A12167:358
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.
A Christian is sensible of all the blessed helps he hath to salvation. To a dead heart, it is all one, whether they have means, or no means, but a Christian soul takes notice of all the means. It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, it seeth Christ in all.
A Christian is sensible of all the blessed helpes he hath to salvation. To a dead heart, it is all one, whether they have meanes, or no meanes, but a Christian soule takes notice of all the meanes. It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, it seeth Christ in all.
And mark what the Church saith moreover It is the voice of my Beloved, 1she acknowledgeth Christ to be beloved of her; though she were asleep. So then here is a distinction, between the sleep of a Christian, and the dead sleep of ⟨p. 135⟩another natural man, The one when he sleeps, His heart doth not only wake, but it is awake to discern the voice of Christ, it can relish in reading what is spiritual and good, what is savoury, and what not. And likewise take a Christian at the worst, when he is asleep, he loves Christ, he will do nothing against him. I can do nothing (•aith Paul) against the truth, but for the truth; 2he will do nothing against the cause of Religion, there is a new Nature in him, that he cannot do otherwise, he cannot but love, he cannot sin with a full purpose, nor speak against a good cause, because he hath a new nature, that leads him another way, Christ is her Beloved still though she sleep.
And marke what the Church saith moreover It is the voice of my Beloved, 1shee acknowledgeth Christ to be beloved of her; though shee were asleepe. So then here is a distinction, betweene the sleepe of a Christian, and the dead sleepe of