A14992:146
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.
2. The first is,1 unspeakable peace and quietness of soul. The heart will be at one with God it self and all men, so long as it holdeth variance with sin. He that is at war with ⟨p. 110⟩his lusts, shall not be at war with his Maker. If we fight his battles against our corruptions, he will not fight against us. Nothing causeth the God of Heaven to frown upon man, but sin; while the World was free from sin, it was also free from all tokens of Gods displeasure; therefore it must needs follow, that the surest way to keep our selves in even terms with God, is to be diligent in resisting sin. He is not of so ill a nature, as to pick quarrels against us without a cause; himself tells us, that he corrects not willingly,2 nor of his own accord. Sin then, being the sole cause of moving him against us, we shall be sure to find him so far loving towards us, as we are careful to preserve our selves from sinning against him, which is best and most attained, by the study of mortification: so all will be well above our heads in Heaven, if we follow Pauls direction. Now the conscience is Gods officer and deputy, and that, that will make him gentle and quiet to us, will make it also quiet and gentle. The conscience never should (and seldom doth) rise up in arms against a man, but when he hath given leave to some corruption to grow head-strong, for want of opposing it in due season and order. As there is no distempered motion in the body, till the humours be immoderately stirred, by some inward or outward occasions; so neither is there likely terror, amazement, disquietment, in the conscience, till the lusts of the soul have disordered it, for want of holding them under. so ⟨p. 111⟩that as war abroad, is found to be a present remedy, against civill dissentions of subjects; so war with sin, is the cause of our tranquillity with our selves. When clouds are dispelled, the beams of the Sun will shine comfortably upon the earth, and then the earth is richly garnished with pleasant and profitable herbs; so when sin is chased away, the warm beams of Gods favour do sweetly refresh the conscience, and the conscience so refreshed, doth bring forth the sweet and wholesome flowers of unspeakable consolation.