Works (Vol 4) - Sibbes - X - A glance of heaven continued

Required reading
The Works Volume 4 by Richard Sibbes (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue 'A glance of heaven' by reading 'The Second Sermon'.

My summary
This week we continue to read Sibbes' 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.'

Firstly this week Sibbes shows us that there are things that God hath prepare for them that love him are such excellent things that neither eye hath seen nor ear heard of them.  But we can know them by:
(i) negation;
(ii) eminence;
(iii) some regard of taste;
(iv) authority and discovery;
(v) a kind of reasoning likewise from the lesser to the greater.

Then Sibbes answers why God will have it that thus.  It is because:
(i) God will have it so;
(ii) God will have a known difference between hypocrites and the true children of God;
(iii) our vessels could not contain it.

Sibbes then exhorts us to:
(i) often think of these things;
(ii) humble ourselves and say with the psalmist 'Lord, what is man, that thou so far considerest him';
(iii) with humiliation take that which always goes with humiliation, thankfulness;
(iv) comfort ourselves in all the slightings of the world;
(v) beg of God the Spirit of grace to conceive of the things as Scripture reveals them, and then beg of God a further degree of revelation.

Secondly Sibbes looks at whom God has prepared these great matters: those that love him. He then gives reasons why God would have it so:
(i) no unclean thing shall enter into heaven;
(ii) heaven and earth differ by degrees, therefore what is there in perfection must be begun here;
(iii) it is impossible for a man if he be not truly altered to desire or wish heaven as it is holy.

Then Sibbes ends the sermon by encouraging us to:
(i)  not feed ourselves with vain hopes;
(ii) see God's mercy to us: the qualification is within us, that we need not go far to know what our evidence is.

What grabbed me
I found helpful the encouragement that what qualifies us for God to show us great things is our love for him: 'Satan abuseth many poor Christians. Oh I am not elected, I am not the child of God ! Whither goest thou, man ? Dost thou break into heaven ? When thou carriest a soul in thy breast, and in that soul the affection of love ; how is that set ? Whither is thy love carried, and thy delight, and joy, those affections that spring from love ? Thy evidence is in thine own heart. Our title is by faith in Christ. His righteousness gives us title to heaven. But how knowest thou that thou pretendest a just title ? Thou hast the evidence in thy heart. What is the bent of thy soul ? Whither is the point of it set ? Which way goeth that ? Dost thou love God, and divine things, and delight in them ? Then thou mayest assure thyself that those things belong to thee, as verily as the Scriptures are the word of God, and God a God of truth. When thou findest the love of God in thy heart, that thy heart is taught by his Spirit to love him, then surely thou mayest say, Oh blessed be God that hath kindled this holy fire in my heart. Now I know that "neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man, those excellent things that are laid up for me."'

Do you love God?  Then be assured that he has prepared great things for you.

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

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