A12167:423
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.
My Sister.
This was spoken of before in the former verse. The Church of God is Christs Sister and Spouse, we are knit to him both by Consanguinity, and by Affinity. The nearest as•initie is Marriage: and the nearest Consanguinity is Sister. So that there are all Bonds to knit us to Christ; Whatsoever is strong in any bond, he knits us to him by it. Is there any love in an Husband, 1a Brother, a Mother, a Friend, in an Head to the members? in any thing in the world? Is there any love scattered in any relation, gather it all into one, and all that love, and a thousand times more then that, is in Christ in a more eminent manner, therefore he stiles himself in all these sweet relations, to show that he hath the love of all, will a Sister shut out a Brother, when the Brother comes to visit her, and do her all good? is this unkindness even in Nature to look strangely upon a man that is near a kin, that comes and saith, Open to me my Sister? If the Sister should shut out the Brother, were it not most unnatural? And is it not monstrous in Grace? when our Brother comes for our good, and in pity to our souls ⟨p. 171⟩to let him stand without doors? Remember that Christ hath the same affections, to account us Brothers and Sisters now in Heaven, as he had when he was upon the Earth, For after his resurrection (saith he to his Disciples) I go to my God, 2and to your God, to my Father, and to your Father; he calls himself our Brother, having one common Father in Heaven, and one Spirit, and one inheritance, &c, This is a sweet relation, Christ being our Brother, his heart cannot but melt towards us in any affliction. Joseph dissembled a while out of politic wisdom,