sibbes so wondrously in his glorious pilgrimage while on this earth. This noble Puritan produced a compendium of literature, and thus, The Complete Works Of Richard Sibbes are available in 7 Volumes from The Banner Of Truth Trust.

"Now as Christ rose the third day - manifesting thereby that he was dead - to his greater glory, so is it with his members. Never nearer help than when they are at the worst... So likewise when we are in any distress in the world, void of the help of man, then comes God in and raiseth us up, whether in our credit, estate, &c., as he will do our bodies at the last day." The Power Of Christ's Resurrection

"Now heaven is begun here, or else never begun." The Power Of Christ's Resurrection

"Now in that we are raised by the same power to a spiritual life, whereby Christ rose from the grave, it teacheth us how to conceive of the work of the new birth... The work of grace in a Christian is not a slight work, a word and away, as many think; but it is a powerful work, as appears in that there are more hindrances to keep a man dead in sin from rising out of it, than there was to keep Christ from rising out of the grave. Yet in his resurrection did the power of God mightily appear... Wherefore let those that find a change in their hearts break forth into hearty thanksgiving unto God for his inestimable favour, especially for this powerful work, more powerful than the making of the whole world." The Power Of Christ's Resurrection

"Art thou risen with Christ? Then thou hast POWER to seek those things that are above, to be heavenly minded... God doth not as Pharaoh, bid us do our work, and we must gather straw ourselves; but he bids us do, and quickens us by his Spirit, and enables us to do. He fits us for such actions; he gives us POWER to do them." The Power Of Christ's Resurrection

"For trial of thy estate, see what POWER is there of the Spirit of God in thee to make thee heavenly-minded; to joy in things that are above more than in all the world besides. If thou find this POWER in thee, then thou art a Christian indeed. Thou canst then speak by experience what is the work of the Spirit, and thou knowest well what is the virtue of the resurrection of Christ." The Power Of Christ's Resurrection

"We need not teach a bird to fly, for it will learn of itself; it is natural to her. So a Christian cannot but do the things answerable to his nature. He is of a new nature, and therefore cannot but be heavenly minded." The Power Of Christ's Resurrection

"Attend upon the ordinances of God, labour with him in prayer, that he would make us such as he may delight in, fit us for that estate that he hath provided for us. Labour to increase in all holy actions; take heed of all contrary courses, of worldly-mindedness, of the pleasures of the world, that they draw not away thy heart from an earnest seeking of heavenly things as we should be." The Power Of Christ's Resurrection

None can go to heaven but they who are begotten again here... Never rest then till this life be gotten in us." The Life Of Faith, Sermon I

"The Son is the fountain of life, because he is God, who is radically, fundamentally, and essentially life." The Life Of Faith, Sermon I

"As without shedding of blood no forgiveness of sins, so without the Spirit sealing these things unto our souls, we can have no comfort in them." The Life Of Faith, Sermon I

"Justification is not only a sentence of pardon, but it is also a title to life everlasting... Where God pardons, he advances." The Life Of Faith, Sermon I

"Be sure with the day to clear the sins of that day; so shall ye live a comfortable life, and be fit for all estates, for life, for death, for sickness, trouble, or whatsoever, all our business lying in heaven then." The Life Of Faith, Sermon I

"Christ quickens none but the dead. Why do not the papists attain to this grace of justification? They never see themselves wholly dead, but join some life to the natural estate of man. Therefore Christ quickens them not." The Life Of Faith, Sermon I

"A man sound in the point of justification hath a hatred to popery, and all such doctrine which impairs the riches and grace of Christ. Death is in the Romish religion." The Life Of Faith, Sermon I

"Faith lays hold on Christ as God offers him... Faith receives him as a whole Christ in all his offices; not as a priest to save only, but as a king to rule." The Life Of Faith, Sermon I

"This indeed must be all our strength - to see nothing in ourselves, but all in Christ." The Life Of Faith, Sermon I

"It is meet now we should fetch all from without ourselves; for since Adam lost what he had, it is dangerous to trust ourselves with it any more. Therefore Christ keeps it for us, and makes it ours by conveyance of his Spirit." The Life Of Faith, Sermon II

"Now faith being wrought by an almighty power, raising us above ourselves to fasten and lay hold on so many mysteries, so it makes an almighty working in the soul, making things afar off to come evident." The Life Of Faith, Sermon II

"The trouble is small when faith is great." The Life Of Faith, Sermon II

"So the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper seem weak and feeble things; ay, but they are ordained to strengthen and increase faith." The Life Of Faith, Sermon II

"He who hath a crown before him, it will make him run through the pikes or anything to attain it; so faith, having glory, immortality, and the joys of heaven before it, overlooks and despises all oppositions, and sees all things subdued to Christ, as though all were past; whereupon it gathers assurance that it shall triumph over all in him." The Life Of Faith, Sermon II

"Faith makes absent comforts present to us." The Life Of Faith, Sermon II

"Indeed, to carnal sense these things are undiscernible; but to a renewed soul, the Spirit that God hath given them discovers the eminency thereof above all earthly contentments whatsoever... The children of God know these heavenly things by their taste... God is so far in love with his children that he keeps not all their comforts for another world, but gives them a taste of the sweetness here." The Life Of Faith, Sermon II

"The life of a true Christian is taken up with the consideration of those things which he shall hereafter have in heaven." The Life Of Faith, Sermon II

"Nothing will comfort us at last but a true change of heart. If thou beest not a new creature, thou shalt have no part in the New Jerusalem: therefore let us not feed ourselves with vain hopes." The Life Of Faith, Sermon II

"There is none of us but desires heaven; but why dost thou desire it? Is it because it is set forth to be a kingdom, an excellent place of joy and rest? Is it for this only? Assure thyself, then, thou wilt never come there. Thou must desire to have heaven, because of the divine nature [new birth], because it is a holy place, and near to God, if thou wouldst possess it indeed." The Life Of Faith, Sermon II

"Christ gives himself for none but those which God hath first given him. Christ had his commission, and he came to do his Father's will, not his own... Those that the Father gives in election, Christ redeems, and by redemption saves; for redemption, in regard of efficacy, is no larger than God's election." Salvation Applied

"There is no man condemned, but for not yielding obedience in the act of faith, and doing all that his heart tells him he might, but is unwilling to do... This is the condemnation, with a witness, the great and main cause of condemnation: they would have heaven, if they might have it with their lusts; but they will not yield to the act of faith, to take Christ as he is offered unto them, upon his own terms, to be ruled by him, for better and for worse. This they will none of, which is that which damns them. They would single out of Christ what they list." Salvation Applied

"Christ is a garment, faith puts him on; Christ is a foundation, faith builds upon him; Christ is a root, faith plants us in him; Christ is our husband, faith yields consent, and consent makes the match." Salvation Applied

"Every Christian hath a special revelation from the Spirit. For the Spirit, which knows the secret things of God, and which knows his heart, testifies to him that he is a child of God... Every true Christian hath this revelation, because they have the Spirit of revelation." Salvation Applied

"Some will live in their sins, and yet think that Christ died for them. No; whom Christ loves in particular, he gives them grace to lead a holy life, and to be freed from the bondage of their former corruptions. Those that are not redeemed from their vain conversation, are not redeemed from hell and damnation, unless God give them repentance. Those both go together." Salvation Applied

"True faith goes to the conditions of the Word. Those that live in courses contrary to the Word have not this faith." Salvation Applied

"He that hath a true sound faith, and particular assurance from thence, is willing oftentimes to search his heart... Those who are willing to go on in a still smooth course, because they will not break the peace of their own deluding false hearts, rather thinking all well rather than to put themselves to the trial, we may know this is but presumption." Salvation Applied

"There is a command to rejoice evermore, but nowhere is it written, mourn continually." Salvation Applied

"Faith, where it is, is of a victorious nature." Salvation Applied

"Those that are not kings here, shall never be kings hereafter; those that are not priests here, shall never walk with Christ in heaven in long white robes for ever. Eternal life is begun here, in all the parts of it." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"A man cannot say that he is interested in the promises, that he can lay claim to them, if he be an unfruitful man, an unhallowed man, that hath not the sweet ointment of the Spirit." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"We see then there is a necessity of examining ourselves in this point... As our title to heaven is out of ourselves, by the promises we have of salvation and reconciliation in Christ, so the evidences must be found in ourselves; there must be anointing, and sealing, and the earnest of the Spirit." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"Christ being sealed, he sealed all that he did for our redemption with his blood; and for the strengthening of our faith, he hath added outward seals, the two sacraments, to seal our faith in this blood, and in him who is sealed of the Father." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"The same Spirit that sealed the Redeemer, seals the redeemed." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"You have carnal men in presumption, which leads them to destruction; they sever things in Christ. They will take benefit by Christ, but they care not for his likeness; they will have him as priest, but they respect him not as a king." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"God by his Spirit sets the stamp and likeness of Christ upon us; he distinguisheth us from others, from the great refuse of the world; he appropriates us to himself, and likewise he authoriseth us and puts an excellency upon us to secure us against all. When we have God's seal upon us we stand against all accusations." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"The Spirit of God dwells and keeps a perpetual residence in the heart of a Christian, guiding him, moving him, enlightening of him, governing him, comforting him, doing all the offices of a seal in his heart, till he have brought him to heaven, for the Holy Ghost never leaves us." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"The Christian soul finds somewhat of Christ always in the soul to give a sweet evidence that he is sealed to the day of redemption... When the soul needs encouragement, then God is graciously pleased to superadd this, to give such spiritual ravishings which are as the very beginnings of heaven, so that a man may say of a Christian at such times that he is in heaven before his time, he is in heaven upon earth." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"The Spirit of God not only anoints, but seals... let us consider, that death and judgment will come, and God will set none at his right hand but his sheep that have his mark. Those that he sets his stamp and image upon, those he will set on the right hand in the day of judgment." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"The soul that is sealed knows that he is marked out for God, for happiness in the world to come, whatsoever befalls him in this world; and he knows that God in all confusion of times knows his own seal. Those that are sealed, God hath a special care of." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"Those persons, I say, that are deeply dyed in popery, that have the mark of the beast, they are in a clean opposite condition to those that are marked with the Spirit, that Christ marks for his." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"We must not be so profane as to think slightly and irreverently of God's ordinances. They are of great and high consequence... but the special thing that must comfort, must be the hidden seal of the Spirit." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"God leaves us not off in the mean time while we are in our pilgrimage... He gives us the earnest of the Spirit, that is, he gives the Holy Ghost into our hearts, which is the earnest of that blessed, everlasting, glorious condition which we shall have in heaven hereafter." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"The Spirit of God by itself, together with the graces of it, and the comforts it bringeth - for they go both together - are called an earnest... where God gives earnest, he makes up the bargain... they therefore that have not the earnest cannot look for the bargain." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"It is the ordinary presumptuous error of common Christians, to think to go to heaven out of unclean courses with, Lord have mercy upon us; but miserable wretches are they that have not this earnest of the Spirit in them, an earnest of heaven beforehand." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"We must all read our happiness in our holiness; and therefore it is that happiness in heaven and holiness here, which is happiness inchoate, have both one title, to shew that we cannot have the one without the other. We must enter into heaven here in this life." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"The shaking of Peter was for the rooting of him." Exposition Of 2 Corinthians 1.22

"Many think they have repented, and are deceived upon this false ground. They are and have been grieved for their sins and offences; are determined to leave and forsake them, and that is all they do. They never lay hold of Christ, and come home to God." The Returning Backslider

"If Adam sin, he shall find a hell in paradise. If Paul return, and return to God, he shall find a heaven in a dungeon." The Returning Backslider

"They are cruel to their own souls that walk in evil ways; for undoubtedly God will turn their own ways upon their own heads." The Returning Backslider

"If Christ be once given thee, Christ is more than heaven, and earth, and all; if he be given, God will deny thee nothing." The Knot Of Prayer Loosed

"Every Christian, who would be in deed and not in name so called only, he must be a man of prayer." The Knot Of Prayer Loosed

"A cold prayer hath but a cold answer; that man is but a mocker of prayer, that would have God to hear him, when he hears not himself." The Knot Of Prayer Loosed

"Understand thou, man, God could never be held by such prayers that cross his will, and the manner of his government, yea, such against which he hath so often protested in his word." The Knot Of Prayer Loosed

"All God's promises, like rivers perpetuated, ending in the sea, do end in heaven, and to this tend all the comforts, promises, threatenings, and crosses to bring us thither." The Knot Of Prayer Loosed

"The bringing forth of a right prayer through so many oppositions, it is in a manner like the bringing forth of a child, in which there is much pain, anguish, and sorrow; so that we had rather do anything else; but when the child is born, then there is joy." The Knot Of Prayer Loosed

"Carnal men are earthly in heavenly matters; and, on the contrary, those that are spiritually minded are heavenly disposed in earthly matters." The Rich Pearl

"If we ever think to come to heaven, it must be begun here in the kingdom of grace... Christ will rule in those here by his Spirit that think to reign with him hereafter." The Rich Pearl

"Christ took the flesh of man upon him, yet he hath the lustre of the Godhead, in whom all the attributes of God do plentifully shine." The Rich Pearl

"Our High Priest doth now in heaven bear us in his breast, as the precious stones that were in Aaron's breastplate. It makes us kings and priests to God, and a spouse fitting for him our Husband. It adorneth us with all graces, it makes all ours, and entitles us to heaven." The Rich Pearl

"If the question be whether we had rather have this world than Christ, we must resolve to part with father, mother, lands, yea, with a man's own self, rather than with Christ." The Rich Pearl

"He that keeps in his heart but one beloved pleasure or profit of this life, let him read, pray, hear, profess never so much, the devil hath him sure by the leg or by the wing, and as sure as if the whole man were in his hands; for the devil will willingly suffer a man to go to, and use any good exercises, knowing they add to a man's damnation, so long as he retains a secret delight and liking to any lust, let it be never so small... For who would not have Christ, if he might have pleasure, or profit, or honour with him? No, Christ will have all." The Rich Pearl

"Worldly respects fall down where heaven is advanced." The Rich Pearl

"Satan gives an apple, but he looks to deprive us of a paradise." The Rich Pearl

"If we be in bonds under sin, offer Christ to God." The Rich Pearl

"The pleasures of sin are but for a season, godliness is profitable to all; nay, it is above all other riches... Therefore let us take heed how we trifle away these privileges. The time will come when we shall want them, and then wisdom will laugh at us if we have not been wise to lay up durable riches." The Rich Pearl

"Christ himself being ours, his obedience and all that he hath becomes ours also; and whosoever partaketh of this righteousness which is by faith, hath also a righteousness of sanctification accompanying the same, wrought in his soul by the Spirit of God, whereby his sinful nature is changed and made holy." The Difficulty Of Salvation

"There must be an inward inherent righteousness, before there can be any works of righteousness. An instrument must be set in tune before it will make music; so the Spirit of God must first work a holy frame and disposition of heart in us, before we can bring forth any fruits of holiness in our lives." The Difficulty Of Salvation

"God the Father is our Father in Christ, and his love and gifts are without repentance. When once we are in the state of salvation, he will preserve us by faith to salvation; and we are knit to God the Son, who will lose none of his members. The marriage with Christ is an everlasting union; whom he loves, he loves to the end." The Difficulty Of Salvation

"The blessed Spirit of God never departs where he once takes up his lodging." The Difficulty Of Salvation

"O what a comfort is this, that in the midst of all the oppositions and plottings of men and devils, yet notwithstanding, somewhat we have, that is not in the power of any enemy to take from us, nor in our own power to lose, namely, our salvation. Set this against any evil whatsoever, and it swallows up all." The Difficulty Of Salvation

"We see the number of such as truly fear God is but small, soon reckoned up. They are but as grapes after the vintage, or a few berries after the shaking; one of a city, two of a tribe." The Difficulty Of Salvation

"God will discard those who are hypocrites in this life, who take up so much of religion as stands with their ease and credit in the world, avoiding every difficulty which accompanies godliness, but, so they may swim two ways at once, go on in their lusts still and be religious withal. This they approve of. Therefore, God will have it a hard matter to be saved, to frustrate the vain hopes of such wretches." The Difficulty Of Salvation

"If the righteous be saved with much ado, then never enter upon the profession of religion with vain hopes of ease and pleasure, that it shall be thus and thus with thee. Herein thou dost but delude thy own soul, for it will prove otherwise." The Difficulty Of Salvation

"He that makes religion a recreation can walk a turn or two for his pleasure, and when any difficulty arises can retire and draw in his horns again... But a true Christian, that makes it the main work of his life to please God, arms himself for the worst that can befall him, and will be saved through thick or thin, smooth or rough, whatsoever comes on it." The Difficulty Of Salvation

"Cast anchor in heaven, and see if it will not make thee go on cheerfully in a Christian course." The Difficulty Of Salvation

"When God comes to deal with a company of graceless wretches, how will he consume and scatter them, and sweep them away as dung from the face of the earth! he will universally make a riddance of them at once." The Difficulty Of Salvation

"There is no promise of mercy but to those who turn. The Scripture is peremptory in denial of mercy to such as go on in their sins." The Spiritual Favourite At The Throne Of Grace

"God will seal all his threatenings with executions in due time." The Spiritual Favourite At The Throne Of Grace

"We cannot honour God more than to go to him with a large faith, to fetch large favours from him." The Spiritual Favourite At The Throne Of Grace

"Heaven makes the laws that earth is governed by. Let earth conclude what it will, there will be conclusions in heaven that will overthrow all their conclusions." The Spiritual Favourite At The Throne Of Grace

"Except we hold this, that God rules all without, and especially the hearts of men, where it is his especial prerogative to set up his throne, we shall never pray heartily or give thanks." The Spiritual Favourite At The Throne Of Grace

"The Holy Spirit is called a Spirit, not only by nature, as being a spiritual essence, but in regard of his person and office; he is both breathed from the Father and the Son, as proceeding from them both; and by office, breatheth into all that God hath given Christ to redeem and him to sanctify. He is so the Spirit of God in proceeding from God, as that he is God, which whoso denieth deny their own baptism; being as well baptized into the name of the Holy Ghost as into the Father and the Son. And no less a person than God is needful to assure our souls of God's love, and to change our nature, being in an opposite frame." A Fountain Sealed

"That attribute the Spirit delights in is that of holiness, which our corrupt nature least delights in and most opposeth. Holiness is the glory and crown of all other excellency, without which they are neither good in themselves, nor comfortable to us. It implies a freedom from all impurity, and a perfect hatred of it; an absolute perfection of all that is excellent." A Fountain Sealed

"There was planted in man by nature a desire of holiness, and a desire of happiness. The desire of happiness is left still in us, but for holiness, which is the perfection of the image of God in us, is both lost, and the desire of it extinguished; and that men might the better drive it out of the world under a form and show of it, they oppose the truth of it, and that with the greater success, because under that great colour the devil and his vicar carry all their devilish policies under a show of holiness. We see in popery, everything is holy with them but that which should be holy, the truth of God and the expression of it." A Fountain Sealed

"Christ's human nature is the first temple wherein the Spirit dwells, and then we become temples by union with him. The difference betwixt his being in Christ and us, is, that the Spirit dwells in Christ in a fuller measure, by reason that as a head he is to convey spirit into all his members." A Fountain Sealed

"In the temple the further they went all was more holy, till they came to the holy of holies. So in a Christian the most inward part, the spirit is, as it were, the holy of holies, where incense is offered to God continually. What a mercy is this, that he that hath the heaven of heavens to dwell in will make a dungeon to be a temple, a prison to be a paradise, yea, an hell to be an heaven. Next to the love of Christ in taking our nature and dwelling in it, we may wonder at the love of the Holy Ghost, that will take up his residence in such defiled souls." A Fountain Sealed

"The Holy Spirit being in us, after he hath prepared us for an house for himself to dwell in, and to take up his rest and delight in, he doth also become unto us a counsellor in all our doubts; a comforter in all our distresses; a solicitor to all duty; a guide in the whole course of our life, until we dwell with him for ever in heaven, unto which his dwelling here in us doth tend. He goeth before us as Christ did in the pillar of the cloud and fire before the Israelites into Canaan, being a defence by day, and a direction by night." A Fountain Sealed

"We may and ought, by Christian care and circumspection, so to walk in an even and pleasing course, that we shall not grievously offend the Spirit, or grieve our own spirits." A Fountain Sealed

"No man hates his own soul, or is in love with death; yet men will willingly do that which, if they hated their own souls, and loved death, they could not do worse." A Fountain Sealed