Beams of Divine Light, Title page – To the reader
BEAMES OF DIVINE LIGHT, Breaking forth from severall places of holy Scripture, as they were learnedly opened, In XXI. Sermons.
The III. first being the fore-going Sermons to that Treatise called The Bruised-Reed, Preached on the precedent words.
By the late Reverend and Iudicious Divine, RICHARD SIBS, D.D. Mr. of Katharine Hall in Camb: and sometimes Preacher at GRAYES INNE.
Published according to the Doctor his owne appointment subscribed with his hand; to prevent imperfect Coppies.
ESAY. 60 3.
The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising.
PSALM. 84.11.
For the Lord God is a Sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory; and no good thing will be withhold from them that walke uprightly.
LONDON. Printed by G.M. for N. Bourne, at the Royal Exchange, and R Harford, at the guilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater Noster-Row. MDCXXXIX.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE IOHN, LORD ROBERTS, Baron of Truro: AND TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LADY LVCE his pious Consort, Grace and Peace from Jesus Christ.
Right Honourable and truly Noble:
IT was not so much the Nobility of your blood, as that of Grace given unto you from the divine hand, which did so much interest you in the love and esteeme of that worthy Servant of Christ, and Author of this worke; in whom▪ Vrim and Thummim met, whose whole course being a reall, and vitall sermon, sweetly consonant to the tenour of his teaching, made him amiable living, and honourable dead in the opinion of as many as well knew him: This was the thing (I suppose) which wrought unto him from you (as well as from many others of your Noble Stock and Ranke) more then an ordinary esteeme: and this is that which maketh me in nothing to doubt, but that his labours made publique under your names, shall be very welcome unto you: the worke is answering unto the man; and therefore worthy you, and your acceptance: onelyonly this is the disadvantage; that though these Sermons had his owne toung to preach them; yet they want his owne pen to commend them unto your Honours: I well know that the expressions of holy truthes from a gratious heart by lively voice doe breed deeper impressions in thirsting and reverent hearers, then any publishing of them in dead letters can doe; yet this we finde in experience, that holy and necessary truths, this way comming abroad into the Churches of God, doe get the advantage to continue longer, and to become a more generall good; they may stirre up the affections, and set on-wards in the course of holinesse where the comforts are sure, and the honours honouring everlasting.
In these ensuing Sermons you have variety the mother of delight; and such notable descriptions of the person, offices, love, and life of Christ, that by them you may not only be setled in divine assurances to your further comforts, but also directed and incouraged (both in your inward and outward conversation) to follow the example of Christ, the most blessed and unerring example unto all Christians. This Champion I beseech you both to follow unto your lives end; make it your worke to set up Christ, and his Religion both in your hearts, and in your houses. Acknowledge none but Christ in matter of salvation; and none to Christ in point of affection: let Christ be Christ with you, and then if Christ (and if not Christ nothing can) be worth any thing he will make you worthy indeed, he will proove unto you in life and death a Sun, a shield, even a full and an answerable good: with this Christ I leave you, and with you these ensuing Sermons, to be read and observed for your spirituall furtherance in the enjoyment of eternall life by Iesus Christ, desiring the great God of Heaven and Earth to looke upon both you and yours in much grace and merciemercy; giving unto you all the comfort and crown of Religion here on earth; and hereafter in Heaven. I rest,
Your honours to be commanded JOHN SEDOVVICK.
To the Reader.
Christian Reader:
THE Word of God is given us as a most pretious treasure, and that not for our selves onelyonly, but for our children after us, and therefore is called Jsraels Jnheritance, Deut. 33.4. Moses commanded us a Law, even the Inheritance of the Congregation of Iacob. All the wealth in the world is but as dirt and trash in comparison of the Word to the people of God. (Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; for they are the rejoycing of mine heart, saith David, Psal. 119.111.) And therefore as they rejoyce in their owne enjoying of it, so they doe what they may to assure it to their children when they are dead, that it may be entailed upon them and their posterity after them, Yea so they doe also with the knowledge of divine truths which they have found in the Word, (which is not indeed found out by men all at one time, but by degrees, as Gold is found in Mines▪ as men come to search farther and farther and to dig deeper and deeper for it) It was not (they know) imparted to them for their owne use onelyonly, but for the benefit of others, the manifestation of the Spirit is given to profit withall, 1 Cor. 12.7. and therefore as it comes to them from Heaven they hand it to others,1 Tim. 3.15. that so it may be continued in the Church, the ground and pillar of truth, for the good of those that shall live in future times.
This was, I hope, the chiefe aime of those that have published these Sermons of that worthy Light of our Church, Dr. Sibs. And surely we have great cause in this regard thankfully to acknowledge their care and paines, who both tooke them so exactly from his mouth as he delivered them, and then kept them so charity as foreign a precious thing committed to their trust, 2 Tim. 1.14and have now published them for the common good of all that will make use of them. For by this meanes what was delivered to a few may now build up many to farther degrees of knowledge and grace even all the Land over, and they that never saw his face may be made sharers in those his labours which only a few were so happy as to heare.
Being my selfe one amongst others that have found the advantage hereof, I was not so hardly wonne as otherwise I should have beene, to commend these Beames of divine Light to the respect of others. Diverse truths of greatest consequence are exactly handled in the severall Sermons here presented to you, as concerning the misery of our naturall estate and the bl…sse and happinesse of those that are quickned by Christ, concerning the necessity of the Word, our spirituall Food & the Zealous Violence of the Faithfull impressing after it, concerning the divers both joyes and sorrowes, complaints and Triumphs of Gods children here, when they are blacke though comely, Cant. 1.5. and concerning their happinesse in death, and glory after it, and many other whereof these few are onelyonly a taste,
The study of the Scriptures made the Author a man of God, perfect, thorowly furnished unto all good workes, and as became a faithfull Steward of the manifold grace of God, he endeavoured to teach the whole counsell of God, and to store men with the knowledge of Gods will, in all wisedome and spirituall understanding. I desire that both thou and I and all Gods people may so reade these his labours that it may farther our growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ, to whose grace I commend thee, being
Woodstreet, November 6. 1638. Thine in him ARTHVR. JACKSON.
A DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST,
In His neerenesse to GOD,
In His calling,
In His qualification,
In His execution of his calling.
In three Sermons,
Being the leading Sermons to that Treatise called the Bruised Reed, preached upon the precedent words.
By the late Reverend and learned Divine RICHARD SIBS,
Doctor in Divinitie, Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes Preacher at GRAYES INNE.
ISA. 61.1.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath annoynted me to preach good tidings unto the meeke.
LONDON. Printed by G M. for N Bourne, and R. Harford and are to be sold at the south entrance of the Royall Exchange, and at the guilt Bible in Queenes-head-Alley in Pater-noster row. MDCXXXIX.