A12167:1025
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.
THE EIGHTEENTH SERMON.1
- 1SER. XVIII.
CANT. V. XVI. His mouth is most sweet, yea he is altogether lovely, this is my Beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. CANT. VI. I, II. Whither is thy Beloved gone, O thou fairest among women, whither is thy Beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee. My Beloved is gone down, &c.
CANT. V. XVI. His mouth is most sweet, yea he is altogether lovely, this is my Beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Hierusalem. CANT. VI. I, II. Whither is thy Beloved gone, O thou fairest among woemen, whither is thy Beloved turned aside that wee may seeke him with thee. My Beloved is gone downe, &c.
BY this time the Church hath well quit her self in that safe subject, commending her beloved, first in general, and then in particular; she affirms (in effect) there ⟨p. 412⟩was none like him in general, which she after makes good in all the particulars of her description, now she sums up all with a kind of superabundant expression. What shall I say more of him? if that which is said be not enough, then know farther, he is altogether lovely, there were no end to go through all his perfections, but look on him wholly, he is altogether lovely, and therefore deserves my love, so that there is no cause why you should wonder at the strength of my affections and care to find out this my Beloved and this my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem. Thus we see how the pitch of an enlightened soul is bent, it aspires to things suitable to its self, to Godwards to union and communion with Christ, to supernatural objects, nothing here below is worthy the name of its beloved. It fastens not on earthly base things, but this is my beloved, and this is my friend, this so excellent a person, this Jedidiah, this beloved son, this judge of all, Lord of all, this chief of ten thousand, here the Church pitches her affections which she conceals not as ashamed thereof, but in a kind of triumphing, boasting of her choice, she concludes all with a kind of resolute assurance, that the object of this her choice is far beyond all comparison.