A12167:1154
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.
2. Because love descends, though it be of a fiery nature, yet in this it is contrary, for love descends, whereas fire ascends, the superior first loves the inferior, Christ must descend in his love to us, ere we can ascend to him in our affections.
2. Because love descends, though it be of a fiery nature, yet in this it is contrary, for love descends, whereas fire ascends, the superiour first loves the inferiour, Christ must descend in his love to us, ere we can ascend to him in our affections.
3. Because our nature is such that we cannot ⟨p. 467⟩love but where we know […] selves to be loved […], therefore God is indulgent to us herein, and that we may love him he manifests his love first to us.
3. Because our nature is such that wee cannot ⟨p. 467⟩love but where we know 〈…〉 selves to be loved 〈…〉, therefore God is indulgent to us herein, and that we may love him he manifests his love first to us.
4. Because naturally […] selves being conscious of guilt are full of fears from thence: so that if the soul be not persuaded first of Christs love, it […] away form him, as Adam did from God, and as Peter from Christ: depart from me for I am but a sinful man So the soul of every man would say if first it were not persuaded of Gods love in Christ,1