before we were who I say can thinke otherwyse but that with him he wyl geue vs al good thinges If when we hated him â—led away from him he sent his sonne to seeke vs who can thinke otherwise then that now we louing him and lamenting because we loue him no more but that he wyl for euer loue vs He that geueth the more to his enemies wil not he geue the lesse trow you to his friends God hath geuen his own sonne then which thing nothing is greater to vs hys enemies we now being becom his friendes wyll he deny vs fayth pardon of our sins which though they be great yet in comparison they are nothing at al Christ Iesus would geue his own selfe for vs when we willed it not wyll he now deny vs faith if we wyll it This wyl is hys earnest that he hath giuen vs truly to looke in deede for the thing wylled And looke thou for it in deede for as he hath geuen thee to wyl so wil he geue thee to do Iesus Christ gaue his lyfe for our euyls by his death delyuered vs Oh then in that he liueth now and cannot dye wyll he forsake vs â–ª His hart bloud was not to deare for vs when we asked it not what can then bee now to deare for vs asking it Is he a chaungeling Is he inutable as maÌ„ is Can he repent him of his gifâ—es Dyd he not foresee our falles Payd not he therefore the price Because he saw we should fal sore therefore would he suffer sore Yea if his suffering had not bene inough he would yet once more come again God the father I am sure if the death of his sonne incarnate would not serue wold himselfe the holy ghost also becom incarnate dye for vs This death of Christ therfore looke on as the very pledge of Gods loue towards thee whosoeuer thou art how deepe soeuer thou hast sinned See Gods hands are nailed they cannot strike thee hys feete also he cannot run troÌ„ thee his armes are wyde open to embrace thee his head hangs down so kysse thee his very hart is opeÌ„ so that therin see toâ—te looke spy peâ—pe and thou shalt see nothing therin but loue loue loue loue to thee hyde thee therfore lay thy head there with the Euangelist This is the clyft of the rocke wherein Helias stoode This is the pillow of down for all akyng heades Anoynt thy head wyth this oyle let this oyntment enbaulme thy head wash thy face Tary thou here cock sure thou art I warrant thee Say with Paul what can separate me from the loue of God Can death can pouerty sycknes hunger or any misery perswade thee now that God loueth thee not Nay nothing can separate thee from the loue wher wyth God hath loued thee in Christ Iesus whom he ioueth he loueth to the end So that â—ow where aboundaunce of syn hath â—en in thee the more is the aboudance of grace But to what end â–ª Forsoth that as syn hath raigued to death as theâ— seesâ— to the kylling of Gods sonne so now grace must raigne to lyfe to the honouring of Gods sonne who is now a lyue and cannot dye any more So that they which by â—ayth feele this caÌ„not any more dye to God â—â—t o syn whereto they are dead and buried with Christ As Christ therefore liueth so do they and that to God to righteousâ—â—s and holynes The life which they lyue is In fide filii bei in the faith of the sonne of God Wherby you see that now I am slipt into that which I made the third part of penance namely newnes of lyfe which I could not so haue done if that it were a part of it selfe in deede as it is au effect or fruit of the second part that is of fayth or trust in Gods mercy For hee that beleueth that is is certainly perswaded synne to be such a thing that it is the cause of al misery and of it self so greatly angereth God that in heauen nor in earth nothing could appease his wrath saue alonely the death and precious bloud sheddyng of the sonne of God in whom is all the delight and pleasure of the father he I say that is perswaded thus of syn the same caÌ„not but in hart abhor quake to do or say yea to thinke any thing willingly which Gods law teacheth him to be syn Agayne he that beleueth that is is certainly perswaded Gods loue to be so much to wards him that where through syn he was lost made a firebraÌ„d of hell the eternal father of mercy which is the omnisufficient God nedeth nothing to vs or of anithing that we can do to deliuer vs out of hel and to bring vs into heauen dyd send euen hys owne most deare sonne out of hys bosome out of heauen into hel as a man would say to bring vs as I sayd from theÌ„ce into his own bosom mercy we being hys very enemies he I say that is thus perswaded of Gods loue towards hym of the price of his redemptioÌ„ by the deare bloud of the Lambe imaculate Iesus Christ the same man cannot but loue God againe of loue do that hartely desire to do better the which myght please god Trow you that such a one knowing this geare by faith wil willingly walter wallow in his wilful lusts pleasures faÌ„tasies Wyll such a one as knoweth by faith Christ Iesus iâ— haue geuen his bloud to wash hym from hys syns play the Sow to walter in his puddle of filthy syn vyce againe Nay rather then he wil be defiled againâ— â–ª by wilful synning he wil wash often the feete of his affections watching ouer y vice styll sticking in hym which as a spring continuallye sendeth out poison inough to drown defile him if the sweete water of Christes passioÌ„ in Gods syght did not wash it his bloud satisfy the rigour of Gods iustice due for the same Thys bloud of Christ shed for our sins is so deare in the sight of him that beleueth that he wyâ—l abhorre in his hart to stampe it tread it vnder his feete He knoweth now by his beliefe that it is to much that he therto hee hath set to little by it and is ashamed therof Therefore for the residue of hys lyfe he purposeth to take better beede to himselfe then before he did Because he seeth by hys faith the greuousnes of Gods anger the foulnes of syn the greatnes of Gods mercy of Christes loue towardes him he wyll now be heedye to pray to God to geue hym his grace accordingly that as with his eyes toung handes feete c. he hath displeased God doing his own wyl euen so now with the same eyes toung eares handes feete c. he may displease his own selfe and do Gods wyll Willingly wyll hee not doo that which myght renue the death of the sonne of God He
to priuate praier that by the sight and remembraunce of them he might be stirred vp to offer to God the sacrifice of a contrite hart séeke assurance of saluation in Christ by faith thanke God for his calling from the waies of wickednes and praye for encrease of grace to bee conducted in holy lyfe acceptable and pleasing to god Such a continuall exercise of coÌ„science he had in priuate praier that he did not count himselfe to haue prayed to his contentacion vnlesse in it hee had felt inwardly some smyting of hart for synne and some healing of that wound by faith féeling y sauing health of Christ with some chaunge of mynde into the detestation of synne and loue of obeying the good wyll of god Which thinges do require that inward entring into the sacret parler of our hartes of which Christ speaketh and is that smiting of the brest which is noted in the Publicane Math. 7 and is the same to the which the Psal mist exhorteth those men loose in synne Psalme 4. 5. Tremble ye and synne not speake in your selues that is enter into an accompt with your selues when you are on your couches that is when ye are solitary and alone and be quiet or silent that is when ye haue thus secretly and déepelye considereth of your case and dealing ye shall cease to thinke speake and do wickedly Without suche an inward excerise of praier our Bradford dyd not pray to his full contentacion as appeared by this He vsed in the morning to go to the common praier in the Colledge where he was and after that he vsed to make some praier with his Puplls in his chameer But not content wyth this he then repaired to his own secretd praier and exercise in praier by himselfe as one that had not yet praied to his own mynde For he was wont to say to hys familiars I haue prayed with my Pupils but I haue not yet prayed with myselfe Let those secure men marke this well which pray without touch of brest as thâ— Pharisey dyd and so that they haue sayd an ordinary praier or heard a common course of praier they think they haue prayed well and as the terme is they haue serued God well though they neuer féele styng for synne taste of groning or broken hart nor of the swéete sauing health of Christ thereby to be moued to offer the sacrifice of thankes geuing nor chaunge or renuing of minde but as they came secure in synne senseles so they do depart without any chauÌ„ge or affecting of the hart Which is euen the cradle in which Satan rocketh the synnes of this age a sleepe who thinke they do serue God in these cursory prayers made onely of custome when theyr hart is as farre from God as was the hart of the Pharisey Let vs learne by Bradfordes example to pray better that is with the hart and not with ihe lyps aloue Quia Deus uon vocis sed cardis auditor est as Cyprin saith that is because God is the hearer of the hart and not of the voyce that is to say not of the voyce alone without the hart for that is but lyb labour This conscience of syn and exercise in prayer had Bradford cleane contrary to that cursed custome of those graceles men which do ioy to make large and long accompts of their lewdnes and glory therein so feeling their delightes with their lyues passed as the Dog returneth to smell to his cast gorge and the horse to hys dung such as the Prophet â—say 39. sayth They declare their syns as Sodome they hide them not wo be to their soules It goeth with them as in the daies of Ieremiah it went with those Iere. 3. 3 Thou haddest a whores forehead Thon wouldest not be ashamed God geue these men better grace els let them be assured they shal find wo wo to their very soules An other of his exercises was this He vsed to make vnto him selfe an Ephemeris or a Iournal in which hee vsed to write all such notable thinges as either hee did sée or heare eche day that passed But what so euer he did heare or sée he did so pen it that a man might sée in that booke the signes of his smitten hart For if he did sée or heare any good in any man by that sight he found noted the want thereof in hym selfe and added a short prayer crauing mercye and grace to amende If he dyd heara or sée any plague or misery â–ª he noted it as a thing procured by his own syns and styl added Domine miserere meâ— Lord haue mercy vpon me He vsed in the same booke to note such euyll thoughtes as did ryse in him as of enuying the good of other men thoughtes of vnthankfulnes of not considering God in his workes of hardnes and vnsensiblenes of hart when he dyd sée other moued and affected And thus hee made to him selfe and of himselfe a booke of daily practises of repentance Besydes this they which were familiar with him might see how he being in their company vsed to fall often into a sodaine and deepe meditation in which he would syt with fixed countenaunce and spirite moued yet speaking nothing a good space And some times in thys silent sytting plentye of teares should trickle downe his cheekes Sometime he would sytinit and come out of it with a smyling countenaunce Often times haue I sytten at dinner and supper with hym in the house of that godly harbourer of manye Preachers and Seruauntes of the Lorde Iesus I meane Maister â–ª Elsyng when either by occasion of talke had or of some view of Gods benefites present or some inward cogitation and thought of his own he hath fallen into these déepe cogitacions and he would tell me in the ende such discourses of them that I eyd perceiue that somtimes his teares trickled out of his eyes as well for ioy as for sorow Neither was he onelye such a practiser of repentance in himselfe but a continuall prouoker of others thereunto not onely in publike preaching but also in priuate conference and company For in all companies where he dyd come he would fréely reproue any synne and mysbehauiour which appeared in any parson especially swearers filthy talkers and popish praters Such neuer departed out of his company vnreproued And this he did with such a diuine grace and Christian maiestie that euer he stopped the mouthes of the gaynsayers For he spake with power and yet so sweetely that they might sée their euyll to be euyll and hurtfull vnto them and vnderstand that it was good in déede to the which he laboured to draw them in God. To be short as his lyfe was such was his death His life was a practise and example a prouocation to repentance At his death as the foresayd history witnesseth when he was burned in Smitefield and the flames of fire dyd slye about hys â—ares his last spéech publiklye noted and heard was this Repent England Thus was our
whereof this history is wrytten as are also the other which I haue recited and many mo which I myght recite As of Manasses y wicked king which slew Esay the Prophet wrought very much wyckednes yet the Lord shewed mercy vpon hym beyng in pryson as his prayer doth teach vs Nabuchodonozer though for a tyme he bare Gods anger yet at the length he found mercy The City of Niniue also found fauour with God as dyd many other which I wyll omyt for times sake will bring forth one or two out of the new Testament that we may see God to be the same God in the newe testament that he was in the old I myght tell you of many if I should speake of the lunatike such as were possessed wyth deuyls lame blynde dumme deafe lepers c. but time wyll not suffice me one or two therefore shall serue Mary Magdalen had .vii. deuils but yet they were cast out of her of al others she was the first that Christ appeared vnto after his resurreâ—â—ton Thomas would not beleue Christes resurrection though many tolde hym which had sene and felt hym by reason wheroâ— a man might haue thought that his synnes would haue cast hym away Except I should see and feele sayth he I wyll not beleue Ah wylfull Thomas I wyll not sayth he But Christ appeared vnto him would not leese him as hee wyll not do thee good brother if that wyth Thomas thou wylt keepe company wyth the Disciples as Thomas dyd Peters fal was ougly he accursed hym selfe if euer he knew Christ and that for feare of a gyrle and thys not once but euen three dyuers tymes and that in the hearyng of Christ hys Mayster but yet the third time Christ looked backe cast on hym his eye of grace so that he went out and wept vitterly and after Christes resurrectioÌ„ not onely did the Angels wyl the woman to tel Peter that Christ was risen but Christ himselfe appeared vnto hym seuerally such a good Lord is he The theefe hanging on the crosse sayd but this Lord when thou coÌ„mest into thy kingdome remember me what answer had he This day sayth Christ shalt thou be with me in Paradise What a comfort is this in that he is now the same Christ to thee me and vs all if we wyll run vnto hym for he is the same Christ to day to morrow vntyl he come to iudgement Then in deede he wyll be inexorable but now is he more ready to geue then thou to aske If thou cry he heareth thee yea before thou cry Cry therefore be bold man he is not parciall Call saith he and I wyll heare thee Aske and thou shalt haue Seeke and thou shalt find though not at the first yet at the length If he tary a white it is but to try thee Nam veniens veniet non tardabit He is comming and wyll not be long Thus haue you foure meanes which you must vse to the attayning of fayth or certaine perswasioÌ„ of Gods mercy towards you which is the secoud part of penaÌ„ce namely prayer the free vniuersal promises of Gods grace the recordation of the benefites of God past present the examples of Gods mercy Which although thei might suffice yet wil I put one moâ— to them which alonely of it selfe is ful sufficient I meane the death of the sonne of God Iesus Christ which if thou set before the eyes of thy minde it wyll confirme thy plackard for it is the great seale of England as they say yea of all the world for the coufirmation of al patents perpetuiâ—ies of the euerlasting lyfe whereunto we are all called If I thought these which I haue before recited were not sufficient to confirme your fayth of Gods loue towardes such as doo repent I would tary longer here in But because both I haue ben long and also I trust you haue some exercise of conscience in this dayly or els you are to blame I wyll but touch and go Consider wyth your selues what we are mysers wretches and enemies to god Cousider what God is euen hee whych hath all power Maiesty might glory ritches c perfectly of himselfe nedeth no thing but hath althinges Consider what Christ is concernyng his god head coequal with his father euen he by whom althinges wer made are ruled gouerned concerning his manhod the only dearlyng of his father in whoÌ„ is all his ioy Now syr what a loue is this that this God which needeth nothing would geue wholy his own selfe to thee his enemy wreaking his wrath vpon hym selfe in this his sonne as a man maye say to speare thee to saue thee to wyn thee to buy thee to haue thee to enioy thee for euer Because thy synne had separated theâ— from hym to the ende thou mightest come eâ—tsones into his company agayne and therein remaine he himselfe became as a man would say a synner or rather syn it selfe euen a maledictioÌ„ or curse that we synners we accurâ—ed by our syn myght by hys oblation or offering for our syns by hys curse be delyuered from synne and from malediction For by syn he destroyed synne kylling death Satan syn by rheir own weapons and that for thee me man it we cast it not away by vnbeliefe Oh wonderfull loue of god Who euer heard of such a loue the Father of heauen for vs hys ennemies to geue hys owne deare sonne Iesus Christ and that not onely to be our brother to dwel among vs but also to the death of the crosse for vs Oh wonderful loue of Christ to vs al that was content and wylling to work this feate for vs Was ther any loue lyke to this loue God in deede hath commended his charitie loue to vs herein that when we wer very enemies vnto him he wold geue his own sonne for vs That we being men might become as you would say Gods God would become man That we being mortal might be come immortal y immortal God would become mortal man That we earthlye wretches myght be Citizens of heauen the Lord of heauen would become as a man would say earthly That we being accursed myght bee blessed God would bee accursed That wee by our father Adam beyng brought out of Paradise into the puddle of all paine myght be redeemed and brought into Paradise â—gaine God would be our father and an Adam thereunto That we hauing nothing might haue all things God hauyng all thynges would haue nothyng That we being vassails slaues to all euen to Sathan the feend might be Lordes of all of Sathan the Lord of all would become a vassal and a â—laue to vs al and in daunger of Sathan Oh loue imcomprehensible Who can otherwise thinke now but if the gracions good Lord disdayned not to geue hys owne sonne hys owne hartes ioy for vs his very ennemies before we thought to beg any such thing at his hands yea
c your eares to heare fables lyes fanities euil things c so now geue ouer your members to godlynes your touÌ„gs to speake your eares to heare your eyes to see your mouthes to last your hands to worke your feete to go about such thiuges as maye make to gods glory sobrieâ—y of life loue to your brethreÌ„ that daily more and more diligently for in a stay to stand you cannot either better or worse you are to day then you wer yesterday But better I trust you be wil be if you marke wel my theme that is Repent you The which thing that you would do as before I haue huÌ„bly besought yon eueÌ„ so now yet once more I do agayn besech you that for the tender mercies of God in Christ Iesus our Lord Repent you repent you for the kingdom of heauen that is a kingdom ful oâ—al ritches pleasures myrth beauty swetenes eternall felicitie is at hand The eye hath not sene the like the eare hath not heard the like the hart of man cannot conceiue the treasures pleasures of this kingdoÌ„ which now is at hand to such as repent that is to such as are sory for theyr sins beleue Gods mercy through Christ earnestly purpose to leade a new life The God of mercy through Christ his soÌ„ne graunt vs his holy spirit work in our hartes this sorow fayth new life which through his grace I haue spoken of both now for euer Amen ¶ An other Sermon made also by the sayd Maister Iohn Bradford vpon the Supper of the Lord. THere are two Sacramentes in Christes Church the one of initiation that is wherewith we be enraled as it were in to the houshold family of God which Sacrament we call Baptisme the other wherwith we be conserued fed kept nourished to continue in the same Familye which is called the Lords supper or the body and bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ broken for our syns and shed for our trausgressions Of the former Sacrament that is of Baptisme to speake now I am not purposed because occasioÌ„ and tyme serue not so therto Of the second therfore wyl I speake somthing by Gods grace if that first you remeÌ„ber this that Baptisme in Christs Church now sithen Christes death is come in place of CircumcisioÌ„ which was in the same church afore Christs comming Whereby we may see that Christian Parents seéme to bee no losse bound to offer theyr Infants and Sabes to be baptised that they may be takeÌ„ and accoÌ„pted of vs as meÌ„bers of Christes mistical body wherunto thei are receiued and sealed then wer the Hebrues their children to be taken as pertayning to the coue naunt league with God wherin they were enroled alonely the circumstance of the eight day not necessarye to be obserued being now abrogated But to come agayne of the Lords Supper I am purposed presently to speake through the helpe of God because we are assembled in Christ I hope to celebrate the same Now that the things which I shall speake may be better obserued and caryed away of you I wyl tell you how in what sort I wyll speake of it Three thynges would I haue marked as the principals and scopes wherto I wyl referre al that I shal at this time speake therof They be these Who what and wherefore That is to make it more plaine who dyd institute this thing which we are about to celebrate this is the first The second is what y thing is which is instituted And the last is wherfore and to what end it was instituted whereby we shall be taught how to vse it For the fyrst who did institute thys Sacrament and Supper you all do know that things are more esteemed sometyme for the dignity and authority of the person sometime for the wisedom of the person sometyme for the power and magnificence of the persou and sometime for the tender loue and kyndnes of the person If neede were I could by examples set forth euery one of these but I hope it is not necessarye Now then how can the thyng which we be about to celebrate but be estemed of euery one highlye in that the Auth or of it doth want no dignity no authority no wysedome no power no magnificence no holmes no tender loue and kindnes but hath al dignity authority wisdome power magnificence holynes tender lone mercy glory and all that can be wished absolutely He is God eteruall coequall and substantiall wyth the Father with the holy Ghost the image of the substance of God the wysedome of the Father the brightnes of hys glory by whom all things were made are ruled and gouerned He is the Kyng of all Kyngs and the Lord of all Lords He is the Messias of the world our most deare and louing brother Sauiour Mediatour Aduocate Intercessor Husbaud Priest So that the thyng which commeth from hym caÌ„not but be estemed loued and embraced if dignity authority wisdom power glory goodnes mercy lyke vs Yea if auy thing that can be wyshed lyke vs theu cannot thys whych our Lord dyd institute but like vs and that so much the more by how much it is oue of the last things which he did institute commaunde God open our eyes to see these thynges accordingly so shall we come with more reuerence to thys Table of the Lord which thing he graunt for hys mercies sake Amen And thus much for the fyrst who dyd institute thys Sacrament Now to the second what the Sacrament is If we shall aske our eies our nose our mouth our taste our handes and the reason of man they wyll all make a consonant answer that it is bread wyne And verelye herein they speake the truth and lye not as by many thyngs may be proued although the Papists prate their pleasure to the coutrary And here my dearely beloued I thynke I shal not be either tedious or vnprofitable vnto you if that I tary a litle in shewing this verity that the substance of bread and wine remaine in the Sacrament after the wordes of consecration as they call them be spoken Wherby we may learne how shameles beastes they be whych would enforce men to beleue traÌ„substaÌ„tiation which is an errour wherupon in a maner dependeth all popery For it is the stay of theyr Priesthood whych is neyther after the order of Aaron nor after the order of Melchisedech but after the order of Baal whych thing is somthyng seene by theyr number For the false prophets Priestes of Baal were alwayes many moe in number when the wycked were in authority then the true Priestes and Prophetes of the Lord as the holy histories of the Bible do teach Reade the third of the Kings the. 18 chap. That in the supper of the Lord or in the Sacrament of Christes body which the Papists call the sacrameÌ„t of the Aulter as though that were Christes Sacrament which thing they