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.
If one person has a right to something he did not earn, of necessity it requires that another person not have a right to something that he did earn.
Suspicion is only another form of cowardice. The man who suspects constantly suspects because he is afraid. Whenever you find a man with a free, frank, generous, brave nature, you will find that man without suspicion.
Men's ideas are the most direct emanations of their material state.
All white people in the United States have benefited from a white supremacy. But does that mean that a white person should be viewed badly because they turn against a white supremacist policy? Just because you've benefited from something shouldn't disable you from repudiating it.
...yet a memory cannot be trusted, for so much of the experience of the past is determined by the experience of the present.
I ask the fundamental question of rationality: Why do you believe what you believe? What do you think you know and how do you think you know it?
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.