Works (Vol 1) - Sibbes - XIX - Christ is best

Required reading
The Works Volume 1 by Richard Sibbes (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the discourse entitled 'Christ is best'.

My summary
Today we read a funeral sermon on Philippians 1:23-24: 'For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.'

Firstly Sibbes observes that St Paul and the servants of God are oftentimes in great straits.  And it was Paul's desires caused the straits.  There were two desires.  One was his desire to be with Christ, which was better for him.  The other was to remain in the flesh, which was more needful for the church.

And in the end Paul resolves to abide here for the church's good, rather than go to heaven and enjoy his own happiness.  Sibbes then spends a great deal of time looking at the benefit of worthy men for the church.

The sermon closes with remarks from Sibbes about the man whose funeral is being conducted.  Namely that he was a man of St Paul's spirit.

What grabbed me
Excellent sermon.  Particularly the mounting application to deny your own happiness for the happiness of the church: 'God's people have the Spirit of Christ in them, who minded not his own things, 1 Cor. x. 24. If Christ had minded his own things, where had our salvation been ? Christ was content to leave heaven, and to take our nature upon him, to be Emmanuel, God with us, that we might be with God for ever in heaven. He was content, not only to leave heaven, but to be born in the womb of a virgin. He was content to stoop to the grave. He stooped as low as hell in love to us. Now, where Christ's Spirit is, it will bring men from their altitudes and excellencies, and make them to stoop to serve the church, and account it an honour to be an instrument to do good. Christ was content to be accounted, not only a servant of God, but of the church. My righteous servant,' &c., Isa. liii. 11. Those that have the Spirit of Christ have a spirit of self-denial of their own. We see the blessed angels are content to be ministering spirits for us, and it is thought to be the sin of the devil, pride, when he scorned to stoop to the keeping of man, an inferior creature to himself. The blessed angels do not scorn to attend upon a poor child, ' little ones.' A Christian is a consecrated person, and he is none of his own. He is a sacrifice as soon as he is a Christian. He is Christ's. He gives himself to Christ ; and as he gives him self, so he gives his life and all to Christ, as Paul saith of the Corinthians, they gave themselves and their goods to him, 2 Cor. viii. 5. When a Christian gives himself to Christ, he gives all to Christ ; all his labour and pains, and whatsoever he knows that Christ can serve himself of him for his church's good and his glory. He knows that Christ is wiser than he ; therefore he resigns himself to his disposal, resolving, if he live, he lives to the Lord ; and if he die, lie dies to the Lord, Rom. xiv. 8 ; that so, whether he live or die, he may be the Lord's. '

If we would be like Christ (and Paul), then we must be content to be used up for God's church.

Next week's reading
Read the discourse entitled 'Christ's sufferings for man's sin'.

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