Works (Vol 4) - Sibbes - IX - A glance of heaven commenced

Required reading
The Works Volume 4 by Richard Sibbes (Available from Amazon or free here) - Commence 'A glance of heaven' by reading 'To the Christian reader' and 'The First Sermon'.

My summary
This week we start a new series of sermons on 1 Corinthians 2:9 'But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.'

In the first sermon Sibbes affirms that God hath a company of beloved children in the world that he means a special good unto.

Sibbes then answers how we know the things that God has prepared for his children:
(i) divine revelation;
(ii) taste;
(iii) arguing from the less to the greater;

Then Sibbes gives some uses of the doctrine:
(i) for matter of instruction - there is no principle at all of the gospel in nature;
(ii) we must not stand to look for reason too much, nor trust the reason or wit of any man, but divine authority;
(iii) we have an use of direction how to carry ourselves in reading and studying holy truths: especially the sacred mysteries of the gospel;
(iv) learn to arm yourselves against all scandals;
(v) that a man when he hath the Spirit of God knows things otherwise than he did know them before, though he did not know them by outward revelation of hearing and reading;
(vi) let us make this the rule of our esteem of anything that is good, or anything that is ill; make it a rule of valuation.

What grabbed me
I enjoyed the encouragement to devour divine revelation: 'What a pitiful case is this, that God should give us our understandings for better things than we can see or hear in this world, yet we employ them in things of the world wholly. Let us not do as some shallow, proud heads, that regard not divine things. The holy Scriptures they will not vouchsafe to read once a-day, perhaps not once a-week ; nay, some scarce have a Bible in their studies. For shame ; shall we be so atheistical, when God hath provided such excellent things contained in this book of God, the Testament ? Shall we slight these excellent things for knowledge that shall perish with us ? '

The Bible is a fantastic gift - sadly we often do not view it as such.

Next week's reading
Continue 'A glance of heaven' by reading 'The Second Sermon'.

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