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.

To the right Ho∣nourable and vertu∣ous Lady, the Lady Lucie Countesse of Bedford.

THe death of the righteous, that is, of euery beleeuing & repentāt sinner, is a most ex∣cellent blessing of God, and brings with it many worthy bene∣fits: which thing I prooue on this manner. I. God both in the begin∣ning and in the continuance of his grace, doth greater things vnto his seruants, then they doe commonly aske or thinke, and because he hath promised ayd & strength vnto thē, therefore in wonderfull wisedome hee casteth vp them this heauie burden of death, that they might make experience what is the ex∣ceeding might and power of his

grace in their weaknes. II. Iudge∣ment beginnes at Gods house: and the righteous are laden with affli∣ctions and temptations in this life, & therfore in this world they haue 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 Christi∣an man can say, My graue is my bed, my death is my sleepe: in death I die not, but onely 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 righ∣teous by meanes of Christs death, abolisheth sinne, because it is the accomplishment of mortification.

And death is so farre from de∣stroying such as are in Christ, that there can be no better refuge for them against death: for presently after the death of the body, fol∣lowes 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 shew∣eth, 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 bles∣sing 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 con∣sidered

with my selfe of the excel∣lencie of death, I thought good to draw the summe and chiefe heads thereof into this small treatise: the protection and consideration where∣of, I commend to your Ladiship, de∣siring you to accept of it and read it at your leisure. If I bee blamed for Writing vnto you of death, whereas by the course of nature, you are not yet neere death, Salo∣mon wil excuse me, who saith, that wee must remember our Creatour in the daies of our youth. Thus ho∣ping of your H. good acceptance, I pray God to blesse this my litle la∣bour to your comfort and saluati∣on.

Septemb. 7. 1595.

Your H. in the Lord, W. Perkins.