A12167:252
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.
To come to the words; [I sleep] The Church fetcheth a comparison from the body to express the state of the soul. It is one use of our body to help us in spiritual expressions. Whilst the soul dwelleth in the body, it dependeth much in the conceiving of things upon the fantasy, and the fantasy upon the senses. We come to conceive of spiritual sleep by sleep of the body, which we are well enough acquainted with.
To come to the words; [I sleep] The Church fetcheth a comparison from the body to expresse the state of the soule. It is one use of our body to helpe us in spirituall expressions. Whilst the soule dwelleth in the body, it dependeth much in the conceiving of things upon the phantasie, and the phantasie upon the senses. We come to conceive of spirituall sleep by sleep of the body, which we are well enough acquainted with.
The Church, as she consists of a double principle, flesh and spirit mingled together in all parts, as darkness and light in the twilight and dawning of the day, so here she expresseth her condition in regard of either part, so far as she was carnal, she slept, so far as she was spiritual, she was awake.
The Church, as she consists of a double principle, flesh and spirit mingled together in all parts, as darknesse and light in the twilight and dawning of the day, so here she expresseth her condition in regard of either part, so farre as she was carnall, she slept, so farre as she was spirituall, she was awake.
In this mixed condition the flesh for the present prevailed, yet so as the spirit had its working, she slept, but her heart waked.