A12167:156
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.
Those that bring together these two different parties, are the friends of the Bride; that is, the Ministers, as it is John 3. 23. They are the paranymphi the friends of the Bride,1 that learn of Christ what to report to his Spouse, and so they woo for Christ; and open the Riches, Beauty, honour, and all that is lovely in him, which is indeed the especial duty of Ministers, to lay open his unsearchable Riches, that the Church may know what a Husband ⟨p. 49⟩she is like to have, if she cleave to him, and what an one she leaves, if she forsake him. It was well said in the Council of Basil out of Bernard, Nemo committit sponsam suam Vicario; nemo enim Ecclesiae sponsus est; None commits his wife to a Vicar, for none is the husband of the Church. To be Husband of the Church is one of the incommunicable titles of Christ, yet usurped by the Pope. Innocent the third was the first that wronged Christs bed by challenging the title of Sponsus, Husband of the Church. Bernard forbids his scholar Eugenius this title, Epist. 237. ad Eugenium. It is enough for Ministers to be friends of the Bride. Let us yield him to be Husband of the Church that hath given himself to sanctify it with washing of water and blood, Ephes. 5. 26. we are a wife of blood to him.
Those that bring together these two different parties, are the friends of the Bride; that is, the Ministers, as it is Iohn 3. 23. They are the paranymphi the friends of the Bride,1 that learne of Christ what to report to his Spouse, and so they wooe for Christ; and open the Riches, Beauty, honour, and all that is lovely in him, which is indeed the especiall duty of Ministers, to lay open his unsearchable Riches, that the Church may know what a Husband ⟨p. 49⟩she is like to have, if she cleave to him, and what an one she leaves, if she forsake him. It was well said in the Counsell of Basil out of Bernard, Nemo committit sponsam suam Vicario; nemo enim Ecclesiae sponsus est; None commits his wife to a Vicar, for none is the husband of the Church. To be Husband of the Church is one of the incommunicable titles of Christ, yet usurped by the Pope. Innocent the third was the first that wronged Christs bed by challenging the title of Sponsus, Husband of the Church. Bernard forbids his scholler Eugenius this title, Epist. 237. ad Eugenium. It is enough for Ministers to be friends of the Bride. Let us yeeld him to be Husband of the Church that hath given himselfe to sanctifie it with washing of water and blood,