heart able to think them. Infinite and unspeakable are the treasures, O Lord, which thou hast laid up for them who die in the faith. For these thy fatherly benefits towards the souls of the faithful; and for that it hath pleased thee to call our Christian brethren and sisters from this vale of misery unto thy heavenly kingdom, we give unto thee most hearty thanks; humbly beseeching thee that thou wilt take like care of us, and so govern us with thy Holy Spirit, both in sickness and in health, that we may live a good and godly life in this present world, and whensoever it shall be thy good pleasure to call us hence, we may with strong faith in thee, and in thy Son Christ Jesus our Lord, commend both our bodies and souls into thy merciful hands, and through thy goodness be placed in thy glorious kingdom, among thy faithful chosen people, and so for ever and ever praise and magnify thee our heavenly Father; to whom, with thy dearly-beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, and the Holy Ghost, the most sweet Comforter, be all glory and honour, world without end. Amen.

THE POMANDER OF PRAYER.

Another of Becon's tracts is entitled “The Pomander of Prayer,” (a pomander was a ball made up of several sorts of perfumes.) It contains forty short prayers suitable for different stations and circumstances of life. A specimen may be given.

For the true Knowledge of Ourselves.

It is written in thy holy gospel, most loving Saviour, that thou camest into this world, not to call the righteous, that is, such as justify themselves, but sinners, unto repentance. Suffer me not therefore, O Lord, to be of the number of those who thus justify themselves, who, boasting their own righteousness, their own works and merits, despise the righteousness that cometh by faith, which alone is allowable before thee. Give me grace to know and to acknowledge myself, as I am, even the son of wrath by nature, a wretched sinner, and an unprofitable servant, and wholly to depend on thy merciful goodness with strong and unshaken faith, that in this world thou mayest continually call me unto true repentance, seeing I continually sin, and in the world to come bring me unto everlasting glory. Amen.

SELECTIONS

FROM

THE SICK MAN'S SALVE,

WHEREIN FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS MAY LEARN BOTH HOW TO BEHAVE THEMSELVES PATIENTLY AND THANKFULLY IN TIME OF SICKNESS, AND ALSO VIR

TUOUSLY TO DISPOSE THEIR TEMPORAL

GOODS, AND FINALLY TO PREPARE

THEMSELVES GLADLY AND

GODLILY TO DIE.

MADE

BY THOMAS BECON.

A. D. 1550.

Come unto me all ye that are sick and diseased, and I will com

fort you.-Matt. xi.

THE object and design of the author is stated in the following extract from the epistle dedicatory, "In this treatise, intitled 'The Sick Man's Salve,' my mind is to show unto the faithful Christians, how they ought to make provision for their latter end, that they may depart in the faith of Christ, and be of the number of those of whom it is written, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Again: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. For, what should it profit a man to win all the world, if at the last he loseth his soul? (Psal. xcvi. Matt. xvi.) Therefore in this my work I have declared, first of all, how the faithful Christians ought to behave themselves patiently and thankfully in the time of sickness. Secondly, how they should virtuously dispose their temporal goods. Thirdly, after what manner they ought to prepare themselves gladly and godlily to die. Finally, I have interlaced many comfortable exhortations unto the sick, and divers godly and necessary prayers; some to be said of them that are sick, and some of others, for such as are diseased."

The Sick Man's Salve was one of the most popular of Becon's writings; several editions were printed during the sixteenth century, and even in 1612 it was among the publications of the Stationers' company, which shows there must have been a considerable demand for the work. It is in the form of a dialogue between Philemon, Eusebius, Theophilus, Christopher, and Epaphroditus the sick man, and may be considered as consisting of three parts. In the first, Philemon and his friends go to see the sick man, whom they find in much pain and uneasiness of mind, and expressing himself with impatience. They explain to him that sickness is the visitation of God, and by referring to many examples and precepts of Scripture, encourage him to look to the Lord with confidence in his mercy, having humbled himself before Him. In the second part, is pointed out the duty of a Christian when in dangerous sickness,giving the necessary directions concerning his affairs, and exhorting his family to discharge the duties of their several stations, with advice for their future conduct; the sick man also makes a clear profession of his faith. The third part exhibits the Christian in his last hours, assaulted by the enemy of souls, but supported in and through his blessed Lord and Saviour, and departing in peace, having a foretaste of the joys prepared for him.

This excellent tract is too long to be included in the present volume, and would suffer from much abridgment; the selections here given are from the latter portion of the work, and contain the profession of faith and the last hours of the dying believer. Becon's design in compiling this tract, evidently was not so much to give an interesting narrative, as fully to point out the only source from whence support can be derived in the hour of suffering, both mental and bodily, and to show the world "how a Christian can die."

SELECTIONS

FROM

THE SICK MAN'S SALVE.

Philemon. We greatly desire to hear the confession of your faith, that we may be able to testify hereafter, that you departed in the faith of Christ.

Epaphroditus. I unfeignedly believe with my heart, and freely confess with my mouth, that there is one only, true, living, immortal, and everlasting God; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, three distinct persons in the Godhead, and notwithstanding, one very God in substance, of like majesty, glory, might, power, judgment, and will. As touching the first person in the Deity, I unfeignedly believe with my heart, and freely confess with my mouth, that he is that God who alone is the Father, not only of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, whom of himself from everlasting he begot, his very son, and therefore likewise true and immortal God; but also of all the faithful, not by nature, but by adoption, whom he hath chosen to be his children in Christ Jesus, before the foundations of the world were laid, to love, favour, cherish, comfort, nourish, govern, defend, and bless them, both corporeally and spiritually. This God the Father I believe and confess to be almighty, and able to do whatsoever his godly will and pleasure is. With him all things are possible. There is nothing too hard for him to do, neither is any thing impossible in his sight. This GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, I believe and confess to be the Creator and Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all things contained in them. Of nothing, by his wonderful and almighty power, he made the heavens, with the blessed angels, and heavenly spirits that are in them. The one he chose to be his glorious seat; the other he made to be his ministers, to do his blessed will and holy commandment. This God, the Father Almighty, made also the earth of nothing, with her increase; and gave breath to the people that are in it, and spirit to them that dwell therein. The heavens, the earth, and the sea, with all that ever is contained in them, are the creatures of this God the

Father Almighty, created unto this end, even that they should set forth, magnify, praise, and commend the majesty, power, might, and glory of this most mighty and glorious God. And whatsoever he made, he made it through his only begotten Son, by whom all things were made, and without whom was made nothing that was made. For when he made the heavens, this his only begotten Son was present; when he hanged the clouds above, when he fastened the springs of the deep, when he shut the sea within certain bounds, that the waters should not go over the marks that he commanded; when he laid the foundations of the earth, he was with him, ordering all things, delighting daily, and rejoicing always before him. (Prov. viii.) For the Son of God caused the light that faileth not to arise in the heaven, and covered all the earth as a cloud. And the princely prophet saith, By the word of the Lord, which word is Christ, the very Son of God, were the heavens made, and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth. This God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, I believe and am fully persuaded, that he for Christ's sake, by faith, is my most merciful Father, and that I am born again of him, not by mortal, but immortal seed, through the word of God, who liveth and abideth for ever, and so am become his son; and that he therefore loves and favours me, governs and defends me, feeds and nourishes me, and finally has made me his heir, and fellow-heir of eternal glory with his only begotten and most dearly-beloved Son, Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Now have you heard my faith concerning God the Father.

Ph. It is a faith both true and Christian, and from the beginning received of all godly persons. Will it please you likewise to rehearse your faith concerning Jesus Christ the Son of God, yea God and man?

Ep. This is it. I unfeignedly believe with my heart, and freely confess with my mouth, that JESUS CHRIST the second person in the Godhead, is the only begotten Son of God; yea also the true, immortal, and ever-living God, begotten of God the Father, before any beginning; of like majesty, might, power, and glory with God the Father; of the same nature, essence, being, and substance. I believe that this Jesus Christ, who is the very brightness of his Father's glory, and the very image of his substance, first begotten before all creatures, is our Lord, even the Lord of all the faithful. And I believe that as he is called