A12167:285
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.
There is no man that comes to gross sins suddenly, but he falls by little and little, first to slumber, and from slumber to sleep, and from sleep to security, and to from one degree to another: it is the inlet to all sins, and the beginning of all danger, therefore the Lord takes a contrary course with his, when he would preserve a state or person he plants in them first a spirit of faith to believe that there is such a danger, or such a good to be apprehended, upon watching and going on in a course befitting that condition, and then faith (if it be a matter of threatening) stirs up fear ⟨p. 100⟩which maketh up care and diligence, this is Gods method, when he intends the preservation of any.
There is no man that comes to grosse sins suddenly, but hee falls by little and little, first to slumber, and from slumber to sleepe, and from sleepe to security, and to from one degree to another: it is the inlet to all sinnes, and the beginning of all danger, therefore the Lord takes a contrary course with his, when hee would preserve a state or person he plants in them first a spirit of faith to beleeve that there is such a danger, or such agood to bee apprehended, upon watching and going on in a course befitting that condition, and then faith (if it bee a matter of threatning) stirres up feare ⟨p. 100⟩which maketh up care and diligence, this is Gods method, when hee intends the preservation of any.
2. A man in his sleep is fit to loose all, a sleepy hand lets any thing go with ease. A man hath grace and comfort, he lets it go in his spiritual sleepiness, grace in a great measure, and the sense and comfort of it altogether. A Christian hath always the divine nature in him that works in some degree, yet notwithstanding in regard of his present temper and feeling, he may be in such a case, that he shall differ nothing from a reprobate, nay he may come to feel more then any ordinary wicked man feels whiles he lives in the world; as divers good Christians do. And all this, through their carelessness, that they suffer themselves to be robbed of first beginnings, by yielding to delights, company and contentments; feeding their conceits with carnal excellencies, so favouring corruptions, and flattering that that is naught in them, they loose the comfort of all that is good: who would do this for the gaining of a little broken sleep, I say broken sleep, for the better a man is, the more unquietly shall he sleep in such a state, he shall feel startlings and frights in the middest of his carnal delights if he belong to God.