A12167:837
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.
For it is answerable to the state of a Christian,1 is a Christian in an excellent rank above other men• l•t him show it by a carriage more gracious, more fruitful and plentiful in good works. There is a kind of excellency affected in other things, much more should we de•i•e to be excellent in that is good, that we may not be fair only but the fa•rest. This the Apostle S. Paul excellently presseth to Titus his scholar, Tit. 2. 14. and to all of us in other places, that we should be, A peculiar people Zealous of good works: not only to do them, but to be zealous of them, and to go before others in them, standing as stander bearers.2 Therefore those that think they may go too far in Religion, that they may be too fruitful, are not worthy the name of the spouse of Christ, for she is fair, yea the fairest among women: The righteous is more excellent then his […], therefore we should excel in good works (as ⟨p. 328⟩the Apostle exhorts us) to labour after things that are excellent, 3as if he should say, Is there any thing better then other,4 labour for that. You have some so far from this disposition, that they cry down the excellencies of others, least the fairness of others might discover their blackness. Thus we leave the Compellat•on and come to the Question.
For it is answerable to the state of a Christian,1 is a Christian in an excellent ranke above other men lt him shew it by a carriage more gracious, more fruitfull and plentifull in good workes. There is a kinde of excellency affected in other things, much more should we deie to be excellent in that is good, that we may not be faire onely but the farest. This the Apostle S. Paul excellently presseth to Titus his sholler,