A12167:370
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 here how excellently is the expression of Christs mercy, love, and patience set out? He knocks, my Beloved knocketh, &c. saying, He knocks for further entrance (as was showed before) some he had already, but he would have further, As you know we have divers rooms, and places in our houses; There is the court, the hall, the parlour, and closet. The hall for common persons, the parlour for those of better fashion, the closet for a mans self, and those that are intimate friends; So a Christian hath room in his heart for worldly thoughts, but his closet, his inmost affections, are kept for his inmost friend Christ, who is not content with the hall, but will come into the very closet▪ he knocks that we should open, and let him come into our hearts, into our more intimate affections, and love▪ nothing will content him, but intimateness, for he deserves it, as we shall see,1 he knocks for this end. But how doth he knock?
And here how excellently is the expression of Christs mercie, love, and patience set out? He knockes, my Beloved knocketh, &c. saying, Hee knockes for further entrance (as was shewed before) some he had already, but he would have further, As you know we have divers roomes, and places in our houses; There is the court, the hall, the parlour, and closset. The hall for common persons, the parlour for those of better fashion, the closset for a mans selfe, and those that are intimate friends; So a Christian hath roome in his heart forworldly thoughts, but his closset, his inmost affections, are kept for his inmost friend Christ, who is not content with the hall, but will come into the very closset▪ he knocks that we should open, and let him come into our hearts, into our more intimate affections, and love▪ nothing will content him, but intimatenesse, for he deserves it, as we shall see,1 hee knockes for this end. But how doth he knocke?
- 1How Christ is said to knock at our hearts.How Christ is said to kno•ke at our earts.