A12167:836
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 Church is fa•re and fairest, 1Grace is a transcendent good, all the excellency of civility and morality is nothing to this, this denominates the Church the fairest, she is not guilt, but pure gold, not painted, but hath at•ue natural complexion, all other excellencies are but guilt, painted excellencies. The whore of Babylon she is wondrous fair. But wherein doth her beauty consist • In ornaments and ceremonies to abuse silly people, that go no further then fancy, it is an excellency that comes not to the judgement, but the excellency ⟨p. 327⟩of the Church is otherwise, she is The fairest among women, she hath a natural fairness, as gold is pure gold, so the Church is of a pure composition, glorious within. It is for the false whorish Church to be glorious without only, but the true Church is glorious within. But that which we should especially observe is,2 That we should labour to answer this commendation, not only to be fair but the fairest, to be transcendently singularly good, to do somewhat more then others can, to have somewhat more in us then others have.
The Church is fa•re and fairest, 1Grace is a transcendent good, all the excellency of civility and morallity is nothing to this, this denominates the Church the fairest, shee is not guilt, but pure gold, not painted, but hath at•ue naturall complection, all other excellencies are but guilt, painted excellencies. The whore of Babylon shee is wonderous faire. But wherein doth her beauty consist • In ornaments and ceremonies to abuse silly people, that goe no further then fancy, it is an excellency that comes not to the judgement, but the excellencie ⟨p. 327⟩