A12167:897
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.
Love is such a boundless affection that where it once breaks forth in praises upon a good foundation, it knows no measure, as we see here in the Church, who being provoked, and (as it were) exasperated by the daughters of Jerusalem to explain the excellency of him she had with so much affection incessantly sought after. That she might justify her choice ⟨p. 352⟩[…] ⟨p. 353⟩[…] ⟨p. 354⟩(ere she descend into Particulars) she breaks forth into this general description of her Beloved, whereby she cuts of from all hopes of equalling him, My Beloved is white and ruddy, (exceeding fair) nay, the chief among ten thousand, (none like him) she would not have us think she had bestowed her love but on the most excellent of all, the chief of ten thousand. Well were it for us that we could do so in our love, that we might be able to justify our choice, not to spend it on sinful, vain and unprofitable things, which cause repentance and mourning in the conclusion, whereof the Church here worthily cleareth herself; in that she had chosen the chief among ten thousand.
LOve is such a boundlesse affection that where it once breakes foorth in praises upon a good foundation, it knowes no measure, as we see here in the Church, who being provoked, and (as it were) exasperated by the daughters of Ierusalem to explaine the excellency of him shee had with so much affection incessantly sought after. That she might justifie her choice ⟨p. 352⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 353⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 354⟩(ere she descend into Particulars) she breakes foorth into this generall description of her Beloved, whereby she cuts of from all hopes of equalling him, My Beloved is white and ruddie, (exceeding faire) nay, the cheefe among ten thousand, (none like him) she would not have us thinke she had bestowed her love but on the most excellent of all, the cheefe of ten thousand. Well were it for us that we could doe so in our love, that we might be able to justifie our choice, not to spend it on sinfull, vaine and unprofitable things, which cause repentance and mourning in the conclusion, whereof the Church here worthily cleereth herselfe; in that she had chosen the cheefe among ten thousand.