A12167:297
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 4 › I sleep but my heart waketh.Sermon 4 › 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.
I sleep but my heart waketh.
I sleepe but my heart waketh.
Indeed, the Church might have said, my heart sleepeth, but my heart waketh: for it is the same faculty, the same power of the soul, both in the state of Corruption, and of grace, in which the soul is, as in the twi-light, we cannot say, this is light, and that is darkness, because there is such a mixture. In all the powers of the soul, there is something good, and something ill, something flesh, and something spirit. The heart was asleep, and likewise was awake. I sleep but my heart waketh;1 you see here then first of all in this correction; That a Christian hath two principles in him, that which is good, and that which is evil, whence issueth the weakness of his actions, and affections, They are all mixed, as are the principles from which they come forth, we may observe further, that a Christian man may know how it is with himself,2 though he be mixed of flesh, and spirit, he hath a distinguishing knowledge and judgement whereby he knows both the good, and evil in himself. In a dungeon where is nothing but darkness both on the eye that should see, and on that which should be seen, he can see nothing: but where there is a supernatural principle, where there is this mixture, there the light of the spirit searcheth the dark corners of the heart; A man that hath the spirit ⟨p. 107⟩knoweth both, he knoweth himself and his own heart. The Spirit hath a light of its own, even as Reason hath, how doth Reason know what it doth; By a reflect act Inbred in the soul, shall a man that is natural reflect upon his state, and know what he knows, what he thinks, what he doth, and may not the soul that is raised to an higher estate know as much? undoubtedly it may. Besides we have the Spirit of God, which is light, and self-evidencing, it shows unto us, where it is, and what it is▪ The work of the Spirit may sometimes be hindered,