A12167:807
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.
So that we see there is nothing gotten by favouring our selves in carnal liberty, security, or by yielding to the flesh. The Church stood upon terms with Christ when he would have come in to her, but what ensued hereupon? she fell into a grievous desertion, and not only so but finds very hard usage abroad, all which she might have prevented by watchfulness, carefulness and opening to Christ knocking. It is a spiritual error to which we are all prone, to think that much is gained by favouring our selves, but we shall find it otherwise: see here •gaine that God will bear with nothing though in his own, but he will sharply punish them even for omissions, and that not only with desertion, but sometimes they shall meet with oppositions in the world.
So that we see there is nothing gotten by favouring our selvesin carnall liberty, security, or by yeelding to the flesh. The Church stood upon tearmes with Christ when he would have come in to her, but what ensued hereupon? she fell into a grievous des•rtion, and not onely so but findes very hard usage abroad, all which shee might have prevented by watchfulnesse, carefulnesse and opening to Christ knocking. It is a spirituall error to which we are all prone, to thinke that much is gained by favouring our selves, but we shall finde it otherwise: see here •gaine that God will beare with nothing though in his owne, but he will sharpely punish them even for omissions, and that not only with defertion, but sometimes they shall meete with oppositions in the world.
David cannot scape with a proud thought in numbering of the people,1 but he must smart for it and his people also. God is wondrous careful of his Children to correct them,2 when he lets strangers alone. It is a sign of love when he is at this cost with us. And it should tie us to be careful of our behaviour, not to presume upon Gods indulgence, for the nearer we are to him the more careful he is over us, he will be sa ctified in all that come near him,