The Works Volume 1 by Richard Sibbes (Available from Amazon or free here)
We continue 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 12 looks at our original righteous state and how this has become corrupt and encouraged in its corruption by Satan. Thus our duty is to:
(i) labour to see this sinful disposition of ours, not only as it is discovered in the Scriptures, but as it discovers itself in our own hearts;
(ii) look upon it as worse than any of those filthy streams that come from it; nay, than all the impure issues of our lives together;
(iii) consider the spiritualness and large extent of the law of God;
(iv) carry a double guard over our souls;
(v) labour that the truth of God may be grafted in our hearts;
(vi) pray down corruption when it arises.
Chapter 13 focuses on the sinful use of our imaginations. The way to cure this malady in us is to:
(i) labour to bring these risings of our souls into the obedience of God's truth and Spirit;
(ii) present real things to the soul;
(iii) oppose serious consideration against vain imagination;
(iv) seek to have our nature itself changed;
(v) restrain and limit our fancy;
(vi) take heed of those cursed imaginations out of which others spring forth;
(vii) consider the principal use of the imagination;
(viii) place ourselves in the best conveniency of all outward helps;
(ix) set our souls in order every morning and to strengthen and perfume our spirits with some gracious meditations.
Personally, I find the remedy of 'restraining and limiting our fancy' one of the most helpful: 'Idleness is the hour of temptation, wherein Satan joins with our imagination, and sets it about his own work, to grind his grease ; for the soul as a mill, either grinds that which is put into it, or else works upon itself. Imagination is the first wheel of the soul, and if that move amiss, it stirs all the inferior wheels amiss with it. It stirs itself, and other powers of the soul are stirred by its motion ; and therefore the well ordering of this is of the greater consequence. For as the imagination conceiveth, so usually the judgment concludeth, the will chooseth, the affections are carried, and the members execute.'
If you are idle, your mind will keep going - and it tends to go in a sinful direction.
But if you are busy about your master's business, you don't have time to get up to mischief with your thoughts.
Next week's reading
Continue Sibbes Works Vol 1 by continuing 'The soul's conflict with itself' and reading Chapters 14 (Of help by others...), 15 (Of flying to God...) and 17 (Of graces...).
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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