A09461:30
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.
These objections being thus answered, it appears to be a manifest truth which Solomon saith, that the day of death is better indeed then the day of birth. Now I come to the third point, in which the reasons & respects are to be considered that make the day of death to surpass the day of mans birth: & they may all be reduced to this one, namely, that the birth day is an entrance into all woe and misery; whereas the day of death joined with godly and reformed life, is an entrance or degree to eternal life. Which I make manifest ⟨p. 34⟩thus: Eternal life hath three degrees: one in this life, when a man can truly say that he lives not, but that Christ lives in him: and this all men can say that repent and believe, and are justified & sanctified, & have peace of conscience, with other gifts of Gods spirit, which are the earnest of their salvation. The second degree is the end of this life, when the body goes to the earth, & the soul is carried by the angels into heaven: the third is in the end of the world at the last judgement, when body & soul reunited, do jointly enter into eternal happiness in heaven. Now of these three degrees, death it self being joined with the fear of God, is the second: which also containeth in it two worthy steps to life. The first, is a freedom from all miseries ⟨p. 35⟩which have their end in death. For though men in this life are subject to manifold dangers by sea and land, as also to sundry aches, pains, and diseases, as fevers, and consumptions, &c. yet when death comes there is an end of all. Again, so long as men live in this world, whatsoever they be, they do in some part lie in bondage under original corruption and the remnants thereof, which are doubtings of Gods providence, unbelief, pride of heart, ignorance, covetousness, ambition, envy, hatred, lust, and such like sins, which bring forth fruits unto death. And to be in subjection to sin on this manner, is a misery of all miseries.1 Therefore Paul when he was tempted unto sin by his corruption, calls the very temptation the buffets of Satan, and as it ⟨p. 36⟩were a prick or thorn wounding his flesh, and paining him at the very heart. Again, in an other place wearied with his own corruptions, he complains that he is sold under sin, and he cries out, ô miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?