A12167:334
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.
Let us labour upon our own hearts in the Conscionable use of all these means, in their several times and seasons, that we may keep our hearts waking, and the more earnest ought we to be from consideration of the present age and season in which we live.
Let us labour upon our owne hearts in the Conscionable use of all these meanes, in their severall times and seasons, that we may keepe our hearts waking, and the more earnest ought we to be from consideration of the present age and season in which we live.
Certainly a drowsy temper is the most ordinary temper in the World. For would men suffer idle words, yea filthy and rotten talk to come from their mouths if they were awake? Would a waking man run into a pit? or upon a swords point? A man that is asleep may do any thing. What do men mean when they fear not to lye, dissemble, and rush upon the pikes of Gods displeasure? When they say one thing and do another, are they not dead? or take them at the best, are they not asleep? Were they awake, would they ever do thus? Will not a fowl that hath wings, avoid the snare? or will a beast run into a pit when it sees it? There is a snare laid in your Play-houses, gaming houses, Common houses that Gentlemen frequent that generally profess Religion, and take the Communion. If the eye of their souls were awake, would they run into these snares, that their own Consciences tells them are so? If there be any goodness in their souls, it is wondrous sleepy; There is no man (even the best) but may complain something, that they are overtaken in the contagion of these infectious times, they catch drowsy tempers (as our Saviour saith) of those latter times. ⟨p. 124⟩For the abundance of iniquity, the love of many shall wax cold. A chill temper, grows ever from the coldness of the times that we live in, wherein the best may complain of coldness, but there is great difference. The life of many, we see, is a continual sleep.
Certainly a drowsie temper is the most ordinary temper in the World. For would men suffer idle words, yea filthy and rotten talke to come from their mouths if they were awake? Would a waking man runne into a pit? or upon a swords point? A man that is asleepe may doe any thing. What doe men meane when they feare not to lye, dissemble, and rush upon the pikes of Gods displeasure? When they say one thing and doe another, are they not dead? or take them at the best, are they not asleepe? Were they awake, would they ever doe thus? Will not a fowle that hath wings, avoyde the snare? or will a beast runne into a pit when it sees it? There is a snare laid in your Play-houses, gaming houses, Common houses that Gentlemen frequent that generally professe Religion, and take the Communion. If the eye of their soules were awake, would they runne into these snares, that their owne Consciences tells them are so? If there be any goodnesse in their soules, it is wondrous sleepie; There is no man (even the best) but may complaine something, that they are overtaken in the contagion of these infectious times, they catch drovvsie tempers (as our Saviour saith) of those latter times.