A09461:3
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.
To the right Honourable and virtuous Lady, the Lady Lucy Countess of Bedford.
To the right Honourable and vertuous Lady, the Lady Lucie Countesse of Bedford.
The death of the righteous, that is, of every believing & repentant sinner, is a most excellent blessing of God, and brings with it many worthy benefits: which thing I prove on this manner. I. God both in the beginning and in the continuance of his grace, doth greater things unto his servants, then they do commonly ask or think, and because he hath promised aid & strength unto them, therefore in wonderful wisdom he casteth up them this heavy burden of death, that they might make experience what is the exceeding might and power of his ⟨image 3⟩grace in their weakness. II. Judgement begins at Gods house: and the righteous are laden with afflictions and temptations in this life, & therefore in this world they have their deaths and hells, that in death they might not feel the torments of hell and death. III. When Lazarus was dead, Christ said: He is not dead but sleepeth: hence it followeth that the Christian man can say, My grave is my bed, my death is my sleep: in death I die not, but only sleep. It is thought that of all terrible things death is most terrible: but it is false to them that be in Christ, to whom many things happen far more heavy and bitter then death, IV. Death at the first brought forth sin, but death in the righteous by means of Christs death, abolisheth sin, because it is the accomplishment of mortification. ⟨image 3⟩And death is so far from destroying such as are in Christ, that there can be no better refuge for them against death: for presently after the death of the body, follows the perfect freedom of the spirit, and the resurrection of the body. V. Lastly, death is a means of a Christian mans perfection, as Christ in his own example showeth, saying, Behold I will cast out devils, and will heal still to day and to morrow, and the third I will be perfected. Now this perfection in the members of Christ, is nothing else but the blessing of God, the author of peace, sanctifying them throughout, that their whole spirits, and souls, and bodies, may be preserved without blame to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.