A07163:168
The sick mans salve Wherein the faithful christians may learn both how to behave…The sycke mans salue VVherin the faithfull christians may learne both how to behaue…
The sick mans salve Wherein the faithful christians may learn both how to behave them selves patiently and thankfully, in the time of sickness, and also virtuously to dispose their temporal goods, and finally to prepare them selves gladly and godly to die. Made and newly recognised by Master Tho. Becon. 1561.The sycke mans salue VVherin the faithfull christians may learne both how to behaue them selues paciently and thankefully, in the tyme of sickenes, and also vertuously to dispose their temporall goodes, and finally to prepare them selues gladly and godly to die. Made and newly recognised by Maister Tho. Becon. 1561.
London: printed by John Day, 1561London: printed by Iohn Day, 1561
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Phil. No, be you sure. For these are his words by the Psalmograph.1 If they forsake my •aw, and walk not in my judgements. If they break my statutes, •nd keep not my commandments, I will visit their offences with ⟨p. 70⟩the rod, & their sins with scourges. Nevertheless, my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my truth to fail. My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Here God our merciful father, promiseth, that though he punisheth us for our sin and wickedness, that by this means he may call us unto repentance & amendment of life, yet will not he take away from us his mercy and loving kindness, but when so ever we turn unto him, repent us of our former life, call on his blessed name, believe and hope to have remission of sins for Christs sake, and labour to frame our life according to the rule of his holy testament, he will surely receive us joyfully, pardon all our iniquities and as dearly love us, as though we had never offended his divine ⟨p. 71⟩majesty. God saith also by the Prophet Jeremiah:2 when I take in hand to rote out, to destroy, or to wast away any people or kingdom, if the people (against whom, I have thus devised) convert from their wickedness: I repent of the plague, that I devised to bring upon them.3 The prophet Isaiah also saith. If the ungodly forsaketh his way, and the unrighteous man his own Imaginations, and turn again unto the Lord, he will surely be merciful unto him. For he is very ready to forgive. He will not alway be chiding, (saith the Psalmograph,4) neither keepeth he his anger for ever. Yea like as a father pitieth his own children, even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him. For he knoweth whereof we be made, he remembereth that we are but dust. My thoughts ⟨p. 72⟩