Bruised Reed [Paperback]

Richard Sibbes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 27, 2013

In the arrogance of his own imagination, man is a great and mighty tree. The man who considers himself as God considers him undergoes a bruising. Puritan theologian Richard Sibbes uncovers what it means to be a bruised reed in this 17th century text, a passionate expression of Christian faith.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

There is no better introduction to the Puritans than the writings of Richard Sibbes, who is, in many ways, a typical Puritan. `Sibbes never wastes the student's time,' `he scatters pearls and diamonds with both hands.' (C. H. Spurgeon) Richard Sibbes was known in London in the early 17th century as "the Heavenly Doctor Sibbes." He is known as a Biblical exegete, and as a representative, with William Perkins and John Preston, of what has been called "main-line" Puritanism. He was the author of several devotional works expressing intense religious feeling The Saint's Cordial (1629), The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax (1631, exegesis of Isaiah 42:3), The Soules Conflict (1635), etc. A volume of sermons appeared in 1630, dedicated to Horace Vere, 1st Baron Vere of Tilbury and his wife Lady Mare. Most of the other works were first published by Thomas Goodwin and Philip Nye, after Sibbes died. The content belied the mainly moderate and conforming attitudes for which Sibbes was known in his lifetime. Beames of Divine Light, A Description of Christ in Three Sermons and Bowels Opened appeared in 1639, as did The Returning Backslider, sermons on the Book of Hosea. A complete edition was published 1862-4 in Edinburgh, in seven volumes, by James Nichol, with a biographical memoir by Alexander Grosart. His works were much read in New England. Thomas Hooker, prominent there from 1633, was directly influenced by Sibbes, and his "espousal theology", using marriage as a religious metaphor, draws on The Bruised Reed and Bowels Opened. The poet George Herbert was a contemporary, and there are suggestions on parallels. Where Herbert speaks in The Church Militant about the westward movement of the propagation of the gospel, Christopher Hill comments that this may have come from The Bruised Reed.[ Other examples have been proposed by Doerksen. Sibbes was cited by the Methodist John Wesley. The Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon studied his craft in Sibbes, Perkins and Thomas Manton. The evangelical Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote in the highest terms of his own encounter with the work of Sibbes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 146 pages
• Publisher: Empire Books (January 27, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1619491591
• ISBN-13: 978-1619491595
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #251,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Encouragement for the struggling Christian December 10, 2006

By K. J. Cochrane

Format:Paperback

Richard Sibbes was born in Suffolk in 1577 and started his studies at Cambridge in 1595. In 1632 he was sentenced to banishment to New England due to his strong Puritanical tendencies, but he died before the sentence could be carried out. He was one of the most influential Puritans in the early seventeenth century and was renowned for his powerful and eloquent preaching. He wrote many essays and books but he will always be remembered for writing The Bruised Reed. First published in 1630, it has now been reprinted numerous times and has comforted and reassured many a Christian soul.

The book centers around the third verse in Isaiah 42. It reads, "A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth." Breaking that verse down, Sibbes does a masterful job of comforting and encouraging Christians in their walk with Christ. The great Anglican theologian, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, wrote of The Bruised Reed, saying it was a "balm to my soul at a period in my life when I was overworked and badly overtired, and therefore subject in an unusual manner to the onslaughts of the devil...The Bruised Reed...quietened, soothed, comforted, encouraged and healed me."

What to like: Widely recognized as a classical piece of Christian literature, The Bruised Reed shows Christians why Isaiah's comparison of us to a bruised reed and a smoking flax are accurate. We are bruised. We are in a body that constantly wars with God's Spirit. And our faith can hardly be compared to a fire, for often we barely give off enough heat to smoke. Yet Sibbes shows us this is no reason to be discouraged. While it is easy for us to get discouraged about our lack of faith at times and our sinful tendencies Christ will not let us break nor let our small spark of faith be quenched. Giving practical advice on Christian living, Sibbes masterpiece is gentle yet firm; theologically deep but practical.

What not to like: I'm going to be honest here - this book was hard for me to read and that's not something I say lightly. The text was written in 1630 and the old English used is exceedingly difficult at times. This is not a book I would recommend to light readers. The book only weighs in at 128 pages but it took me a good while to read it; I would say it took me at least as long as it would normally take me to read a more modern book twice the size. I'm not saying that it was not worth the effort or that I didn't mine significant spiritual gems from the contents - just that, at times, it was mentally draining.

Memorable Quote: The whole conduct of a Christian is nothing else but knowledge reduced to will, affection and practice. If the digestion of food in the stomach is not good, the working of the liver cannot be good; so if there is error in the judgment it mars the whole of practice, as an error in the foundation does a building. God will have no blind sacrifices, no unreasonable services (Isa. 1:13), but will have us to love him with all our mind (Rom. 12:2), that is, with our understanding part, as well as with all our hearts (Luke 10:27), that is, the feeling part of the soul.

Conclusion: Though not for the novice reader, this book is well worth the effort for Christians to read. The wisdom in it will go a long way to help us during those times of discouragement and downheartedness. I would also add that the gentle and humble tone of the book should be an example for all Christians to imitate when communicating the truth of the gospel. All in all, this was a most uplifting read and did much to encourage me to persist in my feeble attempts to live my life for Christ.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cruisin' For A Bruisin' November 21, 2005

By Joshua W. Hicks

Format:Paperback

Concerning Richard Sibbes, Charles Spurgeon claimed "Sibbes never wastes the student's time, he scatters pearls and diamonds with both hands." With the same profundity and richness that typically characterizes Puritan works Sibbes, in The Bruised Reed, masterfully and beautifully deals with things like brokenness, humility, mercy, and grace all wrapped up in the greater subject of hardships, whether they be brought by persecution or one's own sin. In a time where hedonism seems to reign supreme and commandeers the hearts of sinners and confused Christians alike, The Bruised Reed delivers a good dose of sobriety to those who would revel in their good circumstance.

Might it be if one is not under affliction of one sort or another that he has not been bruised, broken, or brought to the end of himself? And if not, has he, in his pride, been given over to his depraved mind, unable to hear the thunder of God's voice which grants a man repentance? May it not be for you, me, or anyone! The wise Puritan writes, "This is such a one as our Saviour Chirst terms 'poor in spirit' (Matt. 5:3), who sees his wants, and also sees himself indebted to divine justice..." and God lowers us "levelling all proud, high thoughts, and that we may understand ourselves to be what indeed we are by nature." Let the sinner see his suffering as God's kindness which leads to salvation. Let the saint see his suffering as the means by which God perfects grace in the heart of His servant, mortifying the flesh.

With simple language and Biblical saturation, Sibbes encourages the Christian to take comfort in tribulation while looking to victory, to show grace to the weak, and to believe in Christ's goodness to us despite afflictions undergone. I heartily encourage any and all to read this fine work and now I leave you with some words of wisdom from Richard Sibbes. "In pursuing his calling, Christ will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax...he will not only not break nor quench, but he will cherish those with whom he deals."

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow! July 30, 2000

By Jamey W. Bennett

Format:Paperback

This is an awesome book! Sibbes examines suffering, sin, and the victory of Christ over it all! In his own words, "our comfort is that Christ lives and reigns, and stands on Mount Zion in defence of those who stand for him." This is the basic thesis of his book.