A12167:855
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
Sermon 14: THE FOURTEENTH SERMON.Sermon 14: THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON.
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 last time we met we left the Church sick of love: which strange affection in her, together with her passionate charge to the daughters of Jerusalem, moved them to make this Question unto her, What is thy Beloved more then another ⟨p. 338⟩Beloved, &c. To be in love is much: to conceal it is grievous, to vent it with such fervency and passion breeds astonishment, in these younger Christians, who wonder what that is which can so draw away the Churches love, and run away with her affections. They knew no such excellencies of the person the Church so admired, and therefore they double the Question unto her, What is thy Beloved, &c. what is thy Beloved, &c. Whereby we see the excellency of the soul which aspires still towards perfection, not resting in any state inferior to the most excellent. Therefore also is the Churches sickness of love here, who desires a nearer union and communion with Christ then she at this time had.
THE last time we met we left the Church sicke of love: which strange affection in her, together with her passionate charge to the daughters of Ierusalem, mooved them to make this Question unto her, What is thy Beloved more then another ⟨p. 338⟩Beloved, &c. To be in love is much: to conceale it is grievous, to vent it with such fervencie and passion breeds astonishment, in these younger Christians, who wonder what that is which can so draw away the Churches love, and runne away with her affections. They knew no such excellencies of the person the Church so admired, and therefore they double the Question unto her, What is thy Beloved, &c. what is thy Beloved, &c. Whereby we see the excellency of the soule which aspires still towards perfection, not resting in any state inferiour to the most excellent. Therefore also is the Churches sicknesse of love here, who desires a neerer union and communion with Christ then she at this time had.
For there are degrees of spiritual languishing, till we be in heaven we are alway under some degree of this sickness of love; though the soul have more communion at one time then at another. Yea the Angels are under this wish to see Christ together with his Church in full perfection, so that until we be in Heaven where shall be a perfect reunion of soul and body, and of all the members of the Church together; there is a kind of sickness attending upon the Church and a languishing.