The Bruised Reed - Book review

I've finally finished reading The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes.

The following is a short book review I posted on the book over at Shelfari.

This book is the very first puritan book I've read and the only one so far. It was at times difficult to understand the language even though they are to some degree edited for the modern readers. But you must take into account the fact that I am not a native English speaker.

When I started reading it, I was rather a bit desperate for God's comfort. I had been feeling down and out for various reasons including church and ministry matters. A quote from Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the back cover was especially inviting for that matter. It reads, 'I shall never cease to be grateful to... Richard Sibbes who was balm to my soul at a period in my life when I was overworked and badly overtired, and therefore subject in an unusual manner to the onslaughts of the devil... I found at that time that Richard Sibbes, who was known in London in the early seventeenth century as "The Heavenly Doctor Sibbes" was an unfailing remedy... The Bruised Reed... quietened, soothed, comforted, encouraged and healed me.'
Thankfully, I found the similar effects many times while reading the book. The early few chapters and final few chapters were especially helpful for me, while the middle section seemed a bit too complex, but then that may as well be just me.

For better or worse, I cannot say I am fully recovered from and overcame all of the depressive-ness I was going through after reading this book. But this book has given me hope and strengthened me during the hard times and I know it will have a lasting effect on my journey in Christ. And for that, I thank God who raised up such leaders as Richard Sibbes and moved them to write.

I recommend this book for those who are going through a difficult time of their lives and yet trying to hold on to the One "who will not break the bruised reeds nor quench the smoking flax."

PS. You can find quotes and comments I posted on the book here.

The Bruised Reed - 12 (Our victory in Christ is certain)

In conclusion and as a general application to ourselves of all that has been said, we see the conflicting, but yet sure and hopeful, state of God's people. The victory lies not with us, but with Christ, who has taken on him both to conquer for us and to conquer in us. The victory lies neither in our own strength to get it, nor in our enemies' strength to defeat it. If it lay with us, we might justly fear. But Christ will maintain his own government in us and take our part against our corruptions. They are his enemies as well as ours. Let us therefore be 'strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might' (Eph. 6:10). Let us not look so much at who our enemies are as at who our judge and captain is, nor at what they threaten, but at what he promises. We have more for us than against us. What coward would not fight when he is sure of victory? None is here overcome but he that will not fight. Therefore, when any base fainting seizes on us, let us lay the blame where it ought to be laid.
-- p. 122, The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

He continues,

Let us think when we are troubled with our sins that Christ has this in charge from his Father, that he shall not 'quench the smoking flax' until he has subdued all. This puts a shield into our hands to beat back 'all the fiery darts of the wicked' (Eph. 6:16). Satan will object, 'You are a great sinner.' We may answer, 'Christ is a strong Saviour.' But he will object, 'You have no faith, no love.' 'Yes, a spark of faith and love.' 'But Christ will not regard that.' 'Yes, he will not quench the smoking flax.' 'But this is so little and weak that it will vanish and come to nought.' 'Nay, but Christ will cherish it, until he has brought judgment to victory.' And this much we have already for our comfort, that, even when we first believed, we overcame God himself, as it were, by believing the pardon of all our sins, notwithstanding the guilt of our own consciences and his absolute justice. Now, having been prevailers with God, what shall stand against us if we can learn to make use of our faith?
Oh, what a confusion is this to Satan, that he should labour to blow out a poor spark and yet should not be able to quench it; that a grain of mustard seed should be stronger than the gates of hell; that it should be able to remove mountains of oppositions and temptations cast up by Satan and our rebellious hearts between God and us. Abimelech could not endure that it should be said, 'A woman slew him' (judg. 9:54); and it must needs be a torment to Satan that a weak child, a woman, a decrepit old man should, by a spirit of faith, put him to flight.
-- p. 123-124, The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

Only, God, strengthen my faith in You, in Your promises, in Your grace, in Your deliverance, in Your forgiveness, in Your coming judgment.

The Bruised Reed - 11 (when you fall)

It is he alone who teaches our hands to war and our fingers to fight (Psa. 144:1). Nature, as corrupted, favours its own being, and will maintain itself against Christ's government. Nature, simply considered, cannot raise itself above itself to actions which are spiritual and of a higher order and nature. Therefore the divine power of Christ is necessary to carry us above all our own strength, especially in duties in which we meet with greater opposition; for there, not only nature will fail us, but ordinary grace, unless there is a stronger and a new supply. In taking up a burden that is weightier than ordinary, if there is not a greater proportion of strength than weight, the one who undertakes it will lie under the burden; so for every strong encounter there must be a new supply of strength, as in the case of Peter, who, when he was assaulted with a stronger temptation, being not upheld and shored up with a mightier hand, notwithstanding former strength, foully fell (Matt. 26:69-74). And being fallen, in our risings up again, it is Christ that must do the work, by (1) removing, or (2) weakening, or (3) suspending opposite hindrances; and (4) by advancing the power of his grace in us, to a further degree than we had before we fell. Therefore when we have fallen, and by falls have been bruised, let us go to Christ immediately to bind us up again.
-- p. 113-114, The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

O, let me go to You! Lord, help me when I do not feel like going to you, when I feel as if I can't make it through. I know You are the good shepherd who will not abandon a lost sheep. Search me and rescue me through this dark night.

The Bruised Reed - 10 on Faith (or rather, that which the faith rests on)

What some say of rooted faith, fides radicata, that it continues, while weak faith may come to nothing, seems to be contradicted by this Scripture; for, as the strongest faith may be shaken, so the weakest, where truth is, is so far rooted that it will prevail. Weakness with watchfulness will stand, when strength with too much confidence fails. Weakness, with acknowledgement of it, is the fittest seat and subject for God to perfect his strength in; for consciousness of our infirmities drives us out of ourselves to him in whom our strength lies.
-- p. 96, The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

Sorry, I don't know what that "fides radicata" means either, but you get the gist of this paragraph, don't you?

The Bruised Reed - 9 (How to understand unbelievers' good works, Richard Sibbes' way)

God, indeed, uses carnal men to very good service, but without a thorough altering and conviction of their judgment. He works by them, but not in them. Therefore they do neither approve the good they do nor hate the evil they abstain from.
-- p.87, The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

It makes sense...

Thoughts?

The Bruised Reed - 8 (to the post-modernists... sort of...)

Truth is truth, and error, error, and that which is unlawful is unlawful, whether men think so or not. God has put an eternal difference between light and darkness, good and ill, which no creature's conceit can alter; and therefore no man's judgment is the measure of things further than it agrees to truth stamped upon things themselves by God. For this reason, because a wise man's judgment agrees to the truth of things, a wise man may in some sense be said to be the measure of things, and the judgment of one holy wise man to be preferred before a thousand others. Such men usually are immovable as the sun in its course, because they think, and speak and live by rule. A Joshua and his house will serve God (Josh. 24:15), whatsoever others do, and will run a course contrary to the world, because their judgments lead them a contrary way. Hence it is that Satan has a spite at the eye of the soul, the judgment, to put it out by ignorance and false reason, for he cannot rule in any until either he has taken away or perverted judgment. He is a prince of darkness, and rules in darkness of the understanding.
-- p. 84-85, The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

This reminded me Tim Challies' book, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment. Richard Sibbes couldn't have had the post-modernists who are plagued by relativism when he preached/penned this since he's from 17th century, but this little text sounds very timely for a culture like ours.

The Bruised Reed - 7 (chapter 10: Quench Not the Spirit)

After such a sweet series of encouragements, Richard Sibbes looks at different ways of "offending deeply against this merciful disposition of Christ" to borrow his own words in Chapter 10 of the book.
I'll simply list the titles of the small sections (these might possibly be added by the editor, but they form a short summary after all, so hopefully this will be helpful), and a short sentence to help understanding.

1) False despair of Christ' mercy - Do not fail to go to Christ thinking you won't be accepted by the merciful Saviour.
2) False hope of Christ's mercy - Do not be deceived by your own fancy imagination that Christ does not care about your unholy (unrepentant) way of life
3) Resisting Christ's mercy - Do not resist Christ's mercy by hating the light that comes from God and refusing to be handled by Him.
4) Presuming on Christ's mercy - Quench not the Holy Spirit (by continuing to live a life according to the flesh, abusing the liberty one gains from Christ).
5) Seeking another source of mercy - There's no other source of mercy but Christ, so refuse to find mercy in any other places, it is an offense to God, and you'll find none but His wrath.
6) Mistreating the heirs of mercy - Be gracious to other Christians just as Christ Himself is gracious to you.
7) Strife among the heris of mercy - Do not fight over insignificant things among the believers causing divisions.
8) Taking advantage of the bruised - Do not abuse other believers who are in need or in a sorrowful condition (more generally, in a bruised state).
9) Despising the simple means of mercy - Do not despise how the church or an individual believer is sustained and expanded (or grows into maturity) by God even if the means He uses seem very simple to you who are very sophisticated.

The last one kinda stood out for me as I didn't think about this one before.
Quotation follows:

Lastly, they carry themselves very unkindly towards Christ who stumble at his low stooping to us in his government and ordinances, that are ashaemd of the simplicity of the gospel, that count preaching foolishness. They, out of the pride of their heart, think that they may do well enough without the help of the Word and sacraments, and think Christ did not take enough dignity upon him; and therefore they will mend the matter with their own devices so that they may give beter satisfaction to flesh and blood, as in popery. What greater unthankfulness can there be than to despise any help that Christ in mercy has provided for us?
-- p. 76, The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

The Bruised Reed - 6 (of the Source of our Comfort)

God sees fit that we should taste of that cup of which his Son drank so deep, that we might feel a little what sin is, and what his Son's love was. But our comfort is that Christ drank the dregs of the cup for us, and will succour us, so that our spirits may not utterly fail under that little taste of his displeasure which we may feel. He became not only a man but a curse, a man of sorrows, for us. He was broken that we should not be broken; he was troubled, that we should not be desperately troubled; he became a curse, that we should not be accursed. Whatever may be wished for in an all-sufficient comforter is all to be found in Christ:
1. Authority from the Father. All power was given to him (Matt. 28:18).
2. Strength in himself. His name is 'The mighty God' (Isa. 9:6).
3. Wisdom, and that from his own experience, how and when to help (Heb. 2:18).
4. Willingness, as being bone of our bones and flesh of our flesh (Gen. 2:23; Eph. 5:30)
-- p. 66, The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

This was from the concluding paragraph of a little (at mere 5 pages), yet sweet chapter in the book, The Bruised Reed. I was so encouraged by this particular chapter called 'Believe Christ, Not Satan' as whole, I didn't know what to quote from it at first.

The Bruised Reed - 5 (Our gracious Lord and the riches in Christ)

We see that God did not only pardon David but, after much bruising, gave him wise Solomon to succeed him in the kingdom. We see in Song of Solomon 6:4 that, after the church has been humbled for her slighting of Christ, he sweetly entertains her again, and begins to commend her beauty. We must know for our comfort that Christ was not anointed to this great work of Mediator for lesser sins only, but for the greatest, if we have but a spark of true faith to lay hold on him. Therefore, if there be any bruised reed, let him not make an exception of himself, when Christ does not make an exception of him. 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden' (Matt. 11:28). Why should we not make use of so gracious a disposition? We are only poor for this reason, that we do not know our riches in Christ. In time of temptation, believe Christ rather than the devil. Believe truth from truth itself. Hearken not to a liar, an enemy and a murderer.
-- p. 61, The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

God forbid that I despair and dishonour Christ by acting as if there's not enough riches in Him! God help me to trust You not the liar, enemy, the murderer.

The Bruised Reed - 4 (Our weaknesses do not disqualify us being His people)

1. Weaknesses do not break covenant with God. They do not break the covenant between husband and wife, and shall we make ourselves more pitiful than Christ who makes himself a pattern of love to all other husbands?
2. Weaknesses do not debar us from mercy; rather they incline God to us the more (Psa. 78:39). Mercy is a part of the church's marriage inheritance. Christ betroths her to him 'in mercy' (Hos. 2:19). The husband is bound to bear with the wife, as being the 'weaker vessel' (1 Pet. 3:7), and shall we think Christ will exempt himself from his own rule, and not bear with his weak spouse?
3. If Christ should not be merciful to our weaknesses, he should not have a people to serve him. Suppose therefore we are very weak, yet so long as we are not found amongst malicious opposers and underminers of God's truth, let us not give way to despairing thoughts; we have a merciful Saviour.
-- p. 58, The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

Yes, we have a merciful Saviour! No lies of discouragement will quench my faith as feeble as it may be.

The Bruised Reed - 3: (the grace of God)

A few grapes will show that the plant is a vine, and not a thorn. It is one thing to be deficient in grace, and another thing to lack grace altogether. God knows we have nothing of ourselves, therefore in the covenant of grace he requires no more than he gives, but gives what he requires, and accepts what he gives: 'If she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtle doves' (Lev. 12:8). What is the gospel itself but a merciful moderation, in which Christ's obedience is esteemed ours, and our sins laid upon him, wherein God, from being a judge, becomes our Father, pardoning our sins and accepting our obedience, though feeble and blemished? We are now brought to heaven under the covenant of grace by a way of love and mercy.
-- p. 36, The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

O indeed He provides all things we need, and all things He demands of us.
Thanks be to God our Father, the only true God, the Almighty, the Provider, the Righteous One, the Redeemer, for His mercy, for His grace, for sending Jesus, His only Son, who gladly stooped down and gave us forgiveness and freedom even as we were nailing Him alive on the tree.

If you haven't yet, meet this God today!

The Bruised Reed - 2

We must acknowledge that in the covenant of grace God requires the truth of grace, not any certain measure; and a spark of fire is fire, a well as the whole element. Therefore we must look to grace in the spark as well as in the flame. All have not the like strong, though they have the like precious, faith (2 Pet. 1:1), whereby they lay hold of, and put on, the perfect righteousness of Christ. A weak hand may receive a rich jewel. A few grapes will show that the plant is a vine, and not a thorn. It is one thing to be deficient in grace, and another thing to lack grace altogether. God knows we have nothing of ourselves, therefore in the covenant of grace he requires no more than he gives, but gives what he requires, and accepts what he gives: 'If she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtle doves' (Lev. 12:8). What is the gospel itself but a merciful moderation, in which Christ's obedience is esteemed ours, and our sins laid upon him, wherein God, from being a judge, becomes our Father, pardoning our sins and accepting our obedience, though feeble and blemished? We are now brought to heaven under the covenant of grace by a way of love and mercy.
-- p.36 The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

Gospel is merciful, Gospel is encouraging, Gospel will keep you, Gospel will not condemn you who are in Christ. Trust in the One who created you, rescued you, and will judge and renew the world. Today.

The Bruised Reed - 1

We see, therefore, that the condition of those with whom he was to deal was that they were bruised reeds and smoking flax; not trees, but reeds; and not whole, but bruised reeds. The church is compared to weak things: to a dove amongst the fowls; to a vine amongst the plants; to sheep amongst the beasts; to a woman, which is the weaker vessel.
-- p. 3, The Bruised Reeds by Richard Sibbes

Oh, how He knows what it is like to be bruised, yet, He is able and willing to carry us through! Oh, how comforting it is to know my strong Lord is dealing so gently with me!

The Bruised Reed - 0

I was challenged to read some works of Puritans when I read the blog post on Between Two Worlds.
The list looks great, but I don't think I can read all of them (I'm really so painfully slow in reading), so I'm planning on reading two books, or time permitting, three this year (among other books of course).

1) The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes
2) The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter
3) The Mortification of Sin by John Owen (this one's probably going to be difficult even though the book itself is short, I've been hearing about John Owen's reputation as a difficult writer.)

Actually, I started reading one, 'The Bruised Reed'.
I think the inspiration came to me when I read the blurb by Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

I shall never cease to be grateful to... Richard Sibbes who was balm to my soul at a period in my life when I was overworked and badly overtired, and therefore subject in an unusual manner to the onslaughts of the devil... I found at that time that Richard Sibbes, who was known in London in the early seventeenth century as "The Heavenly Doctor Sibbes" was an unfailing remedy... The Bruised Reed... quietened, soothed, comforted, encouraged and healed me.

I sure wanted this quietening of my soul, soothing and comforting effects on my spirit, encouragement and healing of my heart, just like Dr. Lloyd-Jones talks about.

Perhaps, by God's mercy, I may receive such benefits as he did, in times of need like these.

Now, how about you also read a couple of puritan works this year? What would you like to read?