A07163:321
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.
Th. The holy scripture declareth, that king David prayed unto the Lord for the child,1 which he ha• by Bethsabe, Uriah wife, when i• was sick, and that he fasted, an• ⟨p. 163⟩lay all the night upon the earth, in so much that the Elders of his house arose and went unto him, to take him up from the earth, but he would not, nether did he eat meat with them. But when he heard that the child was dead, he arose from the earth, and washed and anointed him self, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the lord and worshipped▪ and afterward came to his own house, and commanded that they should set bread before him, & he did eat. And when his servants marvelling at these things, said unto him: What thing is this, that thou hast done? Thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive, and as soon as it was dead, thou diddest arise up and eat. He answered: While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept. For this I thought. ⟨p. 164⟩Who can tell, whether God will have mercy on me, that the child may live. But now seeing it is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him any more? I shall go to him, and he shall come no more again unto me. In this history yt godly wisdom of David, is greatly to be considered. For hereof may we learn to pray unto the Lord our God for our sick friends, so long as they be alive, and to seek all means possible at the Lords hand, to obtain health for the diseased. But if the good will of God be to take them out of this world, then are we taught, here no more to mourn, to weep, to lament, and to be sorry for them, but rather with a joyful hart to worship the lord, (as David did) and to give him most hearty thanks, that it hath pleased his goodness to deliver our brethren or sistern from this ⟨p. 165⟩sink of evils, I mean this world: and to receive them into his blessed kingdom. Heathen like mourning, therefore, is to be banished from the burials of the Christians.