¶ A physicion in syckenes ought we to pray, and to fynde a Physycion whiche healeth by prayer. The ••ew••pynge of the deed. S••du••••. Wysdome. Artificers or craftesmen.
CAPI. XXXVIII.
HOnour the Phisicion, honoure him be∣cause of necessite. God hath created hī [unspec A] (for of the Hyest commeth medycine) and he shall receyue gyftes of the kynge. The wys∣dome of the Phisycion bringeth him to great worshype, and in the syght of the greate men of thys worlde / he shal be honorably taken.
The Lorde hathe created medycyne of the earthe / and he that is wyse / wyll not ab∣horre it. Was not the bytter water ma∣de swete with a tre? that men myght learne to knowe the vertue therof. The Lorde hath geuen men wysdome / and vnderstan∣dyng, that he might be honoured in his won¦derous workes. With suche doth he heale men / & taketh awaye theyr paynes, Of suche doth the Apotecarye make a con••eccyon / yet can no man perfourme all his workes. For of the Lorde cōmeth prosperous welth ouer all the earth.
My sonne, despyse not this in thy sycknes, [unspec B] but praye vnto the Lorde / & he shall make the whole. Leaue of from synne / and order thy handes a ryght / clense thyne hert frō all wyckednes. Geue a swete sauoured offering and the fyne floure for a token of remem∣braunce, make the offerynge fat / as one that geueth the fyrste fruytes, and geue rowme to the Phisycion. For the Lorde hath created hym let hym not go from the / for thou haste nede of hym. The houre maye come, that the sycke maye be helped thorowe thē, when they praye vnto the Lorde, that he maye recouer / and get helth to lyue longer. He that sinneth before hys maker shall fall into the handes of the Phisycion.
My sonne, bryng forth thy teares ouer the deade: and begyn to mourne / as yt thou haddest suffered great harme thy selfe: & then couer his body after a conuenyent maner / & despyse not his buryall. Enforce thy selfe to wepe / & prouoke thy selfe to mourne, and make lamentacyon expedientlye / and that a daye or two / leest thou be euel spoken of: and then comforte thy selfe because of the heuy∣nes. For of heuynes cōmeth death / the he∣uynes of the hert breaketh strength. Heuy∣nes and pouerte greueth the herte in tempta∣cyon and offente. Take no heuynes to herte / dryue it awaye / and remember the last thyn∣ges. Forget it not / for there is no turning a∣gayne. Thou shalte do hym no good / but hurt thy selfe. Remēber his iudgment, thine also shal be lyke wyse: vnto me yester daye, vnto the to daye. Let the remēbraunce of y• deed ceasse in hys rest / and comforte thy selfe agayne ouer hym / seing his spiryte is depar∣ted from hym. The wysdome of the scrybe is at conuenyent tyme of rest: & he that ceasseth [unspec C] from exercyse and laboure / shall be wyse. He that holdeth the plough, and hath plesure in proddyng / and driuyng the oxen, and goeth aboute with suche workes / he can speake of oxen: He setteth his hert to make forowes / & is dilygent to geue the kyne foder. So is eue¦ry carpenter also & workmaster, that labou∣reth styl nyght and daye: he carueth, graueth & cutteth out, and his desyre is in sondry con∣nynge thynges, his hert ymagineth, howe he maye cūnyngly cast an ymage, his dilygence also and watchyng perfourmeth the worke. The yronsmyth in lyke maner hydeth by his stythye, and doth his dilygence to labour the yron. The vapoure of the fyre brenneth his fleshe, and he must fyght with the hea•• of the fornace. The noyse of the hammer soundeth euer in his eares / and his eyes loke styll vpō the thynge that he maketh. He hath set hys mynde therupon / that he wyll make out his worke, and therfore he watcheth / howe he maye set it out, and bryngeth it to an ende.
So doth the potter syt by his worke, he [unspec D] turneth the whele aboute with his fete, he is dilygent and careful in all doynges, and his laboure and worke is without nomber. He fashioneth the claye with his arme, and with his fete he temporeth it. His herte ymagy∣neth howe he maye make it pleasaunte / and his dilygence is to clense the ouen. All these hope in theyr handes / and euery one thync∣keth to be cunnynge in his worke. Without these maye not the cyties be maynteyned / in∣habited nor occupied, and come not h••e in the congregacyon: in the councell of the people / they be not requyred, they vnderstande not the couenaunte of the lawe: they cannot de∣clare equyte and iudgemēt, they cānot fynd out the darke sentences, but thorowe them shall the creature of the worlde be mayntey∣ned, theyr prayer concerneth only the worke and labour of connynge.