As part of my devotional reading for this year, I have decided to take the "2008 Puritan Reading Challenge." (I know - I'm a year late!) But really, you can follow this reading plan any year. It simply assigns one classic puritan volume each month of the year. If you would like to join the challenge, you can find the list of books on this page.

The "Puritans" were a group of 16-17^th C. believers who desired to "purify" the Church of its doctrinal and moral corruption. As a result, they were greatly persecuted. However, no other movement has seen a people so eager for holiness before the Lord! They meditated deeply on the doctrines of the faith and on the many aspects of Christian living. The fruit of their labors is a treasury of Christian books that are a balm of healing and direction for believers of every age of history.

Richard Sibbes was known by his contemporaries as "the sweet dropper." In other words, in his writings he had the ability to refresh and exhort believers through the sweet promises of Scripture. It was said of Sibbes, "Of this blest man, let this just praise be given; heaven was in him, before he was in heaven" (p.viii). If I could characterize Bruised Reed in one word, it would be "comfort." Sibbes' main point throughout this work is that if a reed is present, even though broken, or if a flame, even though smoking, there must also be a work of grace. If God has given grace, He will eventually give victory! It is the promise of His Word.

When discouragement, depression, or hardships beat upon believers, we tend to despair of our salvation, question God's love, and reel into seas of doubt. Sibbes reminds and exhorts us that the broken reed and the smoking flax are also part of God's plan for our lives and His glory. His compassions will not fail!

Sibbes points out that we NEED the bruising. In pre-conversion, bruising is needed to make us aware of the greatness of the Gospel. In post-conversion, bruising is needed to remind us that we are in constant need of grace and are nothing on our own. Sibbes writes, "usually he [God] empties such of themselves, and makes them nothing, before he will use them in any great services" (p. 3). We can take comfort then in the bruising, for it is God's work in us to sanctify us. We can then cling to His promises for His children, and we can boldly come to Him in prayer. In the final analysis, God's work of bruising His children is to free us from the love of this world and self so that we might "prize Christ above all" (p. 12). He pleas, "Therefore let us ... keep ourselves under this work till sin be the sourest, and Christ the sweetest, of all things" (p. 13).

Two insights from Sibbes were particularly helpful for me. (1) Any work of God at all is not self-manufactured! We do not accomplish a little, and then God, if finding our work, faith, obedience, baptism, etc. acceptable, finishes the work and saves us. No! If there is any faith, any move toward God at all, that itself is from God! He writes, "If there be any holy fire in us, it is kindled from heaven" (p. 38). The reason this is so comforting is that it guts the power of doubt! If we are to produce faith, then the question will continue to rise as whether or not our faith was genuine, sufficient, etc. Not so if every inclination to God is from God! If it is God-given, it is ALWAYS sufficient, genuine, etc!

(2) Sometimes the battle against specific sins can be so drawn out and our victories so scattered that we become weary and lose heart. We begin to listen to our adversary who points out how much we must love our sin and therefore must not love the Savior. This is where Sibbes brings forth such a wondrous aid and balm to the struggling believer! The fact that someone struggles with sin and is tormented in soul that some sin has a grip on him is evidence that God is working in his heart! For without the grace of God, sin would not trouble the soul to such a degree! He states, "... the very complaint, springing from a displeasure against sin, shows that there is something in him opposite to sin" (p. 41). I wrote in the margin of my copy right there "Hallelujah!"

The genius of Sibbes' work is that he touches these and so many other areas of life that can be discouragements, and then turns these things around to demonstrate how God is working out His grace in these disturbing times of our lives! I encourage you to read Bruised Reed and be encouraged!