A12167:328
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
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.
We must keep our selves in as much light as may be, 1for all sleepiness comes with darkness, let us keep our souls in a perpetual light, when any doubt or dark thought ariseth, upon yielding thereunto comes a sleepy temper, sleepiness in the affections ariseth from darkness of judgement, the more we labour to increase our knowledge, and the more the spiritual light and beams of it shine in at our windows, the better it vvill be for us, and the more shall we be able to keep awake. What makes men in their corruptions to avoid the Ministry of the Word, or any thing that may awake their consciences? It is the desire they have to sleep, they know, the more they know, the more they must practise, or else they must have a galled conscience. They see Religion vvill not stand with their ends, rich they must be, and great they vvill be, but if they suffer the light to grow upon them, that will tell them ⟨p. 120⟩they must not rise, and be great, by these and such courses. A gracious heart vvill be desirous of spiritual knowledge especially, and not care how near the Word comes: because they ingeniously and freely desire to be spiritually better, they make all things in the world yield to the inward man: they desire to know their own corruptions and evils more and more, and therefore love the light as children of the light, and of the day. 1 Thess. 5. Sleep is a work of darkness, men therefore of dark and drowsy hearts desire darkness for that very end that their consciences may sleep.
Wee must keepe our selves in as much light as may be, 1for all sleepinesse comes vvith darkenes, let us keepe our soules in a perpetuall light, when any doubt or darke thought ariseth, upon yeelding thereunto comes a sleepie temper, sleepinesse in the affections ariseth from darkenesse of judgement, the more we labour to increase our knowledge, and the more the spirituall light and beames of it shine in at our windovves, the better it vvill be for us, and the more shall we be able to keepe avvake. What makes men in their corruptions to avoid the Ministery of the Word, or any thing that may avvake their consciences? It is the desire they have to sleepe, they knovv, the more they knovv, the more they must practise, or else they must have a galled conscience. They see Religion vvill not stand vvith their ends, rich they must be, and great they vvill be, but if they suffer the light to grow upon them, that will tell them