A12167:545
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.
Therefore labour First, to have a clear understanding of the things of God, and of the excellency of them, for light will cause heat: Why did the Kingdom of Heaven in John Baptists time suffer violence? why were men then so violent to cleave unto Christ? because from that time the Gospel was more clearly manifested. And heavenly truths the more they are discovered and laid open (there is such an excellency in them) the more they work upon the heart and affections. Therefore, The Kingdom of Heaven suffered violence And where are people more earnest after good things, then in these places where the Evangelical Truths of God are laid open most, there they break through all discouragements whatsoever.
Therefore labour First, to have a cleare understanding of the things of God, and of the excellency of them, for light will cause heate: Why did the Kingdome of Heaven in Iohn Baptists time suffer violence? why were men then so violent to cleave unto Christ? because from that time the Gospell was more clearely manifested. And heavenly truths the more they are discovered and layd open (there is such an excellency in them) the more they worke upon the heart and affections. Therefore, The Kingdome of Heaven suffered violence And where are people more earnest after good things, then in these places where the Evangelicall Truths of God are layed open most, there they breake through all discouragements whatsoever.
And so, Labour for Faith to believe those truths: which is the most victorious and conquering Grace, that will carry us through all discouragements whatsoever, because it will set greater things before us, then the discouragements are. Are we afraid of men? Faith it sets Hell before us. Are we allured by the world? It sets Heaven before us. It conquers the world with all the discouraging ⟨p. 238⟩[…] ⟨p. 239⟩[…] ⟨p. 238⟩