A12167:526
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.
What course should we take then to come forth from this distempered laziness,1 That we may attain a spiritual taste and relish of ⟨p. 222⟩heavenly things, so as not to loath religious exercises: or delay and put them off with excuses.
What course should we take then to come forth from this distempered lasinesse,1 That wee may attaine a spirituall tast and relish of ⟨p. 222⟩heavenly things, so as not to loath religious exercises: or delay and put them off with excuses.
- 1Quest.
First of all,1 Resolve not to consult with flesh and §1blood in any thing; 2For it always counsels us for ease, as Peter counselled Christ, Master pity thy self. So we have a nature in us like unto Peter, spare, favour, pity thy self. Like Hevah, 3and Jobs wife, we have a corrupt nature that is always soliciting from God, and drawing us unto vanity. Take heed of counselling with flesh and blood; for if men were in a city environed round about with enemies would they consult with them what they should do for defence of the city? were it not a mad part? and is it not a greater madness when Christians will consult with flesh and blood what they should do in duties of obedience, which will always put us upon terms of ease, the favour of men, content and the like, which if a man yield to, he shall never enter into heaven. Take heed therefore of consulting with our enemy, seeing Satan hath all the correspondency he hath by that enemy which we harbour in our bosom. In which case the hurt he doth us by his sophistry comes by our selves, we betray our selves by our carnal reason, whereby Satan mingleth himself with our imaginations and conceits. Let us therefore beware we listen not to the counsel of flesh and blood, especially when the matter comes to suffering once, for there of all other things flesh and blood doth