A12167:160
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.
And if Christ be so near us, 1Let us labour for chaste judgements, that we do not defile them with errors, seeing the whole soul is espoused to Christ, 2Truth is the Spouse of our understandings it is not left to us to be wanton in opinions to take up what conceit we will of things, so we ought to have chaste affections not cleaving to base things, it hath been oft times seen, that one husband hath had many wives, but never from the beginning of the world, that one wife hath had many husbands. God promiseth to betroth his Church to him in righteousness & faithfulness, that is, as he will be faithful to her, so she shall by his grace be faithful to him, faithfulness shall be mutual, the Church shall not be false to Christ; so there is no Christian •oule must think to have many husbands; for Christ in this case is a jealous husband. Take heed therefore of spiritual harlotry of heart, for our affections are for Christ, and cannot be better bestowed. In other things we loose our love, & the things loved; but here we loose not our love, but this is a perfecting love, which draws us to love that which is better, then our selves. We are, as we affect, our affections are, as their Objects be, if they be set upon better things,3 then our selves, they are bettered by it, they are never rightly bestowed, but when they are set upon Christ; and upon other things as they answer, and stand with the love of Christ. For, the prime love, when it is rightly bestowed, it orders, and regulates ⟨p. 52⟩all other loves whatsoever. No man knows how to use earthly things, but a Christian, that hath first pitched his love on Christ, then seeing all things in him, and in all them a beam of that love of his, intending happiness to him, so he knows how to use every thing in order. Therefore let us keep our Communion with Christ, and esteem nothing more, then his love, because he esteems nothing more then ours.
And if Christ be so neere us, 1