A12167:1012
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, where love is, there it enlargeth the heart,1 which being enlarged enlargeth the tongue also. The Church hath never enough of commending Christ, and of setting out his praise, the tongue is loosed, because the heart is loosed. Love will alter a mans disposition, as we see in experience, a man base of nature, Love will make him liberal, he that is tongue-tied, it will make him eloquent, let a ⟨p. 403⟩man love Christ, and though before he could not speak a word in the commendation of Christ, and for a good cause, yet (I say) if the love of Christ be in him, you shall have him speak and labour earnestly in the praises of God. This hot affection, this heavenly fire, will so mould and alter him, that he shall be clean another man, as we see in the Church here, after that there was kindled a spirit of love in her, she cannot have done with Christ, when she had spoke what she could, she adds, he is altogether lovely. Those that cannot speak of Christ, or for Christ with large hearts in defence of good causes (but are tongue-tied and cold in their affections) where is their love? put any worldly man to a worldly theme that he is exercised in, and speaks of daily, he hath wit and words at will, but put him to a theme of piety, you loose him, he is out of his theme, and out of his element. But tis not so with those that have ever felt the love of God in Christ, they have large affections, how full is Saint Paul, he cannot speak of Christ but he is in the height, breadth, length, and depth of the love of God in Christ, and the knowledge of God above all knowledge: thus we may discern the truth of our love by the expressions of it here as in the Church.
Againe, where love is, there it inlargeth the heart,1 which being enlarged enlargeth the tongue also. The Church hath never enough of commending Christ, and of setting out his praise, the tongue is loosed, because the heart is loosed. Love will alter a mans disposition, as we see in experience, a man base of nature, Love will make him liberall, he that is tongue-tied, it will make him eloquent, let a ⟨p. 403⟩man love Christ, and though before he could not speake a word in the commendation of Christ, and for a good cause, yet (I say) if the love of Christ be in him, you shall have him speake and labour earnestly in the praises of God. This hot affection, this heavenly fire, will so mould and alter him, that he shall be cleane another man, as we see in the Church here, after that there was kindled a spirit of love in her, she cannot have done with Christ, when she had spoke what she could, she adds, he is altogether lovely. Those that cannot speak of Christ, or for Christ with large hearts in defence of good causes (but are tongue-tied and cold in their affections) where is their love? put any worldly man to a worldly theame that he is exercised in, and speakes of dayly, he hath wit and words at will, but put him to a theame of piety, you loose him, he is out of his theame, and out of his element. But tis not so with those that have ever felt the love of God in Christ, they have large affections, how full is Saint Paul, he cannot speake of Christ but he is in the height, bredth, length, and depth of the love of God in Christ, and the knowledge of God above all knowledge: thus we may discerne the truth of our love by the expressions of it here as in the Church.