A12167:248
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
Sermon 3 › I sleep, but my heart waketh.Sermon 3 › I sleepe, but my heart waketh.
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.
4. This ingenuous dealing easeth the soul, giving vent to the grief of it: whiles the arrows head sticks in the wound, it will not heal:1 Sin unconfessed is like a broken piece of rusty iron in the body, it must be gotten out, else it will by rankling and festering cause more danger. It is like poison in the stomach, if it be not presently cast up, it will infect the whole body. Is it not better to take shame to our selves now, than to be shamed hereafter before Angels, Devils and Men? How careful is God of us, by this private way to prevent future shame?
4. This ingenuous dealing easeth the soule, giving vent to the griefe of it: whiles the arrowes head stickes in the wound, it will not heale:1 Sin unconfessed is like a broken peece of rusty iron in the body, it must be gotten out, els it will by rankling and festring cause more danger. It is like poyson in the stomach, if it be not presently cast up, it will infect the whole body. Is it not better to take shame to our selves now, than to be shamed hereafter before Angels, Divels and Men? How carefull is God of us, by this private way to prevent future shame?
- 1Ferrum in vulnere.
5. This faithful dealing with our selves is oft a means of present delivery out of any trouble. David in the 32 Psalm 4. was in a great distemper both of body and spirit; his moisture was turned into the drought of summer. It is thought he made this Psalm between the time of his sin and his pardon. What course taketh he? I said (saith he) that is, I resolved to confess my sin, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Upon a free and full, a faithful, and ingenuous confession, without all guile of spirit, he found ease presently both in soul and body. The cause of Gods severe dealing with