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.
One who not merely beholds the outward shows of things, but catches a glimpse of the soul that looks out of them, whose garment and revelation they are-if he be such, I say, he will stand, for more than a moment, speechless with something akin to that which made the morning stars sing together.
Our identities really are a constant negotiation between the story we tell about ourselves and the narrative our societies like to recite.
A lie which is half a truth is ever the blackest of lies.
Hell and Heaven are near man, yes, in him; and every man after death goes to that Hell or heaven in which he was, or to his spirit, during his abode in the world.
Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.
Although it is a gloomy view to suppose that life will die out, sometimes when I contemplate the things that people do with their lives I think it is almost a consolation
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