A12167:435
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.
If we consider also what he hath done and suffered §3for her, we may well say the Church is his love. Besides the former favours, (not to speak of Election, he chose us before we were) In time he did choose us by actual Election by which he called us: we had an existence, but we resisted, he called us when we resisted; and then also he justified us, and clothed us with his own Righteousness, and after feeds us with his own Body. As the soul is the most excellent thing in the world, so he hath provided for it the most excellent ornaments. It hath food and ornaments proportionable. What love is this, that he should feed our souls with his own Body, and clothe us with his own Righteousness.1 He loved me (saith Paul) what was the effect of his love? He gave himself for me. He gave himself both that we might have a Righteousness to clothe us with in the sight of God, and he gave himself, that he might be the bread of life,2 My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. The guilty, the self accusing soul feeds upon Christ dying for its sins. Again, Revel. 1. 6. you have his love set forth, He loved us, and how doth he witness it? He hath washed us ⟨p. 174⟩with his own blood, and hath made us Kings, and Priests, &c. the like you have, Ephes. 5. He loved us, and gave himself a swee•e Sacrifice to God for us. When this world is at an end, we shall see what his love is; he is not satisfied, till we be all in one place. What doth he pray for to his Father, Joh. 17. 24. Father I will, that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, &c. run through all the whole course of Salvation, Election, Vocation, Justification, Glorification, you shall see his love in all of them. But it were an infinite argument to follow, to show the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge,3