A09461:78
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.
The 4. meditation is that god hath promised his special, blessed, and comfortable presence unto his servants when they are sick or dying, or any way distressed. When thou passest thorough the waters, I will be with thee (saith the Lord) and through the floods that they do not overflow thee: when thou walkest thorough the very fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Now the Lord doth manifest his presence three ways: the first is by moderating and lessening the pains and torments of sickness & death, as the very words of the former promise ⟨p. 121⟩do plainly import. Hence it comes to pass that to many men the sorrows and pangs of death, are nothing so grievous and troublesome, as the afflictions & crosses which are laid on them in the course of their lives. The second way of Gods presence is by an inward & unspeakable comfort of the spirit, as Paul saith,1 We rejoice in tribulations, knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience, &c. but why is this rejoicing? because (saith he in the next words) the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost. Again Paul having in some grievous sickness received the sentence of death, saith of himself, that as the sufferings of Christ did abound in him, 2so his consolation did abound through Christ. Here then we see that when earthly comforts fail ⟨p. 122⟩the Lord himself draws near the bed of the sick, as it were visiting them in his own person, & ministering unto them refreshing for their souls: with his right hand he holds up their heads, 3and with his left hand he embraceth them. The third means of Gods presence is the ministry of his good Angels, whom the Lord hath appointed as keepers and nurses unto his servants to hold them up and to bear them in their arms as nurses do young children,4 and to be as a guard unto them against the devil and his angels. And all this is verified specially in sickness, at which time the holy angels are not only present with such as fear god, but ready also to receive and to carry their souls into heaven, as appears by the example of Lazarus.