¶ A frutefull treatise and ful of heauenly consolation against the feare of death. Wherunto are annexed certeine sweet medi­tateons of the kingdom of Christ, of life euerlasting, and of the blessed state & felicitie of the same. Gathered by that holy marter of God, Iohn Bradford.

¶ Perused corrected & augmented according to the originall, & Imprinted in Fletestrete neere to saint Dunstons Churche by William Powell.

Ecclesiasti, 5. MAke no taryinge to turne vnto the lord, and put not of from day to day: For suddenly shal his wrathe come, and in the day of vengeance he shall destroy thee. Stande fast in the way of the lord: bee stedfast in thine vnder­standinge, and followe the word of peace and righte­ousnes.

¶ A treatise agaynst the feare of death.

BEING mynded, through the helpe of God, for myne own comfort and encouraging of o­thers, to speake something of Deathe (at whose doores thoughe I haue stande a great while, yet neuer so nere, to mans iudgement, as I do now) I think it most requisite to cal & cry for thy helpe, Oh blessed saut our Iesus Chryste, whiche hast destroyed death by thy deathe, & brought in place thereof, life and immortalitie, as by the gospell it appereth: graunt to mee true & liuely fayth, wherethrough men passe from deathe to eternal lyfe, [Page] that of practyse and not of naked speculation, I may somethynge wryte cōcernyng death (whiche is dredful out of thee & in it selfe) to the glory of thy holy name, to myne owne comfort in thee, and to the edifying of al them, to whō this writing shall come, to be red or hearde. Amen.

¶ There be .iiii. kindes of death, iiij. kindes of death. one whiche is naturall, an other which is spiritual, a third which is temporall, and a fourth which is eternal. Concerning the first and the last what they be, I nede not to declare, but the second and the third, perchaunce, of the sim­ple (for whose sake especially I Spiritu­al death what it is wryte) are not so soone espied.

By a spirituall deathe therfore, I mean such a death as the body lyuing the soule is dead. Wher­of [Page] the Apostle maketh menciō in 2. Tim. 5 speaking of widdowes which li­nyng daintely, being a liue in bo­dy, are dead in soule. Thus you see what I meane by the spiritu­all death. Nowe by a temporall Tempo­ral death. death I mean such a death, wher throught the body and affections therof are mortified, that the spi­rite may lyue. Of which kynde of deathe the Apostle speaketh in Cols. 3. exhorting vs to kyl our mēbers. And thus muche of the kindes of death: wherin the iudgement of the worlde is not to it approued, for it careth lesse for spiritual dea the, then for naturall deathe: it estemeth lesse eternall death then temporal death, orels wold men leaue syn, which procureth both Sinne is the cause of death. thone and the other (I mean spi­ritual & eternal death) and chose [Page] temporally to dye, that by natu­rall death they myght enter into the full fruition of eternall lyfe: whiche none can enioy nor enter into, that here wil not temporal­ly dye, that is, mortifie their af­fections, and crucifie their lustes and concupicences: For by obey­ing them at the first came death, as we may reade Genesis the. 3. If Eue had not obeyed her desire in eatinge the forbydden fruite, By what meanes death came into the world. wherby she died spiritually, none of these kyndes of death had euer come vnto man, nor ben knowen of vs. Therfore (as I said) we must nedes here temporally dye: that is, mortifie our affectiōs, to escape the spiritual death, and by naturall death, not onely escape eternal death of soule & body, but also by it, as by a dore, enter into [Page] eternall life, which Christ Iesus our Sauiour hath procured and purchased to and for al that be in him, translatinge eternall deathe into a sleepe or rather into a de­lyueraunce of soule & body, from all kinde of mysery & synne. By reason wherof we may se that to those that be in Christe: that is, to such as do beleue (which bele­uers I meane, are discerned frō others, by not walking after the Roma. 8. flesh, but after the sprite) to those I say, death is no dāmage, but a vantage: no dreadfull thing, but rather desierable, & of all messen­gers most mery, whiles he is lo­ked vpon with the eyes of faith in the gospell. But more of this hereafter.

Thus haue I briefely shewed thee the kyndes of deathe, what [Page] they be, whence they come, and what remedy for thē. But now̄, for as muche as I am purposed hereafter to entreate onely of the first kynd of death, that is, of na­tural death, somthing to comfort Naturall death. my self & others against ye dreade and paynes of the same: I wyll speake of it as God shal instructe mee, and as I accustome with my self to muse on it now̄ & then, the better to be prepared against the houre of temptation.

I haue shewed howe that this naturall death came by spiritual death yt is, by obeying our affec­tiōs in ye trāsgressiō of gods pre­ceptes: but through the benefite of Christ, to such as be in him, & Death what it is to christi­ans. die temporally, that is, to suche beleeuers as labour to mortyfie their affections, it is no destruc­tion, [Page] but a plaine dissolution both of soule and body, from all kynde of perils, daungers, & miseries, and therefore to such is not to be dread, but to be desired: as wee se in the Apostle, whiche desired Philip. 1. Luke. 2. to be dissolued: And in Simeon which desired to be losed, saying: dismisse or lose mee, O lorde, By whiche wordes, he semeth plain­ly to teache, that this life is a bō ­dage, and nothinge to be desired, as now I wyll somthing shewe.

First consyder the pleasures of This liffe is not to be loued in respect of the plea­sures ther of, beinge nothynge else but vanitie. this life, what they be, how long they last, how painefull we come by them, what they leaue behind them: and thou shalt euen in thē se nothing but vauitie. As for example: how long lasteth the plea­sure that man hath in the acte of generatiō? How painfully do mē [Page] behaue theym selues before they attayne it? how doth it leaue be­hind it a certaine lothsomnes and fulnes? I wyl speake nothing of the sting of cōscience, if it be come by vnlawefully. Who wel seinge this, and forecasting it aforehād, woulde not forgoe the pleasures willingly, as farre as neede wyl permyt & suffer? If then in this one, wherunto nature is moste prone, and hath most pleasure in, it be thus: alas how can we but thincke so of other pleasures?

Put the case that the pleasures of this life were permanente du­ring this life: yet in that this life What this lyfe is, marke here, and learne. it selfe is nothing in comparyson, and therfore is ful wel compared to a candell light, whiche is sone blowne out, to a flower, whiche fadeth away, to a smoke, to a shdowe, [Page] to a sleepe, to a runnynge water, to a day, to an houre, to a momente, and to vanitie it selfe: who wold esteme these plesures and commodities, which laste so lyttle a while? Before they be be­gonne, they are gone and past a­waye. Howe muche of our tyme spende wee in slepyng, in eating, in drinking, and in talking? In­tancie is not perceiued: youth is shortly ouerblowen: middle age is nothyng: olde age is not long: and therfore (as I said) this lif, through the consideratiōs of the pleasures and commodities of it, shoulde little moue vs to loue it, but rather to lothe it. God open our eies to see these thinges, and to wey them accordingly.

Secondly, cōsider the miseries of this life, that if so be the plea­sures [Page] and cōmodities in it shuld moue vs to loue it: yet yt miseries This life is more to be loched for the myseries, thē loued for the plea­sures ther of. The my­series of this life concernīg the body. might counteruaile and make vs to take it as we shoulde doe: I meane, rather to desier to be losed and dis [...]ssed hence, then other­wise. Loke vpon your bodies, & se in howe many perils and daū ­gers you are. Your eyes are in daunger of blindnes and blered­nes: your eares in danger of deaf nes: your mouthe and tongue of cankers, tothache and dumnes: your head in danger of rewmes & megrims: your throte in dan­ger of horsenes: your handes in daunger of goutes & palseys. &c. But who is able to expresse the nūber of disseases, wherto mans body is in daunger, seynge that somme haue written yt more then ¶ ¶ ¶. diseases may happen vn­to [Page] man? I speake nothing of the hurte that maye come to our bo­dies by prisons, venemous bea­stes, water, fier, horses, men. &c. The mi­series of this life concernīg the soule. Bylokīg on our olde falts & tēpta­tiōs, and other mès falts we maye see what daunger we are al wais ready to fall into.

A gayne, loke vpon your soule: se howe many vyces you are in daunger of, as heresie, hypocri­idolatrye, courtouines, idlenes, securitie, enuie, ābition, pride. &c. Howe many temptations maye you fall into? But this shal you better se by lokinge on your olde falles, foily, and temptatiōs, and by loking on other mens faules: for no mā hath done any thinge so euil, but you may do the same. Moreouer, loke vpō your name, and se howe it is in daunger to sciaunders & false reportes. Loke vpon your g [...]o [...]es, se what dan­ger they are in for theues, for [...]. &c. Loke vopon your wyse, [Page] children, parents, bretherne, sy­sters, kinsfolkes, seruantes, frendes, and neighbours: and behold howe they also are in daunger, both soule, body, name, & goodes Great & weighty causes for vs to be sadde and heauy, & lyttle to ioy in the pleasures of this lyfe. as you are. Loke vpon the com­mon weale and contrey, loke vp­pon the churche, vpon the myni­sters and maiestrates, & se what great dangers they are in: so that if you loue them, you can not but for the euyll whiche may come to them, be heauy and sadde. You knowe it is not in your power nor in the power of any man, to hinder all euyll that maye come. Howe many perils is infancie in danger of? what danger is youth subiect vnto? mans state is ful of cares: age is full of diseases and sores. If thou be ryche, thy care is the greatter: if thou be in ho­nour, [Page] thy perilles are the more: if thou be pore, thou art the more in daunger to oppression. But a­las, what tongue is abie to ex­presse the myserablenes of this lyfe? the which considered, shuld make vs little to loue it.

I can compare our lyfe to no­thing An apte cōparison betwene a ship on the sea, & the lif of man: for what daungers are so great? what so like? so fytly, as to a shyp in the middes of the sea. In what dan­ger is the shippe and they that be in it? Here are they in daūger of tempest, there of quicke sandes, on this syde of pyrates, on that side of rockes, now may it leake, now may the mast breake, nowe maye the master fall sicke, nowe may diseases come amongste the maryners, nowe maye there dis­sension fall amongst them selues. I speke nothing of want of fresh water, meate, drinke, and suche [Page] other necessaries: Euen such an other thinge is this life. Here is the diuyll, there is the world, on Beholde the greate miseries & mischiefs that this life is in danger of, on euerye syde. this side is the sleshe, on that syde is synne, which. thurowly clea­ueth vnto our rybbes, and wyll do so long as we be in this flesh, and natural life: so that none but blind men can se this life to be so muche & so greatly to be desired: but rather, as the men that sayle, are most glad when they approch to the hauen, euen so should wee be most glad when we aproch to the hauen, that is death, whiche setteth vs a land: whose commo­dities 1. Cor. 2. no eye hath seene, no toung can tell, no harte can conceiue in any poynt, as it shoulde. Happy, oh happy were wee, if wee sawe these thinges accordingely: God open our eies to se them. Amens

[Page] If any man would desire testimonies of these things, although experience, a sufficient mistres, is to be credyted: yet wyll I here marke certaine places, wher vn­to the reader may resorte, & finde no lesse then I saye, but rather much more, if that with diligēce he reade & wey the places. Iob the .v. calleth this life a warfare. Iob. 5. Iob, 8. In the .vii. chapter he paynteth it out something liuely, vnder di­uerse similitudes. Saint Iames Iaco. 4. compareth it to a vapour. Al the booke of Ecclesiastes teacheth it to be but vanitie. Sainct Iohn Iohn. 8. Psal. 91. saith, it is altogether put in euill. Daniell sayth, the best thynge in this lif is but vanitie, labour and sorow. But what go I her about How short transitory and misera seinge that almeste euery leafe in the scripture is ful of the breuitie [Page] and miserie of this lyfe? So that The life of man is, the scrip­tures doe euerie where de­clare. I think as sainct Augustine doth write, that ther is no man yt hath liued soo happely in this worlde, that wold be content when death commeth, to goo backe againe by the same steppes, wherby he hath come into the worlde and lyued, except the same be in dispaire, and looke for nothinge after this lyfe but confusion.

Thus I trust you se, yt though the commodities of this life were The bre­uitie, va­nitie, and miserie of this life, shoulde cause vs little to regarde it. suche as could cause vs to loue it: yet the breuitie, vanitie, and mi­serie of it is such, as should make vs little to regarde it, which be­leeue and knowe death to be the ende of all myseries to them that are in Christ, as we all ought to take our selues to be, being bap­tised in his name (for our bap­tisme [Page] requireth this faith vnder peyne of damnation) although we haue not obserued our profes­sion as we should haue done, if so be we nowe repente, and come to amendment. To suche I say as are in Christ, death is to be desi­red, euen in respect of this, that it deliuereth vs from so miserable a lyfe, & so daungerous a state as we now be in. Do that I maye well say, they are senseles, with­out wyrte, voyde of loue to god, voide of al hatted & sense of sinne 1. Pet. 7 Apoc. 7. (wherwith this life floweth) that rather desire not to departe hense out of al these miseries, thē here still to remaine to their con­tinuall greefe.

But if these thynges wyll not moue vs, I would yet wee be­held: the commodities whervnto [Page] death bryngeth vs. If we be not moued to leaue this lif in respect of the miseries, wherof it is full: yet we should be moued to leaue The com­modities wherto death bringeth vs, shoulde make vs wylling to forsake this lyfe. it in respecte of the infinite good­nes which the other lyfe, wherto death bryngeth vs, hath moste plentifully, Men, though they loue thinges, yet for things whi­che are better, can be contente to forgoe them: euen so we now, for the good things in the lif to come (If we consider them) shall and wil be content to forgoe the most commodious thinges in this pre­sent life. Here we haue great pleasure in the bewtie of the worlde, and of the pleasures, honours, & dignities of the same: also in the company of our friendes, paren­tes, wyfe, children, subiectes: al­so in pientie of ryches, cattel. &c. [Page] and yet we knowe that neuer a one of these is without his dys­commoditie, The com­modities of this lyfe mixed with discommo­dities, lest we should loue them to muche. which god sendeth, lest we shuld loue them to much: as if you wyl weye thinges, you shal easly perceiue. The Sunne, though it be fayre & cherefull, yet it burneth sometimes to whot. The ayre, though it be light and pleasant, yet somtimes it is dark and troublous: and so of other thinges. But be it so, that there were no discommodities mingled with the commodities: yet (as before I haue saide) the breuitie and shorte time that wee haue to vse them, shoulde asswage their dulcetnes.

But if this were not also, but that the pleasures of this lif were without discommoditie, perma­nent, and without peril (wherof [Page] they be ful) yet are they nothing at all to be compared to the com­modities of the lyfe to come. What is this earth, heauen, and The pleasures of this life what they are, in cō ­parison of the plea­sure of the life to cōe. shape of the worlde, wherin bea­stes haue place, and wicked men Goddes ennemies haue abyding and lybertie, in comparison of the newe heauen and earth, wherin righteousnes shal dwell? in com­parison of that place where An­gels and archangels, and al gods people, yea God hym selfe hath his abiding and dwelling? What is the company of wife, children, &c. in comparison to the company of Abraham, Isaack, & Iacob, tste Patriarkes, Prophetes, A­postles, martyrs, confessors, vir­gins and all the sainctes of God? what is the companye of any in this world, in comparison to the [Page] company of the Angels, Archan­gels, Cherubins, Zeraphins, powers, thrones, dominations: yea of god the father, god the sonne, and god the holyghost? What are the ryches and pleasures of this lyfe, in comparison of the felicitie of euerlasting lif, which is with­out all discommodities, perpetu­all without all peryll and ieoper­die, without all griefe and mole­station? Oh the myrth and me­lody: Oh the honour, and glory: The bles­sed state of the life to come. Oh the ryches and bewtye: Oh the power and maiestie: Oh the swetenes and dignitie of the lyfe to come. The eie hath not seene, the care hath not hearde, nor the 1. Co. 2. harte of man is not able to con­ceiue in any thynge, any parte of the eternall felycitie, and happy state of heauen. Therefore the [Page] Sainctes of God haue desired so earnestly & so hartely to be there. Oh how amiable are thy taber­nacles sayth Dauid? My soule Psal. 84. hath a desire to enter into yt cour­tes of the Lord: my hart and my The vehe­ment desire and lōging of Goodes sainctes to be dissolued and to be with god. soule reioyce in the lyuinge god. Blessed are those yt dwell in thy house, that they may aiwayes be praysing thee: for one day in thy courtes is better then a thousand els where. I had rather be a dore keper in the house of my GOD, then to dwel in the tentes of vn­godlines: For the lorde god is a light and defence. And againe, as the Hart desireth the water bro­kes, so lōgeth my soule after thee Psal. 24. oh god. My soule is a thyrst for god, yea euen for the lyuing god. when shall I come to appere be­fore the presence of god? And my [Page] soule thirsteth for thee: my fleshe Psal. 63. also lōgeth after thee in a barren and drye lande, where no water is. They (gods peple I meane) desier the daye of their redempti­on, & they still crye, let thy king­dome Roma. 8. come: they crie, come lord Apoc. 22. Iesus, come: they lyft vp theyr heades, loking for his appearing whiche wyll make their vile bo­dies like to his own glorious and immortall body: For when hee Philip. 1. shal appeare they shalbe like vn­to hym. The angels wyl gather Math. 24. 1. Thes. 4. them together, & they shall mete hym in the clowdes, and be al­wayes with hym. They shall Math. 2 [...] heare this ioyfull voyce, come ye blessed of my father, possesse the kyngdome prepared for you from the begynning. Then shall they be lyke vnto his Aungels: then [Page] shall they shyne lyke the Sunne in the kyngdome: then shall they Apoc. 7. haue crounes of glory, and be en­dued with whyte garmentes of The glo­ry and fe­licitie of Gods children in the kingdom [...] of God. Death ye Hauen of eternall life. innocencie and righteousenes, & palines of victorye in their han­des. Oh happy, happy is he that may with them, se that imusrial and incorruptible inherytaunce, which thē we shal enioy for euer.

Thus you se (I hope) suffici­ently, that in respect of heauen & eternall blysse (wherunto by the hauen of death we land) this lif, though there were no euyll in it, is not to be loued: but rather we that he pilgrimes in it, should de­sier with Paule and Simton, to The mi­series and dangers we passe, and the be losed and dissolued, that wee might be with god. Here our bo­dies (as before is spoken) are in daunger of innumerable euilles [Page] but there our bodies shall be, not onely without al daunger, vutal­so be like the glorious & immor­tal Phil. 3. Mat. 13. Dan. 12. Mat. 17. body of the lord Iesus christ. Nowe our bodies be darke: then shall they be most cleere & lyght, as we se Christes face dyd shyne in his transfiguration like to the suane. Now our bodies be vile, miserable, mortall and corrupti­ble, but then shall they be glory­ous, happy, immortal and incor­ruptible. Cor. 15. Io. 3. wee shall be lyke vnto Christ our sauiour: euen as he is, so shal we be. As we haue borne the image of the earthly, so shall 1. Cor. 15 we beare the image of the heauē ­ly. Here our soules are in greate Now fo­lish & sens­les are thei which in respecte pect of so glorious a state will not gladly forsake so miserable a lyfe? dearknes and daungers of many euyls: but there they shall be in great light, safe securitie, and se­cure felicitie: we shall se god face [Page] face, where nowe wee se him but as in a glasse, thorowe a darke speaking. ‘There shal we behold him euen as he is, and be satisfied without lothsomnes of his pre­sense: yea we shalbe endued with most perfecte knowledge. where now we know but partly, there shal we know as we be knowen. Here our commodities are mea­surable, shorte, vncertaine, and mingled with many incommody­ties: but there is myrth without measure, all lybertie, al light, all ioye, reioysing, pleasure, healthe, wealthe, ryches, glorye, power, treasure, honour, triumphe, com­forte, solace, loue, vnitie, peace, concorde, wisdome, vertue, me­lody, mekenes, felicitie, beatitude, and all that euer can be wysshed or desired, and that in most secu­ritie [Page] and perpetuitie that may be conceiued or thoughte, not onely of men, but also of aungelles, as wytnesseth hee that sawe it, (I meane Paule) who was caryed 1. Cor. 2. vp into the thirde heauen: The eye hath not seene (saith hee) the tare hath not heard, neither hath entred into the harte of man, the felicitie that God hath prepared for them that loue hym. There the archangels, angels, powers, thrones, dominions, cherubins, Seraphins, Patriarkes, Pro­phetes, apostles, martyrs, Vir­gins, confessors, and ryghteous spirites cease not to singe nyghte Apo. 44. and day, Holy, Holy, Holy, lord God of hostes: honor, maiestie, glory, impery, and dominion be vnto thee, oh lord God the crea­tor: Oh Lord Iesu the redemer:’

[...]

[Page] O holy spirit the comforter. For the light of the moone shalbe as the The cla­ritie and brightnes of Gods children in his kinge­dome, a­boue the seuen told brightnes of the sū [...]. lyght of the sunne: and the lyght of the sunne shalbe seuen folde, e­uen as the lyght of seuen daies in his blessed kyngdome, where and when he wyll vinde vp the woū ­des of his people, and heale theyr plagues. Oh that we might haue some liuely sight hereof, that we might reioyce ouer the vndefyled & unmortall inheritaunce, ‘wher­vnto God hath called vs, & whi­che he doth kepe for vs in heauē: that wee might heare the sweete songe of his saued people, crying saluatiō be vnto him that sitteth on the throne of our God, & vnto the lamb: that we might▪ with ye elders and Angels, sing and say: praise and glory, and wysedome, and thankesgeuing, and honour, [Page] and power, and might, be to thee our god for euermore: that wee mighte be couered with a whyte stole, & haue a palme in our han­des, to stand befort Gods throne night and day, to serue him in his temple, and to haue him dwel in vs: that we might heare ye greate voice saying from heauen: behold Apoc. 22. the tabernacle of the lord is with men, and he wil dwel with them and they shall be his people, and God hym selfe wil be with them, their god. Oh happy were they that nowe myghte haue a little she we of that holy citie, new Ie­rusalem, descending from heauen, Apoc. 21. prepared of god as a bride decked for her husband, which he shew­ed to his seruaunt saincte Iohn. Trewely this should we se if we were with him in the spirite:’ but [Page] this can not be, so longe as wee are in the fleshe. Alas then and well away, that we loue this life Lacke of fayth is ye cause whi we do so lyttle de­sire to be out of this syn­full lyfe. as we do. It is a signe we haue lyttle faith, for els how could we but night and day desire the mes­senger of the lord (death I mean) to delyuer vs out of all miseries, that we might enter into the fruition of eternall felicitie?

But here wyll some man saye: Oh Sir, If I were cerrayn that I should depart from this mise­rable An obiec­tion procedinge of the sense of synne & reason, whiche is an aduer­sary to fayth. life, into that so great fely­citie, then coulde I be right glad and reioyce as you will mee, and byd death welcome: but I am a synner, I haue greuously trans­gressed and broken Gods wyll, and therfore I am afraide I shal be sent into eternall woe, perdi­tion, and mysery. Here my bro­ther [Page] thou doest wel that thou do­est acknowledge thy self a sinner, & to haue deserued eternal death: for doubtles, if wee say, we haue no sinne, wee are lyars, and the 1. Iohn. 1 trueth is not in vs. A chylde of a nightes birth, is not pure in god­des syghte. In sinne were wee Iob. 25. borne, and by birth or na [...]re we are the chyldren of wrath, and h­er brandes of hell. Therfore con­fesse our selues to be sinners, wee needes must. For if the lord wyl obserue any mannes iniquiries, none shall be able to abide it, yea we must nedes all cry: enter not into iudgement, O Lorde, for in Psal. [...] Psal. 141 thy syghte no fleshe, nor man ly­uing can be saued. In this point therefore thou hast done well to confesse that thou art a synner.

But now, where thou stantest [Page] in doubte of pardon of thy sinnes Thre thinges wher by the af­flicted consciēce may be assured of pardon & forgeuenes. and thereby arte afrayde of dam­natiō, my deere brother, I wold haue thee answere mee one que­stion: that is, whether thou desi­rest pardon or no: whether thou doest repent or no: whether thou doest vnfainedly purpose, if thou sholdest liue, to amende thy life or no. If thou doest euen before god so purpose, & desirest his mercy, then harken (my good brother) what the lord saith vnto thee: I am hee, I am hee, that for my Esay. 43. owne sake wyll doe away thyne offences. If thy sinnes bee as Esay. 1. redde as scarlet, they shalbe made as whyte as show, for I haue no pleasure in the death of a sinner. As surely as I lyue, I wyll not Ezech. 33 thy death, but rather yt thou shol­dest liue and be cōuerted. I haue [Page] so loued the worlde that I wold not spare my dearelye beloued Sonne, the Image of my sub­staūce, Iohn. 3. and brightnes of my glo­rye, by whome all thinges were geuen: but gaue hym for thee, not onely to be man, but also to take thy nature, and to purge it from mortalitie, sinne, and al corrupti­on, and to adorne and endewe it with immortalitie & eternal glo­ry, not onely in his owne person, but also in thee, and for the: wher of nowe by faith I woulde haue thee certein, as in very dede, thou shalte at length feele and fully enioye for euer. This my sonne I Philip. 2. haue geuen to the death, & that a muste shameful death euen of the crosse for thee, to destroye death, to satisfie my iustice for thy sins: therefore beleue, and accordinge [Page] to thy faith so be it vnto the. Harken what my sonne himselfe say­eth vnto thee: Come vnto mee al Math. 11 ye that laboure, and are laden, & I will refreshe you. I came not into the worlde to damme the Iohn. 3. world, but to saue it. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners Luke. 5. to repentance. I praie not (sayth he) for these mine Apostles only, but also for al them that by theyr Iohn. 15. preachīg, shal beleue in me. Now what prayed hee for suche? Fa­ther (saith he) I will that where I am, they may also be, that they maye see and enioye the glorye I haue and alwaies had with thee. Father saue them and kepe them in thy truth. Father (saith hee) I sanctifie my selfe, and offer vp my selfe for them.

Loe, thus thou hearest how my [Page] sonne prayeth for thee. Marke nowe what my Apostle Paule sayeth: we know (saieth he) that Heb. 5. oure Sauiour Christes prayers were hearde. Also this is a true saying that Iesus Christ came 1. Tim. 1. into the worlde to saue sinners. Harkē what he saieth to ye Iay­lor: beleue in the Lorde Iesus & Act. 16. Heb. 9. thou shalte be saued: For hee by his owne self, hath made purga­ciō for our sinnes. To him (saith Act. 8. Peter) beareth all the prophetes witnes, that whosoeuer beleueth in his name shal receiue remissiō of their sins. Beleue man, pray, Lorde helpe mine vnbelefe, lorde Mark. 6. Luke. 17. increase my fayth, aske and thon shalt haue. Harken what s. Iohn saith. If we confesse our sinnes, 1. Iohn. 1 God is righteous to forgeue vs al our iniquities, and the blood of [Page] our lord Iesus Christ shal wash vs frō our sinnes. For if we sin, we haue an aduocate (sayeth he) with the father, Iesus christ the 1. Iohn. 2 righteous, and he is the propici­ation for our sins, Harken what Christe is called: Call his name Iesus, saith the Angel, for he shal Luke. 1. saue his people from their sinnes: So that where abundance of sin Rom. 5 is, there is abundaunce of grace. Say therefore, who shal lay any thinge to my charge? It is god yt absolueth me, who then shal con­dempne Rom. 8. me? It is Christ which is dead for my sinnes, yea which is risen for my righteousenesse, & sitteth on the righte hande of the father & prayeth for me. Be cer­tayne therfore and sure of pardon of thy sinnes: be certain and sure of euerlasting life. Do not nowe [Page] say in thy hart, who shall descend into the depe? that is, dobute not of pardon of thy sinns, for that is to fetch vp Christ againe: neither Rom. 10. say thou, who shal ascende vp in to heuen? that is, doubt not of e­ternall blisse, for that is to putte Christ out of heauen. But mark what the lord saith vnto thee: the worde is nighe thee, euen in thy mouth and in thy hart, and thys is the worde of faith which wee preach: If thou confesse with thy mouth that Iesus Christ is the lord, & beleue with thy hart that God raysed him vp from ye dead, thou shalt be safe. If thou beleue that Iesus Christe died and rose againe, euen so shalt thou be assured (saith the lord god) that dieng with christ, I wil bringe thee a­gayne with him. 1. Thes. 4.

[Page] Thus deare brother, I thought good to wryte to thee in ye name of the Lorde, that thou fearinge death for nothing els but because of thy sinnes, mightest be assured of pardon of them, & so embrace death as a deare friend, & insulte against his terrour, stinge, & po­wer, sayinge: death where is thy stinge? hel where is thy victory? 1. Cor. 15. The greatest disho­nor to god is, to dout of his mercy. Nothinge in all the worlde so displeaseth the lorde as to doubte of his mercie. In the mouth of two or thre witnesses, we shoulde be content. Therefore in that thou haste hearde so many witnesses, howe that in dede, desiring mer­cye with the Lorde, thou art not sente empty a waye: geue credite thereto, and saye wyth the good Virgin Marye, beholde thy ser­uaunt (Oh Lorde) be it vnto me Luke. 1. in ye word only, wee beholde gods loue & fauoure towardes vs, & therfore wee shold geue credit to it against al our sense, reasō, and iudgmēt. [Page] according to thy word. Vpon the which word, see thou set thine eie only and wholy: For otherwise, here thou seest not god thy father but ī his worde, which is ye glasse wherin now we behold his grace and fatherly loue towards vs in Christe, & therfore herewith we should be content, and geue more credit to it then to all our lenses, & to al the world besides. Iohn. 12 The worde (saith our Sauiour) shall iudge. According to it therfore, & not according to any exteriour or interiour shew, iudge both of thy selfe & of al other things els. Concerning thy selfe: if thou desire in dede Gods mercy, and lamentest that thou hast offended, loe it pronounceth yt there is mercye with the lord for thee, & plenteous re­demption. Psal. 130 It telleth thee which ‘[Page] wouldest haue mercy at ye lordes hand, that the Lorde willeth the same, and therfore thou art happy for he woulde not thy death. It telleth thee that if thou acknow­ledge thy faultes vnto the lorde, he will couer them in his mer­cye. Againe, concerning death, it Deathe what it is by ye word of god. telleth thee that it is but a sleepe: that it is but a passinge vnto thy father: that it is but a deliuer āce out of misery: that it is but a putting of of mortality & corruption: that it is s putting on of immor­talitie & incorruption: that it is a putting a way of an earthy taber­tabernacle, 2. Cor. 5 that thou mayest re­ceiue an heauēly house or māsiō: that this is but a callinge of the home from the watching & stan­ding in the warfare of this miserable life. According to this ( [...] [Page] worde I meane) do thou iudge of death, & thou shalt not be afraide of it, but desire it as a moste hol­some medecine and a frendly mes­senger of the lordes iustice & mercy. Embrace him therfore: make hym good chere, for of al enemies he is the leaste. In ennemy quod I? nay rather of all frendes he is the beste, for he bringeth thee out of all daunger of ennemies, into ye most sure & safe place of thy vnfained frende for euer.’

Let these things be oftē thought whi death oughte to be preme­ditate and thoughte often vpō vpon. Let death be premeditated, not only because he commeth vn­certeinly (I meane for the time, for els he is most certeyne) but al so because he helpeth much to the contempt of this worlde: out of ye which, as nothinge wil go with thee, so nothinge canste thou take [Page] with thee: ‘because it helpeth to ye mortifying of the fleshe, whyche when thou fedeste, thou doest no­thinge els but feede wormes: be­cause it helpeth to the well dispo­sing & due ordering of the things thou haste in this lyfe: because it helpeth to repentaunce:’ to bringe thee vnto the knoweledge of thy selfe, that thou arte but earth and ashes, and to bring thee the more better to knowe God. But who is able to tel the cōmodities that come by the often and true consi­deration of death? whose time is therefore lefte vnto vs vncertein and vnknowen (although to god Iob. 14. it be certein, and the bounds ther of not only knowne, but appoin­ted of the Lorde, ouer the whych none can passe) because we should ‘[Page] not prolonge and put of from day to day ye amendement of our life, as dyd the riche man, vnder hope Luke. 12. of longe life. And seinge it is the ordinance of god, & commeth not but by the will of god, euen vnto a sparrow, much more then vnto vs, which are incōparably much more deare thē many sparowes: and in that this wil of god is not only iuste but also good (for he is our Father) let vs, if there were nothing els but this, submit our selues, our senses, & iudgements vnto the pleasure of him, beynge content to come out of the roume of our souldership, whensoeuer he shal send for vs by his purseuant death.’ Let vs render vnto him, that whiche he hathe lente vs so longe (I meane life) leaste we be [...]ounted vnthankful. And in that [Page] death commeth not but by sinne, in that wee haue sinned so often and yet the Lorde hathe ceassed from exacting this tribute & pu­nishment of vs vntil this presēt: let vs with thankefulnes prayse hys pacience, and pay our det, not doubting but that he being our father & our almighty father, can & will, if deathe were euil vnto vs (as god knowech it is a chiefe benefite vnto vs by Chryst) cōuert & turne it into good. But deathe being (as before I haue shewed) not to be dred, but to bee desired: let vs lift vp our heades in thin­king Luke. 11. on it, and know that our redemption draweth nigh. Let our The .iiij. last Arty­cles of the fayth oftē to be me­ditate and thoughte vpon. mindes be occupied in the consy­deration, or often coutemplation of the four last articles of our be­liefe: yt is the cōmuniō of saincts, [Page] or the holy catholike Church: re­mission of sinnes: resurrection of the fleash: & the life euerlasting.

By faith in Christ, be it neuer so saint, little or cold, we are mē ­bers in very dede of the catholike & holy church of Christe: that is, we haue cōmunion or feloweship with al the saints of God that e­uer were, bee, or shalbe. Wherby we may receaue great comforte: For though our faith be feble, yet the Churches faith (wherof our Sauiour Christ is the heade) is mighty enough: though our repē tance be littel, yet the repentance of ye churche, wherwith we haue communion, is sufficient: though our loue be languishinge, yet the loue of the church & of the spouse of the church, is ardent: and so of al other thinges we wante. Not [Page] that I meane this as though a­ny man shold think that our faith shoulde be in any or vpon any o­ther, then only vpon god the Fa­ther, the sonne, & the holy ghostener ther that any shonide thinke I meane therby any other merits or meane to saluation, then onely the merites and name of the lord Iesus: but that I would the pore christian conscience, which by baptisme is broght into gods church and made a member of the same thorow faith, shoulde not for hys sinnes sake, or for the want of a­nye No synne or wante of anye thynge, what so e­uer it bee, shoulde cause vs to dispaire of Gods finall fa­uour and mercy. thinge he hath not, dispaire: but rather should knowe that he is a member of Chrisses church & mistical body, & therefore cannot but haue communion and felow­ship of both that is of Christ himselfe being the lord, husband, and [Page] heade thereof, and of all that euer hath ben, bee, or shalbe mēbers of it, in al the good things that euer they haue had, haue, or shal haue. Stil doth the church pray for vs by Christes cōmaundement: for­geue vs our sinnes, leade vs not into temptation, deliuer vs from euil: yea Christ himself doth pray for vs, being members of vys bo­die (as we vs in deede) if that we beleue, though it be neuer so litel. God graūt this faith vnto vs al, and increase it in vs. Amen. Out of this church no Pope nor pre­late can caste vs, or excōmunicate vs in dede, although exteriourly they segregate vs frō the societie of gods sainctes. But enough of this.

As I woulde haue vs often to muse vpon the catholike Church [Page] or cōmuniū of saints) wherof we That we are par­takers of this com­munion & felowship wee maye not doubt beinge re­ceued ther vnto by baptysme. may not doubte, in what state so euer we be, vnder payne of dam­natiō, being baptised in the name of the father, the sonne, and the holy Ghost:) so woulde I haue vs to meditate vpon the other arty­cles folowing: that is, remissiō of sinnes: resurrection of the fleash: & life euerlasting. It is an article of our faithe to beleue: that is, to be certayne, yt our sinnes are par­doned: therfore doubt not therof, leste thou become an Infideil. Though thou haue sinned neuer None so greate or grenous a sinner but there is mercy for him wyth the Lord. so sore, yet nowe despaire not, but be certayne that god is thy God: that is, that he forgeueth thee thy sinne. Therfore (as I said) dout not thereof, for in so doinge thou puttest a sallet on the heade of thy soule, that the dew of gods grace [Page] can not in dede droppe into it, but Cantic. 5 slippe by as faste as it droppeth. Therefore without that sallet or soule nightecap bee bareheaded: that is, hope still in the mercy of the Lorde, and so mercye shall compasse thee on euery side.

In like manner, the article of the resurreiction of the flesh, haue often in thy minde, beinge assu­red by this, that thy carcase and body shalbe raysed vp againe in the last day when the Lord shall come to iudgement, and shalbe made incorruptable, immortall, glorious, spiritual, perfect, light, and euen lyke to the gloryous body of our Sauiour Iesu christ: for hee is the firste fruytes of [...] Philip. 3 dead, and as god is all in all, so shal he be vnto thee in Christe. Loke therfore vppon thine owne [Page] estate: for as he is so shalt thou be. As thou hast borne ye image of the earthly Adam, so shalte thou 1. Cor. 15 beare the Image of the heauenly: therfore glorifie thou nowe god, both in soule and body. Wayt and loke for this day of the lord with groning and sighing. Gather to­gether testimonies of this which I do omitte for times sake.

Laste of all, haue often in thy minde, life euerlasting, wherunto thou art euen landinge. Death is the hauen that caryeth thee vnto this lande: where is all that can bee wished, yea aboue all wishes and desires: for in it wee shall see god face to face, which thing now Exod. 34 we can in no wise doe, but muste couer our faces wyth Boyses & Heltas, tyll the face or foreparts of ye lorde be gone by. Now must [Page] we loke on his backe partes, be­holding him in his worde, and in his creatures, & in the face of Ie­sus Christe our mediatoure: but then we shal se him face to face, & 1. Cor. 13 we shall knowe, as we are kno­wen. Therfore let vs often think on these thinges, yt we may haue fayth, lustely and cherefully to arriue at the happy hauen of death, which you se is to be desired, and not to bee dread, to all those that are in Christ, that is, to suche as to beleue in deede: which are dis­cerned from those that onely saye they do beleue, by dyeng tēporal­ly, that is by labouring to morti­fy Roma. 6. thorow gods spirite, the affections of the flesh: not yt they should not be in thē, but that they should not raigne in thē, that is in theyr mortal bodies, to geue euer them [Page] selues to serue sinne: whose ser­uaunts we are not, but are made sernauntes vnto righteousnesse, being nowe vnder grace and not vnder the lawe, and therfore hath god mercifully pro­mised that sinne shal not raigne in vs:

The whych he continu­ally graunte for his truth, power, & mercies sake

Amen.

A meditation

A Meditatiō cōcerning ye king­dome of Christ, & that it is no corporall thing, as the Iewes & Anababtistes do faine: to whō ye Papistes (in maner) assent, ma­kinge the church so glorious and gay a dame, far vnlike to be chri­stes Spouse: who was here on earth in no such felicitie & world­ly glory, as their church is. They make more of the good wise then of the good men, and therefore set forth to vs a strumpet for Chri­stes spouse.

OPen mine eies deare lord, to see thy kyngdome, for it is spirituall, and of carnall eies simply cannot be considered, & therfore lesse ought we to mar­uell to see it contempned, and the children therof persecuted: ye most [Page] part of men, and specially ye great men of the world being carnall & not spirituall, althoughe by title manye bee called so. Geue me thy light to see, that thy kingdōe (O christ) is thy sitting on the right hande of thy father & ours, & thy interpellation and mediation for vs, & also thy geuing of pardon & forgeuenes of sinnes, & the holye sprite to thy church, that is, such as beleue in thee and cal vpō god the father throughe confidence in thee: & hereto, thy sanctifyinge of of them, that thou maist raise thē vp in ye laste daye, to life & glory euerlasting. Graūt me to know, yt for the atteining of al these bene fits (which be the liberties & pri­uilegies of thy kingedome) thou haste ordeined ye ministery of thy gospel & sacramentes, thereby to [Page] cal & bringe men to ye knowledge of thy father & thee, which is eternal life. Graunt yt I may feele in my self liuely & cōfortably ye efficacy and vertue of thy holy ghoste, which is effectual by ye ministery & word. And lest afflictiōs shuld dismay me, & ye cōpany of euil mē mingled wt the godly, ouerthrow me or offend me: graunt yt I may not only know how yt thy church & the true chyldren therof shal in this world vntil ye last day, suffer persecution, & that gotes will be amongest the shepe, vntil the day of iudgement: but also yt I maye in affliction reioyce and glorifye thy holy name, being preserued alwaies frō ye councel of the vngod­ly, from the way of the wicked, & from the seate of the scorneful: to delite in thy lawe night and day, [Page] to be made spiritual & to haue the benefite of thy kingdome & priest hode, which be both spiritual, pre­seruing thy people from ye tiranny of sinne & Sathan, althoughe in this life y• permit their enemies to vexe thē, to thy further glory & their encrease in repentaunce and & godlines: which geue vnto mee and encrease in mee for thy holye names sake.

Amen.

¶ Scriptures prouing Christes kingdome to be spiritual.

My kingdome is not of this worlde. Thou hast geuen Iohn. 18. him power ouer all flesh, that how many soeuer thou haste geuē vnto him, he might geue to Iohn. 17 ye same euerlastinge life. What is it? any worldly policy? no: there­fore it foloweth: & this is euerla­stinge [Page] life, yt they may know thee Rom. 8. Esay. 12. to be the only true God, & whom thou diddest sende Iesus Christ, which sitteth on the right hande of god & prayeth for vs. The rote Esay. 11. of Iesse shal stande vp and ye gen­tils shal make their praiers vnto him. &c. By these two sentences we may see Christes kingdome & priesthode to be spirituall, and no polytike regimente. He prayeth for vs to his father, and so rayg­neth that he will be called vpon, wyll heare vs, satisfie vs, & keepe vs with his holy spirite, as gods children: for they are ledde by the spirite of God: in their hartes he will write his law &c. which be­nefits let vs loke for, & no corpo­ral kingdome. We are fellow hei­res with Christe. If so be we do suffer with him, we shalbe glori­fied [Page] with hym. We are saued by hope. For thy sake we are kylled al the day longe. In this worlde Psal. 44. you shal haue affliction. Al yt wil liue godly in christ must suffer per Iohn. 16. 2. Tim. 3 secution. And many places there be, which teach vs ye the glory of Christes kingdome is no world­ly dominion or power, but a spiritual thing, that we should be re­suscitated & haue a new & an eternal life, righteousnes & glory, euē such as Christ hath. Besids this Paule telleth yt Antechrist shall 2. Thes. 2 beare rule in the Churche, vntill Christ come to iudgement: then shal he destroy his kingdōe. So yt the true church of Christe shall not haue worldely dominion and kingedome, but rather be persecuted, & especially towardes thence of the worlde, as Peter telleth, yt [Page] as there was before Christes cō ­ming 1. Peter 2 in ye church, false prophets, & the regiment was with the aduersaries whiche beare the name of ye church, vnder the whch they destroyed ye church: so shal it be in the church after Christes tyme. There wilbe (saith he) many false teachers which wil deceane not a fewe or the fewer parte, but ma­ny & the greater part, as now the Papistes haue doone almoste all Christendom. Againe he sayth yt there will come mockers, whych wyl make a mocke of religion, so that the church cannot but be persecuted. Daniel plainly sheweth 1. Dan. 7 yt the beastes, that is the empires of ye world: shalbe cast into ye fire, when Christ shal come to iudge­mēt: so yt some wicked Empires shal continue vntil the laste day. [Page] The true Church of Christe is carefull for inwarde beauty, as it is writtē of the kings daughter: wheras the papistical church no­thinge Psal. 45. passeth therof, but altoge­ther careth for externall geare.

So sayth our Papistes in Eng­land: Come to the church & do as other men do outwardly, & kept your conscience to your selues.

¶ Scryptures prouinge that in Christes Church vppon earth there shalbe good and bad mingled vntil the day of iudgemēt.

AS it was in the dayes of Lot, so shal it be in the cō ­ming &c. In ye night there Luke. 17 Math. 13 shalbe two in one bed, one shalbe taken &c. Let them (the tares a­mongest the Corne he meaneth) [Page] grow together vntil the haruest. The Harueste is the ende of the world: then the sonne of man shal sende forth his angels, & they shal gather all offence geuers oute of his kingedome, and those whiche worke wickednes. So shal it go in the ende of the world: the An­gels shall goe forthe, and seperate the euil from the righteous, & cast them into the fornace of fier. By these sentences we may see ye Hy­pocrites shall be mingled wt the godly vntil the day of iudgement.

Whereas the Anabaptistes doe cite the Prophets, who speaking of Christes kingedome, vse often figures and similitudes of world­ly Empires, that by temporall & visible thinges we may arise to a depe consideration of spirituall & eternall thinges in christes king [Page] dome, let vs learne so to doe: and agayne lette vs knowe, that the Ghospell is the exposition of the Prophetes, and therefore those corporal metaphors in the Pro­phetes, paynting forth the king­dome of Christ, must be interpreted accordynge to the Ghospell, which teacheth clerely Chrystes kingdome to bee a spirituall and no temporal thynge, as before is shewed. Esay. 53.

Moreouer the Prophets euen them selues doe playnely shewe Christes kingdome to be a spyri­tuall thinge. Do the not Daniell Daniel. 9 saye that Christe shall be kylled? And Esaye also, doth not he saye that Christe shall geue hys lyfe for sinne? So that we may see no affirmation of corporal dominion here on earthe in thys lyfe. Be­sides [Page] this, the Prophetes doe af­firme also Christes kingdome to be eternall, and therefore cannot be temporall. Figures and Me­taphors can bee no otherwise thē Allegorically vnderstanded. I nede not to tel howe that the prophetes vse to speake of Chrystes kingdome, that they doe not dys­cerne the times of this life and of the life to come, because Christes eternall kyngedome is begonne in spirite and fayth in thys lyfe, and afterwarde endureth for e­uer. Howe be it some tymes, and often they do otherwyse, & plain­ly shewe that Chrystes kynge­dome and Church shal suffer persecution in thys life, as in the. 2. Psal. and Psal. 115. precious in the sight of the Lorde is the death of his saintes. And Psalme. 72. [Page] Esay. 30. Daniel. 12.

¶ That there is an euerlastynge life, where it is, & what knowledge and vnderstanding ther­of may be had in thys life.

THat there is an euerlastyng lyfe, none will deny but such as wyl deny God. For if he be true and iuste (or els he is not God) then can there not bee but an eternal life. That he hath both spoken it &. promysed it in Math 25. 1. Cor. 15. Hebre. 4. 11. 13. 1. Peter. 1. it apereth, & els wher in very many places. So that to deny an euerlasting life, is to de­ny God, to deny Christe, and all that euer he did: also to denye all pitie and religion: to condempne of folyshnes all good men, Mar­tyrs, [Page] Confessors, Euangelistes, Prophets, Patriarkes. Sūina, the deniall of eternall lyfe is no­thing els, but a denyal of the im­mortality of the Soule, and so a playne makyng of man nothyng better then beastes. If it be so, let vs then eate and drynke, for to 1. Cor. 16 morowe we shal die. Lorde deli­uer vs from this Sadduceal and Epicureal impietie, & graunt vs for thy mercies sake (deare God) that we may be assuredly perswaded that there is in dede an eter­nall life & blysse with thee for thē that putte their truste in thee: a­mongest whom accompte me for thy mercies sake.

Agayne, thys eternall life, Where this eter­nal life is and the place appointed for them that bee thy seruantes, all men doe graunt to bee with thee. [Page] Not, because thou arte euerye where, they doe therefore thynke so of eternall lyfe that it is euery where. For they by thy word do knowe, that in as muche as no 1 Iohn. 4 man can see thee and lyue, this e­ternall life and thy blessed presēce is moste pleasaunte and hadde in fruition after in an other world, wherunto by corporal death they doe depart, and are translated to a place aboue them, where thou dwelleste in a lyghte where vnto no man can approch. Abra­hams 1. Tim. 6 wsome (they reade) was aboue, as the place for the wicked was alowe and beneath. Helias was caught vp into heauen: and thy sone our deare sauiour praied, that wher he is, those also might be which thou haddest geuē him, and might see his glory. Nowe [Page] hee (deare father) we learne by thy spirite, was asceuded and ta­ken vp in his very body into heauen, whether Steueu loked vppe and sawe thy Christ standing on thy right hand, to whom he prai­ed: Oh Lorde Iesu receaue my Act. 8. 7 Spirite. Graunte I beseche thee gracious God and father, that I maye haue a cleane harte more & more to see thee, and so in spirite to see and loke vppon often thys place: whether brynge me at the length in body also, I hūbly pray thee.

Now, what a thing this euer­lasting What maner of thing this euerlastīg life is. lyfe is, no man is hable to conceaue, much lesse hable to vt­ter: For the peace of God whych is eternal life, passeth all vnder­standing. The eie hath not seene, the eare hath not hearde, neyther [Page] can mans hart cōceaue those thin ges, which thou (deare god) haste 1. Cor. 2. prepared for them that loue thee. whatsoeuer therefore can be spo­kē or imagined of thy kingdome, of the clerenes, ioye, and felicitye of the same, is nothinge in comparison: as we may see by thy Pro­phets, which (because they could not otherwyse) vnder corporall things haue shadowed the same. So that the confidence of eternal lyfe, what a thing it is, can in no wise be tolde. Howe ve it, some­what we maye be broughte into some sighte of it by earthly thin­ges, to thynke on thys sorte: If God haue geuen here so manye thinges in a straunge place, how many are the great good thinges that be at home? if in a prison are so many mercies, how many are [Page] they in the palace? If the wicked haue so many benefites, what is ye store prepared for thy seruāts, Oh Lorde? if thy children fynde such comforts in ye daye of teares and mourninge, what shall they fynde in the daye of the mariage? If wyth beastes men being haue ye vse of so innumerable blessings, oh howe many are the blessinges which they shal enioye wyth thy Angelles, and with thee thy selfe (O deare God) when they shall see thee, and haue the fruition of thee, in whom is fulnes without lothing of all good and faire thinges: so that nothinge can be more desited, and that for euermore?

This thy Chyldren doe not so see, as they nowe beleue it: I say that euē in their bodies they shal see it for euer, as Iob said: They Iob. 19. [Page] beleue that they shal see thee and their owne eies behold thee, whē these our corporall eyes, our bo­dyes being reysed, shall doe theyr duties. Suche a knowledge of thee they beleue to haue, as shal not be onely intellectuall and by faith, as nowe it is: but euen a ful sight and fruition, yea a coniunc­tiō & felowship with thee. Now they see but in a glasse, euen in a 1. Cor. 13 dark speaking: but then they shal see face to face. For fayth though it be the substaunce of thinges hoped for, and a certaine dark sight Heb. 11 of thee: yet it may not be cōpared to the rewarde of fayth, and glo­rious sighte which we shal see in the lyfe to come, when fayth and hope shal cease, Now thy childrē 1. Iohn. 3 knowe that they bee thy sonnes, thoughe it yet appeare not what [Page] they shal be, we know (say they) that when our Christe God and man shal apeare, then shal we be like vnto him, for we shal see him euen as he is. Oh great preroga­tiue to see Christ as he is: which is not to bee considered so muche for the manhod, as for the God­heade it selfe: as Paule doth also write, that when all thinges are subiect vnto the sonne, then shall 1. Cor. 19 he be subiect vnto thee (deare fa­ther) allo, that God may bee all in all. And therfore Christe oure Sauiour prayed for vs, that we myght knowe thee the only true God. Not that our Chryste thy Sonne, is not with thee the true coequal and substancial God: but that we might know howe that after the iudgement, suche a my­sterie of hys mediatorship shall [Page] not bee in heauen as is nowe in earth. Thē thou blessed trinitie, God the father, God the sonne, & God the holy ghost, shalt be al in all: thou shalte be the ende of our desires: thou shalt be loked vpon without ende: thou shalt bee lo­ued without lothing: thou shalte be praysed without werines. Al­thoughe lothsomnes be wonte to followe fulnes, yet our fulnes in the contemplaciō of thy pleasurs, shal bring with it no kinde at all of lothsomnes. Sacietie of ioyes Psal. 16. shall be in the beholdinge of thee: pleasures are in thy righte hande for euer: we shalbe satisfyed whē wee aryse after thyne Image, I Psal. 17. meane, in the resurrection. Oh deare Father, shewe thy selfe vn to vs and we aske no more. Oh graunt vs with thy Sainctes in [Page] euerlastinge lyfe, to prayse wyth perpetual praises, thy holi name. Happy then and happye agayne were we, if that day were come, that we myghte singe wyth thy Aungels, elders, and innumera­ble thousands, a newe songe and say: thou christ Iesu which waste Apoca. 5. slayne, art worthy to receaue po­wer, and ryches, and wysedome, and strengthe, and honoure, and glory, & blessing. In this blessed life al kind of maladyes, griefes, sorrowes and euilles bee farre away, and all full of all kinde of mirthe, ioye, and pleasure. Oh that we mighte see nowe a lyttle with S. Iohn that holye Cytie newe Ierusalem discending from heauen, prepared of GOD as a bryde trunmed for her husbande. Oh that we mighte nowe some­thing [Page] heare the greate voice speakynge out of the throne: beholde the tabernacle of GOD is with men, & he will dwell with them, Apoc. 21 and they shalbe his people, and he shall be vnto them their God: he wyll wype awaye all teares from theyr eyes, and death shall be no more, nor wepinge nor crying, nor sorrowe, for the former thinges are gone.

¶ A Meditacion of the blessed state and felicitie of the lyfe to come.

THis body is but a prison wherein ye soule is kepte, and that verely not beautifull & bright, but darke and most dirtie, disquiet & fusty, fraile, and filled vp with muche vermine and venemous vipers (I meane it cōcerning our affac­cions) standing in an ayre moste vnholsome, & prospect most loth­some, if a man consyder the ex­crements of it by the eyes, nose, mouth, eares, hands, feete and al the other partis. So that no bo­cardo, no little ease, no dungeon, no bishops prison, no gate house, [Page] no sinke, no pit maye be compa­red in any poynte, to be so euill a pryson for the body, as the body is for and of the soule. whereby the chyldren of God haue bene occasioned to crie, and lament their longe being in it. Oh sayth Dauid, how longe shall I lye in this prison? Oh wretch that I am, sayth Paule, who shal dely­uer me out of this body of sinne? Rom. 7. which is an heauy burthen vnto ye soule, as ye wise mā saith. And therfore the godly crye, nowe let thy seruant depart in peace: Oh Luke. 2. that I were dissolued & had put of this earthly and fraile taber­cle: Take me vnto thee, and bringe my soule out of this pri­son, Psal 142 that it may geue thankes vnto thee, O Lord. For so long [Page] as we be in this body, we cānot see the Lorde: yea it is an heauy habitation, and depresseth down sore the spirite from the familia­ritie, which it els shoulde haue with God.

This world and life is an exile, a vale of miserye, a wildernes, of it selfe being voyde of all vertues and necessaries for eternal life, & ful of enemies, sorows, sighings, sobbinges, groninges, miseryes, &c. In daunger to hunger, colde, heate, thirst, sores, sicknes, temptations, troubles, death, and in­numerable calamities: being momentanie, short, vnstable, and nothing but vayne, and therfore is cōpared to a warfare, a womās trauaile, a shadow, a smoke, a vapor, a worde, a storme, a tempest, [Page] in the whych Gods people feele greate molestations, grefes, and troubles, nowe of Sathan hym­selfe, nowe of the world, nowe of their owne fleshe, & that so won­derfully, diuersly, daungerously, and contrarily, that they are en­forced to cry: Oh Lord whē shal we come and appere before thee? Whē shal this misery ende? whē shall we be deliuered out of thys vale of misery? out of this wyl­dernes? out of this continual af­fliction and most perilous seas?

But where thou art (Oh lord and deare father of mercy) there is not only no prison, no dolors, no sorow, no sighings, no teares, no sicknes, no hunger, no heate, no colde, no payne, no temptati­ons, no displeasure, no malice, no pride, no vncleanes, no contenti­on, [Page] no tormentes, no horror, no sinne, no filth, stink, dearth, death no weping, teares, misery, mys­chiefe: There is (I say) not only no such thynge or any euill, noy­some, or displesaunt thyng: but al libertie, all light, all plesantnes, al ioy, reioycing, mirth, pleasure, pastime, health, wealth, ryches, glory, power, treasure, honor, triumphh, comfort, solace, loue, vnitie, peace, concord, wisedome, vertue, melodye, mekenes, felicitie, beatitude, and all that euer can be wished or desired, in moste secu­ritie, eternitie, and perpetuitie yt may be thought, not only of mā, but of Angels and Archangels, yea aboue all thoughts. The eye 1. Cor. 2. hath not seene the lyke, the eare hath not heard it, nor no hart is able to conceyue in any poynt, a­ny [Page] part of the blisseful beatitude, which is wyth thee moste deare God and father, most deare lorde and sauiour, most gracious good God and comforter, where thou art (O blessed God) The Archā gels, Angels, thrones, powers, Dominations, Cherubi [...]s, Ce­raphins, Patriarkes, prophets, apostles, martyrs, virgins, con­fessors, and ryghteous spirites, Apoca. 4 cease not to singe nighte and day holye, holye, holye, Lorde God of Hostes: honour, maiestye, glory, power, empire and dominion be vnto thee, Oh God the creator, Oh Lord Iesu the redeiner, Oh Apoca. 5. holy spirite the comforter.

In recordation of this, oh how thy Children reioyce: howe con­temne they the pleasures of thys worlde? howe little esteme they [Page] anye corporall griefe or shame? how desire they to be with thee? Howe amiable are thy taberna­cles, Oh Lorde God of Hostes, Psal. 84. (say they:) my soule hath a desire to enter into the Courtes of the Lorde: my hart and my soule re­ioyceth in the liuing God: blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they yt may alwayes be praysing thee. For one day in thy courtes is beter thē a thousād els wher. I had rather bee a bore keper in the house of my God, then to dwell in the tentes of vngonly­nes: for the Lord God is a lyght and defence. And againe, lyke as Psal. 24. ye harte desireth ye water brokes, so longeth my soule after thee, oh god: my soule is a thirst for god, yea euen for the liuing god. Whē shal I come to appeare before the Psal. 13. [Page] prsence of god? My soule thirs­teth for thee, my flesh also lōgeth after thee in a barren & dry land, where no water is. They (thy chyldren I meane O lord) desire the day of that their redemptiō: they still crie, let thy kingedome Roma. 8. come: they cry, come lord Iesus: they lift vp their heads, lokynge Apoc. 22. for thy apearing (oh lord) which wil make their vile body lyke to Philip. 3. thine own glorious and immor­tall body: for when thou shalt appeare, they shalbe like vnto thee. Math 14 Thy Angelles wil gather them together, & they shall meete thee in the cloudes, and be alwayes with thee. They shal heare thys Math 25 ioyfull voyce: Come ye blessed of my father, possesse the kingdome prepared for you, from the begin Math. 12 ning. Then shall they be like to [Page] thy Aungels. Then shal they be Math. 13 like vnto the Sunne in thy king dome. Thē shal they haue crow­nes of glory, & be endewed with white garments of innocencie & Apoc. 7. righteousenes, with palmes of victory in their han­des. Oh happy is he that may but see that immor­tall and incorruptible inheritaūce, which they shal enioy for euermore.

Amen.

¶ A short introduction to the vnderstanding of the Scriptures, conteininge the summe of all the Diui­tie necessarie for a Christian con­science.

By Iohn Bradford.

A Man that is rege­nerate and borne of God (the whiche thinge yt euery one of vs do beeleue, oure baptisme the Sacramēt of regeneration doth require vnder paine of dampna­tion, and therfore let euery one of vs with the virgin Mary say, be it vnto me O Lorde according to [Page] thy worde, accordinge to thy sa­cramēt of baptisme, wherin thou hast declared our adoption: and let vs lament the dowting here­of in vs, striuing against it as we shalbe made able of the Lorde) a man I say, that is regenerate, cō sisteth of two mē (as a man maie saie) namely of the olde man and of the newe man. The olde man is like to a mightie Giant, such a one as was Goliath, for his birth is now perfecte. But the newe man is like vnto a little chylde, suche a one as was Dauide, for his birth is not yet perfecte vn­till the day of his generall resur­rection.

The olde man therefore is more stronger, iusty, and stirring, then is the new man, because the birth of the newe man is but begonne [Page] now, and the olde man is perfectly borne. And as the olde man is more stirringe, lustye, & stronger thē ye new man: so is ye nature of him cleane cōtrary to ye nature of ye new mā, as being earthly & corrupt wt Satans sede, ye nature of ye new mā beīg heauēly & blessed with the celestial seed of god. So that one man, in as much as he is corrupt with the seede of the ser­pente, is an olde man: and in as muche as hee is blessed with the seede of God from aboue, he is a new mā. And as, in as much as he is an old man, he is a sinner & an enemy to god: so in as much as he is regenerate, he is righte­ous, and helpe, and a frende to God, the seede of God preseruīg him from sinne, so that he cannot sinne, as the seede of the serpente, [Page] wherwith he is corrupt euen frō his cōception, inclineth him, yea enforceth him to sinne & nothing els but to sinne. Soo that the best part in man before regeneration, in Gods sight, is not onely an enemie, but enmitie it selfe.

One man therfore wich is rege­nerate, well may bee called al­waies iust, and alwaies sinfull: iust in respect of Gods seed, and his regeneration: sinfull in res­pect of Satans seed & his firste birth. Betwixt these two men therfore, there is continuall con­flicte & warre most deadly. The flesh and olde man by reason of his birth that is perfect, doth of­ten for a time, preuaile againste ye new man (being but as a child in comparison) and that in suche sorte, as not onely other, but euē ‘[Page] the children of God themselues thinke that they bee nothing els but olde, and that the sprit & seed of God is lost and gone away, Psal. 77 wher yet notwithstandinge the the truth is otherwise, the spirit and the seede of god at the length appearing againe, and dispelling away the cloudes, which couer the sonne of gods seed from shi­ninge, as the cloudes in the ayer do ye corporal sonne: so that some times a man cannot tell by anye sense, that there is any sonne, the cloudes and windes so hiding it frō our siht: Euen so our cecitie or blindnes and corrupte affecti­ons ☞ doe oftē shadow the sight of Gods seed in Gods children, as though they were plaine repro­bates, wherof it commeth, that they praying accordinge to their [Page] sense, but not accordinge to the truth, desire of god to geue them againe his spirit, as though they had lost it & he had takē it away. Which thing God neuer doth in deede, althoughe he make vs to thinke so for a time: for alwayes he holdeth hys hande vnder hys childrē in their faules, that they lie not stil as other do which are not regenerate. And this is the difference betwixte Gods Chil­dren which are regenerate, and elect before all times in Christ, & the wicked cast awayes, that the elect lie not still continually in their sinne as do the wicked, but at the length do returne againe by reason of gods seed, which is in them hid as a sparkle of fier in the asshes:’ as we may see in Peter, Dauid, Paule, Marye Magdalin

[Page] and others.

For these (I meane Gods Children) God hath made all things in Christ Iesu: to whom he hath geuen this dignity, yt they should bee his inheritance & spouses.

This our inheretour Christ Iesus, GOD with God, light of light, coeternal and consubstan­ciall with the father and with the holy Gost, to the end that he might become oure husband (be­cause the husband and the wyfe must be one body and flesh) hath taken our nature vppon hym, communicating with it and by it in his owne person, to vs all his children, his diuine maiestie, as Peter saith, and so is become 2. Pet. 1. flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bones substancially: as we are become flesh of his flesh and [Page] bone of his bones spiritually, all that euer we haue pertaining to him yea euen our sins: as al that euer he hath, perteineth vnto vs, euen his whole glory. So that if Satan should sōmon vs to aun­swere for our dettes or sinnes, in that the wife is no sutable person but the husband, wee may well byd him enter his action against our husband Christ, and he wyll make him a sufficient answere.

For this end (I meane that we might bee coupled & maried thus to Christ, and so be certein of saluatiō & at godly peace with god in our consciences) god hath ge­geuen his holy word, which hath two partes (as now the children of God do consiste of two men) one part of gods word beīg pro­per to ye old man, & the other part [Page] of Gods word beinge proper to the new man. The part properly perteining to the old man is the law: the part properly perteining to the new man is the gospell.

The law is a doctrine which cō maundeth & forbiddeth, requi­ring doing and auoiding. Vnder it therfore are cōteined al preceptes, threatnings, promises vpon condicions of our doing & auoy­ding &c. The Gospell is a doc­trine which alwaies offreth and giueth, requiring on our behalfe, not as of worthines or as a cause but as a cerificat vnto vs, & therfore vnder it is conteined al the free and swete promises of god: as I am the lord thy god &c.

In those that be of yeres of discretiō, it requireth faith, not as a cause, but as an instrumēt wherby ‘[Page] we our selues may be certeine of our good husband Christ, and of his glorye: and therfore when the conscience feleth it selfe dys­quieted for feare of Gods iudge­ment ☞ agaynst sinne, she maye in no wise loke vppon the doctryne perteyninge to the olde man, but to the doctrine only that pertey­neth to the newe man, in it not loking for that which it requireth, yt is Faith, because we neuer be­leue as we should: but only on it which it offreth, which it geueth yt is, on gods grace & eternal mercy and peace in Christ. So shall she bee in quiet, when she loketh for it altogether out of her self in Gods mercy in Christe Iesu: in whose lappe if she laye her heade with saiut Iohn, then is she happy and shal find quietnes in deed.’ [Page] when she feleth her selfe quyete, then in Gods name let her looke on the lawe & vpon such thinges as it requireth, therby to brydel and kepe downe the olde Adam, to slay that Goliath, from whom she must nedes keepe the sweete promises, being the bed wherein her spouse and she mete and lie together, as the wife will kepe her bed only for her husbād, although in other thinges she is contented to haue fellowship with others, as to speake, sitte, eat, drinke, go, &c. So our cōsciences, which are Christs wiues, must nedes kepe the bed, that is, Gods swete promisses, alonly for our selues and our husbande, there to meete to­gether, to embrace and laugh to­gether, and to be ioyful together. If sinne, the lawe, the deuyll, or [Page] any thinge would crepe into the bed and lie there, then complaine to thy husband Christ, and forth wyth thou sahlte see hym playe Phinees parte. Thus my dearly beloued, I haue geuen you in fewe wordes a summe of all the Diuinitie which a christian conscience can not want.

¶ A Prayer, whiche Ihon Bradford sayd a lit­tle before his death in Smithfelde

MErcifull God and Father, to whom our sauiour christ Math. 26 approched in hys feare and nede, by reason of death, & founde comforte: gracious God & most bounteous Christe, on whō Stephen called in hys extreame Actes. 7. neede, & receiued strength: moste beninge holy spirite, which in the middest of all crosses & death, did­dest comfort the apostle s. Paule, 2. Cor. 1. with more consolations in christ, then he felt sorrowes & terrours in the worlde: haue mercy vppon me a most miserable, vile & wret­ched [Page] sinner, which nowe drawe nere the gates of death deserued both in soule & body eternally, by reson of my manifold horrible, old & newe transgressions, which to thine eyes (O lorde god) are opē and kuowen. Oh be merciful vn­to me, and forgeue me for the bit­ter death and bloud sheddinge of thine onely sonne Iesus Christe. And thoughe thy Iustice do re­quire in respect of my sinns, that nowe thou sholdest not heare me, contemning thy dayly callinges: yet let thy mercy, which is aboue all thy works, and wherwith the earthe is filled, let thy mercy (I say) preuayle towardes me, tho­row the merites & mediation of christ our sauiour, for whose sake it pleaseth thee to bringe me forth now, as one of his witnesses, & [Page] a record bearer of thy verity and trueth taught by him, to geue my life therfore. To which dignity I do acknowledge (deare god) that there was neuer anye so vnwor­thy and vnmeete, no not the thefe that hāged with him on ye crosse. I humbly therfore pray thee that thou wouldest accordingly, ayde, helpe, & assist me with the strēgth and heauenly grace, yt with christ thy sonne I may finde comforte, with Stephen I may see thy presence and gracious power, wyth Paule and all others, whych for thy names sake haue suffred afflictious and death, I maye finde so present with me thy gracious cō ­solation, that I may by death glorify thy holy name, set forth & ra­tify thy verity, comforte ye hartes of the heauy, confirme thy church [Page] in thy truth, cōuert some that are to be conuerted, and so depart out of this miserable world (wher I do nothing but dayly heape sinne vpon sinne) and enter into the fruition of thy blessed mercy: wherof now geue & increase in me a liue­ly taste, sense, and felinge, wher­through the terrour of death, the torments of fier, the pains of sin, ye darts of Sathan, & the dolours of hell, may neuer ouercome mee: but may be driuen away through the working of that most graci­ous spirite: whych now plēteous­ly endue me withal, that through the same spirite I maye offer (as nowe I desire & am redye to do) in christ & by him, my self wholy, soule and body, to be a liuely sacrifice, holy & acceptable in thy sight (deare father) whose I am & al­waies [Page] haue ben, euen frō my mothers wombe, yea, euen before ye world was made: to whō I com­mende my selfe, faith & name, familye & frendes, countrey, and al the whole church: yea, euen my very ennemies, accordinge to thy good pleasure: besechinge thee entierly to geue once more to this realme of Englande, the blessinge of thy worde againe, with godly peace, to the teaching and settinge forth of the same. Oh deare Father, now geue me to come vnto thee: purge & so purify me by this fier, in Christes death and passiō, tho­rowe thy spirite, that I may be a burnte offeringe of swete smel in thy sight, which liuest & raygnest with the Sonne & the holy ghost nowe and foreuermore, worlde without ende.

Amen.

Ephe. v.
☞ Awake thou that slepest and arise from the Dead, and Epriste shal shew light vn­to thee.
Certein faults escaped.
  • In the 7. leafe & first side, reade in the margent thus: By loking on our olde faulles.
  • In the 13. leafe and second syde adde to ye later note ī ye margēt: Felicitie which we obtain by Death.
  • In the 43. leafe, in ye title of the Introduction read Diuinitie.
  • And in the other titles, for In­struction read Introduction.

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