A14992:293
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.
Use 3 And lastly, if there be any that have performed,1 and continue to perform, or shall now begin, and proceed to perform this excellent duty, we must also speak peace to their souls, and preach unto them the glad tidings of good things, to comfort them withal. O, it is a great happiness, to tread in the steps of those, concerning whom we are perfectly assured, that they are now in Heaven: well may we assure our selves, that we shall be where they are after our death, if we have walked in the ways, wherein they walked, during their ⟨p. 256⟩lives. Thou knowest, David was a child of God, a true regenerate man, a man after Gods own heart; thou knowest, he had all his sins pardoned, dyed an happy death, now reigneth in Heaven, and hath attained eternal salvation. It would do thine heart good, to have an infallible token, that thou also art such an one as David, that thou hast interest into the same good things which he enjoyeth, and shalt have possession of them at last, as sure as he hath. Then compare thy behaviour and carriage with Davids; when he saw men wickedly to break the Statutes of God, when he saw wickedness committed in every place, and knew not how to help it, what did he do? He wept, and sighed, and lamented, and cried, and took on very pitifully, even as if some great cross had befallen himself, and as if his own person had received harm. Canst thou likewise affirm before the Lord, that the same cause hath produced in thee the same effects? Doth the breach of Gods Law break thine heart? Doth the sinfulness of others make thy soul sorrowful? Dost thou sigh and groan, and bewail, and mourn for those things, which it is not in thy power to redress? Lo then, thou art a David, a man after Gods heart also, a sound and sincere Christian, an Israelite within, before God, a lover of God, a lover of thy Brethren, an hater of sin, and thou also shalt be saved with David, and rejoice with the same heavenly Joy, wherewith he now rejoiceth. Those that are like the Saints of God ⟨p. 257⟩in duty, shall be also like them in glory; those that have followed them in holiness, shall follow them in happiness. The same Spirit worketh in them, the same Christ dwelleth in them, and the same Crown shall be set upon them. Blessed therefore are these mourners, for they shall be comforted.