A12167:860
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.
It comes from without, it is borrowed beauty as you have it, Ezek. 16. 1. 2. By nature we lie in our blood, there must be a beauty put upon us, we are fair with the beauty that we have out of Christs wardrobe. The Church shines in the beams of Christs Righteousness,1 she is not borne thus fair, but new borne fairer. The Church of Christ is all glorious,2 but it is within, not seen of the world, she hath a life, but it is a hidden life, our glory and our life is hidden in Christ: It is hid sometimes from the Church it self, who sees only her deformity and not her beauty, her death but not her life: because, her life is hid: here is a mystery of Religion, The Church is never more fair then when she judgeth herself to be most deformed;3 Never more happy then when she judgeth herself to be miserable: never more strong then when she feels her self to be weak, never more righteous then when she feels herself to be most burdened with the guilt of her ⟨p. 340⟩own sins, because the sense of one contrary forceth to another,4 the sense of ill forceth us to the fountain of good, to have supply thence: When I am weak then am I strong (saith Paul) Grace and strength is perfect in weakness.