#11 - The Bruised Reed

Richard Sibbes, 1577-1635, is called the "heavenly Doctor Sibbes" on account of "both the matter and manner of his preaching. He was a Puritan pastor in England. I had heard that one of his most famous books, The Bruised Reed, was both encouraging and inspiring. I must say, it was.The book is an exposition of the passage from Isaiah 42 - "A bruised reed he shall not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench." Like most Puritan writings, it is organized but not in a contemporary fashion. So I will simply share some gems:

• The bruised reed is a man that for the most part is in some misery, as those were that came to Christ for help, and by misery he is brought to see sin as the cause of it, for, whatever pretences sin makes, they come to an end when we are bruised and broken.
• After conversion we need bruising so that reeds may know themselves to be reeds, and not oaks. Even reeds need bruising, by reason of the remainder of pride in our nature, and to let us see that we live by mercy.
• It is no easy matter to bring a man from nature to grace, and from grace to glory, so unyielding and intractable are our hearts.
• But if we have this for a foundation of truth, that there is more mercy in Christ than sin in us, there can be no danger in thorough dealing.
• Therefore let us not take off ourselves too soon, nor pull off the plaster before the cure be wrought, but keep ourselves under this work till sin be the sourest, and Christ the sweetest, of all things.
• Men, for the most part, are not lost enough in their own feeling for a Saviour. A holy despair in ourselves is the ground of true hope. In God the fatherless find mercy.
• The church of Christ is a common hospital, wherein all are in some measure sick of some spiritual disease or other, so all have occasion to exercise the spirit of wisdom and meekness.
• Suffering brings discouragement because of our impatience. 'Alas!, we lament, 'I shall never get through such a trial.' But 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.
• Being able to 'do nothing against the truth, but for the truth' (2 Cor 13:8), the truth being dearer to us than our lives. Truth does not have this sovereignty in the heart of any carnal man.
• We must carry this always in our minds, that that which is begun in self-confidence ends in shame.
• Faith works best alone, when it has least outward support. 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 (Psa 61:2)

This book was very readable, very short and very good for those who are struggling with discouragement or melancholy as I often do. I highly recommend it.