Works (Vol 1) - Sibbes - VIII - Soul's conflict commenced

Required reading
The Works Volume 1 by Richard Sibbes (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Sibbes Works Vol 1 by commencing 'The soul's conflict with itself' by reading 'To the Christian reader' and Chapters 1 (General observations upon the text) and 2 (Discouragements from without).

My summary
Now we begin a new book within the Works which is an 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'.  (Sound familiar?  Yes, we're currently reading another book on the same verse by Bridge!)

In the address to the Christian reader Sibbes outlines that there are two sorts of people in the visible church:
(i) those Satan keeps under false peace;
(ii) those Satan falsely disquiets.
The second group is the target audience of the book.

In Chapter One Sibbes makes some general observations on the text:
(i) grief gathered to a head will not be quieted at the first;
(ii) a gracious and living soul is most sensible of the want of spiritual means;
(iii) a godly soul by reason of the life of grace, knows when it is well with it and when it is ill, when it is a good day with it and when a bad;
(iv) since guilt and corruption hath been derived by the fall into the nature of man, it hath been subject to misery and sorrow, and that in all conditions, from the king that sitteth on the throne to him that grindeth on the mill;
(v) all God's people are exercised with troubles and are sensible of them even to casting down and discouraging.

Then in Chapter Two Sibbes teaches us about outward causes of discouragements:
(i) God himself;
(ii) Satan;
(iii) Satan's instruments (other humans);
(iv) ourselves.

What grabbed me
I found this rebuke from Sibbes helpful: 'What unthankfulness is it to forget our consolation, and to look only upon matter of grievance ! to think so much upon two or three crosses, as to forget a hundred blessings ! to suck poison out of that from which we should suck honey ! What folly is it to straiten and darken our own spirits ! and indispose ourselves from doing or taking good ! A limb out of joint can do nothing without deformity and pain ; dejection takes off the wheels of the soul.'

Don't focus on the few discouragements you experience; rather focus on the many encouragements God has given you.

Next week's reading
Continue Sibbes Works Vol 1 by continuing 'The soul's conflict with itself' by reading Chapters 3 (Of discouragements from within), 4 (Of casting down ourselves, and specially by sorrow - evils thereof), 5 (Remedies of casting down), 6 (Other observations of the same nature) and 7 (Difference between good men and others in conflicts with sin).

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