A12167:1109
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.
Then again, they imply mutual familiarity,1 Christ is familiar to my soul and I to Christ, ⟨p. 447⟩he discovers himself to me in the […] of hi• love, and I discover my self to him in prayer and meditation, opening my soul to him upon all occasions. Gods children have a […] of prayer, which is a spirit of fellowship, and […] (as it were) to God in Christ; It is the language of a new borne Christian, he […] to his Father, there is a kind of familiarity between him and his God in Christ, who gives the entrance and access to God, so that where there is not a kind of familiarity in prayer and opening of the soul to Christ upon all occasions, there is not this holy communion. Those that are not given to prayer, they cannot in truth speak these words, as the Church doth here, I […] my Beloveds and my […] is mine, for they imply sweet familiarity.
Then againe, they imply mutuall familiarity,1 Christ is familiar to my soule and I to Christ, ⟨p. 447⟩he discovers himselfe to me in the 〈…〉 of hi• love, and I discover my selfe to him in prayer and meditation, opening my soule to him upon all occasions. Gods children have a 〈…〉 of prayer, which is a spirit of fellowship, and 〈…〉 (as it were) to God in Christ; It is the language of a new borne Christian, he 〈…〉 to his Father, there is a kinde of familia•ity betweene him and his God in Christ, who gives the entrance and accesse to God, so that where there is not a kinde of familiarity in prayer and opening of the soule to Christ upon all occasions, there is not this holy communion. Those that are not given to prayer, they cannot in truth speake these words, as the Church doth here, I 〈…〉 my Beloveds and my is mine, for they imply sweet familiarity.