by Obadiah Sedgwick
in ePub, mobi & .pdf formats
In Christ’s Counsel to His Languishing Church of Sardis, the eminent Puritan preacher Obadiah Sedgwick offers a searching and tender exposition of Revelation 3:2–3 — Christ’s solemn warning to a church that had a name of life, but was inwardly dying. With a shepherd’s heart and a theologian’s clarity, Sedgwick diagnoses the hidden spiritual decline that can take hold even among those who outwardly profess faith, calling Christians to wakefulness, repentance, and renewal.
Sedgwick shows how spiritual decay often begins quietly: through neglect of duties, taming of conscience, cooling affections, and the subtle growth of worldly desires. Yet he does not leave the reader in despair. Through vivid biblical illustrations, rich doctrinal reflection, and practical counsel, he teaches how the languishing soul may be strengthened again by God's grace — through humility, holy vigilance, renewed repentance, and a return to fervent communion with Christ.
Originally preached to a congregation in London during times of great spiritual need, this timeless pastoral work still speaks with urgency to the modern Church. It is a rallying call to forsake spiritual sloth, rekindle first love, and embrace Christ’s gracious counsel to “strengthen the things that remain.”
For any Christian who feels the fading of spiritual vitality, Christ’s Counsel to His Languishing Church of Sardis is a sober yet hope-filled guide back to the fountain of life. In a day of much profession but little power, Sedgwick’s voice is a needed call to authentic, living faith.
About the Author:
Obadiah Sedgwick (c. 1600–1658) was a distinguished English Puritan pastor and preacher, known for his fervent, Christ-centered ministry during one of the most turbulent periods in English church history. A graduate of Queen’s College, Oxford, Sedgwick served as a chaplain in the Parliamentary army and later as pastor of St. Mildred’s, Bread Street, London. He was a respected member of the Westminster Assembly and a faithful voice for reformation, spiritual vitality, and biblical fidelity. Sedgwick’s writings reflect a deep pastoral concern for the health of Christ’s Church, combining rich doctrinal insight with urgent calls to repentance and renewal.