A care-cloth

There want not men amongst us, that can eagerly inveigh against the Words naughtiness, and aggravate the offences of others in words, and with a satirical bitterness, set out the greatness of their folly. Yea, there are some, that can make matters worse then they be, and set a deeper and dirtier colour upon the sins of others, then they ought to do: but among these witty and sharp reprovers, of these vehement and clamorous accusers, is there any one, trow you, that may be called a weeper, a mourner, a lamenter? It is easy to exercise ones wit upon the sins of others, by making them ridiculous, to move the spleen with laughter. It is easy to exercise ones stomach upon the sins of others, by violent invectives, to make the offenders odious; but it is hard, yea, hard indeed, to exercise ones sorrow upon the sins of others, to make our selves careful of not offending in the like kind, and of seeking to ⟨p. 234⟩stop them also from offending. Divers may say, I beheld the transgressors, and laughed at them: divers also, I beheld the transgressors, & chafed at them: but few (alas, how few?) can use another sentence of David in this Psalm, and say; I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved, because they kept not thy Word. Let us therefore earnestly condemn our selves in our hearts, that have eyes so dry, and void of tears, when we have a Land so naught, and full of sin. For Brethren, how stands the case with us? Can we justly excuse our selves, and say, The cause of our not weeping, is the want of cause to weep, for that amongst us, the commandments of God are diligently kept, so as there is no just reason of digging up Fountains of tears, to bewail the contrary? Are we able in truth to defend our selves with this Apology, which were the only due Apology, that would defend us from blame for not weeping? I would to God, even heartily I would, that it were so, and that it were nothing but our, either too much zeal, or too much aptness to find fault, that made us in this manner to accuse and condemn our selves, and you. But alas, the contrary is most manifest and undeniable. Sin aboundeth with us as much, as ever it did (I think) in the streets of Jerusalem; and (as it is fore-prophesied, that knowledge should, so it is fulfilled, that) wickedness doth even overflow, like the waves of the Sea.

There want not men amongst vs, that can eagerly inueigh against the Words naughtinesse, and aggrauate the offences of others in words, and with a satyricall bitternesse, set out the greatnes of their folly. Yea, there are some, that can make matters worse then they be, and set a deeper and dirtier colour vpon the sins of others, then they ought to doe: but among these witty and sharpe reproouers, of these vehement and clamorous accusers, is there any one, trow you, that may be called a weeper, a mourner, a lamenter? It is easie to exercise ones wit vpon the sinnes of others, by making them ridiculous, to mooue the spleene with laughter. It is easie to exercise ones stomake vpon the sinnes of others, by violent inuectiues, to make the offenders odious; but it is hard, yea, hard indeed, to exercise ones sorrow vpon the sinnes of others, to make our selues carefull of not offending in the like kind, and of seeking to