A12167:790
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.
The Reason hereof is, Natural contentment is in union with the thing Loved. The more excellent the thing is that is loved, the more contentment there is in communion with it, and where it is in any degree or measure hindered there is disquiet: answerable to the contentment in enjoying, is the grief, sorrow, and sickness in parting. The happiness of the Church consisting in society with Christ, therefore it is her misery and sickness, to be deprived of him, not to enjoy him whom her soul so dearly loveth. There are few in the world, ⟨p. 311⟩sick of this disease, I would there were more sick of the love of Christ; there are many that surfeit rather of fullness, who think we have too much of this Manna, of this preaching, of this Gospel, there is too much of this knowledge, of the ordinances, these are not sick of love.
The Reason heereof is, Naturall contentment is in union with the thing Loved. The more excellent the thing is that is loved, the more contentment there is in communion with it, and where it is in any degree or measure hindred there is disquiet: answerable to the contentment in injoying, is the griefe, sorrow, and sicknesse in parting. The happinesse of the Church consisting in society with Christ, therefore it is her misery and sicknesse, to be deprived of him, not to enjoy him whom her soule so dearely loveth. There are few in the world, ⟨p. 311⟩sicke of this disease, I would there were more sicke of the love of Christ; there are many that surfit rather of fullnesse, who thinke wee have too much of this Manna, of this preaching, of this Gospell, there is too much of this knowledge, of the ordinances, these are not sicke of love.
Make a Use therefore of Trial,1 whether we be in the state of the Church or no, by valuing and prizing the presence of Christ in his Ordinances, the Word and Sacraments.