A12167:977
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.
That is, his doctrine is as sweet as the lilies, and sound as the myrrh, keeping from putrefaction, it being the nature of myrrh as it is sound its self so to make other things sound. In like manner the speech of Christ makes the soul sound that embraceth it. What was ever more sweet then the truth of Christ,1 when he spake himself, they all hung upon his lips (as the Phrase is in the Gospel) as a man hangs upon the lips of another whom he desires and delights to hear speak, and they marvelled at the gracious words that came out of his lips, Psal. 45. Grace was in his lips, all was sweet that came from him, for it came from the excellency of his Spirit, his words were died in these affections of his heart. In the learned language, the same word signifieth speech and reason, to intimate that speech is but the current of reason from the heart the seat of reason, therefore Christs speeches were sweet, because his heart was sweet,2 full of all love, grace, mercy, and goodness, his heart was a treasure, his lips must needs then be sweet. Beloved therefore let us hence take a trial of ourselves what our condition is, whether the words that come from Christ when he speaks in his ministry to us be sweet or not.
That is, his doctrine is as sweet as the lillies, and sound as the mirrh, keeping from purrifaction, it being the nature of mirrh as it is sound its selfe so to make other things sound. In like manner the speech of Christ makes the soule sound that imbraceth it. What was ever more sweet then the truth of Christ,1 when he spake himselfe, they all hung upon his lips (as the Phrase is in the Gospell) as a man hangs upon the lips of another whom he desires and delights to heare speake, and they marvelled at the gratious words that came out of his lips, Psal. 45. Grace was in his lips, all was sweet that came from him, for it came from the excellency of his Spirit, his words were died in these affections of his heart. In the learned language, the same word signifieth speech and reason, to intimate that speech is but the current of reason from the heart the seat of reason, therefore Christs speeches were sweet, because his heart was sweet,