A12167:353
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.
Even thus to object and ask, is an argument, and testimony, that these men have not the Spirit of Christ, 1for His sheep know his voice; who howsoever they cannot interpret all places of Scripture, yet they can discern in the Scripture what is suitable food for them, or in the unfolding of the Scriptures, in preaching, they can discern agreeable food for them, having a faculty to reject that which is not fit for nourishment, to let it go. As there is in nature passages fit for concoction, and digestion, and for rejection; so there is in the soul to work out of the Word, even out of that which is hard, yet wholesome, what is fit for the soul, and Spirit. If it be cast down, it feeds upon the promises for direction, and consolation, and what is not fit nourishment, that it rejects, that is, if it be of a contrary nature, heterogeniall. Therefore we answer them thus: That Gods sheep hear his voice, 2That his Word left in the Church (when it is unfolded) his ⟨p. 133⟩Spirit goes together with it, breeding a relish of the Word in the hearts of people, whereby they are able to taste and relish it, and it hath a supernatural power and Majesty in it, which carries its own evidence with it. How shall we know light to be light? It carries evidence in it self, that it is light. How know we that the fire is hot? because it carries evidence in it• self, that it is so. So if you ask, How we know the Word of God to be the Word of God? it carries in it self inbred Arguments, and Characters, that the soul can say none but this Word can be the Word of God, it hath such a majesty and power to cast down, and raise up,3 and to comfort, and to direct with such power,4 and majesty, that it carries with it its own evidence, and it is argument enough for it. And thus we answer them; which they can answer no way, but by cavils. Gods sheep hear the voice of Christ, He speaks, and the Church understands him, and a strangers voice they will not hear. Joh. 10. 5