A12167:271
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.
So likewise they are alike in danger, in sleep the preciousest thing men carry about them is taken away without resistance: and they are ready to ⟨p. 92⟩let loose what they held fast before; were it never so rich a jewel. And it is so in spiritual sleepiness; men suffer the profession of the truth to be wrung from them without much with-standing, and with letting fall their watch, let fall likewise, if not their grace, yet the exercise of their graces, and are in danger to be robbed of all.
So likewise they are alike in danger, in sleep the preciousest thing men carry about them is taken away without resistance: and they are ready to ⟨p. 92⟩let loose what they held fast before; were it never so rich a jewel. And it is so in spirituall sleepines; men suffer the profession of the truth to be wrung from them without much with-standing, and with letting fall their watch, let fall likewise, if not their grace, yet the exercise of their graces, and are in danger to be robbed of all.
There is no danger but a man in sleep is fair for, and exposed unto: Sisera was slain asleep,1 and Ishbosheth at noon day, and there is no temptation, no sin, no judgement, but a secure drowsy Christian is open for; which is the ground of so oft enforcing watchfulness by the Spirit of God in the Scriptures. As spiritual deadness of spirit is a cause of other sin, so likewise it is a punishment of them; God poureth a spirit of dead sleep upon men,2 and closeth up their eyes, till some heavy judgement falleth upon them, and how many carnal men never awake in this world, till they awake in hell! No wonder therefore that Satan labours to cast men into a dead sleep all that he can, and deludes them with dreams of a false good, that their estate is good, and like so to continue, that to morrow shall be as to day, that no danger is near, though Gods wrath hangeth over their head, ready to be revealed from heaven