A12167:500
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.
That One way,1 whereby the unregenerate part in us hinders this communion with Christ, and the shining of a believer in a christian course, Is by false pretences, reasons and excuses. I have washed my feet, I have put of my coat, &c.
That One way,1 whereby the unregenerate part in us hinders this communion with Christ, and the shining of a beleever in a christian course, Is by false pretences, reasons and excuses. I have washed my feete, I have put of my coate, &c.
- 1Obser. 2.
The flesh never wants excuses and pretences (there was never any yet came to hell, but they had some seeming pretence for their coming thither) to shift and shuffle off duties, there was never yet any careless sinful course but it had the flesh to justify it with one reason or other; and therefore it is good to understand the Sophistical shifts of the flesh, and pretences and shows which it hath, and as it is good to know the truth of God, and of Christ revealed in his word, so is it to know the falseness and deceitfulness of our own hearts, they are both mysteries almost alike, hard to be known. Labour we then more and more to know the falsehood of our own disposition, and to know the truth of God, To give instance in a f•w particulars. You s•e in the Church the difficulty of her comm•••on with Christ comes ⟨p. 211⟩from the idle pretences and excuses sh• hath. Every one hath his sev•••ll pretexts, as his state and condition is. We think we should be losers, if we give our selves to that degree of goodness which others do, whereas God doth curse those blessings which men get with neglect of duty to him. If we seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, all other things that are good for us, shall be cast upon us.