A12167:1202
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.
If this be so, let us know then, that when we come to Religion we loose not the sweetness of our lives, but only translate them to a far more excellent and better condition, perhaps we feed before upon vain Authors, upon (as it were) gravel, vain company, but now we have our delight (and perhaps find […] pleasure) in better things, instead of that which fed our idle fancy (vain trea•••es and the like) now we have holy truths to delight our souls, Believe it, a Christian never knows what comfort is to purpose till […] be down right ⟨p. 490⟩and sincere in Religion. Therefore Augustine saith of himself, Lord I have wanted thy sweetness over long, I see all my former life (that I thought had such sweetness in it) was nothing at all but husks, empty things; now I know where sweetness is, it is in the Word and Truth. Therefore let us not misconceive of Religion, as of a mopish and dull thing, wherein we must loose all comfort, if we give our selves over to the study thereof; must we so? must we loose our comfort? Nay, we have no comfort till we be religious indeed; Christ feeds not his among Thorns and Briers and stinking weeds, but among Lilies; dost thou think he feeds thee among unsavoury, harsh, fretting, galling things? No, he feeds among Lilies. Therefore when thou comest to Religion, think that thou comest to comfort, to refresh thy soul, let us make use of this for our souls comfort to make us in love more with the ways of Christ.
If this be so, let us know then, that when we come to Religion we loose not the sweetnesse of our lives, but onely translate them to a farre more excellent and better condition, perhaps we feede before upon vaine Authors, upon (as it were) gravell, vaine company, but now we have our delight (and perhaps finde 〈…〉 pleasure) in better things, instead of that which fed our idle fansie (vaine trea•••es and the like) now we have holy truths to delight our soules, Beleeve it, a Christia• never knowes what comfort is to purpose till 〈…〉 be downe right ⟨p. 490⟩and sincere in Religion. Therefore Austine saith of himselfe, Lord I have wanted thy sweetnesse over long, I see all my former life (that I thought had such sweetnesse in it) was nothing at all but huskes, empty things; now I know where sweetnesse is, it is in the Word and Truth. Therefore let us not misconceive of Religion, as of a mopish and dull thing, wherein we must loose all comfort, if we give our selves over to the study therof; must we so? must we loose our comfort? Nay, we have no comfort till we be religious indeed; Christ feeds not his among Thornes and Briers and stinking weeds, but among Lillies; dost thou thinke he feeds thee among unsavoury, harsh, fretting, galling things? No, he feeds among Lillies. Therefore when thou commst to Religion, thinke that thou commest to comfort, to refresh thy soule, let us make use of this for our soules comfort to make us in love more with the waies of Christ.