A12167:537
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 by little and little, not only to be inured to the yoke of Religion, but likewise to endure difficulties, opposition and hardship; as the Apostle stands upon it to Timothy, To endure hardship and afflictions from the beginning. 2If the thing be good and warra••able, ⟨p. 232⟩neglect the speeches of the world: what are the speeches of a company of men in the state of nature, in their miserable condition, to regard them so as not to endure hardship, in such things, of the goodness whereof we are convinced? But in these days men take up a delicate profession of Religion, men will be Religious, but they will suffer nothing, not a taunt or a scoff, they will part with nothing, be at no loss; suffer no cross, be at no pains with Religion further then may stand with all earthly content of this world. This delicate profession (if any thing among us) threateneth the removing of the Gospel, and blessed truths we enjoy, because we will not part with any pleasure now. How will they suffer afflictions for the Gospel (if such times come) that will not part with a vain oath, a corrupt fashion of life, a superfluity, that will not part with a rotten unsavoury discourse, which discovereth a rotten spirit and infecteth others. Here is a profession of Religion indeed, that cannot have so much mastery of the corrupt heart, as to deny and overcome it self in things that are grossly ill. How will a man part with his blood and life, that will not part with things that he should part withal, not only with something to the poor and to good uses; but to part with some sinful course of life and wicked and ungodly lusts that fight against the soul, who will not endure, not so much as a check, who rather then they will go under that censure wherewith the world is ⟨p. 233⟩pleased to disgrace Religion, they will live and die like Atheists. This extreme tenderness in the matters of God and of salvation, is the cause why many eternally perish.
And then againe,1