A12167:354
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.
And indeed, this is the only sure way of understanding the word to be of God from an inbred Principle of the majesty in the word, and a powerful work thereof on the soul it self, and an assent so grounded is that which makes a sound Christian. If we should ask what is the reason there be so many, that Apostatize, fall away, grow profane,1 and are so unfruitful under the Gospel? notwithstanding they hear so much as they do; the answer is, their souls were never founded, and bottomed upon ⟨p. 134⟩this, that it is the Word of God, and Divine truth, so as to be able to say, I have felt it by experience, that it is the voice of Christ. Therefore they so soon Apostatize, let Jesuits, or seducers set upon them, They were never persuaded from inbred Arguments, that the voice of Christ is the word of God: others from strictness grow profane, because they were never convinced by the power and majesty of the truth in it self; and then in the end they despair notwithstanding all the promises, because they were never convinced of the truth of them, they cannot say Amen to all the promises. But the Church can say confidently upon sound experience, It is the voice of my Beloved, &c.
And indeed, this is the onely sure way of understanding the word to be of God from an inbred Principle of the majesty in the word, and a powerfull worke thereof on the soule it selfe, and an assent so grounded is that which makes a sound Christian. If we should aske what is the reason there be so many, that Apostatize, fall away, grow prophane,1 and are so unfruitfull under the Gospell? notwithstanding they heare so much as they doe; the answer is, their soules were never founded, and bottomed upon ⟨p. 134⟩this, that it is the Word of God, and Divine truth, so as to be able to say, I have felt it by experience, that it is the voice of Christ. Therfore they so soone Apostatize, let Jesuites, or seducers set upon them, They were never perswaded from inbred Arguments, that the voice of Christ is the word of God: others from strictnesse grow prophane, because they were never convinced by the power and majesty of the truth in it selfe; and then in the end they despaire notwithstanding all the promises, because they were never convinced of the truth of them, they cannot say Amen to all the promises. But the Church can say confidently upon sound experience, It is the voice of my Beloved, &c.