A Care Cloth, To the reader 4
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
THe reliques of good nature remaining in man ſince the fall, (by the worke of a common Grace preſeruing them) hauehave taught Heathen men to know, and inabled them to practiſe many worthy duties. Among the reſt, ſome of them hauehave abounded in a most affectionate louelove to their Countrie, the welfare of which, they hauehave preferred before their owne liues; and the ruine whereof, they hauehave been carefull to preuent, euen with their owne ruine. Many worthy ſayings hauehave they writte to this purpoſe, but ſcarce any more diuine, and more deſeruing admiration hauehave I met withall, then that one of Tully, in his booke of Scipioes Dreame, where he brings in a dead father (now in Heauen, as he ſuppoſed) encouraging his ſonne to doe ſeruice to his Countrie, (wherein himſelfe had giuen him a most noble and notable example) with this most worthy ſentence: There is a moſt ſure and certaine place in Heauen for eueryevery man, that ſhall procure the weale of his Countrie, either by freeing it from perill, or increaſing the happineſſe of it any way. To heare a Gentile tell of Heauen, as of a thing certaine; to heare him tell of certaine places prouided there for thoſe, that ſhould doe vertuouſly; to hauehave the ſeruice of ones Countrie preſſed on his ſoule with ſo celeſtiall an argument; ſure it proueth, that ſometimes the light of Nature doth reach further, then many which liue in the boſome of the Church, do attaine. But the purpoſe for which I thought of this ſentence, is, to let it appeare, how great a reckoning reaſon doth tell eueryevery man, that he ought to make of his Countries welfaere, how carefull he ſhould be to preſerue it from dangers, to adorene it with all benefits, and to continue, and augment the flouriſhing eſtate thereof. It muſt needs be an happie paines, from which a multitude doe reape commoditie; and that one man deſerueth very well of all men, for whoſe cares or labours, all doe fare the better. Now if Nature and Philoſophy can giuegive ſo good inſtructions to thoſe that will attend them, how much more perfectly ſhould wee bee able both to learne, and follow the ſame leſſons? It is a great reproch to him that goes by day-light, if another trauelling alone with a candle, or a torch, ſhall ſee the way better then himſelfe: and without doubt, that eye is very dim, which diſcerneth leſſe by the helpe of the Sun-beames, then another may doe by the helpe of a Lampe or Taper. O, then how iuſt both blame and ſhame muſt be caſt vponupon vsus, that are nothing ſo regardfull of our Countries welfare (the most of vsus) as were ſome Inhabitants of Heathen Rome and Athens! I would to God therefore, that I could inflame the ſoules of thoſe, that ſhall reade theſe few lines, with a farre more feruents zeale to the proſperitie of this our Church and Nation, then that they had before. If the fire of louelove did burne warmer and lighter in our hearts; it would not drie up the fountaine of teares, to which the booke following perſwadeth, but would euen melt and diſſolue our now-frozen hearts into teares. Thoſe that ſtand in places of eminency, may performe many good ſeruices for their Countrie: we ſhrubs that ſit in the ſhade below, can doe nothing worth the naming, but earneſtly to pray for the barke, in which we ſayle, and to lament the things that we ſee, to threaten a miſerable ſhipwracke thereof. He that will iudge of things by appearance (and make carnall wiſdome his onelyonly Loadeſtarre in iudging) can hardly miſtruſt ſo much euill, as thoſe, that make faith in Gods threatnings a counſellour to their forecaſt, must needs most euidently foreſee now ready to come againſt vsus. The huge encreaſe of vices amongst vsus, the noyſome ſwarmes of wicked men, and wicked deeds, doe aſſure eueryevery one that beleeueth, there is a righteous Iudge in Heauen (who thence beholdeth all the ſonnes of men) that hee will not long forbeare to ſcourge vsus ſoundly, for our vnthankfulneſſe to him, and rebellion against him. Lay all things together, and I thinke, there neither is, nor euer was a Nation more beholding to the Diuine Maiestie. What peace? What plentie? What deliuerances? What brightneſſe of heauenly light hauehave we enioyed now for the ſpace of more then threeſcore yceres? Againe, lay all things together, and, I think, there neither is, nor euer was a Nation more wicked and vngratefull, and that did worſe requite the louing kindneſſe of God. What profanenes? What blaſphemy? What contempt of God & his Word? What ſinnes of all ſorts doe abound and reigne amongst vsus? We ſeeme to hauehave entred into a contention with the Almightie, whether he ſhall be more mercifull, or we more ſinfull; whether he ſhall be more conſtant in doing vsus good, or we more obſtineate in ſinning against him. I doubt not but that the ſame faults are found in other Nations, that are in ours, and in places further off from the light, perhaps alſo groſſer faults: but a people ſo long and happily enioying the Goſpell, and ſo poorely anſwering the ſeede that hath been ſowne amongst vsus, I cannot thinke there is any. What ſhall we doe then? and what will be the iſſue of our not bringing forth fruite worthy the paines and coſt that God hath beſtowed vponupon vsus? We may flatter our ſelues, as it is vſuall for men to doe, and promiſe to our ſelues as much good, as our hearts can wiſh: but it is ſure, Gods threatnings ſhall bee fulfilled, and publike ſinnes ſhall bring in iudgements after them, anſwerable to themſelues in greatneſſe, and inpublikeneſſe. Mine intention therefore, in ſetting abroad this Sermon, is, to doe the beſt good that I can to my poore Country, in ſtirring vp thoſe that are not ſtarke dead in ſinnes, to ſet their endeauours on worke, for the preuenting of her woes. There is no way left for vsus to defend our ſelues againſt Gods hand, but prayers and teares. Mans wiſdome is folly with God: It hurts it ſelfe often, in ſeeking to helpe it ſelfe, and lyes ſnared in its owne ſubtiltie, as in a grin. Mans power is weakeneſſe with God, and often caſts it ſelfe downe, by ſeeking to eſtabliſh it ſelf, falling with its owne weight. No, my brethren, no: Not our wiſdome, not our power, but our prayers and teares; I ſay, our prayers and teares; theſe are the beſt fences againſt the calamities, to which our Country ſtands expoſed. Theſe will pacifie God, theſe will make him ſay, as once he did to the Prophet;Amos 7.3, 6. It ſhall not be, ſaith the Lord. To the end that I might prouoke ſome to apply themſelues to this ſo needfull a ſeruice for their Countrie, I hauehave held vp the example of a most worthy man of God, whoſe example, if we would imitate, no doubt but we ſhould procure as much proſperitie to our Nation, as Iſrael inioyed in his time. Set about it therefore, O yee Chriſtian ſoules: You Countrie hath intereſt into you: It callengeth at your hands, all the good you can affoord it: It iuſtly claimeth the vtumoſt impreouement of all your abilities. It ſtands in danger of Gods hand, by reaſon of the ſinnes wherewith it is defiled. Not your blood (which would you denie?) but your teares are now called for, to waſh away thoſe ſtaines. Heathen men hauehave fought for their Countrie, ſhall not we ſight for it? They hauehave giuen their whole bodies, ſhall not wee giuegive our teares? They hauehave laid downe their liues, ſhall not wee lay downe our mirth? They hauehave encountred all perils, ſhall not we endure the labour of mourning and lamentation? I call vponupon you in Ieremies words:Lam. 3.18, 19. Let your teares runne downe like a Riuer day and night: giuegive your ſelues no reſt, let not the apple of your eyes ceaſe. Ariſe, crie out in the night, in the beginning of the night watches, powre out your hearts like water before the face of the Lord, lift your hands towards him. If miſerie come, you will ſurely crie, when crying will auaile but little; crie before it come with ſuch a crying, as may preuent it. O, deferre not to afford this Iland another ſea of teares for its ſafe-gard, and that a better too, then this wherewith it ſtands ſurrounded. The multitude are ſo metamorphoſed into ſtones, that all words are caſt away, which may be ſpent in calling them to ſorrow, But if there be (as ſure there is) in our Nation, any ſmall remnant left, of thoſe that hauehave hearts of fleſh, now let them witneſſe their loues to their Countrey, in taking vp a bitter lamentation against thoſe crimes, that make a clamor in heauen against it. Crie aloude (I pray you) and out-crie the crying ſinnes of England. God from Heauen hath ſpoken aloud by diuers corrections; He, as a Father loth to ſtrike, hath giuen vsus many a faire warning. Let vsus not ſhew our ſelues to be wanton children, that will take no warning, that will not beleeue their parents threats, that will needs continue their vntowardnes, till the rod be held vp ouer them, yea, till their skin begin to ſmart with ſtripes. There are many that mourne for croſſes, penurie drawes teares from the eyes of many. We weepe to no purpoſe, in weeping for ſuch things. Let our hearts be filled with ruth, for the faults that fill this Kingdome: Let the Lord ſee, that ſome are fit to be ſpared, if for their ſakes, perhaps, he may ſpare all. I pray thee, Reader, be a true friend vntounto thy natiue ſoile. Helpe her with thy humble requeſts and earneſt lamentations. Intercede to God for her with a beneded knee, and a broken heart, and moystned eyes. Not thy money, not thy toyle, not thy fighting, not thine hazard, but thy ſorrowes are called for. Theſe vouchſafe to thy ſelfe, and to thy Countrie, and we ſhall all be ſafe. All enemies here or elſewhere, all Papists at home or abroad cannot hurt vsus, if our ſinnes hurt vsus not; they ſhall not hurt vsus, ſo long as they bee purſued with cryes and lamentations. God is our King, ſinne is treaſon againſt him: if many commit it, and none bewaile it, he must and will auenge it: but if we ſpare not to grieue for ſin, he will ſurely ſpare to puniſh it. Happy griefe, bleſſed teares, ioyfull ſorrow. The heart of fooles is in the houſe of laughter, the heart of wiſe men in the houſe of mourning. Follow the worthy Prophet into this houſe, imitate him in it, doe as he hath done, and thy Countrie ſhall enioy thy teares, more then it could doe thy labour, thine hazard, thy ſubſtance. But I must not foreſtall the following Diſcourſe. I hope it will cauſe the good amongstvs, to pitie their Mother, and to mourne for her, that they themſelues may reioyce with her in the fruite of their mourning. Now I commit thee to the following leaues, and them to thee. I would thou wouldeſt reade them; I would thou wouldeſt conſider them; I would thou wouldeſt practiſe them: and ſo wiſhing thee a much good ſorrow, as in other caſes thou couldſt wiſh thy ſelfe ioy, I leaue thee to his bleſsing, who will accept thy ſorrow, and remaine
A deſirer of thy teares, William Whately. Feb. 19. 1622.