A12167:919
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.
Besides if we would highly value Christ,1 (beg of God a spirit that we may judge aright of our corruptions,) for, In what measure we can discern the height, and breadth, and depth of our corrupt nature, In that measure shall we judge of the height, and breadth, and depth of the excellency of Christ. The sweetest souls are the most humble souls, those that love Christ most, are those that have been stung most with the sense of their sins,2 where sin most abounds in the sense and feeling of it, grace much more abounds in the sense and feeling of that. Did ever soul love Christ more then that woman that had so many Devils cast out of her?3 And, Paul that had such great sins forgiven. Doth any man so love his creditor as he that hath much debt forgiven him? It is our Saviour Christs own reason, therefore these two go always with the true Church.4 1. The true knowledge of the corruption of nature, and misery by reason of it. And 2. The true sense and feeling of it, with true and hearty sorrow for it, &c. In Popery they slight Original sin,5 that mother breeding sin, Actual sins be venial, and many sins no sins. And therefore they esteem so slightly of Christ, that they join Saints, the Pope, Works and Satisfaction with him, because they know not the depth of the malady, how black sin is, what a cursed estate we are in by nature: they have slight, shallow and weak conceits of sin, therefore they have answerable weak, and shallow conceits of Christ and of his Righteousness ⟨p. 377⟩and excellency. Therefore the conviction of our sins goeth before the conviction of righteousness in Christ, (as it is said, Joh. 16.) The Holy Ghost shall convince the world of sin and then of righteousness: for except the soul be convinced of sin and of ill in it self, it will never be truly convinced of good and of righteousness in Christ.