The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes, Ed. with Mem. by A.B. Grosart (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: of the' church abroad. It should bring us rather to God, to rely upon his goodness and power, for God is ever God almighty, and the same merciful God that ever he was; and therefore, we should pray for the church the more instantly, that God would give them beauty instead of ashes. We should urge him with his promise of building up and defending of his church, and destroying of antichrist; and let us make the resurrection of the body a ground to strengthen us in the belief thereof, as the return of the children of Israel from Babylon was sealed by the resurrection of the dry bones, Ezek. xxxvii. l, seq.; as also the apostle, from the resurrection of the dead, gathereth that God by that power hath and will deliver him, 2 Cor. i. 9, 10. Furthermore, when we are oppressed with any extremity, though never so great, by continual meditation oj his promises, we should strengthen ourselves, and apply them to our present estate and condition, knowing that he that raised us out of dust will not suffer us to be buried in misery, but will with the trial give us a graeious issue at the last, by raising up our bodies at the last day by his almighty power, which made also the patriarch Abraham to hope above hope. What though our helps be few ? It is no matter what the instrument is, so as Christ is the chief worker. In the next place, should encourage us to stand out stedfa.it in a good cause for the truth. Do not think with ourselves, Alas ! I am but one, and a weak, silly man: what can I do against a multitude ? Let not such thoughts discourage thee. Think of Luther, a poor monk, who alone set himself against the whole world, and wrought that effect that we have all cause at this day to honour the memory of him. It is not thou, but God in thee, that is able to confound all thine ...