A14992:287
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.
Thus strive and take pains with thy self, to make thy soul sad for thine own sins first; and having softened thy self somewhat by such endeavours, then begin for thy Country also, and think in this sort: Ah Lord, if I had sinned alone, I alone would weep mine own tears. But I am a man of polluted lips and life, and I dwell amongst a people of polluted lips and life. We have all gone astray, we all have done an abominable deed, there is none that doth good, no not one. This Nation, this Christian and baptized Nation, wherein thy Gospel of truth hath so long shined brightly, is yet still for all that, a wicked and a sinful Nation. O, that thou wouldst please to help me mourn for these common sins! ⟨p. 249⟩Is not thy Spirit as able to soften a mans heart now, as in former times?1 Is not an heart of the posterity of Abraham naturally as hard, as one of another off-spring? O thou that gavest David store of tears, stir up in me also the spirit of grief, for the public sins.2 And now begin to represent unto thy soul, the many monstrous crying sins that are daily (and with impunity many) committed in our Country. Loose thy thoughts a while, in this great Thicket and wilderness of abominations, that hath over-grown us, and say; What could God do more for a people, then he hath done for us? and he looked for Grapes, and behold, wild Grapes; and for Figs, and behold, rotten Figs; for judgement and righteousness, and behold, sin & wickedness? What monstrous ignorance and profaneness and hellish Atheism doth cover the multitude? What monstrous pride, and idleness, and fullness of bread, and abominable uncleanness, do cover the Gentry? How full of oaths and blasphemies are the Court, the City, the Townes, the Country with us? Great men swear, and mean men swear; Ministers swear, and people swear; men swear, and women swear; boys swear, and girls swear; & almost babes and sucklings swear; and if every oath were but a drop of water, it were enough to make a flood to drown the whole Land withal. The Lords Day is every where violated and profaned. The Word and Sacraments are made a very jest, and all Gods services are turned into a ⟨p. 250⟩mere customary piece of work. The children are every where stubborn and rebellious against their parents. Much murder and bloodshed is committed;