A12167:921
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.
Therefore why do we murmur at the cross,1 when all is to recover our spiritual taste and relish? Solomon had lost his taste and relish of Christ, he never made his song of songs when he was in his Idolatrous way, nor was so in love with Christ and his excellencies when he doted so much upon his wives: no, but when he had recovered his spirits taste and relish of heavenly things once, then made he the Book of the ⟨p. 368⟩Preacher. When he had run through variety of things, and saw all to be nothing but vexation of spirit, and besides that, vanity: then he passeth his verdict upon all things, that they were vanity. So it is with us, we can hardly prize Christ without some afflictions, some cross or other: therefore here the Church is fain to endure a spiritual desertion, to set an edge upon her affections? Now when she is thus in her desertions, Christ is white and ruddy, the chief of ten thousand.
Therefore why doe wee murmure at the crosse,1 when all is to recover our spirituall taste and rellish? Salomon had lost his taste and rellish of Christ, he never made his song of songs when he was in his Idolatrous way, nor was so in love with Christ and his excellencies when he doted so much upon his wives: no, but when he had recovered his spirits tast and rellish of heavenly things once, then made he the Booke of the ⟨p. 368⟩Preacher. When he had runne through variety of things, and saw all to be nothing but vexation of spirit, and besides that, vanitie: then he passeth his verdict upon all things, that they were vanity. So it is with us, we can hardly prize Christ without some afflictions, some crosse or other: therfore here the Church is faine to indure a spirituall desertion, to set an edge upon her affections? Now when she is thus in her disertions, Christ is white and ruddie, the cheefe of ten thousand.
- 1That it is our great ••lly to murmur at the cross which recovers our spiritual taste and relish.