A care-cloth

Secondly, when God furnisheth a man with some convenient means to maintain a Wife and Family, and not before: for God calleth no man to any place, until he have granted him some means of discharging the duties of that place; and it is one part of an householders duty to provide for them of his household. The Lord sends not soldiers into the field to fight, without some weapons, nor men to house-keeping, without some means to keep house. Lastly, when a man, after diligent labour, convenient watching, due abstinence, earnest prayers, and a careful shunning of all times, places, companies, exercises, that may provoke ill affections, doth yet still find his heart so restlessly possessed with these desires, that he cannot with-hold his will, at least, from often consenting unto them; and so is disabled from serving God in duties of Religion and his calling, with comfort and cheerfulness: to whom God, after all these means used, vouchsafeth not the power of containing, him he calls, to enter into Matrimony. But he that is so tied in other respects, that he cannot marry without wronging another, or wants all fit means to maintain a wife, or in regard of any other let, cannot attain a wife, shall without fail attain the gift of continency, if he be careful to use the forenamed means, and the like, that God hath appointed to subdue lust. Indeed if men force themselves to an unmarried ⟨image 5⟩life, either by superstitious vows, or incredulous fears, or the like, the Lord will likely punish their presumption or diffidence, by not yielding his powerful help, and so will make them find their own folly and weakness. But such is the wisdom of God to proportion his own actions to his own ends, and cause, that all his deeds shall hold agreement each with other; and such is his truth and goodness to them, that faithfully call upon him that whom himself debarreth from Matrimony, him he will enable to live chastely and purely out of matrimony, upon condition of his upright and careful endeavours to get this ability. Wherefore whosoever is yet a servant to another, or is wholly destitute of all means, to provide for a wife and children, or is otherwise so hindered, that he cannot have a wife, must say to himself thus; God hath made me a single man, & would have me so to continue as yet;

Secondly, when God furnisheth a man with some conuenient meanes to maintaine a Wife and Family, and not before: for God calleth no man to any place, vntill hee haue granted him some meanes of discharging the duties of that place; and it is one part of an housholders duty to prouide for them of his houshold. The Lord sends not souldiers into the field to fight, without some weapons, nor men to house-keeping, without some meanes to keepe house. Lastly, when a man, after diligent labour, conuenient watching, due abstinence, earnest prayers, and a carefull shunning of all times, places, companies, exercises, that may prouoke ill affections, doth yet still find his heart so restlesly possessed with these desires, that he cannot with-hold his will, at least, from often consenting vnto them; and so is disabled from seruing God in duties of Religion and his calling, with comfort and chearefulnesse: to whom God, after all these meanes vsed, vouchsafeth not the power of containing, him he cals, to enter into Matrimony. But hee that is so tyed in other respects, that he cannot marry without wronging another, or wants all fit meanes to maintaine a wife, or in regard of any other let, cannot attaine a wife, shall without faile attaine the gift of continency, if hee be carefull to vse the forenamed meanes, and the like, that God hath appointed to subdue lust. Indeed if men force themselues to an vnmarried