A12167:278
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.
But howsoever this sleepy condition agreeth to the former times of the Church, yet I wish there were not cause to apply it to our selves, in this latter age of the Church, wherein many of the ancient heresies are revived; and besides, the evils that accompany long peace, take hold of us, and will prevail too far if we do not rouse up our selves. The Church is in the common-wealth, and usually they flourish and fall together. When there is a sleep of the Church, for the most part there is a sleep of the State. A civill sleep is, when in grounds of danger there is no apprehension of •anger, and this sleep is a punishment of spiritual sleep,1 when with Ephraim a State hath grey hairs and knoweth ⟨p. 96⟩it not, when judgements abroad will not awake men. When noise and pinching will not awake, the sleep must needs be deep. The whole world almost is in combustion round about us, and many countries thought themselves as safe a little before their troubles, as we now think our selves. If fear of outward dangers will not awake, then spiritual dangers will not, as being more secret and not obvious to sense. No wonder then if few will believe our report of the fearful condition of wicked men in the world to come. A man may be startled & awaked with outward dangers that is spiritually sottish, but he that is careless of outward danger, will be regardless of what we say in spiritual dangers. The fear of danger may be the greater, when (as it was amongst the Jews) those that should be watchful themselves, & awake others, instead of awaking rock the cradle, & cry peace, peace, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, yet we must never forget to be mindful with thankfulness for peace and the Gospel of peace which yet by Gods blessing we enjoy, always suspecting the readiness of nature to grow secure under the abundance of favours, and so to bless our selves in that condition.
But howsoever this sleepy condition agreeth to the former times of the Church, yet I wish there were not cause to apply it to our selves, in this latter age of the Church, wherein many of the ancient heresies are revived; and besides, the evils that accompany long peace, take hold of us, and will prevaile too farre if we do not rowze up our selves. The Church is in the common-wealth, and usually they flowrish and fall together. When there is a sleep of the Church, for the most part there is a sleep of the State. A civill sleep is, when in grounds of danger there is no apprehension of anger, and this sleep is a punishment of spirituall sleep,