A12167:1144
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, all this is but to fashion the §2Spouse to be like to Christ, but to bring the Church and Christ nearer together,1 that is all the hurt they do, to drive the Church nearer to Christ then before, Christ is as near to his Church as ever in the greatest afflictions by his Spirit,2 Christ cries out on the Cross, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me; it is a strange voice, that God should be his God, and yet notwithstanding seem to forsake him. But God was never more his God then at that present; indeed he was not his God in regard of some feelings that he had enjoyed in former times, he seemed to be forsaken in regard of some sense, as Christ seems to forsake the Church in regard of some sense and feeling, but yet his God still. So the Church may say, I am thine still, though she seem to be forsaken in regard of some feelings, yet she is not deserted in regard of Gods care for support of the inward man and fashioning to Christ. The Church hath never sweeter communion with Christ,3 then under the greatest crosses, and therefore they many times have proved the ground of the greatest comforts, for Christ leads the Church into the wilderness, and then speaks to her heart, Hosea 2. 14. Christ speaks to the heart of his Spouse in the wilderness, that is, in a place of no comfort, there are no Orchards or pleasures, but all discomforts, there a man must have it from heaven, if he have any good in the wilderness. In that wilderness ⟨p. 461⟩that is in a desolate disconsolate estate; Christ speaks to the heart of his children, there is in the wilderness oftentimes a sweet intercourse of love incomparably beyond the time of prosperity.
Then againe, all this is but to fashion the §2Spouse to be like to Christ, but to bring the Church and Christ neerer together,1 that is all the hurt they doe, to drive the Church neerer to Christ then before, Christ is as neere to his Church as ever in the greatest afflictions by his Spirit,