The Soul's Conflict

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, Ps. 42:11; 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 riseth from ignorance of evil. The angel “troubled the waters,” John 5:4, and then it cured those that stepped in. It is Christ’s manner to trouble our souls first, and then to come with healing in his wings. (From the Preface)


• To The Christian Reader

• On The Work of My Learned Friend Doctor Sibbes

• The Soul’s Conflict with Itself

• General Observations upon the Text

• Of Discouragements from without

• Of Discouragements from within

• Of casting down ourselves, and specially by sorrow — evils thereof

• Remedies of casting down: to cite the soul, and press it to give an account

• Other observations of the same nature

• Difference between good men and others in conflicts with sin

• Of unfitting dejection, and when it is excessive. And what is the right temper of the soul herein

• Of the soul’s disquiets, God’s dealings, and power to contain ourselves in order

• Means not to be overcharged with sorrow

• Signs of victory over ourselves, and of a subdued spirit

• Of original righteousness, natural corruption, Satan’s joining with it, and our duty thereupon

• Of imagination, sin of it, and remedies for it

• Of help by others. Of true comforters and their graces. Method. Ill success

• Of flying to God in disquiets of souls; eight observations out of the text

• Of trust in God; grounds of it; especially his providence

• Of graces to be exercised in respect of Divine Providence

• Other grounds of trusting in God, namely, the Promises, and twelve directions about the same

• Faith to be prized, and other things undervalued, at least not to be trusted to as the chief

• Of the method of trusting in God; and the trial of that trust

• Of quieting the spirit in troubles for sin; and objections answered

• Of sorrow for sin, and hatred for sin, when right and sufficient. Helps thereto

• Other spiritual causes of the soul’s trouble discovered and removed; and objections answered

• Of outward troubles disquieting the spirit, and comforts in them

• Of the defects of gifts, disquieting the soul; as also the afflictions of the church

• Of divine reasons in a believer. Of his minding to praise God, more than to be delivered

• In our worst condition we have cause to praise God; still ample cause in these days

• Divers qualities of the praise due to God, with helps therein; and notes of God’s hearing our prayers

• Of God’s manifold salvation for his people, and why open, or expressed in the countenance

• Of God, our God, and of particular application

• Means of proving and evidencing to our souls that God is our God

• Of improving our evidences for comfort in several passages of our lives

• Of experience and faith, and how to wait on God comfortably. Helps thereto

• Of confirming this trust in God: seek it of God himself. Sins hinder not: nor Satan. Conclusion and Soliloquy 


Richard Sibbes was an Anglican theologian. He is known as a Biblical exegete, and as a representative, with William Perkins and John Preston, of what has been called "main-line" Puritanism because he ever remained in the Church of England and worshiped according to the Book of Common Prayer.