A12167:535
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.
And then again,1 Let us inure our selves to bear the yoke of Religion from our youth, which will make it easy afterwards. It were an excellent thing if those who are young (in the prime of their years) would inure themselves to the exercise of Religion, this would make it easy unto them; to read the Word of God, to open their spirits unto him in Prayer. It may please God hereby (though they be negligent herein) yet they may be called to Religion.2 But for an old man there is much work to do to read, to get any thing into his brain, when his memory is pestered with other things, and corrupt nature in him is armed with a world of excuses, that might have been prevented by a timely and seasonable training up in a course of Religion. Profane young persons know not what they do when they put off Religion. Have they excuses now,3 they will have many more hereafter, when Satan and corruption will be much stronger. O let them bear the yoke of Religion, that is enure themselves to duties that become Christians, which may facilitate and make it easy and pliable, that it may not be harsh to our nature. If a man do not hear, pray and read, he can never have Faith, Grace, Knowledge, Mortification of corruption (wherein Religion stands) but because these lead to duties that are hard to nature, and harsh, ⟨p. 231⟩it is wisdom to inure young ones thereto betimes, that having used themselves to these preparing duties, they may be the more fitted for the essential ones. That having things in the brain by reading and hearing, Grace may be wrought in the heart, it being a more easy passage from the brain to the heart. When a man is converted it is an easy matter to bring it from the brain unto the heart, whereas a man that hath been negligent in his youth, must then be instructed in the Principles of Religion. Therefore, it is a miserable case (though men be never so politic in the world) to have been negligent herein till age. It breeds a great deal of difficulty to them ere they can come to be in such a state as a Christian should be in. Remember this therefore, to do as Paul adviseth Timothy a young man,4