A12167:1009
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.
Let therefore the whole stream of our affections be carried unto Christ.1 Love him and whatsoever is his, for he being altogether lovely, all that comes from him is lovely, his promises, his directions, his counsels, his children, his sacraments are all, lovely. Whatsoever hath the stamp of Christ upon it, let us love it, we cannot bestow our hearts better, to loose our selves in the love of Christ & to forget ourselves and the love of all, yea to hate all in comparison of him, and to account all dung and dross compared with Christ, is the only way to find our selves. And indeed we have a better condition in him then in the world or in our selves: severed from him our condition is vain and will come to nothing, but that we have in him is admirable and everlasting, we cannot conceive the happiness which we poor wretches are advanced to in Christ, and what excellent ⟨p. 401⟩things abide for us which come from the love of God to us in Christ, who is so altogether lovely. Therefore let us labour to kindle in our hearts an affection towards Christ, all that we can, considering that he is thus lovely.
Let therefore the whole streame of our affections be carried unto Christ.1 Love him and whatsoever is his, for he being altogether lovely, all that comes from him is lovely, his promises, his directions, his counsels, his children, his sacraments are all, lovely. Whatsoever hath the stamp of Christ upon it, let us love it, we cannot bestow our hearts better, to loose our selves in the love of Christ & to forget ourselves and the love of all, yea to hate all in comparison of him, and to account all dung and drosse compared with Christ, is the only way to finde our selves. And indeed we have a better condition in him then in the world or in our selves: severed from him our condition is vaine and will come to nothing, but that we have in him is admirable and everlasting, we cannot conceive the happinesse which we poore wretches are advanced to in Christ, and what excellent ⟨p. 401⟩things abide for us which come from the love of God to us in Christ, who is so altogether lovely. Therefore let us labour to kindle in our hearts an affection towards Christ, all that wee can, considering that hee is thus lovely.