A07163:189
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.
Epaph•. Yea O th• great mercies of God.
Phile. I• this history many notable things are to be learned. First, if a•• such as God intendeth to save, […] ⟨p. 81⟩offend, and break his holy commandments, the Lord will not suffer them to escape unpunished, but he visiteth them with his loving rod of fatherly correction, that by this means he may call them to repentance & save them. Secondly, we learn, that when the Lord correcteth us, & casteth us into trouble, than as we see in Manasseh, we make haste unto the Lord, seek him, pray unto him, hum ble our selves before his divine majesty, & become new men, as the psalmograph saith: When he slue them,1 they sought him, and turned them early, & enquired after God. And they remembered, that God was their strength, and that the •hie God was their redeemer. God him self also saith by the Prophet: In their adversity they shall early seek me,2 & say: come, let us turn again unto the Lord, for he hath ⟨p. 82⟩smitten us, and he shall heal us: he hath wounded us, and he shall bind us up again. Thirdly it setteth forth unto us the great and exceeding mercies of God toward penitent sinners, whom so soon as they convert & turn, he receiveth into his favour, forgiveth them, taketh away his plagues, and restoreth them to their former, or else much better state according to this saying of the Prophet.3 If the ungodly will forsake his ways, & the unrighteous his imaginations & turn again unto the lord, the Lord will surely have pity on him, for he is very ready to forgive. Fourthly, we learn of this history: what the duty of such is, whom God to fore hath plagued, and now restored to their former state. Verily, to become new men, to walk for ever after in the fear of God, to mortify their carnal affects,