Works (Vol 1) - Sibbes - XVI - Soul's conflict concluded

Required reading
The Works Volume 1 by Richard Sibbes (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Sibbes Works Vol 1 by continuing 'The soul's conflict with itself' and reading Chapters 32 (Of improving...), 33 (Of experience...) and 34 (Of confirming...).

My summary
Today we finish Sibbes' exposition of Psalm 42:11, 'Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God'.

Chapter 32 is about improving our evidences for comfort in our several passages of life.  You can improve your comfort by learning to appeal to God and enlarge our hearts.

Chapter 33 speaks of the experiences of faith.  They are:
(i) love;
(ii) hope;
(iii) patience;
(iv) meekness;
(v) contentedness with our state;
(vi) joy;
(vii) courage.

Then our last chapter winds up the book by encouraging us to:
(i) draw out our trust by waiting;
(ii) remember our former sins to whet us to be more earnest in service;
(iii) know that God as our God is the one thing needful
(iv) remember that Christians will be cast into a variety of conditions.

What grabbed me
Good to be reminded of the comfort we have from God: 'Flesh and blood think nothing is cared for, but what it seeth cared for by itself. It hath no eyes to see a guard of providence, a guard of angels. It takes no knowledge that that is best cared for, that God cares for. Those that have God for their God, have enlarged hearts as they have enlarged comforts. They have an everlasting spring that supplies them in all wants, refreshes them in all troubles, and then runs most clearly and freshly, when all other streams in the world are dried and stopped up. Were we skilful in the art of faith, to improve so great an interest, what in the world could much dismay us ? Faith will set God against all. '

What in the world could dismay us?  Lots of things if you don't have faith.  But if you do have faith, nothing should.

One sentence final verdict
The Soul's Conflict is a powerful meditation upon Psalm 42:11, 'Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God'.

Next week's reading
Continue Sibbes Works Vol 1 by reading the first discourse entitled 'The saint's safety in evil times'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.