A12167:1008
Bowels Opened
Bowels opened, or, A discovery of the near and deer love, union and communion betwixt Christ and the Church, and consequently betwixt Him and every believing soul Delivered in divers sermons on the fourth fifth and sixth chapters of the Canticles. By that reverend and faithful minister of the Word, Doctor Sibs, late preacher unto the honourable society of Gray's Inn, and Master of Katharine Hall in Cambridge. Being in part finished by his own pen in his life time, and the rest of them perused and corrected by those whom he entrusted with the publishing of his works.Bovvels opened, or, A discovery of the neere and deere love, union and communion betwixt Christ and the Church, and consequently betwixt Him and every beleeving soule Delivered in divers sermons on the fourth fifth and sixt chapters of the Canticles. By that reverend and faithfull minister of the Word, Doctor Sibs, late preacher unto the honourable societie of Grayes Inne, and Master of Katharine Hall in Cambridge. Being in part finished by his owne pen in his life time, and the rest of them perused and corrected by those whom he intrusted with the publishing of his works.
London: printed by George for George Edwards, 1639
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Again,1 if Christ be so lovely,2 here only we have whereupon to spend the marrow of our best affections. Is it not pity we should loose so much of our affections as we do upon other things, Christ is altogether lovely, why should we dote upon other things so much, and set up Idols in our hearts above Christ, is he altogether lovely, and shall not he have altogether ⟨p. 400⟩our lovely affections, especially when we are commanded under pain of a curse to love the Lord Jesus. Anathema Maranatha to those that love not Christ.3 Let us therefore labour to place all our sweet affections that are to be exercised upon good, as love, joy, and delight, upon this object, this lovely deserving object Christ, who is altogether lovely. When we suffer a pure stream as it were to run through a dirty channel, our affections to run after the things of the world, which are worse then our selves, we loose our affections and our selves.
Againe,1 if Christ be so lovely,2 here onely we have whereupon to spend the marrow of our best affections. Is it not pittie we should loose so much of our affections as we doe upon other things, Christ is altogether lovely, why should we dote upon other things so much, and set up Idols in our hearts above Christ, is he altogether lovely, and shall not he have altogether ⟨p. 400⟩our lovely affections, especially when we are commanded under paine of a curse to love the Lord Jesus. Anathema Maranatha to those that love not Christ.3 Let us therefore labour to place all our sweete affections that are to be exercised upon good, as love, joy, and delight, upon this object, this lovely deserving object Christ, who is altogether lovely. When wee suffer a pure streame as it were to runne through a dirty channell, our affections to run after the things of the world, which are worse then our selves, we loose our affections and our selves.