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The Soul's Conflict With Itself: Modern, Updated Translation
Are you cast down? Is your soul disquieted within you? Discover timeless wisdom for finding hope and peace in God.
For four centuries, Richard Sibbes' The Soul's Conflict has served as a profound spiritual balm for Christians navigating the turbulent waters of doubt, discouragement, and inner turmoil. Based on the searching questions of Psalm 42, this Puritan classic offers deep insight into the very real battles believers face within their own hearts.
Now, Updated Works brings Sibbes' powerful pastoral counsel into the 21st century with this carefully modernized English edition. While preserving the depth and richness of the original, this version removes the barriers of archaic language, allowing today's readers to directly access the wisdom Sibbes shared nearly 400 years ago.
Inside The Soul's Conflict With Itself, you will
The Sources of Spiritual Understand the internal and external factors—from personal sin and Satan's attacks to worldly pressures and even God's apparent withdrawal—that trouble the believer's soul.
The Necessity of Learn why confronting your own heart, questioning your disquiet, and understanding your true spiritual state is crucial for finding peace.
The Dangers of Excessive Recognize when godly grief crosses the line into harmful discouragement that hinders faith and service.
The Ultimate Trusting Discover the unshakable foundations for faith found in God's unchanging nature, His sovereign providence, His precious promises, and His covenant relationship with His people through Christ.
Practical Guidance for Cultivating Find actionable advice on managing thoughts and imagination, the value of Christian fellowship, and how to praise God even amidst trials.
Sibbes masterfully guides the reader away from despair and towards a settled confidence in God, who is "the health of my countenance, and my God." This edition encourages readers to consult the original text while providing an accessible pathway to its life-giving truths.
If you struggle with anxiety, doubt, spiritual depression, or simply desire a deeper, more stable walk with God, The Soul's Conflict offers compassionate, biblically-grounded hope and practical help for the weary soul.
About the AuthorRichard Sibbes (1577–1635) was a prominent English Puritan theologian and preacher, highly esteemed for his warm, pastoral, and Christ-centered ministry. Educated at St John's College, Cambridge, he later became Master of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and served as a lecturer at Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge, and notably as Preacher at Gray's Inn, London.
Known affectionately as "the heavenly Doctor Sibbes" and a "sweet dropper" for his gentle and encouraging application of Scripture, Sibbes focused on comforting afflicted consciences and exalting the grace of God in Christ. His writings, characterized by their experiential depth and biblical richness, avoid harsh polemics and instead aim to heal and build up believers.
Besides The Soul's Conflict, his most famous work is The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax, a classic exploration of Christ's tenderness towards the weak and doubting. Sibbes' works profoundly influenced later generations of Puritans and continue to be cherished for their timeless spiritual wisdom and compassionate insight into the Christian life.
For four centuries, Richard Sibbes' The Soul's Conflict has served as a profound spiritual balm for Christians navigating the turbulent waters of doubt, discouragement, and inner turmoil. Based on the searching questions of Psalm 42, this Puritan classic offers deep insight into the very real battles believers face within their own hearts.
Now, Updated Works brings Sibbes' powerful pastoral counsel into the 21st century with this carefully modernized English edition. While preserving the depth and richness of the original, this version removes the barriers of archaic language, allowing today's readers to directly access the wisdom Sibbes shared nearly 400 years ago.
Inside The Soul's Conflict With Itself, you will
The Sources of Spiritual Understand the internal and external factors—from personal sin and Satan's attacks to worldly pressures and even God's apparent withdrawal—that trouble the believer's soul.
The Necessity of Learn why confronting your own heart, questioning your disquiet, and understanding your true spiritual state is crucial for finding peace.
The Dangers of Excessive Recognize when godly grief crosses the line into harmful discouragement that hinders faith and service.
The Ultimate Trusting Discover the unshakable foundations for faith found in God's unchanging nature, His sovereign providence, His precious promises, and His covenant relationship with His people through Christ.
Practical Guidance for Cultivating Find actionable advice on managing thoughts and imagination, the value of Christian fellowship, and how to praise God even amidst trials.
Sibbes masterfully guides the reader away from despair and towards a settled confidence in God, who is "the health of my countenance, and my God." This edition encourages readers to consult the original text while providing an accessible pathway to its life-giving truths.
If you struggle with anxiety, doubt, spiritual depression, or simply desire a deeper, more stable walk with God, The Soul's Conflict offers compassionate, biblically-grounded hope and practical help for the weary soul.
About the AuthorRichard Sibbes (1577–1635) was a prominent English Puritan theologian and preacher, highly esteemed for his warm, pastoral, and Christ-centered ministry. Educated at St John's College, Cambridge, he later became Master of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and served as a lecturer at Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge, and notably as Preacher at Gray's Inn, London.
Known affectionately as "the heavenly Doctor Sibbes" and a "sweet dropper" for his gentle and encouraging application of Scripture, Sibbes focused on comforting afflicted consciences and exalting the grace of God in Christ. His writings, characterized by their experiential depth and biblical richness, avoid harsh polemics and instead aim to heal and build up believers.
Besides The Soul's Conflict, his most famous work is The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax, a classic exploration of Christ's tenderness towards the weak and doubting. Sibbes' works profoundly influenced later generations of Puritans and continue to be cherished for their timeless spiritual wisdom and compassionate insight into the Christian life.
333 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 29, 2025
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About the author
Richard Sibbes
238 books101 followersRichard Sibbes was born at Tostock, Suffolk, in 1577 and went to school in Bury St Edmunds. His father, 'a good sound-hearted Christian', at first intended that Richard should follow his own trade as a wheelwright, but the boy s 'strong inclination to his books, and well-profiting therein' led to his going up to St John's College, Cambridge in 1595. He was converted around 1602-3 through the powerful ministry of Paul Bayne, the successor of William Perkins in the pulpit of Great St Andrew's Church.
After earning his B.D. in 1610, Sibbes was appointed a lecturer at Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge. Later, through the influence of friends, he was chosen to be the preacher at Gray's Inn, London, and he remained there until 1626. In that year he returned to Cambridge as Master of St Catherine's Hall, and later returned to Holy Trinity, this time as its vicar. He was granted a Doctorate in Divinity in 1627, and was thereafter frequently referred to as 'the heavenly Doctor Sibbes'. He continued to exercise his ministry at Gray's Inn, London, and Holy Trinity, Cambridge, until his death on 6 July 1635 at the age of 58.
After earning his B.D. in 1610, Sibbes was appointed a lecturer at Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge. Later, through the influence of friends, he was chosen to be the preacher at Gray's Inn, London, and he remained there until 1626. In that year he returned to Cambridge as Master of St Catherine's Hall, and later returned to Holy Trinity, this time as its vicar. He was granted a Doctorate in Divinity in 1627, and was thereafter frequently referred to as 'the heavenly Doctor Sibbes'. He continued to exercise his ministry at Gray's Inn, London, and Holy Trinity, Cambridge, until his death on 6 July 1635 at the age of 58.
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