A14992:177
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.
CHAP. VIII. Showing two spiritual means of Mortification: Prayer, and Meditation.
CHAP. VIII. Shewing two spirituall meanes of Mortification: Prayer, and Meditation.
These are the natural means of mortification, which of themselves will repress sin, and a little abridge it of its liberty of walking abroad; but kill it, of themselves, without the spiritual, they cannot. ⟨p. 140⟩These spiritual helps are four: Prayer, Meditation, Fear of our selves, and Watchfulness. By Prayer, we get strength from God; by Meditation, we become Gods instruments, to work strength in our selves; by Fear and Watchfulness, we put to use the strength which we have gotten.1 First then, if we will kill sin, we must be frequent and fervent in prayer unto God against sin; and what particular sins we are most molested with, and had most need to beat down, those we must assail most often and earnestly with our prayers. Now when I say prayer, I mean prayer, and all the parts and additaments of it. If a man had never sinned, he should need only petitions and thanksgivings; but having sinned, he needs also confession and lamentation, to be joined with the former, as it were buttresses to the wall of the house, to make it stand stronger, and a staff to a weak leg, to make one go the more steadfastly. So all these parts of prayer must be used.
THese are the naturall meanes of mortification, which of themselues wil represse sin, and a little abridge it of its liberty of walking abroad; but kill it, of themselues, without the spirituall, they cannot. ⟨p. 140⟩These spirituall helpes are foure: Prayer, Meditation, Feare of our selues, and Watchfulnesse. By Prayer, wee get strength from God; by Meditation, we become Gods instruments, to worke strength in our selues; by Feare and Watchfulnes, we put to vse the strength which we haue gotten.