A12167:984
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.
His Belly that is his inward parts, In the hebrew it is used for the inward affections, they are as bright Ivory overlaid with Sapphires, that is they are pure, all the inside of Christ, all his affections that he bears are wondrous good, his love, his desires, his joys, his hatred, all pure, like pure water in a crystal glass, it may be stirred sometimes but still it is clear, there are no dregs at the bottom, because there was no taint of sin in him.
His Belly that is his inward parts, In the hebrew it is used for the inward affections, they are as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires, that is they are pure, all the inside of Christ, all his affections that he beares are wondrous good, his love, his desires, his joyes, his hatred, all pure, like pure water in a crystall glasse, it may be stirred sometimes but still it is cleare, there are no dregs at the bottome, because there was no taint of sinne in him.
His legs are as pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold, &c.
That is,1 all his passages and ways are constant and firm even as pillars of marble,2 his children are so likewise as far as they are endued with his Spirit. Christ is yesterday, to day and the same for ever. In regard of his enemies, Rev. 1. He is set out in another manner of similitude, as having legs of brass to trample them all in pieces. But in respect of his constant truth and ways of goodness to his Church his legs are as pillars of marble.