Summary
We read this as a careful piece of pastoral medicine, written for believers whose hearts sink under fear, guilt, and spiritual weariness.
Bridge does not offer slogans. He patiently diagnoses discouragement, then applies gospel truth with tenderness and seriousness.
Why Should We Read This Resource?
We are helped by Bridge’s realism. He understands how easily the Christian life is clouded by doubts, inward accusations, and providences that feel heavy.
We also learn from his skill in bringing Scripture to bear on the conscience. He aims to comfort, but never by lowering God’s holiness or excusing sin. Instead, we are led back to Christ and to the promises that sustain trembling faith.
For pastors, this is a strong companion for shepherding. We come away with language and categories that can help us care for the downcast without becoming soft, harsh, or vague.
Closing Recommendation
We strongly recommend this for any ministry that involves patient care of tender consciences and discouraged saints.
William Bridge
William Bridge was an English Puritan pastor of the seventeenth century, writing with Reformed convictions and a clear concern for the comfort of troubled believers.
He is remembered for preaching that brings the weight of doctrine into the service of weary consciences. Bridge presses Scripture into the ordinary fears of Christian experience, showing how Christ meets His people in weakness, temptation, and sorrow, and how the promises of God steady the heart without excusing sin.
He remains valued for searching application, tender counsel, and a steady insistence that assurance grows where faith clings to Christ and walks in repentance. Recommended titles include A Lifting Up for the Downcast, his sermons on assurance and temptation, and The Works of William Bridge.
Theological Perspective: Reformed