In all their jollity in this world, the wicked are but as a book fairly bound, which when it is opened is full of nothing but tragedies. So when the book of their consciences shall be once opened, there is nothing to be read but lamentations and woes.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that outward appearances of joy can mask deep inner sorrow and moral failures.
Richard Sibbes uses the metaphor of a well-bound book to illustrate that those who appear to be happy and carefree ('the wicked') often harbor tragic truths within. This suggests that superficial joy can be deceiving, and when one's inner thoughts and conscience are examined, what may be revealed are feelings of regret and sorrow.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about the nature of happiness and morality in a philosophy class.
When a man is to travel into a far country...one staff in his hand may comfortably support him, but a bundle of staves would be troublesome. Thus a competency of these outward things may happily help us in the way to heaven, whereas abundance may be hurtful.
It would be a good contest amongst Christians, one to labour to give no offence, and the other to labour to take none. The best men are severe to themselves, tender over others.
Those that look to be happy must first look to be holy.
The way to cover our sin is to uncover it by confession.
There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.
Faith, whereby especially Christ rules, sets the soul so high that it looks down on all other things as far below, as having represented to it, by the Spirit of Christ, riches, honor, beauty and pleasures of a higher nature.
The laws of physics that we regard_x000D_ as 'sacred,' as immutable, are anything_x000D_ but.
Man is a dream about a shadow. But when some splendour falls upon him from God, a glory comes to him and his life is sweet.
I believe my religion is the truth, but I am not the truth and the truth doesn't belong to me I'm trying to belong to the truth.
The root of humanly caused evil is not man's animal nature, not territorial aggression, or innate selfishness, but our need to gain self-esteem, deny our mortality, and achieve a heroic self-image. Our desire for the best is the cause of the worst.
Everyone wants a prodigy to fail; it makes our mediocrity more bearable.
Our government rests upon religion. It is from that source that we derive our reverance for truth and justice, for equality and liberty, and for the rights of mankind. Unless the people believe in these principles they cannot believe in our government.
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