A12167:372
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.
Sometimes both by voice, and knocking, If ⟨p. 141⟩voice will not serve, knocking comes after. So it is here, Christ doth knock, and speak, useth a voice of his Word, and knocks by his works, and both together sometimes, whether by works of mercy or of judgement, he labours to enter into the soul, to raise the sleepy soul that way; he begins with mercy usually. 1. By mercies, All the creatures, and blessings of God carry in them (as it were) a voice of God to the soul, that it would entertain his love, There goes a voice of love with every blessing. And the love, the mercy, and the goodness of God in the creature, is better then the creature it self. As we say of gifts, The love of the giver is better then the gift it self. So the love of God in all his sweet benefits, is better then the thing it self, and so in that we have, There is a voice (as it were) entreating us to entertain God, and Christ in all his mercies, yea every creature (as one saith) and benefit speaks as it were thus to us; We serve thee, that thou mayest serve him, that made thee and us. There is a speech (as it were) in every favour, which mercies, if they cannot prevail, then come corrections, which are the voice of God also,1 Hear the rod, and him that smiteth; but hath the rod a voice?
Sometimes both by voice, and knocking, If ⟨p. 141⟩voice will not serve, knocking comes after. So it is here, Christ doth knocke, and speake, useth a voice of his Word, and knocks by his workes, and both together sometimes, whether by workes of mercy or of judgement, he labours to enter into the soule, to raise the sleepie soule that way; he beginns with mercy usually. 1. By mercies, All the creatures, and blessings of God carrie in them (as it were) a voice of God to the soule, that it would entertaine his love, There goes a voice of love with every blessing. And the love, the mercie, and the goodnesse of God in the creature, is better then the creature it selfe. As we say of gifts, The love of the giver is better then the gift it selfe. So the love of God in all his sweete benefits, is better then the thing it selfe, and so in that we have, There is a voice (as it were) entreating us to entertaine God, and Christ in all his mercies, yea every creature (as one saith) and benefit speakes as it were thus to us; Wee serve thee, that thou maiest serve him, that made thee and us. There is a speech (as it were) in every favour, which mercies, if they cannot prevaile, then come corrections, which are the voice of God also,