A09461:111
A salve for a sick man. or, A treatiseA salve for a sicke man. or, A treatise
A salve for a sick man. or, A treatise containing the nature, differences, and kinds of death as also the right manner of dying well. And it may serve for spiritual instruction to 1. Mariners when they go to sea. 2. Soldiers when they go to battle. 3. Women when they travel of child.A salve for a sicke man. or, A treatise containing the nature, differences, and kindes of death as also the right manner of dying well. And it may serue for spirituall instruction to 1. Mariners when they goe to sea. 2. Souldiers when they goe to battell. 3. Women when they trauell of child.
London: printed by John Legat, 1611London: printed by Iohn Legat, 1611
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.
And thus much of the first point of doctrine, namely, that ⟨p. 185⟩there is a certain way whereby a man may die well: now I come to the second. Whereas therefore Solomon saith, that the day of death is better then the day of birth, we are further taught that such as truly believe themselves to be the children of God, are not to fear death overmuch. I say overmuch; because they must partly fear it, and partly not. Fear it they must for two causes: the first, because death is the destruction of humane nature in a mans own self & others: and in this respect Christ feared it without sin; and we must not fear it otherwise then we fear sickness, and poverty, and famine, with other sorrows of body and mind, which God will not have us to despise or lightly to regard, but to feel with some pain, because they ⟨p. 186⟩are corrections & punishments for sin. And he doth therefore lay upon us pains & torments, that they may be feared and eschewed: and that by eschewing them we might further learn to eschew the cause of them, which is sin: and by experience in feeling of pain; acknowledge that God is a judge and enemy of sin, and is exceeding angry with it. The second cause of the fear of death, is the loss of the Church or Commonwealth, when we or others are deprived of them which were indeed or might have been an help, stay, & comfort to either of them, and whose death hath procured some public or private loss.
And thus much of the first point of doctrine, namely, that ⟨p. 185⟩there is a certen way whereby a man may die well: now I come to the second. Whereas therefore Salomon saith, that the day of death is better then the day of birth, we are furder taught that such as truly beleeue themselues to be the children of God, are not to feare death ouermuch. I say ouermuch; because they must partly feare it, and partly not. Feare it they must for two causes: the first, because death is the destructiō of humane nature in a mans owne selfe & others: and in this respect Christ feared it without sinne; and we must not feare it otherwise then we feare sicknes, and pouertie, and famine, with other sorrows of body and minde, which God will not haue vs to despise or lightly to regard, but to feele with some paine, because they ⟨p. 186⟩