A12167:1203
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.
Now to seal this further,1 see what the Scripture saith in some parallel places, Psal. 23. The Lord is my Shepherd, and what is the use that David presently makes hereof? Why, I shall want nothing, he will feed me plentifully and abundantly, the whole Psalm is nothing but a commenting upon that word, the Lord is my Shepherd, how doth he perform the duty of a shepherd, He makes me to lye down in green pastures and leads me by the still waters, it is not only meant of the body, but of the soul chiefly, ⟨p. 491⟩he restoreth my soul, that is, when my soul languisheth and is ready to faint, he restores it, and gives me as it were a new soul, he refresheth it. We see say recreation is the creating of a thing a new, so he restores my soul, he gives me my soul a new with fresh comforts: Thus the blessed Shepherd doth, and how? Because, he feeds among the Lilies, the promises of the Gospel; then he doth not only do good to the body and soul, but he guides all our ways, all our goings out, He leads us in the paths of Righteousness, and why, because I deserve so much at his hands? No; for his own name sake, because he hath a love to me, because he hath purchased me with his blood, and given his life for his sheep, hath bought me so dear, though there be no worth in me. He goes on, though I walk through all temptations and troubles, which are as the valley of the shadow of death, that is (where there is nothing but disconsolation and misery) yet I will fear none ill, thou with thy rod and staff dost comfort me. If I, as a wandering sheep, venture to go out of the way, thou out of thy care being a sweet and loving Shepherd wilt pull me in with thy hook and staff again, he hath not care only to feed us, but to […] verne us also. What a sweet Shepherd and Saviour have we in covenant that […] thus with us, and so he proceeds, thou […] prepare my table in the presence of mine […], and for the time to come he promi••eth himself as ⟨p. 492⟩much that God as he hath been a Shepherd (for the presen•) to provide all things necessary for body & soul and guidance, so surely the goodness of the Lord shall follow me all the days of my life, for he is a perpetual Shepherd, he will not leave us till he hath brought us to Heaven. Thus we see in this place the sweet care of Christ.