A Treatise of Carefulness, Title page – To the reader
A TREATISE OF Carefulneſs; Wherein is ſet forth The
Symptomes of
Dangers by
Arguments againſt
Means to prevent
overcharging Cares.
By the late faithfull Preacher of Gods Word, HENRY ARCHER, Sometimes Preacher in London.
1 Cor. 7.32.
But I would have you without, carefulneſſe.
LONDON, Printed by R. Biſhop for Francis Coles, at the halfe Bowle in the Old Baily, 1641.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
ONe generation paſſeth, and another generation ſucceedeth (ſaith the Wiſeman.) In the revolution of a few years, the earth is delivered of her former burthen, and another crop of men and creatures ſpring up. Neither naturall parts, morall gifts, nor ſpirituall graces will availe againſt that peremptory ſentence, Duſt thou art, and to duſt thou ſhalt return. Even the Prophets, as the Prophet ſaith, Where are they? Moſes, though a man of God, a meek man, and a Prophet, yet he muſt goe up into the Mount and die; and then, Ariſe Ioſhuah, (ſaith God) Moſes my ſervant is dead.
This ſervant of God, and Miniſter of Chriſt, having ſome years ſince taſted of mortality; though he left a name behinde him, as the ſmell of Lebanon, (being in his life time faithfull and painfull in Gods harveſt:) yet things committed onelyonly to memory, being in ſhort time forgotten, I thought it not unfit (partly for the preſervation of his memoriall, and partly for the benefit of the preſent and future times) to erect this little monument (as it was hewed by himſelfe) upon his grave.
This preſent Treatiſe, among many of his fruitfull labours, as it is not unfit for any time, ſo it may be eſteemed moſt exquiſite in theſe anxious dayes, wherein the hearts of men are generally eaten up with immoderate cares about future events, both nationall and perſonall, whereby the lives of men become wholly uncomfortable, and they become ſelfetormentors. The worthy Authour herein hath clearly and fully diſcovered, the cauſes, ſymptomes, dangers, & effects, with the remedies of this needleſſe, bootleſſe, pernicious evill of carking cares, which as a lethall ſpring, drieth up the ſtrength of the ſpirits.
I will not wrong the Authour ſo much, or detaine the Reader ſo long, as by a perfunctory commendation, to ſet forth a thing of ſuch worth. I rather refer the Chriſtian Reader to the Treatiſe it ſelfe, wherein thou ſhalt finde the ſcope to disburthen thy heart of wordly cares, and to bring it into perfect tranquility; which as it is the intent of the work, ſo it is the deſire of
Thy Chriſtian friend, T. S.