A Heavenly Conference between Christ and Mary - Puritan Paperbacks (Sibbes) OE

Description

‘Christians today need not only the truth and comfort Sibbes offers here; they need his heartfelt delight so that they live for no other end than the very glory of God.’ — MICHAEL REEVES

A Heavenly Conference is Richard Sibbes’ exposition of the memorable meeting that took place on the first Easter Sunday when the risen Christ met Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb. Though only a few words were exchanged between the Lord and Mary, Sibbes saw in them the gospel in a nutshell.

A Heavenly Conference is a wonderfully original treatment of the doctrine of the believer’s union with Christ. It is written by a loving and tender-hearted pastor whose main aim is to help believers enjoy the comfort that comes from knowing that Jesus’ God and Father is our God and Father too. ‘For from this, that God is our God, cometh all that we have that is good in nature and grace. Whatsoever is comfortable cometh from this spring, that God in Christ is our God, our reconciled God.’

Without such assurance, we simply cannot live Christian lives as God would have us. God would have us thankful, cheerful, rejoicing, and strong in faith: but we will be none of these things unless we are sure that God and Christ are ours for good. Here, then, are pastorally vital truths that Sibbes seeks to work into us.

Contents

Foreword by Michael Reeves
To the Reader

A Heavenly Discourse between Christ and Mary

• The ministry of angels
• The apprehension of Christ
• One word from Christ; one word from Mary
• Application
• Communion with Christ
• Beware of apathy
• Beware of formality
• A particular interest in Christ
• Christ’s prohibition
• Outward things
• Christ’s commission
• Christ our brother
• The comfort of being Christ’s brethren
• The dignity of Christ’s brethren
• Christ’s timing
• Christ’s love constant and invincible

A HEAVENLY CONFERENCE

• Christ’s love to his cast down brethren
• The matter of Christ’s commission
• Christ’s ascension and ours
• The purpose of Christ’s ascension
• Christ pleading our cause
• The comfort of an ascended Christ
• Christ’s Father and ours
• The comfort of having God as our Father
• God’s love in Christ
• Be indulgent in preaching the truth
• Knowing true brethren
• The priority of Christ’s relation to the Father
• Christ’s God and ours
• The comfort in God being our God
• Application
• God sovereign in our hearts
• God the ground of our obedience
• God all-sufficient for us
• Assurance of salvation

About the Author

Richard Sibbes (1577-1635), English Puritan, was appointed a lecturer at Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge in 1610. Later, through the influence of friends, he was chosen to be the preacher at Gray’s Inn, London, and he remained there until 1626. In that year he returned to Cambridge as Master of St Catherine’s Hall, and later returned to Holy Trinity, this time as its vicar. He was granted a Doctorate in Divinity in 1627, and was thereafter frequently referred to as ‘the heavenly Doctor Sibbes’. He continued to exercise his ministry at Gray’s Inn, London, and Holy Trinity, Cambridge, until his death on 6 July 1635 at the age of 58.