A12167:98
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 1 › Part › But mark the Order.Sermon 1 › Part › But marke the Order.
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.
The Church desires Christ to come into his Garden, to eat his pleasant fruits. Where we see, The Church gives all to Christ: 1The Garden is his, the Fruit his, the pleasantness and preciousness of the Fruit is his. And as the fruits please him, so the humble acknowledgement that they come from him, doth exceedingly please him. It is enough for us to have the comfort, let him have the glory. It came from a good Spirit in David, when he said,2 Of thine own Lord I give thee, &c. God accounts the works and fruits that comes from us to be ours, because the judgement and resolution of will, whereby we do them is ours. This he doth to encourage us, but because the grace whereby we judge and will aright comes from ⟨p. 27⟩God, it is our duty to ascribe whatsoever is good in us, or comes from us, unto him: so God shall lose no praise, and we lose no encouragement. The imperfections in well-doing are only ours, and those Christ will pardon, as knowing how to bear with the infirmities of his Spouse, being the weaker vessel.
The Church desires Christ to come into his Garden, to eat his pleasant fruits. Where we see, The Church gives all to Christ: 1The Garden is his, the Fruit his, the pleasantuesse and preciousnesse of the Fruit is his. And as the fruits please him, so the humble acknowledgement that they come from him, doth exceedingly please him. It is enough for us to have the comfort, let him have the glory. It came from a good Spirit in David, when he said,2 Of thine owne Lord I give thee, &c. God accounts the works and fruits that comes from us to be ours, because the judgement and resolution of will, whereby we do them is ours. This he doth to incourage us, but because the grace whereby we judge and will aright comes from ⟨p. 27⟩God, it is our duty to ascribe whatsoever is good in us, or comes from us, unto him: so God shall lose no praise, and we lose no incouragement. The imperfections in well-doing are onely ours, and those Christ will pardon, as knowing how to beare with the infirmities of his Spouse, being the weaker vessell.