A consolatory letter to an afflicted conscience full of pious admonitions and divine instructions / written by that famous divine, Doctor Sibes ...

A consolatory letter to an afflicted conscience full of pious admonitions and divine instructions / written by that famous divine, Doctor Sibes ...

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Title page

A Consolatory Letter to an afflicted Conscience, Grace and Peace.

A Consolatory Letter to an afflicted Conscience, Grace and Peace.

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Deare Sir,

I Understand by your Letter, that you have many and great tryals; some externall and bodily, some internall and spirituall: as the deprivall of inward comfort, the buffetings (and that in more then ordinary manner) of your soule, with Satans temptations: and (which makes all those inward and outward, the more heavy and insupportable) that you have wanted Christian society with the Saints of God, to whom you might make knowne your griefes, and by whom you might receive comfort from the Lord, and incouragement in your Christian course.

Now that which I earnestly desire in your behalfe, and hope likewise you doe in your owne, is that you may draw nearer to God, and be more conformable to his command by these afflictions; for if our afflictions be not sanctified, that is, if we make not an holy use of them by purging out the old leaven of our ingenerate corruptions, they are but judgments to us, and makes way for greater plagues: Ioh. 5.14. And therefore the chiefe end and ayme of God in all the afflictions [Page] which he sends to his children in love, is, that they may be partakers of his holinesse, and so their afflictions may conduce to their spirituall advantage and profit, Heb. 12.10. The Lord aymes not at himselfe in any calamities he layes on us, (for God is so infinitely all-sufficient▪ that we can adde nothing to him by all our doings or sufferings) but his maine ayme is at our Melioration and Sanctification in and by them. And therefore our duty in every affliction and pressure, is thus to thinke with our selves: How shall we carry and behave our selves under this crosse, that our soules may reap profit by it?Iames 4.8. This (in one word) is done by our returning and drawing nearer to the Lord, as his holy Apostle exhorts us. This in all calamities the Lord hath a speciall eye unto, and is exceeding wroth if he finde it not.

Isay 1.4, 5.The Prophet declares That his anger was not turned from Israel, because they turned not to him that [...] them. Now it is impossible that a man should draw nigh to God, and turne to him, if he turne not from his evill wayes: for in every conversion there is Terminus à quo, something to be turned from, as well as Terminus ad quod, something to be turned to.

Now, that we must turne to, is God; and that we must turne from, is sinne; as being diametrally opposite to God, and that which separates betweene God and us.

To this purpose we must search and try our hearts and wayes, and see what sinnes there be that keepe us from God, and separate us from his gracious favour: and chiefly we must weed out our speciall bosom-sins. This the ancient Church of God counsels each other to doe in the time of their anguish and affliction, [Page] Lament. 3.39, 40. Let us search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord: for though sinne make not a finall divorce betwixt God and his chosen people, yet it may make a dangerous rupture by taking away sense of comfort, and suspending the sweet influence of his favour, and the effectuall operation of his grace.

And therefore (deare Sir) my earnest suit and desire is, that you would di [...]igently peruse the booke of your conscience, enter into a thorow search and examination of your heart and life; and every day before you goe to bed, take a time of recollection and meditation, (as holy See Gen. 24.63. Isaac did in his private walkes) holding a privy Session in your soule, and indicting your selfe for all the sins, in thought, word, or act committed, & all the good duties you have omitted. This self-examination, if it be so strict and rigid as it ought to be, will soone shew you the sins whereto you are most inclinable, (the chiefe cause of all your sorrowes) and consequently, it will (by Gods assistance) effectually instruct you to fly from those venemous and fiery serpents, which have so stung you.

And though you have (as you say) committed many grievous sinnes, as abusing Gods gracious ordinances, and neglecting the golden opportunities of grace: the originall, as you conceive of all your troubles; yet I must tell you, there is another Coloquintida in the pot, another grand enormity (though you perceive it not) and that is your separation from Gods Saints and Servants in the Acts of his publike Service and worship. This you may clearly discern by the affliction it selfe, for God is methodicall in his corrections, and doth (many times) so suite the crosse to the sinne, that you may reade the sin in the crosse. You confesse that your [Page] maine affliction, and that which made the other more bitter, is, that God tooke away those to whom you might make your complaint; and from whom you might receive comfort in your distresse. And is not this just with God, that when you wilfully separate your selfe from others, he should separate others from you? Certainly, when we undervalue mercy, especially so great a one as the communion of Saints is, commonly the Lord takes it away from us, till we learne to prize it to the full value. Consider well therefore the haynousnesse of this sin, which that you may the better conceive, First, consider it is against Gods expresse Precept, charging us not to forsake the assemblies of the Saints, Heb. 10.20.25. Again, it is against our own greatest good and spirituall folace, for by discommunicating & excommunicating our selves from that blessed society, we deprive our selves of the benefit of their holy conference, their godly instructions, their divine consolations, brotherly admonitions, and charitable reprehensions; and what an inestimable losse is this? Neither can we partake such profit by their prayers as otherwise we might: for as the soule in the naturall body conveyes life and strength to every member, as they are compacted and joyned together, and not as dis-severed; so Christ conveyes spirituall life and vigour to Christians, not as they are disjoyned from, but as they are united to the mysticall body, the Church.

But you will say England is not a true Church, and therefore you separate; adhere to the true Church.

I answer, our Church is easily proved to be a true Church of Christ: First, because it hath all the essentialls, necessary to the constitution of a true Church; [Page] as sound preaching of the Gospell, right dispensation of the Sacraments, Prayer religiously performed, and evill persons justly punisht (though not in that measure as some criminals and malefactors deserve:) and therefore a true Church.

2. Because it hath begot many spirituall children to the Lord, which for soundnesse of judgement, and holinesse of life, are not inferiour to any in other Reformed Churches. Yea, many of the Separation, if ever they were converted, it was here with us: (which a false and adulterous Church communicated.)

But I heare you reply, our Church is corrupted with Ceremonies, and pestered with prophane Persons. What then? must we therefore separate for Ceremonies, which many think may be lawfully used: But admit they be evils, must we make a tent in the Church for Ceremonious Rites, for circumstantiall evils? That were a remedy worse then the disease. Besides, had not all the true Churches of Christ their blemishes and deformities, as you may see in seaven Asian Churches? Revel. 2. and 3. And though you may finde some Churches beyond Sea free from Ceremonies, yet notwithstanding they are more corrupt in Preachers, (which is the maine) as in prophanation of the Lords day, &c.

As for wicked and prophane Persons amongst us, though we are to labour by all good meanes to purge them out, yet are we not to separate because of this residence with us: for, there will bee a miscellany and mixture in the visible Church, as long as the world endures, as our Saviour shewes by many parables: Matth. 13. If therefore we should be so over-just as to abandon all Churches for the intermixture [Page] of wicked Persons, we must saile to the Antipodes, or rather goe out of the world, as the Apostle speaks: it is[?] agreed by all that Noahs Arke was a type and embleme of the Church. Now as it had beene no lesse then selfe-murder for Noah, Sem, or Iaphet, to have leapt out of the Arke▪ because of that ungracious Gains company; so it is no better then soule-murder for a man to cast himselfe out of the Church, either for reall or imaginall corruptions. To conclude, as the Angell injoyned Hagar to returne, and submit to her Mistris Sarah, so let me admonish you to returne your selfe from these extravagant courses, and submissively to render your selfe to the sacred communion of this truly Evangelicall Church of England.

I beseech you therefore, as you respect Gods glory and your owne eternall salvation, as There is but one body and one spirit, Ephes. 4. one Lord, one Baptisms, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in [...] all; so endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond[?] of peace, as the Apostle sweetly invites you. So shall the peace of God ever establish you, and the God of peace ever preserve you; which is the prayer of

Your remembrance at the Throne of Grace R. SIBS.

FINIS.

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A CONSOLATORY LETTER To an afflicted Conscience: Full of pious admonitions and Divine Instructions.

Written by that famous Divine, Doctor SIBBS: and now published for the common good and edification of the Church.

Ecclesiastes 6.18. ‘Be not thou just overmuch, neither make thy selfe overwise: wherefore shouldest thou be desolate?’

AEtat: Sûae 58

LONDON, Printed for Francis Coules. 1641.

Information about this book

Title statement

A consolatory letter to an afflicted conscience full of pious admonitions and divine instructions / written by that famous divine, Doctor Sibes ...

Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.

Edition statement

1641

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Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

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Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2003-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A60193

ID [STC]

Wing S3733

ID [STC]

ESTC R9187

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12589879

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12589879

ID [VID]

63866

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A60193)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 63866)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 250:E137, no 25)

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— A consolatory letter to an afflicted conscience full of pious admonitions and divine instructions / written by that famous divine, Doctor Sibes ..., Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635..

Extent

[2], 6 p.

Printed for Francis Coules,. London :: 1641.. (Reproduction of original in Thomason Collection, British Library.)

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