The Glorious Feast of the Gospel

More than anything else, Richard Sibbes (1577–1635) was a great preacher. He never lost sight of the fact that the best Christian counselling is done by the Holy Spirit through the patient and lively exposition of God’s word. Sibbes excelled as a comforter of the troubled and doubting. But he also possessed a rare gift of illuminating every passage of Scripture he handled by drawing out its significance for his hearers and readers. These features of Sibbes’s ministry figure prominently in The Glorious Feast of the Gospel. Sibbes takes for his text Isaiah 26:6-9 in order to display ‘Christ’s gracious invitation and royal entertainment of believers.’ The subject-matter is a perfect blend of rich doctrine and practical application. Here is an ‘admirable feast indeed … Jesus Christ is the master of the feast, and the cheer and provision too.’