A Salve for a Sick Man, Title page – Dedication
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 instructruction to
1. Mariners when they goe to sea.
2. Souldiers when they goe to battell.
3. Women when they trauell of child.
Printed at London by IOHN LEGAT, Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge. 1611. And are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Crovvne by Simon Waterson.
To the right Honourable and vertuous Lady, the Lady Lucie Countesse of Bedford.
THe death of the righteous, that is, of eueryevery beleeuing & repentāt sinner, is a most excellent blessing of God, and brings with it many worthy benefits: which thing I prooue on this manner. I. God both in the beginning and in the continuance of his grace, doth greater things vntounto his seruants, then they doe commonly aske or thinke, and because he hath promised ayd & strength vntounto thē, therefore in wonderfull wisedome hee casteth vp them this heauie burden of death, that they might make experience what is the exceeding might and power of his grace in their weaknes. II. Iudgement beginnes at Gods house: and the righteous are laden with afflictions and temptations in this life, & therfore in this world they hauehave their deaths and hells, that in death they might not feele 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 graue is my bed, my death is my sleepe: in death I die not, but onelyonly sleepe. It is thought that of all terrible things death is most terrible: but it is false to them that be in Christ, to whome many things happen farre more heauie and bitter then death, IV. Death at the first brought forth sinne, but death in the righteous by meanes of Christs death, abolisheth sinne, because it is the accomplishment of mortification. And death is so farre 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, followes the perfect freedome of the spirit, and the resurrection of the bodie. V. Lastly, death is a meanes of a Christian mans perfection, as Christ in his owne example sheweth, saying, Behold I will cast out diuels, and will heale 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 soules, and bodies, may be preserued without blame to the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ.
Now hauing often thus considered with my selfe of the excellencie of death, I thought good to draw the summe and chiefe heads thereof into this small treatise: the protection and consideration whereof, I commend to your Ladiship, desiring you to accept of it and read it at your leisure. If I bee blamed for Writing vntounto you of death, whereas by the course of nature, you are not yet neere death, Salomon wil excuse me, who saith, that wee must remember our Creatour in the daies of our youth. Thus hoping of your H. good acceptance, I pray God to blesse this my litle labour to your comfort and saluation.
Septemb. 7. 1595. Your H. in the Lord, W. Perkins.