In his book Preachers and Preaching, Martyn Lloyd-Jones noted, "I shall never cease to be grateful to Richard Sibbes, who was 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.... I found at that time that Richard Sibbes... was an unfailing remedy. His books The Bruised Reed and The Soul's Conflict quietened, soothed, comforted, encouraged, and healed me."
In this book, Sibbes reflects on Psalm 42:11 — "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God."
There be two sorts of people always in the visible Church; one that Satan keeps under with false peace, whose life is nothing but a diversion to present contentments, and a running away from God and their own hearts, which they know can speak no good unto them, these speak peace to themselves, but God speaks none. Such have nothing to do with this scripture; the way for these men to enjoy comfort, is to be soundly troubled. True peace arises from knowing the worst first, and then our freedom from it. It is a miserable peace that ariseth from ignorance of evil. The angel troubled the waters, John v., and then cured those that stepped in. It is Christ's manner to trouble our souls first, and then to come with healing in his wings.
But there is another sort of people, who being drawn out of Satan's kingdom and within the covenant of grace, whom Satan labours to unsettle and disquiet: being the god of the world, he is vexed to see men in the world, walk above the world. Since he cannot hinder their estate, he will trouble their peace, and damp their spirits, and cut asunder the sinews of all their endeavours.
To the Christian Reader
Introduction
CHAPTER I.—General Observations upon the Text
CHAPTER II.—Of Discouragements from without
CHAPTER III.—Of Discouragements from within
CHAPTER IV.—Of casting down ourselves, and specially by sorrow—evils thereof
CHAPTER V.—Remedies of casting down to cite the soul, and press it to give an account
CHAPTER VI.—Other observations of the same nature
CHAPTER VII.—Difference between good men and others in conflicts with sin
CHAPTER VIII.—Of unfitting dejection, and when it is excessive. And what is the right temper of the soul herein
CHAPTER IX.—Of the soul's disquiets, God's dealings, and power to contain ourselves in order
CHAPTER X.—Means not to be overcharged with sorrow
CHAPTER XI.—Signs of victory over ourselves, and of a subdued spirit
CHAPTER XII.—Of original righteousness, natural corruption, Satan's joining with it, and our duty thereupon
CHAPTER XIII.—Of imagination, sin of it, and remedies for it
CHAPTER XIV.—Of help by others. Of true comforters and their graces. Method. Ill success
CHAPTER XV.—Of flying to God in disquiets of souls; eight observations out of the text
CHAPTER XVI.—Of trust in God grounds of it; especially his providence
CHAPTER XVII.—Of graces to be exercised in respect of Divine Providence
CHAPTER XVIII.—Other grounds of trusting in God, namely, the Promises, and twelve directions about the same
CHAPTER XIX.—Faith to be prized, and other things undervalued, at least not to be trusted to as the chief
CHAPTER XX.—Of the method of trusting in God; and the trial of that trust
CHAPTER XXI.—Of quieting the spirit in troubles for sin; and objections answered
CHAPTER XXII.—Of sorrow for sin, and hatred for sin, when right and sufficient. Helps thereto
CHAPTER XXIII.—Other spiritual causes of the soul's trouble discovered and removed; and objections answered
CHAPTER XXIV.—Of outward troubles disquieting the spirit, and comforts in them
CHAPTER XXV.—Of the defects of gifts, disquieting the soul; as also the afflictions of the church
CHAPTER XXVI.—Of divine reasons in a believer. Of his minding to praise God, more than to be delivered
CHAPTER XXVII.—In our worst condition we have cause to praise God; still ample cause in these days
CHAPTER XXVIII.—Divers qualities of the praise due to God, with helps therein; and notes of God's hearing our prayers
CHAPTER XXIX.—Of God's manifold salvation for his people, and why open, or expressed in the countenance
CHAPTER XXX.—Of God, our God, and of particular application
CHAPTER XXXI.—Means of proving and evidencing to our souls that God is our God
CHAPTER XXXII.—Of improving our evidences for comfort in several passages of our lives
CHAPTER XXXIII.—Of experience and faith, and how to wait on God comfortably. Helps thereto
CHAPTER XXXIV.—Of confirming this trust in God: seek it of God himself. Sins hinder not: nor Satan. Conclusion and Soliloquy