Sibbes does not mess around with the ordinary, futile, human, religious remedies that all always fail. Instead, he directs us right to the heart of God, through faith in, and love for, the Son of God.

The Puritan pastor Rev. Richard Sibbes (1577-1635), was very-appropriately referred to as, “the heavenly Doctor.” Sometimes his books and sermons seem to lift the souls of the church’s saints right into glory, (even while we are still down here on Earth).

A sermon Sibbes preached on Song of Solomon 5:2 & 3, in a series entitled, “The Love of Christ,” will prove the point. Check out these remarkable words, as I quote him, (and all the italics are my emphases): “Thus [Christ] looks on us, and thus faith looks upon Him too, and together with the sight and sense of sin, at the same time it apprehends righteousness, perfect righteousness, and so is undefiled. This is the main point in religion, and the comfort of Christians, to see their perfection in Christ Jesus, and to be lost in themselves, as it were, and to be only ‘found in Him, not having their own righteousness, but the righteousness of God in Him,’ (Php. 3:9). This is a mystery which none knows but a believing soul. They have an inward sight to see corruption, and an inward faith to see God not take advantage of it. And surely there can be no greater honor than this. In the sense of sin, of wants, imperfections, stains, and blemishes, yet to wrap ourselves in the righteousness of Christ, the God/Man; and by faith, being thus covered with that absolute righteousness of Christ, with boldness to go, clothed in the garments of this our Elder Brother, to the throne of grace. This is an honor to Christ, to attribute so much to His righteousness, that being clothed therewith, we can boldly break through the fire of God’s justice, and all those terrible [fearful] attributes [of God], when we see them all, as it were, satisfied fully in Christ. For Christ, with His righteousness, could go through the justice of God, having satisfied it to the full for us. And we being clothed with this His righteousness and satisfaction may go through too.”

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