A12167:793
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.
If we find our selves carried to Christ, to run in that stream as strong as the affections of those that are distempered with sickness of the love of other things, it will discover to us whether we be truly Love sick or not.
If wee find our selves carried to Christ, to runne in that streame as strong as the affections of those that are distempered with sicknesse of the love of other things, it will discover to us whether wee bee truely Love sicke or not.
Take a man that is sick for any earthly thing, whether of Ahab's or Amons sickness, or of any thing, take it as you will, That which the soul is sick of in love, it thinks of daily: it dreams of it in the night. What do our souls therefore think off? what do our meditations run after. When we are in our advised and best thoughts, what do• we most ⟨p. 312⟩think off? if of Christ, of the state of the Church here, of Grace and Glory all is well, what makes us in the midst of all worldly discontentments to think all dung and dross in comparison of Christ, but this sickness of love to Christ, if our love be in such a degree, as it makes us sick of it, it makes us not to hear what we hear, not to see, what we see, not to regard what is present: the soul is in a kind of ecstasy, it is carried so strongly and taken up with things of Heaven, it is deadened to other things, when our eyes are no more led with vanity, then if we had none, and the flesh is so mortified, as if we were dead men, by reason of the strength of our affections that run another way to better things which are above.
Take a man that is sicke for any earthly thing, whether of Ahabs or Amons sicknesse, or of any thing, take it as you will, That which the soule is sicke of in love, it thinkes of daily: it dreames of it in the night. What doe our soules therefore thinke off? what doe our meditations runne after. When wee are in our advised and best thoughts, what do wee most