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A19420 The mirror of martyrs in a short vieuu lively expressing the force of their faith, the feruency of their loue, the wisedome of their sayings, the patience of their suffrings, etc. : with their prayers and preparation for their last farevvell : whereunto is added two godly letters written by M. Bradford, full of sweet consolation for such as are afflicted in conscience. Cotton, Clement.; Bradford, John, 1510?-1555. 1613 (1613) STC 5848; ESTC S756 48,602 243

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certaine all the haires of your head are numbred Be certain your good Father hath appointed your bounds over which the devill dare not looke Commit your selfe to him hee is hath been and will bee your keeper Let Christ be your marke and scope to prick at Let him be your patterne to worke by Let him be your ensample to follow giue him as your heart so your hand as your mind so your tongue as your Faith so your feet And let his word be your Candle to goe before you in al matters of Religion Blessed is he that Walketh not to these Popish praiers nor standeth at them nor sitteth at them glorifie God both in soule and body ¶ Fifteene short sentences left by Robert Smith Martyr to ANNE SMITH his wife 1 SEEke first to loue God deere wife with your whole heart and then it shall be easie for you to loue your neighbour 2 Be friendly to all creatures but especially to your owne Soule 3 Be alwaies an enemie to the Deuill the world but chiefely to your owne flesh 4 In hearing of good things ioyne the eares of your head and heart together 5 Seeke vnitie and quietnesse with all men but specially with your conscience for it will not easily be pacified 6 Loue all men but specially your enemies 7 Hate the sinnes that are past but especially those to come 8 Be as ready to further your enemie as hee is to hinder you that yee may bee the child of God 9 Defile not that which Christ hath cleansed least his blood bee layd to your charge 10 Remember that god hath hedged in your tongue with the teeth and lippes that it might speake vnder correction 11 Be ready at all times to looke to your brothers eye but especially to your owne eye For he that warneth an other of that hee himselfe is faultie giueth his neighbour the cleere Wine and himselfe the dregges 12 Beware of riches and worldly honor for without vnderstanding prayer and fasting it is a snare like to consuming fier of which if a man take a little it will warme him but if too much it will consume him 13 Shew mercie to the Saints for Christs sake Christ shall reward you for the Saints sake 14 Among all other prisoners visit your owne Soule for it is inclosed in a perillous prison 15 If you loue GOD hate euill c. Your Husband RO SMITH If yee will meet with me againe Forsake not Christ for any paine CERTAINE deuout Prayers which some of the godly Martyrs made at the hower of their death ¶ The Prayer which M r. HOOPER Bishop of Glocester made at his death LORD sayd he I am Hell but thou art Heaven I am swill and a sincke of sinne but thou art a gracious GOD and a merciful Saviour and Redeemer Haue mercie therefore vppon me most miserable and wretched offender after thy great mercie and according to thine jnestimable goodnes thou art assended into Heaven receiue me Hell to be partaker of thy joyes where thou sittest in equall glory with the Father For well thou knowest Lord wherefore I am come hither to suffer and why the wicked doe persecute this thy poore seruant not for my sinnes and transgressions committed against thee but because I will not allow of their wicked doings to the contaminating of thy blood and to the deniall of the knowledge of thy truth wherwith it did please thee by thy holy spirit to jnstruct mee the which with as much diligence as a poore wretch might being called thereto I haue set forth to thy glory And well thou seest my Lord God what terrible paynes and cruel torments be here prepared for thy poore Creature such Lord as without thy strength none is able to beare or patiently to passe But all things that are jmpossible with man with thee are possible Therefore strengthen me of thy goodnesse that in the fire I breake not the bounds of patience or else asswage the terrour of the paines as shall seeme most to thy glory Heere the party who heard thus much of his prayer beeing espied of the Maior was commaunded away and could be suffred to heare no more ¶ The Prayer of Doctor CRANMER Archbishop of Canterburie when it was thought he would haue made his Recantation O Father of Heauen O Sonne of GOD redeemer of the world O holy Ghost three persons and one GOD haue mercy vppon me most wretched Caytiffe and miserable sinner I haue offended both against Heauen and Earth more then my tongue can expresse Whether then may I goe or whether should I flee To heauen I am ashamed to lift vppe mine eyes and in Earth I find no place of refuge or succour To thee therefore o Lord do I runne to thee do I humble my selfe saying O Lord my GOD my sinnes be great but yet haue Mercie vppon mee for thy great Mercie The great mistery that God became man was not wroght for small or few offences Thou didst not giue thy Sonne O Heauenly Father vnto death for little sinnes onely but for all the greatest sinnes of the world so that the sinner returne to thee with his whole heart as I doe heere at this present Wherfore haue mercie vppon mee ô GOD whose property it is always to haue mercie haue mercie vpon mee ô Lord for thy great mercie I craue nothing for mine owne merits but for thy names sake that it may be hallowed thereby and for thy deere Sonne Iesus Christs sake And now therefore O our Father c. His repentance for subscription vttered a little before his death And now I come to the great thing that so much troubleth my conscience more then any thing that ever I did or sayd in my whole life and that is the setting abroad of a writing contrarie to the truth which now I heere renownce refuse as things written with my hand contrary to the truth which I thought in mine heart and written for feare of death and to saue life if it might be and that is all such bils and papers which I haue written or signed with mine hand since my degradatiō wherein I haue written many things vntrue And for as much as my hand offeded in writing cōtrary to my heart mine hand shal be punished therefore for may I come to the fire it shall first be burned which accordingly he did For being at the stake whē the fire began to flame hee put his right hand vnto it which hee held so stedfast and jmmoueable saving that once with the same hand hee wiped his face that all men might see his hand burned before it touched his body ¶ The Prayer of Steven Knight made vppon his knees at his death O Lord Iesus Christ for whose loue I willingly leaue this life and desire rather the bitter death of the Crosse with the losse of all earthly things then to abide the blaspheaming of thy most holy name or to obay men in breaking thy holy Commandemēt Thou seest oh
Lord that where I might liue in worldly wealth to worshippe a false God and honour thine enemy I choose rather the torment of the body and losse of this my life and haue counted all things but vild dust and dunge that I might winne thee which death is dearer vnto me then thousands of Gold and Silver Such loue oh Lord hast thou layd vppe within my breast that I hunger for thee as the Deere that is wounded desireth the soile Send thy holy Comforter O Lord to ayd comfort and strengthen this weake peece of earth which is empty of all strength of it selfe Thou remembrest Oh Lord that I am but dust and able to doe nothing that is good Therefore O Lord as of thine accustomed goodnesse and loue thou hast bidden me to this banket accounted me worthy to drinke of thine owne cup amongst thine elect even so giue me strength Oh Lord against this thine element which as to my sight it is most yrksome and terrible so to my mind it may at thy commandent as an obedient servant bee sweet and pleasant that through the strength of thy holy spirit I may passe through the rage of this fire into thy bosome according to thy promise and for this mortall receiue an jmmortall and for this corruptible may put on jncorruption Accept this burnt offring O Lord not for the sacrifice but for thy deare Sonnes sake my Saviour For whose testimonie I offer this free-will offring with all my heart and with all my soule O heauenly Father forgiue mee my sinnes as I forgiue all the world O sweet Son of God my sauiour spread thy wings ouer me O blessed Holy Ghost through whose mercifull inspiration I come hither to dye conduct me into euerlasting life Lord into thine hands I commend my spirit Amen ¶ A Prayer which Master George Marsh vsed daily to say O LORD Iesus Christ which art the onely Phisition of wounded consciences wee miserable sinners trusting in thy gracious goodnesse doe briefly open to thee the evill tree of our hearts with all the rootes boughes leaues knots and snags all which thou knowest for thou throughly perceiuest as well th'jnward lusts doubtings and denyings of thy prouidence as these grosse outward sinnes which wee commit in words deeds Wherefore wee beseech thee according to the little measure we haue receaued we being farre vnable and vnapt to praye that thou wouldest mercifully circumcise our stonye hearts and for these old hearts create within vs and replenish vs with a new spirit water and moysten vs with the juice of heauenly grace and Wels of spirituall waters whereby the jnward venome and noisome juice of the flesh may be dryed vp and custome of the old man changed and our hearts alwayes bringing forth Thornes and Bryars to be burned with fire frō hence forth may beare spirituall fruits in righteousnes and holinesse vnto life euerlasting Amen Beloued among other exercises I doe daily on my knees vse this confession of sinnes willing and exhorting you to doe the same and daily to acknowledge vnfainedly to God your vnbeliefe vnthankfulnes and disobedience against him This shall you doe if you will diligently consider and looke vppon your selues first in the pure glasse of Gods Commandements there see your jnward euils filthines and vncleanesse and so learne to vanquish the same that is to wit to fall into hearty displeasure against sinne and thereby be provoked to long after Christ. For we truely are sinners but he is just and the justifier of all them that belieue in him If wee hunger and thirst after righteousnesse let vs resort to his table for he is a liberall feast-maker Hee will set before vs his own holy body which was giuē for vs to be out meat and his pretious bloud which was shed for vs and for many for remission of sinnes to be our drinke He biddeth willeth calleth for guests which hunger and thirst Come sayth he all yee that are laden and labour vnto mee and I will refresh coole and ease you and you shall find rest vnto your soules ¶ A Prayer of Nicholas Sheterden before his death O Lord my God and Saviour which art Lord in heauen and earth maker of all things visible and jnvisible I am thy creature worke of thine hands Lord looke vpon mee and other thy people which at this time are oppressed of the worldly minded men for thy lawes sake yea for thy Law it selfe is now trodden vnderfoote and mens jnventions exalted aboue it and for that cause do I and many of thy creatures refuse the glory praise and commodities of this life and do chose to suffer adversitie and to be banished yea to be burnt with the Books of thy word for the hopes sake that is layd vppe in store For Lord thou knowest if wee would but seeme to please men in things contrarie to thy word wee might by thy permission enioy these comodities as other men do as Wife Children goods and friends which all I acknowledge to be thy gifts given vnto the end I shold serve thee And now Lord that the world will not suffer mee to enioy them except I offend thy Lawes behold I giue vnto thee my whole Spirit Soule and body And lo I leaue heere all the pleasures of this life and doe now leaue th' vse of them for the hopes sake of eternall life purchased in Christs blood and promised to all that fight on his side and are content to suffer with him for his truth whēsoever the world and the Deuill shall persecute the same O Father I presume not to come heere to thee trusting in mine owne righteousnes No but in the onely merits of thy Sonne my Saviour For the which excellent gift of Salvation I cannot worthilye prayse thee neither is any sacrifice worthy or to be accepted with thee in comparison of our bodies mortified and obedient to thy wil. And now Lord whatsoever rebellion hath been or is found in my members against thy will yet doe I heere giue vnto thee my body to the death rather then I will vse any strange worshipping which I beseech thee accept at my hands for a pure sacrifice Let this torment be to me the last enemie destroyed even death the end of miserie and the beginning of all joy peace and solace And when the time of the resurrection commeth let me enjoy againe these mēbers then glorified which now be spoyled and consumed by the fier O Lord Iesus receiue my spirit into thine hands Amen George Tankerfield GEorge Tankerfield sitting before a fier a little before his death at ST ALBANS after he had put off his hose and shooes stretched out his legge to the flame and when it had touched his foot he quickly withdrew his leg shewing how the flesh did perswade him one way and the spirit an other The flesh sayd ô thou foole wilt thou burne and needst not The spirit sayd be not afrayd this burning is nothing to eternall fier The flesh
sayd do not leaue the company of thy friends and acquaintance which loue thee and will let thee lacke nothing The spirit sayd the company of Iesus Christ and his glorious presence doth farre exceed all fleshly friends The flesh sayd doe not shorten thy time now for thou maist if thou wilt liue much longer The spirit sayd this life is nothing to that which is to come which lasteth for euer and ever ¶ The Prayer of Richard Browne who standing at the stake and holding vp both his hands sayd O Lord I yeild mee to thy grace Graunt mee pardon for my trespasse Let neuer the feend my soule chase Lord I will bow and thou shalt beat Let neuer my soule come in hell heat Into thy hands I commend my spirit ¶ A Godly and deuout Prayer mentioned in the storie of M r. Philpot Martyr fit for such as suffer at the stake MErcifull God and father to whome approached our Sauiour Christ in his feare need by reason of death and found comfort Gracious God and most bounteous Christ on whome Steuen called in his extreame need and receiued strength Most benigne and holy spirit who in the midst of all crosses and death did'st comfort th'Apostle ST Paul with more consolations in Christ thē hee felt sorrows terrors haue mercie vpon me miserable vild and wretched sinner who now draweth neere vnto the gates of death deserued both in body and soule eternall by reason of my manifold horrible old and new transgressions which to thine eies ô Lord are open and knowne Oh be mercifull vnto mee for the bitter death and bloodshedding of thine onely sonne Iesus Christ. And though thy justice do require in respect of my sinnes that thou shouldst not heare me measuring mee with the same measure I haue measured thy Maiestie contēning al thy gracious calls yet let thy mercie which is aboue all thy works and wherwith th' earth is filled let thy mercy I say prevaile towards mee through and for the Mediation of onr Saviour for whose sake it hath pleased thee now to bring mee foorth as one of thy witnesses and a record bearer to thy veritie and truth taught by him to giue my life therefore To which dignitie ô Lord and deere father I acknowledge there was never any so vnfit nor vnworthy no not the theefe that hanged vppon the Crosse so I therfore most humbly beseech thee that thou woldst accordingly aid helpe and assist me with thy strength and heavenly grace that with Christ thy Sonne I may find comfort with Steven I may see thy presence and gracious power with Paul and all others which for thy names sake haue suffred affliction and death I may find thy sweet consolation so present with mee that I may by my death glorifie thy name propagate and ratifie thy truth comfort the hearts of the heavie confirm thy Church in thy veritie convert some to be converted so depart foorth of this miserable life where I doe nothing but heape sinne dayly vppon sinne and so enter into the fruition of thy blessed presence and mercie whereof giue and encrease in mee a liuely trust sence and feeling where through the terrors of death the torments of the fire the pangs of sinne the darts of Satan and the dolours of hell may never depresse mee but may bee driven away through the working of thy most gratious spirit which now plenteously endew mee withall that I may offer as I now desire to do in Christ by him my selfe wholy Soule and body to be an holy liuely and acceptable sacrifice in thy sight Deere Father whose I am and alwaies haue been even from my Mothers wombe yea even before the world was made to whom I commend my selfe soule and body familie friends Countrey and all thy whole Church yea even my very enemies according to thy good pleasure beseeching thee entirely to giue once more to this Realme of England the blessing of thy word againe with godly peace to the teaching and setting foorth of the same Oh deare Father now giue me grace to come vnto thee purge and so purifie mee by this fire in Christs death passion through thy spirit that I may bee a burnt offring of sweet smel in thy sight who liuest and raignest with the son and holy Ghost now and for ever more Amen M. Bartlet Greene. ¶ A Sweet description of the miseries of this life and of the ioyes of the life to come written by M r. Bartlet Greene. BEtter is the day of death sayth Salomon then the day of birth Man that is borne of a woman liueth but a short time and is replenished with many miseries but happy are the dead that dye in the Lord. Man of a woman is borne in trauell to liue in miserie man through Christ doth dye to liue Straight as he commeth into this world with cries hee vttereth his miserable estate straight as he departeth with songs hee praiseth God for ever Scearce yet in his cradle 3 deadly enemies assaile him after death no adversarie can annoy him whilst he is heere hee displeaseth GOD when hee is dead hee fulfilleth his will In this life hee dyeth through sinne In the life to come he liueth in righteousnesse Through many tribvlations on earth he is still purged with joy vnspeakable in heaven hee is made perfect for ever Heere hee dyeth every houre there hee liveth continually Heere is sinne there is righteousnes Here is time there is eternitie Heere is hatred there is loue Heere is paine there is pleasure Heere is miserie there is felicitie Heere is Corruption there is jmmortalitie Heere we see vanitie there we shall behold the Maiestie of God with triumphant vnspeakable joy in glory everlasting Seeke therefore the things that are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hand of GOD the Father to whom with the holy Ghost be all glory and houour world without end Amen Lady Iane. ¶ An effectuall Prayer made by the Lady IANE in the time of her trouble O Lord thou god father of my life heare me poore and desolate woman who flyeth vnto thee onely in all troubles and miseries Thou O Lord art the onely defender and deliuerer of those that put their trust in thee therfore I beeing defiled with sinne encombred with affliction vnquieted with troubles wrapped in cares over-whelmed with miseries vexed with temptations and grieuously tormented with the long jmprisonment of this vilde masse of Claye my sinfull body do come vnto thee O mercifull Saviour crauing thy mercie and helpe with the which so little hope of deliuerance is left that I may vtterly despaire of any libertie Albeit it is expedient that seeing our life standeth vpon trying we should be visited sometime with some adversity whereby we might be tried whether wee be thy flocke or no and also know thee and our selues the better yet thou that sayd'st thou would'st not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power be merciful vnto me now a miserable wretch
vppon mee haue mercie vpon me for thy deere Sonne our Saviour Christs sake in whom I confesse onely to bee all salvation and justification and that there is none other meane nor way nor holinesse in which or by which any man can be saved in this world This is my faith which I beseech men heere to beare witnes off Then sayd hee the Lords Prayer and so made an end Fier beeing set vnto him and burning therein he cried thrise with a loud voice O Sonne of GOD haue mercy vpon mee O Sonne of GOD receiue my soule and so his speach beeing taken from him hee spake no more lifting vp notwithstanding his stumpe with his other arme as long as he could ¶ Here followeth two worthy and godly Letters full of heavenly consolation written by that holie man of God M. Iohn Bradford Martyr fit for all such to read and obserue as feele in them a wounded spirit ¶ The first Letter written to Mistres H. a godly Gentlewoman comforting her in that common and godly sorrow which the feeling and sence of sinne worketh in Gods children I Humblie and heartilie praye the everlasting good God and Father of mercie to blesse and keepe your hart and mind in the knowledge and the loue of his truth and of his Christ through th'jnspiration working of the holy spirit Amen Although I haue no doubt but that you prosper and goe forwards daily in the way of Godlinesse more and more drawing towards perfection and haue no need of any thing that I can write yet because my desire is that you might be more fervent and persevere vnto the end I could not but write something vnto you beseeching you both often and diligentlie to call vnto your mind as a meane to stirre you hervnto yea as a thing which god most straightly requireth you to belieue that you are the beloued of God and that hee is your deare Father in through for Christ his deaths sake This loue and tender kindnesse of God towards vs in Christ is aboundantlie herein declared in that he hath to the godly worke of Creation of this world made vs after his jmage redeemed vs being lost called vs into his church sealed vs with his marke and signe Manuel of Baptisme kept and conserved vs all the daies of our life fedde nowrished defended and most mercifullie chastised vs and now hath kindled in our hearts the sparkles of his feare faith loue and knowledge of his Christ truth and therefore we lament because wee can lament no more our vnthankefulnesse our frailenes our diffidence and wavering in things whereof we should be most certain All these things we should vse as meanes to confirme our faith of this that God is our God and Father and to assure vs that he loueth vs as our Father in Christ to this end I say should we vse the things before touched especiallie in that of all things God requireth this faith and perswasion of his Father by goodnesse as his chiefest seruice For before he aske any thing of vs he saith I am the Lord thy God giuing himselfe and all he hath to vs to be our own And this he doth in respect of himselfe of his owne mercie truth and not in respect of vs for then were grace no more grace In consideration wherof when he saith Thou shalt haue none other Gods but mee thou shalt loue mee with all thy heart c. Though of dutie wee are bound to accomplish all that he requireth and are culpable and guiltie if wee doe not the same yet he requireth not these things further of vs then to make vs more in loue and more certaine of this his covenant that hee is the Lord our GOD. In certaintie whereof as he hath giuen this world to serue our need and commoditie so hath he giuen vs his son Christ Iesus and in Christ himselfe to be a pledge and gage wherof the Holie Ghost doth now and then giue vs some tast and sweet feeling and smell to our eternall ioye Therefore as I said because God is your Father in Christ and requireth of you straightly to belieue it giue your selfe to obedience although you doe it not with such feeling as you desire First must faith goe before and then feeling will follow If our jmperfection frailty many evils should bee occasions whereby Satan would haue vs doubt as much as in vs lyeth let vs abhorre that suggestion as of all others most pernicious for so indeed it is For whē we stand in doubt whether God bee our Father or no we cannot bee thankfull to God we cannot heartily pray or thinke any thing we do acceptable to God we cannot loue our neighbours and giue ouer our selues to care for them and doe for them as we should do and therfore Satā is most busie hereabouts knowing full wel that if we doubt of gods eternall sweet mercies in Christ wee cannot please God or doe any thing as we should to man Continually casteth he into our memories our jmperfection frailty folly and offences that we shold doubt of gods mercie and fauour towards vs. Therefore my good Sister we must not bee sluggish herein but as Satan laboreth to loosen our faith so must we labour to fasten it by thinking on the promises and covenant of god in Christs bloud namelie that God is our God with all that ever he hath which Covenant dependeth and hangeth vpon Gods owne goodnes mercie and truth onely and not on our obedience and worthines in any poynt for then should we never bee certaine Indeed God requireth of vs obedience and worthines but not that thereby wee might be made his childrē and he our Father but because he is our Father and wee his children through his own goodnes in christ therfore requireth he faith and obedience Now if we want this obedience worthinesse which hee requireth should wee therefore doubt whether he bee our Father Nay that were to make our obedience worthines the cause and so to put Christ out of place for whose sake God is our Father But rather because hee is our Father and wee feele our selues to want such things as he requireth wee should be stirred vppe to an holy blushing and shamfastnesse because wee are not as wee should bee and therevpon should wee take occasion to go to our father in prayer on this manner Deare Father thou of thine owne Mercie in Christ Iesus hast chosen me to bee thy child and therefore thou would'st I should be brought into thy Church and faithfull company of thy children wherein thou hast kept me hitherto thy name bee praised therefore Now I see my selfe to want faith hope loue c. which thy children haue and thou requirest of me wherethrough the deuill would haue me doubt yea vtterly to despaire off thy Fatherly goodnesse favour and mercie Therefore I come to thee as to my merciful father through thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ and pray thee to helpe me