A12167:1099
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.
Now the Church cannot hold, My Beloved is mine and I am his, 1and Christ cannot hold, but falls into a large commendation of his Spouse back again; as she was large in his commendations, so he is large in hers, and more large, he will have the last word, therefore learn by this experience: that all things work together for the best to them that love God: all things.2 What evil? I evil; why even sin turns to their humiliation, yea and desertion (those spiritual ills) turns to their good, for Christ seems to forsake for a while that he may come after with more abundance of comfort, when once he hath enlarged the soul before with a spacious desire of his coming, to say, O that he would come, when the soul is thus stretched with desire in the sense of want, then he fills it again till it burst forth, My Beloved is mine and I am his▪ it was a good experiment of Bernard, and holy man in ill times tibi accidit, &c. speaking of Christs dealing with his Church, he comes and he goeth away for thy good, he comes for thy good to comfort thee, after which is thou be not careful to maintain communion with him, then he goeth away for thy good to correct thy error, and to enlarge thy desire of him again, to teach thee to lay sure and faster hold upon him when thou hast him, not to let him go again.
Now the Church cannot hold, My Beloved is mine and I am his, 1and Christ cannot hold, but fals into a large commendation of his Spouse backe againe; as she was large in his commendations, so he is large in hers, and more large, he will have the last word, therefore learne by this experience: that all things worke together for the best to them that love God: all things.2 What evill? I evill; why even sinne turnes to their humiliation, yea and disertion (those spirituall ills) turnes to their good, for Christ seemes to forsake for a while that he may come after with more aboundance of comfort, when once he hath enlarged the soule before with a spatious desire of his comming, to say, O that he would come, when the soule is thus stretched with desire in the sence of want, then he fils it againe till it burst soorth, My Beloved is mine and I am his it was a good experiment of Bernard, and holy man in ill times tibi accidit, &c. speaking of Christs dealing with his Church, he comes and he goeth away for thy good, he comes for thy good to comfort thee, after which is thou be not carefull to mainetaine communion with him, then he goeth away for thy good to correct thy error, and to enlarge thy desire of him againe, to teach thee to lay sure and faster hold upon him when thou hast him, not to let him goe againe.