A12167:795
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.
Thus we see it is in love: Talk with a man §3that is in any heat of affections, you talk with one that is not at home, you talk with one absent, The soul is more where is loves, then where it dwells. Surely where love is in any strength, it draws up the soul, so that a man oft times in his calling and ordinary employments doth not heed them, but passeth thorough the world as a man at random, he regards not the things of the world▪ for Christ is gotten into his heart and draws all the affections to himself. Where the affection of love is strong, it cares not what it suffers for the party loved, nay it glories in it. As it is said of the […], when they were whipped,1 and scourged for preaching ⟨p. 313⟩the Gospel, it was a matter of Glory to them. It is not labour, but favour: it is not labour and vexation, but favour that is taken where love is to the party loved, where the love of Christ is (which was here in the Church) labour is no labour, suffering is no suffering, trouble is no trouble.
Thus wee see it is in love: Talke with a man §3that is in any heate of affections, you talke with one that is not at home, you talke with one absent, The soule is more where is loves, then where it dwells. Surely where love is in any strength, it drawes up the soule, so that a man oft times in his calling and ordinarie imployments doth not heed them, but passeth thorough the world as a man at randome, he regards not the things of the world▪ for Christ is gotten into his heart and drawes all the affections to himselfe. Where the affection of love is strong, it cares not what it suffers for the party loved, nay it glories in it. As it is said of the 〈…〉, when they were whipped,1 and scourged for preaching ⟨p. 313⟩the Gospell, it was a matter of Glory to them. It is not labour, but favour: it is not labour and vexation, but favour that is taken where love is to the party loved, where the love of Christ is (which was heere in the Church) labour is no labour, suffering is no suffering, trouble is no trouble.