English Puritans of the Stuart era were divided by a number of questions. The greatest of these asked what constitutes salvation and restoration from sin. All agreed that it was by grace through faith. But few could agree on how to define sin, grace, and faith. Richard Sibbes consciously followed Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Calvin in defining sin as self-love and grace as God's redemptive love in Christ. His theology centered on the love of God expressed through Christ and offered by the Spirit; and faith as a response to that love. This produced a winsome and transforming theology of union with Christ and communion with God. In this he was a counterweight to the spread of moralistic Puritan theologies in his day.
If you've ever found it hard to read the Bible on a consistent basis, or you've struggled to apply it, you're not alone. The good news is that it doesn't have to stay that way.
Notable scholars like Mark Noll and Sinclair Ferguson invite you to sit at the feet of classic Puritain writers to experience a living, three-dimensional portrait of the devoted life that emphasizes the Christian experience of communion with God, corporate revival, biblical preaching and the sanctifying working of God's Holy Spirit. Edited by Kelly M. Kapic and Randall C. Gleason.
The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes is a comprehensive collection of the writings of the influential Puritan theologian and preacher. This volume brings together Sibbes' sermons, treatises, and meditations, offering a rich resource for those interested in Puritan spirituality and theology. Sibbes' works, known for their depth of insight and pastoral wisdom, continue to inspire and guide readers in their spiritual journeys, making this collection a valuable addition to any library of Christian literature. His complete 7-volume works contain the following books: Volume 1 The Description of Christ The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax The Sword of the Wicked The Soul’s Conflict With Itself, and Victory Over Itself By Faith The Saint’s Safety in Evil Times The Saint’s Safety in Evil Times: Manifested by St Paul, From His Experience of God’s Goodness in Greatest Distresses Christ is Best (or, St. Paul’s Strait) Christ’s Sufferings for Man’s Sin The Church’s Visitation Volume 2 Bowels Opened The Spouse, Her Earnest Desire After Christ A Breathing After God The Returning Backslider The Marriage Feast Between Christ and His Church Volume 3 A Commentary on the First Chapter of the Second Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians Volume 4 A Christian’s Portion (or, The Christian’s Charter) The Spiritual Man’s Aim The Right Receiving Judgement’s Reason Yea and Amen (or, Precious Promises Laid Open Out of 2 Cor. I. 10-23) A Glance of Heaven (or, A Precious Taste of a Glorious Feast) The Excellency of the Gospel Above the Law Exposition of 2 Corinthians Chapter IV The Church’s Riches Volume 5 The Christian Work Of the Providence of God An Exposition of the Third Chapter of the Epistle of St Paul to the Philippians The Redemption of Bodies The Art of Contentment The Power of Christ’s Resurrection The Hidden Life The Spiritual Jubilee The Privileges of the Faithful The Christian’s End Christ’s Exaltation Purchased by Humiliation The Life of Faith Salvation Applied A Fountain Sealed The Fountain Opened; Or, the Mystery of Godliness Revealed Volume 6 The Faithful Covenanter Josiah’s Reformation The Spiritual Favourite at the Throne of Grace The Successful Seeker A Rescue From Death, With a Return of Praise The Saint’s Comforts: An Exposition Upon Psalm CXXX The Church’s Complaint and Confidence God’s Inquisition The Rich Poverty; or, the Poor Man’s Riches Spiritual Mourning Violence Victorious Angels’ Acclamations The Fruitful Labour for Eternal Food The Matchless Love and Inbeing A Heavenly Conference King David’s Epitaph Lydia’s Conversion The Bridegroom’s Promises, and the Bride’s Prayer Volume 7 Balaam’s Wish The Unprosperous Builder The Vanity of the Creature Discouragement’s Recovery The Saint’s Happiness David’s Conclusion; or the Saint’s Resolution The Church’s Blackness Miracle of Miracles The Touchstone of Regeneration The Discreet Ploughman The Matchless Mercy The Sun of Righteousness Divine Meditations and Holy Contemplations The Knot of Prayer Loosed The Rich Pearl Sin’s Antidote The Success of the Gospel Mary’s Choice The Christian’s Watch The Coming of Christ The General Resurrection Sibbes’s Last Two Sermons; From Christ’s Last Sermon The Saint’s Privilege The Witness of Salvation Saint Paul’s Challenge The Dead Man The Danger of Backsliding Faith Triumphant The Ruin of Mystical Jericho The Demand of a Good Conscience A Glimpse of Glory The Pattern of Purity The Beast’s Dominion Over Earthly Kings The Church’s Echo
This book looks at the influential metaphor of sinful humanity as 'homo incurvatus in se' (humanity curved in on itself), from its origins in Augustine to Luther, Barth and the Feminist theology.
The Knowledge of God turns to consider the knowledge of God revealed in the Word of God, with several essays addressing the doctrine of God, then the person of Christ, and finally the miracle of the church. Michael Allen shows the exegetical shape of historical and dogmatic reasoning as well as the significance of thinking about these topics in their interrelationships with a range of other Christian themes, not least the doctrine of the living and true God. In each of these topics, the theme of the promise and nature of God's presence (whether in his own life or then in the economy of the incarnation and of the church) proves to be a unifying thread. The gospel is shown to be rooted backward in God's own life and to have consequence forward for the ongoing life of Christ displayed in his church. This volume explores what it means to learn of and come to know God, who has life in himself and then shares his life with us in the coming of his Son and the ongoing presence amidst his body, the church of Christ.
