A09461:86
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 third rule is, that we must carry in mind the right & proper end of physic, least we deceive our selves. We must not therefore think that physic serves to prevent old age or death it self. For that is not possible, because God hath set down that all men shall die and be changed. And life consists in ⟨p. 137⟩a temperature and proportion of natural heat and radical moisture, which moisture being once consumed by the former heat, is by art unrepairable; and therefore death must needs follow. But the true end of physic is to continue and lengthen the life of man to his natural period; which is when nature, that hath bin long preserved by all possible means, is now wholly spent. Now this period, though it can not be lengthened by any skill of man, yet may it easily be shortened, by intemperance in diet, by adrunkenness, and by violent diseases. But care must be had to avoid all such evils, that the little lamp of corporal life may burn till it go out of it self. For this very space of time is the very day of grace and salvation: & whereas ⟨p. 138⟩god in justice might have cut us off and have utterly destroyed us, yet in great mercy he gives us thus much time, that we might prepare our selves to his kingdom: which time when it is once spent, if a man would redeem it with the price of ten thousand worlds he cannot have it.
The third rule is, that wee must carrie in mind the right & proper ende of physicke, least we deceiue our selues. We must not therefore thinke that physicke serues to preuent olde age or death it selfe. For that is not possible, because God hath set downe that all men shal die and be changed. And life consists in ⟨p. 137⟩a temperature and proportion of natural heat and radical moisture, which moisture beeing once consumed by the former heat, is by arte vnrepairable; and therefore death must needs follow. But the true ende of physicke is to continue and lengthen the life of man to his naturall period; which is when nature, that hath bin long preserued by all possible meanes, is now wholly spent. Now this period, though it can not be lengthened by any skill of man, yet may it easily be shortned, by intemperance in diet, by