A12167:602
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.
Now whence came all this? from this that is mentioned, verse. 4. My Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were […] for him. First for that expression, he put his finger in by the hole of the door. It implies here that Christ before he departed left by his Spirit an impression on the Churches heart ⟨p. 259⟩which deeply affected her to seek after him.
Now whence came all this? from this that is mentioned, verse. 4. My Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the doore, and my bowels were 〈…〉 for him. First for that expression, he put his finger in by the hole of the doore. It implies here that Christ before he departed left by his Spirit an impression on the Churches heart ⟨p. 259⟩which deepely affected her to seeke after him.
The Fingers spoken of, are nothing but the power of his Spirit: as the usual Scripture phrase is,1 This is Gods finger, Gods mighty hand, without which all ordinances are ineffectual, Paul may plant and Apollos may water, 2but all is nothing without the working of the Spirit, The motions whereof are most strong, being Gods finger, whereby he wrought all that affection in the Church, which is here expressed. Christ before he leaveth the Church, puts his finger into the •ole of the door, that is, he works somewhat in the soul by his Spirit, which stirred up a constant endeavour to seek after him. For why else follows it, her bowels were moved after him, which implies a work of the Spirit upon her bowels, expressed in her grief for his absence, and shame for her refusing his entrance, and whereby her heart was moved, and turned in her to seek after him. From whence thus explained observe,