A12167:1198
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.
A second general point out of the text is this, That as Christ feedeth still his flock and people, so he feeds them fully, plentifully, and sweetly among the Lilies. There are saving truths enough, there is an all-sufficiency in the Book of God, what need we go out to mans inventions, seeing there is a fullness and all-sufficiency of truth there. Whatsoever is not in that is wind, or poison, in the Word is a full kind of feeding. In former times when they had not the Scriptures, and the comforts of them to feed on, what did the poor souls then? and what do those remaining in Popery feed on? Upon stones (as it were.) There was a dream of an holy man in those times (divers hundred years agone) that he saw one having a deal of manchet to feed on, and yet all the while poor wretch he fed on stones. What folly and misery […] this, when there are delicate things to fe•d on, to gnaw upon stones? and what is all the school learning almost, (except one or two that had ⟨p. 488⟩better spirits then the rest) but a knawing upon stones, barren distinctions, empty things, that had no substance in them? they had the Scriptures (though they were locked up in Latin, an unknown tongue) they had the sweet pastures of Christ to feed in, and yet all this while they fed (as it were) on stones.
A second generall point out of the text is this, That as Christ feedeth still his flocke and people, so hee feedes them fully, plentifully, and sweetly among the Lillies. There are saving truthes enough, there is an all-sufficiency in the Booke of God, what need we goe out to mans inventions, seeing there is a fullnesse and all-sufficiency of truth there. Whatsoever is not in that is winde, or poison, in the Word is a full kind of feeding. In former times when they had not the Scriptures, and the comforts of them to feed on, what did the poore soules then? and what doe those remaining in Popery feed on? Upon stones (as it were.) There was a dreame of an holy man in those times (divers hundred yeares agone) that he saw one having a deale of manchet to feed on, and yet all the while poore wretch he fed on stones. What folly and misery 〈…〉 this, when there are delicate things to fe•d on, to gnaw upon stones? and what is all the schoole learning almost, (except one or two that had ⟨p. 488⟩