A12167:457
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.
He calls her my Love, 1especially for two §1respects; partly because his love was settled upon her, it was in his own breast, but it rested not there, but seated it self upon, and in the heart of his spouse, so that she became Christs love. We know the heart of a lover is more ⟨p. 184⟩where it loves, then where it lives, (as we use to speak) and indeed, there is a kind of a going out (as it were) to the thing beloved with a heedlessness of all other things, where the affection is in any excess, it carries the whole soul with it.
Hee calles her my Love, 1especially for two §1respects; partly because his love was setled upon her, it was in his owne breast, but it rested not there, but seated it selfe upon, and in the heart of his spouse, so that shee became Christs love. Wee know the heart of a lover is more ⟨p. 184⟩where it loves, then where it lives, (as we use to speake) and indeed, there is a kind of a going out (as it were) to the thing beloved with a heedlesnesse of all other things, where the affection is in any excesse, it carries the whole soule with it.
- 1Why my Love.
But besides this, when Christ saith my love, §2he shows, that as his love goes, and plants, and seats it self in the Church, so it is united to that, and is not scattered to other objects. There are beams of Gods general love scattered in the whole World, but this love, this exceeding love, is only fastened upon the Church. And indeed there is no love comparable to this love of Christ, which is above the love of Women, of Father, or Mother, If we consider what course he takes to show it; For there could be nothing in the world so great to discover his love, as this gift, and gift of himself, And therefore he gave himself (the best thing in Heaven or in Earth) withal to show his love, The Father gave him, when he was God equal with his Father, he loved his Church, and gave himself for it; how could he discover his love better, then to take our Nature to show how he loved us? how could he come nearer to us, then by being incarnate,