A14992:138
A care-cloth
A care-cloth: or a treatise of the cumbers and troubles of marriage intended to advise them that may, to shun them; that may not, well and patiently to bear them. By William Whately, preacher of the word of God in Banbury, in Oxfordshire.A care-cloth: or a treatise of the cumbers and troubles of marriage intended to aduise them that may, to shun them; that may not, well and patiently to beare them. By William Whately, preacher of the word of God in Banbury, in Oxfordshire.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1624
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.
3.1 But if God did not command it, yet the mischief that will follow, if we be careless of it, will make a wise man to perceive a necessity of doing it. We say in our common speech, That we must needs do that, the not-doing whereof will procure us such inconveniences, as a man of understanding should not be willing to hazard himself unto. Now doubtless, if we set not ⟨p. 103⟩forward the work of mortification with constant care, the mischiefs that will ensue, are insufferable; for we have a whole world of corruptions in us, which, if we fight not against them continually, will gather strength, and become mighty, to the great disquietness of our souls. He that findeth many diseases growing upon him, saith, He must needs take physic to cure those diseases: he that hath divers deadly wounds in his body, thinks he cannot choose but use plasters to heal those wounds: and we that have many corruptions, must needs take care to keep under those corruptions. For tho the servants of God, at the time of their regeneration, do receive power over their corruptions, yet they be not wholly ride of them. The dominion of sin is taken away, at the conversion of our souls to, God, the presence of them is not taken away: they rule no longer in us, but still they remain in us; and that so, as, if they be not with daily labour kept under, they will grow violent and head-strong, and go near to recover their ancient sovereignty, at least, to bring us into great thraldom, as the remnant of the Canaanites did the Israelites, that were slack in rooting them out. As therefore they that have many enemies, must fight, so must we; the case standing with us here, as with soldiers in the field, or with combatants in the lists, that must kill or be killed, at least kill, or be wounded. For, besides the aptness of our lusts to gather strength, we have the devil also (a crafty, and a ⟨p. 104⟩watchful enemy) always seeking after all occasions of increasing and stirring up our corruptions, and labouring both to put fuel to the fire (as it were) and also to blow the coals too; that, if it be possible, he may make them flame forth into some noisome disorder. Wherefore, if we do not use some proportionable care to keep down sin, it cannot go well with us.