A12167:1051
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.
We see here is a growth in the desires of the Daughters of Jerusalem, whence we learn,
We see here is a growth in the desires of the Daughters of Hierusalem, whence wee learne,
From the first question, what is thy beloved, here is a second (upon better information) Whither is thy beloved gone, that we may seek him with thee. Nothing is less then grace at the first, nothing in the world so little in proportion The Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a grain of mustard-seed,1 that is, the work of grace in the heart, as well as in the preaching of the Gospel, in the beginning is little. It is true of the work of grace, as well as of the word of grace, that is like a grain of Mustard-seed at first, what is thy beloved enquires the Church at first, but when she hears of the excellency of Christ; then whither is thy beloved gone. Grace begets grace, there is a connection and knitting together in Religion, good things beget good things: it is a strange thing in Religion, how great a matter ariseth of a little beginning. The woman of Samaria had but a small beginning of grace, and yet she presently drew many of her neighbours to believe in Christ. So Andrew,