A14992:256
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. IV. Containing a third reason of the doctrine, from the good effects of this mourning.
Reas. 3 But let us go forward, to provoke you yet with more reasons,1 to this holy and hearty mourning. These Rivers of tears do give so good content to God, and so refresh his soul, wearied with sin (to speak after the manner of men,) that so long as there be but even a few of them running, his anger cannot wax hot to burn against a Nation. Amongst what people there are found a competent number of men that do wail,2 mourn, and lament for the common sins, this holy exercise of theirs doth (as we may speak) tie the hands of Gods Justice for the time, that he will not strike that people with great severity. He is so abundantly pitiful and large in compassion, that he cannot but defer the execution of his wrath (so long as it may possibly stand with righteousness to defer it) upon the fervent and humble petition of his poor servants, that with sad hearts, and bended knees, do cry unto him, saying; O Lord, spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed; and, O Lord God, forgive and cease, we beseech thee; for who shall raise up Jacob, for he is small? Let sin be as open and great, and crying, and clamorous as it will, yet if there ⟨p. 217⟩be a convenient number, fifty, forty, thirty, twenty, or perhaps but ten in a City, that cry, and weep, and make bitter lamentation for it; none extremity of public judgements likely shall come: Seldom doth God break in upon a people, till there be none, or in a manner none left to stand in the gap; and when the time approacheth, that he hath a full purpose to do a fearful execution on a Land, then doth he take away the mourners, and deliver the survivors up to hardness of heart, and carnal mirth and jollity, that so he may have a full blow at it, when there is none to hinder, and without let pour forth all the vials of his wrath, when there is none stands up to deprecate. O excellent fruit of lamentation for public sins! it gets a reprieval of an whole Town or Country, and causeth, that the Lord will not suffer his furious indignation to overflow. So a man is a great benefactor to his Country, by pouring forth his tears in this wise; and should not Christians, as well as (yea, more then) Heathens, show themselves true lovers of their Country?