A12167:211
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.
The vessels wherein Christ conveyeth his dainties are, the ministry of the Word and Sacraments, by the Word and Sacraments we come to enjoy Christ, and his comforts and graces, and by this feast of grace we come at length to the feast of feasts, that feast of glory, when we shall be satisfied with the image of God, and enjoy fullness of pleasures for evermore, and which adds to the fullness we shall fully know that it shall be a never interrupted joy.
The vessels wherein Christ conveyeth his dainties are, the ministery of the Word and Sacraments, by the Word and Sacraments we come to enjoy Christ, and his comforts and graces, and by this feast of grace we come at length to the feast of feasts, that feast of glory, when we shall be satisfied with the image of God, and enjoy fullnesse of pleasures for •vermore, and which adds to the fullnesse we shall fully know that it shall be a never interrupted joy.
We see then that we cannot please Christ better then in showing our selves welcome by cheerful taking part of his rich provision It is an honour to his bounty to fall too, and it is the temper of spirit that a Christian aims at, to rejoice always in the Lord, 1and that from enjoying our privileges in him. We are not bidden to mourn always, but to rejoice always, and that upon good advisement, rejoice and I say again (saith Saint Paul) rejoice. 2Indeed we have causes of mourning, but it is that the seed of joy should be sown in mourning, and we can never be in so forlorn a condition, wherein if we understand Christ and our selves we have not cause of joy. In me (saith Christ) ye shall have peace. The world will feed us with bread of affliction. 3If the world can help it we shall have sorrow enough, and Christ knows that well enough, and stirs us up to a cheerful feeding on that he hath procured for us. He hath both will and skill and power and authority to feed us to everlasting