A07163:97
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.
Phi. This thing can by no means better be perceived,1 then by considering the history, which blessed Luke telleth in his Gospel of the unmerciful rich man and of pore Lazarus. The rich glutton was Gods enemy and an adversary to all good men, unkind, churlish, and unmerciful, and yet how pleasantly, and wealthily lived he all his life time? We do not read, that he tasted any thing at all of the cross, but that he was rich, wealthy, gallantly apparelled, fared daintily every day, and lived in all kind of pleasures according to his hearts lust, and yet the end of him was everlasting damnation, that this saying of our saviour Christ might be found true.2 Woe be unto you that are rich: for you have your consolation. Woe be unto you that are full: for ye shall hunger. Woe be unto you that now laugh: for ye shall ⟨p. 20⟩wail and weep. Contrariwise, Lazarus being Gods friend (and dearly beloved of God) was plagued with poverty, hunger, thirst, cold, nakedness, sores, sickness, & divers mortal diseases, which never departed from him so long as he lived: and notwithstanding both patiently and thankfully did he bear this his Cross,3 even unto the death, being persuaded that prosperity & adversity, life, and death, poverty, & wealth, are of God, and therefore immediately after his departure out of this world, he was received into everlasting glory. This history brother Epaphroditus declareth evidently, that sickness or trouble sent of God unto the godly, is not a token of Gods wrath and heavy displeasure, but rather a sure argument and manifest sign of his good will, love and favour toward ⟨p. 21⟩us. Blessed is he, saith the Psalmograph,4 whom thou (O Lord) nurturest. Again, he saith: it is highly for my wealth,5 that thou (O Lord) hast corrected me, that I may learn thine ordinances. Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Paul. When we are judged of the Lord we are chastened,