Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A16590
|
A sermon of repentaunce, made by Iohn Bradforde
|
Bradford, John, 1510?-1555.
|
1553
(1553)
|
STC 3496; ESTC S106825
|
33,698
|
128
|
ende that for my parte I myghte helpe I haue presently put forth a sermon of repētaunce whiche hath lyen by me halfe a yeare at the leaste for the most parte of it For the laste sommer as I was abroade preachynge in the countreye my chaunce was to make a sermon of repentaunce the whiche was earnestlye of diuerse desyred of me that I shoulde geue it them written or els put it forth in prynt The whiche thynge to graunte as I coulde not for I had not wrytten it so I told them that had so earnestlye desired it But when no naye woulde serue but I muste promyse them to wryte it as I coulde I consented to their requeste that they shuld haue it at my leasure This leasure I prolonged so longe that as I wene I offended them so didde I please my selfe as one more gladde to reade other mennes wrytynges then in suche sorte to publyshe my wrytynges for other men to reade not that I wolde others not to profyt by me but that I knowing how short my suppellex store as woulde be loth for the enemies to haue iuste occasion of euyll speakynge and wrestinge that whiche symplye is spoken But when I consydered this present tyme to occasion men now to loke vpon all thinges in suche sorte as myghte moue them to Godlynes rather then to anye curiouse questioninge I for the satisfienge of my promyse and profytinge of the simple ignoraunt and rude haue nowe caused this Sermon to be prynted the which I beseche God for his Christes sake to vse as a meane whereby of his mercy it maye please hym to worke in me and manye others true hartye repentaunce for oure synnes to the glorye of hys name Thus fare thou well in the Lorde The. xij of Iulie Anno. M. D. LIII ¶ A sermon of repentaunce made by Iohn Bradforde THe lyfe we haue at this present is the gyft of God in whom we liue moue and are Actes xvii and therefore is he called Iehouah Exod iii. for the whiche lyfe as we shoulde be thankefull so we may not in any wyse vse it after our owne fantacie but to thende for the whiche it is geuen lente vs that is to the settynge forth of Gods prayse and glory by repentaunce conuersion and obedience to his good wyl and holy lawes wherevnto his longe sufferynge doeth as it were euen drawe vs yf our hartes by impenitency were not hardned And therfore our lyfe in the scripture is called a walkynge for that as the body dayly draweth more more ▪ neare his ende that is the earth euen so our soul draweth dayly more and more neare the death that is saluation or dampnation heauen or hell Of which thinge in that we are moost carelesse and very foles for we alas are the same to day we were yesterday and not better or nearer to God but rather nearer to hel Sathan and perdition beynge couetouse idle carnal secure necligēt proud c. I think my labour cannot be better bestowed then with the Baptist Christ Iesus and his Apostels to harp on this stringe whiche of all other is mooste necessarye and that in these dayes most specially What strynge is that sayeth one Forsoth brother the stryng of repentaunce y e whiche Christ our sauiour did vse fyrst in his ministery and as his minister at this present I wyll vse vnto you all Repent for the kingedome of heauen is at hande Math. iiij This sentence thus pronounced and preached by our sauiour Iesus Christe as it doeth commaund vs to repent so to the doinge of the same it sheweth vs a sufficient cause to sturre vs vppe therevnto namelye for that the kyngdome of heauen which is a kyngedome of all ioye peace ryches power and pleasure is at hande to al such as do so that is as do repente So that the meanynge hereof is as thoughe our sauiour myght thus speake presently Syrs for that I se you al walkynge the wronge way euen to Sathan and vnto hell fyre by folowynge the kyngedome of Sathan whiche nowe is coloured vnder the pylled pleasures of this lyfe and folyshnes of the fleshe moste subtelly to your vtter vndoynge and destruction Beholde and marke well what I saye vnto you The kingdome of heauen that is another maner of ioye and felicitie honoure and riches power and pleasure then you nowe perceyue or enioye is euen at hande and at youre backes as yf you wyll turne agayn that is repent you you shal most truely and pleasauntlye fele see and enherit Turne agayne therfore I say that is repent for this ioye I speake of euen the kyngdome of heauen is at hande Here we maye note fyrste the corruption of our nature in that to this commaundement repent you he addeth a cause for y e kingdome of heauen is at hande for by reason of the corruption and sturdines of our nature God vnto all his commaundementes commonlye eyther addeth some promise to prouoke vs to obedience or elles some suche sufficient cause as cannot but tickle vs vp to hartie labourynge for the doynge of the same as here to the commaundement of doynge penaunce he addeth this aitiologie or cause sayinge for the king dome of heauen is at hande Agayne in that he ioyneth to the commaundemente the cause sayinge for the kyngedome of heauē is at hand we may learne that of the kyngedome of heauē none to whom the ministerye of preaching doth appertayne can be partaker but such as repente and do pennaunce Therfore dearly beloued yf you regarde the kyngedome of heauen in that you cannot entre therein except you repent I besech you al of euery estate as you woulde your owne weale to repent and do penaunce the which thinge that you maye do I wyll do my beste now to helpe you by gods grace But fyrst because we cannot well tell what repentaunce is thorowe ignoraunce for lacke of knoweledge and false teachynge I wyll to begynne with all shewe you what repentaunce is Repentaunce or pennaunce is no Englyshe worde but we borowe it of the Latinistes to whome pennaunce is a forethinkynge in Englyshe in Greke a beynge wyse afterwardes in Hebrewe a conuersion or turnyng the whyche conuersion or turnynge in that it can not be true and hartye vnto God especially without some good hope or trust of pardone for that whyche is all readye doone and paste I maye well in thys sorte defyne it namelye that pennaunce is a sorrowynge or forethynkynge of oure synnes paste an earneste purpose to amende or turnynge to GOD with a truste of pardone This diffinicion maye be deuyded into three partes that pennaunce or repentaunce shuld contayne fyrst a sorowynge for our synues Secondlye a truste of pardonne whyche otherwyse maye be called a perswasion of Gods mercy by the merits of Christe for the forgeuenesse of our synnes And thyrdely apurpose to amende or conuersion to a newe lyfe the whiche thyrd or last part cannot be called properly a parte for it is but an effect of
mortalitie miserie euen in thys lyfe feele the same And was god so angry for theyr sinne and he being the same God wyll he saye nothing to vs for oures halas muche more horrible then the eating once of one pece of an apple In the tyme of Noe and Lot God destroyed the whole world with water the cities of Sodoma and Gomorra Seboim Adamah with fyre and brimston from heauen for theyr synnes Namely for theyr whoredomes pryde idlenes vnmercifulnes to the poore tyrannie c. In which wrath of God euen the very babes byrdes foules fishes herbes trees and grasse perisshed And thinke we that nothinge wylbe spokeÌ„ to vs muche worse more abhominable theÌ„ they For al meÌ„ may see yf they wil y e the whoredoÌ„s pride vnmercifulnes tirannie c of England far passeth in this age any age y t euer was before Lots wife loking back was turned into a salt stone wil our loking back agayne yea our running back agayne to our wickednes do vs not hurt yf we were not alredy more blind theÌ„ bettels we would blush Pharao his heart was hardened so y t no myracle could conuert him yf oures were any thing softe we woulde begin to sobbe Of syxe hundreth thousande men alonely but twayne entred into the land of promyse because they had teÌ„ times synned against the Lord as he him selfe sayeth Num 14. And trow we that god wil not sweare in his wrath that we shall neuer entre into his rest which haue sinned so manye ten times as we haue toes fingers yea heares of our heades beardes I fere me yet we passe not The man that sware Leu. 24 and he that gathered stickes on the Saboth day Num. 13. were stoned to death but we thynke our swearing is no sinne our bibbing rioting yea whore hunting on the Saboth day pleaseth god or els we woulde some thinge amende our maners Helias negligence in correcting his soÌ„nes nipped his neck in two But oures which paÌ„per vp oure children lyke puppets wyll putte vs to no plounge Helias sonnes for disobeying theyr fathers monicion brought ouer them Gods vengeauÌ„ce and wyl our stubbernes do nothing Saule his malice to Dauid Achabs displeasure agaynste Naboth brought theyr bloud to the grounde for dogges to eate yea their children were hanged vp slayne for this geare but we continue in malice enuie murther as though we were able to wage warre wyth the Lord. Dauids adultrie with Bethsabe was vysyted on the chylde borne on Dauids daughter defyled by her brother and on hys chyldren one slaying another on hys wyues defyled by hys owne sonne on him selfe dryuen out of hys realme in hys olde age and otherwise also although he most hartely repeÌ„ted his sinne but we are more dere vnto god theÌ„ Dauid whiche yet was a man after gods owne hart or els we could not but tremble and begynne to repent The riche glottonnes gaye paunche fyllynge what did it it brought hym to hel and haue we a plackarde that God wyll do no thynge to vs. Achams subtyll theft prouoked Gods anger agaynst all Israell and our subteltie yea open extorcion is so fyne and politike that God cannot espye it Giezi his couetousnes broughte it not the leprosy vpon him and on all hys sede Iudas also hanged hym selfe But the couetousnes of Englande is of an other cloothe and coulloure well yf it were so the same tayler wyll cutte it accordyngelye Anania and Saphira by lyinge lynked to them sodayne death but oures nowe prolongeth oure lyfe the longer to laste in eternall death The false wytnesses of the twoo Iudges against Susanna lighte on their owne pates and so wyll ours do at length But what go I about to auouche aunciente exaumples where daylye experience doeth teach The sweat the other year the stormes the winter folowing wyl vs to way them in the same ballaunces The hangynge and kyllynge of men them selues whiche are alas to ryfe in all places requier vs to register them in the same rolles At the least in Chyldren infauntes and such like which yet can not vtter synne by worde or dede we see Goddes anger agaynste Synne in punysshynge them by syckenes death myshappe or otherwyse so playnely that we cannot but grone and grount agayne in that we a lyttell more haue gusshed oute thys geare gorgeousely in worde and dede And here with me a litel loke on gods anger yet so freshe that we cannot but smell it although we stop our noses neuer so much I praye God we smel it not more freshe hereafter I meane it forsoth for I know you loke for it in our dere late souereigne lorde the kyngs maieste You al know he was but a chylde in yeares defyled he was not with notorious offences Defiled ê™ he naye rather adorned w t so many good and wonderfull qualities as neuer prynce was from the begynnyng of y e world Shuld I speak of his wysedome of his rypenes in iudgement of his learning of his Godlye zeale heroical heart fatherly care for his commons norcely solicitude for religion c naye so manye thinges are to be spoken in commendatioÌ„ of gods excedyng graces in this childe that as Salust wryteth of Chartage I had rather speak nothing then to lytel in y t to much is to litle This gift God gaue vnto vs Englysh men before all nations vnder the sonne and that of his excedynge loue towardes vs. But alas and welawaye for our vnthankefulnes sake for our sinnes sake for our carnalitie and prophan liuing gods anger hath touched not only y e body but also the mynde of our king by a long sycknes and at length hath takeÌ„ hym awaye by death death cruell death fearful death death c Oh if Gods iudgement be begon on him which as he was the chiefest so I thinke the holiest godliest in y e realme of England alas what wyl it be on vs whose synnes are ouergrowne so oure heades that they are climed vp into heauen I pray you my good brethren know that gods anger for oure sinnes towardes vs cannot but be great yea to fel in that we se it was so great that our goodking coulde not beare it What folowed to Iewry after the death of Iosias God saue England and geue vs repeÌ„taunce my hart wil not suffer me to tary loÌ„ger herein I trow this wyll thruste oute some teares of repentaunce Yf therfore to praier for gods feare the tootynge in gods glas and the tagge thereto wyll not burste open thy blockysh hearte yet I trowe the tossinge to and fro of these examples and specially of our late kynge and this troublesome tyme wyll tomble some teares oute of thyne hart yf thou styll praye for Gods spirite accordynglye For who arte thou thynke alwayes with thy selfe that GOD shoulde spare thee more then they whose examples thou hast harde what frendes haste thou were