A12167:383
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.
The Answer is; First, Christ speaks to the Spouse here,1 and so many such exhortations are given to them that have the Spirit of God already,2 who could by the help thereof open. For good, and gracious men, are moved first by the Spirit, and then they move; they are Moti moventes, and Acti Agents. They are acted first by the Spirit, and then they do act §1by it, not of themselves: as the inferior Orbs move not, but as they are moved by the superior. The Question is not of them in §2the state of Grace, but at their first Conversion, when especially we say that Christ speaks to them that he means to convert, He knocks at their hearts, and opens together with his speech, Then there goes a power that they shall open, ⟨p. 148⟩for his words are operative words; as it was in the Creation, Let there be light, it was an operative word,3 and there was light. Let there be such a Creature, it was an operative working word, and there was such a Creature presently; So he opens together with that word. With that invitation, and command there goes an almighty power to enable the soul to open; Were it not a wise reason to say, When Christ called to Lazarus to come forth, 4that we should reason he had life to yield to Christ, when he bad him come forth? no, he was rotten in his grave almost; but with Christs speaking to Lazarus, there went an almighty power, that gave life to him, by which life he heard what Christ said, Arise Lazarus. So Christ by his Spirit clothes his word in the Ministry, when he speaks to people with a mighty power: as the Minister speaks to the ear, Christ speaks, opens, and unlocks the heart at the same time, and gives it power to open, not from it self, but from Christ. Paul speaks to Lydias ear, Christ to her heart,5 and opened it, as the Text says, whereby she believes, so Christ opens the heart;