¶ A fruitful treatise and full of heavenly consolation against the fear of death. Whereunto are annexed certain sweet meditateons of the kingdom of Christ, of life everlasting, and of the blessed state & felicity of the same. Gathered by that holy martyr of God, john Bradford. ¶ Perused corrected & augmented according to the original, & Imprinted in Fleetstreet near to saint Dunston's Church by William powel. Ecclesiasti, 5. MAke no tarrying to turn unto the lord, and put not of from day to day: For suddenly shall his wrath come, and in the day of vengeance he shall destroy thee. Stand fast in the way of the lord: be steadfast in thine understanding, and follow the word of peace and righteousness. ¶ A treatise against the fear of death. BEING minded, through the help of God, for mine own comfort and encouraging of others, to speak something of Death (at whose doors though I have stand a great while, yet never so near, to man's judgement, as I do now) I think it most requisite to call & cry for thy help, Oh blessed sautour jesus christ, which hast destroyed death by thy death, & brought in place thereof, life and immortality, as by the gospel it appeareth: grant to me true & lively faith, wherethrough men pass from death to eternal life, that of practise and not of naked speculation, I may something write concerning death (which is dreadful out of thee & in itself) to the glory of thy holy name, to mine own comfort in thee, and to the edifying of all them, to whom this writing shall come, to be red or heard. Amen. ¶ There be four kinds of death, iiij. kinds of death. one which is natural, an other which is spiritual, a third which is temporal, and a fourth which is eternal. Concerning the first and the last what they be, I need not to declare, but the second and the third, perchance, of the simple (for whose sake especially I Spiritual death what it is write) are not so soon espied. By a spiritual death therefore, I mean such a death as the body living the soul is dead. Whereof the Apostle maketh mention in 2. Tim. 5 speaking of widows which lining daintily, being a live in body, are dead in soul. Thus you see what I mean by the spiritual death. Now by a temporal Temporal death. death I mean such a death, where through the body and affections thereof are mortified, that the spirit may live. Of which kind of death the Apostle speaketh in Cols. 3. exhorting us to kill our members. And thus much of the kinds of death: wherein the judgement of the world is not to it approved, for it careth less for spiritual day the, then for natural death: it esteemeth less eternal death then temporal death, or else would men leave sin, which procureth both Sin is the cause of death. th'one and the other (I mean spiritual & eternal death) and chose temporally to die, that by natural death they might enter into the full fruition of eternal life: which none can enjoy nor enter into, that here will not temporally die, that is, mortify their affections, and crucify their lusts and concupicences: For by obeying them at the first came death, as we may read Genesis the. 3. If Eve had not obeyed her desire in eating the forbidden fruit, By what means death came into the world. whereby she died spiritually, none of these kinds of death had ever come unto man, nor been known of us. Therefore (as I said) we must needs here temporally die: that is, mortify our affections, to escape the spiritual death, and by natural death, not only escape eternal death of soul & body, but also by it, as by a door, enter into eternal life, which Christ jesus our Saviour hath procured and purchased to and for all that be in him, translating eternal death into a sleep or rather into a deliverance of soul & body, from all kind of misery & sin. By reason whereof we may see that to those that be in Christ: that is, to such as do believe (which believers I mean, are discerned from others, by not walking after the Roma. 8. flesh, but after the spirit) to those I say, death is no damage, but a vantage: no dreadful thing, but rather desierable, & of all messengers most merry, whiles he is looked upon with the eyes of faith in the gospel. But more of this hereafter. Thus have I briefly showed thee the kinds of death, what they be, whence they come, and what remedy for them. But now, for as much as I am purposed hereafter to entreat only of the first kind of death, that is, of natural death, something to comfort Natural death. myself & others against the dread and pains of the same: I will speak of it as God shall instruct me, and as I accustom with myself to muse on it now & then, the better to be prepared against the hour of temptation. I have showed how that this natural death came by spiritual death that is, by obeying our affections in the transgression of gods precepts: but through the benefit of Christ, to such as be in him, & Death what it is to christians. die temporally, that is, to such believers as labour to mortify their affections, it is no destruction, but a plain dissolution both of soul and body, from all kind of perils, dangers, & miseries, and therefore to such is not to be dread, but to be desired: as we see in the Apostle, which desired Philip. 1. Luke. 2. to be dissolved: And in Simeon which desired to be loosed, saying: dismiss or lose me, O lord, By which words, he seemeth plainly to teach, that this life is a bondage, and nothing to be desired, as now I will something show. First consider the pleasures of This life is not to be loved in respect of the pleasures there of, being nothing else but vanity. this life, what they be, how long they last, how painful we come by them, what they leave behind them: and thou shalt even in thence nothing but vavitie. As for example: how long lasteth the pleasure that man hath in the act of generation? How painfully do men behave themselves before they attain it? how doth it leave behind it a certain loathsomeness and fullness? I will speak nothing of the sting of conscience, if it be come by unlawfully. Who well seeing this, and forecasting it aforehand, would not forego the pleasures willingly, as far as need will permit & suffer? If then in this one, whereunto nature is most prone, and hath most pleasure in, it be thus: alas how can we but think 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 life is, mark here, and learn. itself is nothing in comparison, and therefore is full well compared to a candle light, which is soon blown out, to a flower, which fadeth away, to a smoke, to a shdowe, to a sleep, to a running water, to a day, to an hour, to a moment, and to vanity itself: who would esteem these pleasures and commodities, which last so little a while? Before they be begun, they are gone and passed away. How much of our time spend we in sleeping, in eating, in drinking, and in talking? Intancie is not perceived: youth is shortly overblown: middle age is nothing: old age is not long: and therefore (as I said) this life, through the considerations of the pleasures and commodities of it, should little move us to love it, but rather to loath it. God open our eyes to see these things, and to weigh them accordingly. Secondly, consider the miseries of this life, that if so be the pleasures and commodities in it should move us to love it: yet that miseries This life is more to be loched for the miseries, them loved for the pleasures there of. The miseries of this life concerning the body. might countervail and make us to take it as we should do: I mean, rather to desire to be loosed and dis●●ssed hence, then otherwise. Look upon your bodies, & see in how many perils and dangers you are. Your eyes are in danger of blindness and blerednes: your ears in danger of deafness: your mouth and tongue of cankers, toothache and dumnes: your head in danger of rheums & migraines: your throat in danger of hoarseness: your hands in danger of gouts & palsies. etc. But who is able to express the number of diseases, whereto man's body is in danger, saying that some have written that more than ¶ ¶ ¶. diseases may happen unto man? I speak nothing of the hurt that may come to our bodies by prisons, venomous beasts, water, fire, horses, men. etc. The miseries of this life concerning the soul. Byloking on our old faults & temptations, and other mès faults we may see what danger we are all ways ready to fall into. A gain, look upon your soul: see how many vices you are in danger of, as heresy, hypocriidolatrye, courtovines, idleness, security, envy, ambition, pride. etc. How many temptations may you fall into? But this shall you better see by looking on your old falls, foily, and temptations, and by looking on other men's faults: for no man hath done any thing so evil, but you may do the same. Moreover, look upon your name, and see how it is in danger to sciaunders & false reports. Look upon your g●o●es, see what danger they are in for thieves, for 〈◊〉. etc. Look vopon your wise, children, parents, brethren, sisters, kinsfolks, servants, friends, and neighbours: and behold how they also are in danger, both soul, body, name, & goods Great & weighty causes for us to be sad and heavy, & little to joy in the pleasures of this life. as you are. Look upon the common weal and country, look upon the church, upon the ministers and magistrates, & see what great dangers they are in: so that if you love them, you can not but for the evil which may come to them, be heavy and sad. You know it is not in your power nor in the power of any man, to hinder all evil that may come. How many perils is infancy in danger of? what danger is youth subject unto? man's state is full of cares: age is full of diseases and sores. If thou be rich, thy care is the greater: if thou be in honour, thy perils are the more: if thou be poor, thou art the more in danger to oppression. But alas, what tongue is able to express the myserablenes of this life? the which considered, should make us little to love it. I can compare our life to nothing An apt comparison between a ship on the sea, & the life of man: for what dangers are so great? what so like? so fitly, as to a ship in the mids of the sea. In what danger is the ship and they that be in it? Here are they in danger of tempest, there of quick sands, on this side of pirates, on that side of rocks, now may it leak, now may the mast break, now may the master fall sick, now may diseases come amongst the mariners, now may there dissension fall amongst themselves. I speak nothing of want of fresh water, meat, drink, and such other necessaries: Even such an other thing is this life. Here is the devil, there is the world, on Behold the great miseries & mischiefs that this life is in danger of, on every side. this side is the flesh, on that side is sin, which. thurowly cleaveth unto our rib, and will do so long as we be in this flesh, and natural life: so that none but blind men can see this life to be so much & so greatly to be desired: but rather, as the men that sail, are most glad when they approach to the haven, even so should we be most glad when we approach to the haven, that is death, which setteth us a land: whose commodities 1. Cor. 2. no eye hath seen, no tongue can tell, no heart can conceive in any point, as it should. Happy, oh happy were we, if we saw these things accordingly: God open our eyes to see them. Amens If any man would desire testimonies of these things, although experience, a sufficient mistress, is to be credited: yet will I here mark certain places, where unto the reader may resort, & find no less than I say, but rather much more, if that with diligence he read & weigh the places. job the .v. calleth this life a warfare. job. 5. job, 8. In the vii chapter he painteth it out something lively, under diverse similitudes. Saint james jaco. 4. compareth it to a vapour. All the book of Ecclesiastes teacheth it to be but vanity. Saint john john. 8. Psal. 91. saith, it is altogether put in evil. Daniel saith, the best thing in this life is but vanity, labour and sorrow. But what go I her about How short transitory and misera seeing that almeste every leaf in the scripture is full of the brevity and misery of this life? So that The life of man is, the scriptures do every where declare. I think as saint Augustine doth write, that there is no man that hath lived so happily in this world, that would be content when death cometh, to go back again by the same steps, whereby he hath come into the world and lived, except the same be in despair, and look for nothing after this life but confusion. Thus I trust you see, that though the commodities of this life were The brevity, vanity, and misery of this life, should cause us little to regard it. such as could cause us to love it: yet the brevity, vanity, and misery of it is such, as should make us little to regard it, which believe and know death to be the end of all miseries to them that are in Christ, as we all ought to take ourselves to be, being baptized in his name (for our baptism requireth this faith under pain of damnation) although we have not observed our profession as we should have done, if so be we now repent, and come to amendment. To such I say as are in Christ, death is to be desired, even in respect of this, that it delivereth us from so miserable a life, & so dangerous a state as we now be in. Do that I may well say, they are senseless, without wyrte, void of love to god, void of all hatted & sense of sin 1. Pet. 7 Apoc. 7. (wherewith this life floweth) that rather desire not to depart hence out of all these miseries, them here still to remain to their continual grief. But if these things will not move us, I would yet we beheld: the commodities whereunto death bringeth us. If we be not moved to leave this life in respect of the miseries, whereof it is full: yet we should be moved to leave The commodities whereto death bringeth us, should make us willing to forsake this life. it in respect of the infinite goodness which the other life, whereto death bringeth us, hath most plentifully, Men, though they love things, yet for things which are better, can be content to forego them: even so we now, for the good things in the life to come (If we consider them) shall and will be content to forego the most commodious things in this present life. Here we have great pleasure in the beauty of the world, and of the pleasures, honours, & dignities of the same: also in the company of our friends, parents, wife, children, subjects: also in plenty of riches, cattle. etc. and yet we know that never a one of these is without his dyscommoditie, The commodities of this life mixed with discommodities, lest we should love them to much. which god sendeth, lest we should love them to much: as if you will weigh things, you shall easily perceive. The Sun, though it be fair & cheerful, yet it burneth sometimes to hot. The air, though it be light and pleasant, yet sometimes it is dark and troublous: and so of other things. But be it so, that there were no discommodities mingled with the commodities: yet (as before I have said) the brevity and short time that we have to use them, should assuage their dulcetnes. But if this were not also, but that the pleasures of this life were without discommodity, permanent, and without peril (whereof they be full) yet are they nothing at all to be compared to the commodities of the life to come. What is this earth, heaven, and The pleasures of this life what they are, in comparison of the pleasure of the life to come. shape of the world, wherein beasts have place, and wicked men Gods enemies have abiding and liberty, in comparison of the new heaven and earth, wherein righteousness shall dwell? in comparison of that place where Angels and archangel's, and all god's people, yea God himself hath his abiding and dwelling? What is the company of wife, children, etc. in comparison to the company of Abraham, Isaac, & jacob, tste patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins and all the saints of God? what is the company of any in this world, in comparison to the company of the Angels, Archangels, Cherubins, Zeraphins, powers, thrones, dominations: yea of god the father, god the son, and god the holy ghost? What are the riches and pleasures of this life, in comparison of the felicity of everlasting life, which is without all discommodities, perpetual without all peril and jeopardy, without all grief and molestation? Oh the mirth and melody: Oh the honour, and glory: The blessed state of the life to come. Oh the riches and beauty: Oh the power and majesty: Oh the sweetness and dignity of the life to come. The eye hath not seen, the care hath not heard, nor the 1. Co. 2. heart of man is not able to conceive in any thing, any part of the eternal felicity, and happy state of heaven. Therefore the Saints of God have desired so earnestly & so heartily to be there. Oh how amiable are thy tabernacles saith David? My soul Psal. 84. hath a desire to enter into that courts of the Lord: my heart and my The vehement desire and longing of Goods saints to be dissolved and to be with god. soul rejoice in the living god. Blessed are those that dwell in thy house, that they may aiwayes be praising thee: for one day in thy courts is better than a thousand else where. I had rather be a door keeper in the house of my GOD, then to dwell in the tents of ungodliness: For the lord god is a light and defence. And again, as the Hart desireth the water brooks, so longeth my soul after thee Psal. 24. oh god. My soul is a thirst for god, yea even for the living god. when shall I come to appear before the presence of god? And my soul thirsteth for thee: my flesh Psal. 63. also longeth after thee in a barren and dry land, where no water is. They (gods people I mean) desire the day of their redemption, & they still cry, let thy kingdom Roma. 8. come: they cry, come lord Apoc. 22. jesus, come: they life up their heads, looking for his appearing which will make their vile bodies like to his own glorious and immortal body: For when he Philip. 1. shall appear they shallbe like unto him. The angels will gather Math. 24. 1. Thes. 4. them together, & they shall meet him in the clouds, and be always with him. They shall Math. 2● hear this joyful voice, come ye blessed of my father, possess the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning. Then shall they be like unto his Angels: then shall they shine like the Sun in the kingdom: then shall they Apoc. 7. have crowns of glory, and be endued with white garments of The glory and felicity of God's children in the kingdoms of God. Death the Haven of eternal life. innocency and righteousness, & palines of victory in their hands. Oh happy, happy is he that may with them, see that imusrial and incorruptible inheritance, which then we shall enjoy for ever. Thus you see (I hope) sufficiently, that in respect of heaven & eternal bliss (whereunto by the haven of death we land) this life, though there were no evil in it, is not to be loved: but rather we that he pilgrims in it, should desire with Paul and Simton, to The miseries and dangers we pass, and the be loosed and dissolved, that we might be with god. Here our bodies (as before is spoken) are in danger of innumerable evils but there our bodies shall be, not only without all danger, vutalso be like the glorious & immortal Phil. 3. Mat. 13. Dan. 12. Mat. 17. body of the lord jesus christ. Now our bodies be dark: then shall they be most clear & light, as we see Christ's face did shine in his transfiguration like to the suane. Now our bodies be vile, miserable, mortal and corruptible, but then shall they be glorious, happy, immortal and incorruptible. Cor. 15. Io. 3. we shall be like unto Christ our saviour: even as he is, so shall we be. As we have borne the image of the earthly, so shall 1. Cor. 15 we bear the image of the heavenvly. Here our souls are in great Now foolish & senseless are they which in respect pect of so glorious a state will not gladly forsake so miserable a life? dearknes and dangers of many evils: but there they shall be in great light, safe security, and secure felicity: we shall see god face face, where now we see him but as in a glass, thorough a dark speaking. There shall we behold him even as he is, and be satisfied without loathsomeness of his presence: yea we Shallbe endued with most perfect knowledge. where now we know but partly, there shall we know as we be known. Here our commodities are measurable, short, uncertain, and mingled with many incommodities: but there is mirth without measure, all liberty, all light, all joy, rejoicing, pleasure, health, wealth, riches, glory, power, treasure, honour, triumph, comfort, solace, love, unity, peace, concord, wisdom, virtue, melody, meekness, felicity, beatitude, and all that ever can be wished or desired, and that in most security and perpetuity that may be conceived or thought, not only of men, but also of angels, as witnesseth he that saw it, (I mean Paul) who was carried 1. Cor. 2. up into the third heaven: The eye hath not seen (saith he) the tore hath not heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the felicity that God hath prepared for them that love him. There the archangel's, angels, powers, thrones, dominions, cherubins, Seraphins, patriarchs, Prophets, apostles, martyrs, Virgins, confessors, and righteous spirits cease not to sing night Apo. 44. and day, Holy, Holy, Holy, lord God of hosts: honour, majesty, glory, empery, and dominion be unto thee, oh lord God the creator: Oh Lord jesus the redeemer: O holy spirit the comforter. For the light of the moon shallbe as the The clarity and brightness of God's children in his kingdom, above the seven told brightness of the sū●. light of the sun: and the light of the sun shallbe seven fold, even as the light of seven days in his blessed kingdom, where and when he will find up the wounds of his people, and heal their plagues. Oh that we might have some lively sight hereof, that we might rejoice over the undefiled & unmortall inheritance, whereunto God hath called us, & which he doth keep for us in heaven: that we might hear the sweet song of his saved people, crying salvation be unto him that sitteth on the throne of our God, & unto the lamb: that we might▪ with the elders and Angels, sing and say: praise and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be to thee our god for evermore: that we might be covered with a white stole, & have a palm in our hands, to stand befort God's throne night and day, to serve him in his temple, and to have him dwell in us: that we might hear the great voice saying from heaven: behold Apoc. 22. the tabernacle of the lord is with men, and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them, their god. Oh happy were they that now might have a little she we of that holy city, new jerusalem, descending from heaven, Apoc. 21. prepared of god as a bride decked for her husband, which he showed to his servant saint john. truly this should we see if we were with him in the spirit: but this can not be, so long as we are in the flesh. Alas then and well away, that we love this life Lack of faith is the cause why we do so little desire to be out of this sinful life. as we do. It is a sign we have little faith, for else how could we but night and day desire the messenger of the lord (death I mean) to deliver us out of all miseries, that we might enter into the fruition of eternal felicity? But here will some man say: Oh Sir, If I were cerrayn that I should departed from this miserable An objection proceeding of the sense of sin & reason, which is an adversary to faith. life, into that so great felicity, then could I be right glad and rejoice as you will me, and bid death welcome: but I am a sinner, I have grievously transgressed and broken Gods will, and therefore I am afraid I shall be sent into eternal woe, perdition, and misery. Here my brother thou dost well that thou dost acknowledge thyself a sinner, & to have deserved eternal death: for doubtless, if we say, we have no sin, we are liars, and the 1. john. 1 truth is not in us. A child of a nights birth, is not pure in god's sight. In sin were we job. 25. borne, and by birth or na●●re we are the children of wrath, and her brands of hell. Therefore confess ourselves to be sinners, we needs must. For if the lord will observe any man's iniquiries, none shall be able to abide it, yea we must needs all cry: enter not into judgement, O Lord, for in Psal. ●●● Psal. 141 thy sight no flesh, nor man living can be saved. In this point therefore thou hast done well to confess that thou art a sinner. But now, where thou stantest in doubt of pardon of thy sins Three things where by the afflicted conscience may be assured of pardon & forgiveness. and thereby art afraid of damnation, my dear brother, I would have thee answer me one question: that is, whether thou desirest pardon or no: whether thou dost repent or no: whether thou dost unfeignedly purpose, if thou shouldest live, to amend thy life or no. If thou dost even before god so purpose, & desirest his mercy, then hearken (my good brother) what the lord saith unto thee: I am he, I am he, that for my Esay. 43. own sake will do away thine offences. If thy sins be as Esay. 1. red as scarlet, they shallbe made as white as show, for I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner. As surely as I live, I will not Ezech. 33 thy death, but rather that thou shouldest live and be converted. I have so loved the world that I would not spare my dearly beloved Son, the Image of my substance, john. 3. and brightness of my glory, by whom all things were given: but gave him for thee, not only to be man, but also to take thy nature, and to purge it from mortality, sin, and all corruption, and to adorn and endue it with immortality & eternal glory, not only in his own person, but also in thee, and for thee: where of now by faith I would have thee certain, as in very deed, thou shalt at length feel and fully enjoy for ever. This my son I Philip. 2. have given to the death, & that a must shameful death even of the cross for thee, to destroy death, to satisfy my justice for thy sins: therefore believe, and according to thy faith so be it unto the. hearken what my son himself sayeth unto thee: Come unto me all Math. 11 ye that labour, and are laden, & I will refresh you. I came not into the world to dam the john. 3. world, but to save it. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners Luke. 5. to repentance. I pray not (saith he) for these mine Apostles only, but also for all them that by their john. 15. preaching, shall believe in me. Now what prayed he for such? Father (saith he) I will that where I am, they may also be, that they may see and enjoy the glory I have and always had with thee. Father save them and keep them in thy truth. Father (saith he) I sanctify myself, and offer up myself for them. Lo, thus thou hearest how my son prayeth for thee. Mark now what my Apostle Paul sayeth: we know (saith he) that Heb. 5. our Saviour Christ's prayers were heard. Also this is a true saying that jesus Christ came 1. Tim. 1. into the world to save sinners. hearken what he saith to the jailor: believe in the Lord jesus & Act. 16. Heb. 9 thou shalt be saved: For he by his own self, hath made purgation for our sins. To him (saith Act. 8. Peter) beareth all the prophets witness, that whosoever believeth in his name shall receive remission of their sins. Believe man, pray, Lord help mine unbelief, lord Mark. 6. Luke. 17. increase my faith, ask and thou shalt have. hearken what s. john saith. If we confess our sins, 1. john. 1 God is righteous to forgive us all our iniquities, and the blood of our lord jesus Christ shall wash us from our sins. For if we sin, we have an advocate (sayeth he) with the father, jesus christ the 1. john. 2 righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins, hearken what Christ is called: Call his name jesus, saith the Angel, for he shall Luke. 1. save his people from their sins: So that where abundance of sin Rom. 5 is, there is abundance of grace. Say therefore, who shall lay any thing to my charge? It is god that absolveth me, who then shall condemn Rom. 8. me? It is Christ which is dead for my sins, yea which is risen for my righteousness, & sitteth on the right hand of the father & prayeth for me. Be certain therefore and sure of pardon of thy sins: be certain and sure of everlasting life. Do not now say in thy heart, who shall descend into the deep? that is, dobute not of pardon of thy sins, for that is to fetch up Christ again: neither Rom. 10. say thou, who shall ascend up in to heaven? that is, doubt not of eternal bliss, for that is to put Christ out of heaven. But mark what the lord saith unto thee: the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, and this is the word of faith which we preach: If thou confess with thy mouth that jesus Christ is the lord, & believe with thy heart that God raised him up from the dead, thou shalt be safe. If thou believe that jesus Christ died and rose again, even so shalt thou be assured (saith the lord god) that dying with christ, I will bring thee again with him. 1. Thes. 4. Thus dear brother, I thought good to write to thee in the name of the Lord, that thou fearing death for nothing else but because of thy sins, mightest be assured of pardon of them, & so embrace death as a dear friend, & insult against his terror, sting, & power, saying: death where is thy sting? hell where is thy victory? 1. Cor. 15. The greatest dishonour to god is, to doubt of his mercy. Nothing in all the world so displeaseth the lord as to doubt of his mercy. In the mouth of two or three witnesses, we should be content. Therefore in that thou haste heard so many witnesses, how that in deed, desiring mercy with the Lord, thou art not sent empty a way: give credit thereto, and say with the good Virgin mary, behold thy servant (Oh Lord) be it unto me Luke. 1. in the word only, we behold gods love & favour towards us, & therefore we should give credit to it against all our sense, reason, and judgement. according to thy word. Upon the which word, see thou set thine eye only and wholly: For otherwise, here thou seest not god thy father but in his word, which is the glass wherein now we behold his grace and fatherly love towards us in Christ, & therefore herewith we should be content, and give more credit to it then to all our lenses, & to all the world beside. * john. 12 The word (saith our Saviour) shall judge. According to it therefore, & not according to any exterior or interior show, judge both of thyself & of all other things else. Concerning thyself: if thou desire in deed God's mercy, and lamentest that thou hast offended, lo it pronounceth that there is mercy with the lord for thee, & plenteous redemption. Psal. 130 It telleth thee which wouldst have mercy at the lords hand, that the Lord willeth the same, and therefore thou art happy for he would not thy death. It telleth thee that if thou acknowledge thy faults unto the lord, he will cover them in his mercy. Again, concerning death, it Death what it is by the word of god. telleth thee that it is but a sleep: that it is but a passing unto thy father: that it is but a deliverance out of misery: that it is but a putting of of mortality & corruption: that it is s putting on of immortality & incorruption: that it is a putting a way of an earthy tabertabernacle, 2. Cor. 5 that thou mayest receive an heavenvly house or mansion: that this is but a calling of the home from the watching & standing in the warfare of this miserable life. According to this (〈◊〉 word I mean) do thou judge of death, & thou shalt not be afraid of it, but desire it as a most wholesome medicine and a friendly messenger of the lords justice & mercy. Embrace him therefore: make him good cheer, for of all enemies he is the least. In enemy quoth I? nay rather of all friends he is the best, for he bringeth thee out of all danger of enemies, into the most sure & safe place of thy unfeigned friend for ever. Let these things be often thought why death ought to be premeditate and thought often upon upon. Let death be premeditated, not only because he cometh uncertainly (I mean for the time, for else he is most certain) but all so because he helpeth much to the contempt of this world: out of the which, as nothing will go with thee, so nothing canst thou take with thee: because it helpeth to the mortifying of the flesh, which when thou feedest, thou dost nothing else but feed worms: because it helpeth to the well disposing & due ordering of the things thou haste in this life: because it helpeth to repentance: to bring thee unto the knowledge of thyself, that thou art but earth and ashes, and to bring thee the more better to know God. But who is able to tell the commodities that come by the often and true consideration of death? whose time is therefore left unto us uncertain and unknown (although to god job. 14. it be certain, and the bounds there of not only known, but appointed of the Lord, over the which none can pass) because we should not prolong and put of from day to day the amendment of our life, as did the rich man, under hope Luke. 12. of long life. And seeing it is the ordinance of god, & cometh not but by the will of god, even unto a sparrow, much more than unto us, which are incomparably much more dear than many sparrows: and in that this will of god is not only just but also good (for he is our Father) let us, if there were nothing else but this, submit ourselves, our senses, & judgements unto the pleasure of him, being content to come out of the room of our souldership, whensoever he shall send for us by his pursuivant death. Let us render unto him, that which he hath lente us so long (I mean life) least we be ●ounted unthankful. And in that death cometh not but by sin, in that we have sinned so often and yet the Lord hath ceased from exacting this tribute & punishment of us until this present: let us with thankfulness praise his patience, and pay our det, not doubting but that he being our father & our almighty father, can & will, if death were evil unto us (as god knowech it is a chief benefit unto us by christ) convert & turn it into good. But death being (as before I have showed) not to be dread, but to be desired: let us lift up our heads in thinking Luke. 11. on it, and know that our redemption draweth nigh. Let our The four last articles of the faith often to be meditate and thought upon. minds be occupied in the consideration, or often coutemplation of the four last articles of our belief: that is the communion of saints, or the holy catholic Church: remission of sins: resurrection of the flesh: & the life everlasting. By faith in Christ, be it never so saint, little or cold, we are members in very deed of the catholic & holy church of Christ: that is, we have communion or fellowship with all the saints of God that ever were, be, or shallbe. Whereby we may receive great comfort: For though our faith be feeble, yet the Church's faith (whereof our Saviour Christ is the head) is mighty enough: though our repentance be little, yet the repentance of the church, wherewith we have communion, is sufficient: though our love be languishing, yet the love of the church & of the spouse of the church, is ardent: and so of all other things we want. Not that I mean this as though any man should think that our faith should be in any or upon any other, then only upon god the Father, the son, & the holy ghostener there that any shonide think I mean thereby any other merits or mean to salvation, then only the merits and name of the lord jesus: but that I would the poor christian conscience, which by baptism is brought into god's church and made a member of the same thorough faith, should not for his sins sake, or for the want of any No sin or want of any thing, what so ever it be, should cause us to despair of God's final favour and mercy. thing he hath not, despair: but rather should know that he is a member of Chrisses' church & mystical body, & therefore cannot but have communion and fellowship of both that is of Christ himself being the lord, husband, and head thereof, and of all that ever hath been, be, or shallbe members of it, in all the good things that ever they have had, have, or shall have. Still doth the church pray for us by Christ's commandment: forgive us our sins, lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil: yea Christ himself doth pray for us, being members of his body (as we us in deed) if that we believe, though it be never so little. God grant this faith unto us all, and increase it in us. Amen. Out of this church no Pope nor prelate can cast us, or excommunicate us in deed, although exteriorly they segregate us from the society of gods saints. But enough of this. As I would have us often to muse upon the catholic Church or communium of saints) whereof we That we are partakers of this communion & fellowship we may not doubt being received there unto by baptism. may not doubt, in what state so ever we be, under pain of damnation, being baptized in the name of the father, the son, and the holy Ghost:) so would I have us to meditate upon the other articles following: that is, remission of sins: resurrection of the flesh: & life everlasting. It is an article of our faith to believe: that is, to be certain, that our sins are pardoned: therefore doubt not thereof, lest thou become an Infideil. Though thou have sinned never None so great or grievous a sinner but there is mercy for him with the Lord. so sore, yet now despair not, but be certain that god is thy God: that is, that he forgiveth thee thy sin. Therefore (as I said) doubt not thereof, for in so doing thou puttest a salad on the head of thy soul, that the dew of god's grace can not in deed drop into it, but Cantic. 5 slip by as fast as it droppeth. Therefore without that salad or soul nightecap be bareheaded: that is, hope still in the mercy of the Lord, and so mercy shall compass thee on every side. In like manner, the article of the resurreiction of the flesh, have often in thy mind, being assured by this, that thy carcase and body shallbe raised up again in the last day when the Lord shall come to judgement, and shallbe made incorruptable, immortal, glorious, spiritual, perfect, light, and even like to the glorious body of our Saviour jesus christ: for he is the first fruits of 〈◊〉 Philip. 3 dead, and as god is all in all, so shall he be unto thee in Christ. Look therefore upon thine own estate: for as he is so shalt thou be. As thou hast borne the image of the earthly Adam, so shalt thou 1. Cor. 15 bear the Image of the heavenly: therefore glorify thou now god, both in soul and body. wait and look for this day of the lord with groaning and sighing. Gather together testimonies of this which I do omit for times sake. last of all, have often in thy mind, life everlasting, whereunto thou art even landing. Death is the haven that carrieth thee unto this land: where is all that can be wished, yea above all wishes and desires: for in it we shall see god face to face, which thing now Exod. 34 we can in no wise do, but must cover our faces with Boyses & Heltas, till the face or foreparts of the lord be gone by. Now must we look on his back parts, beholding him in his word, and in his creatures, & in the face of jesus Christ our mediator: but then we shall see him face to face, & 1. Cor. 13 we shall know, as we are known. Therefore let us often think on these things, that we may have faith, lustily and cheerfully to arrive at the happy haven of death, which you see is to be desired, and not to be dread, to all those that are in Christ, that is, to such as to believe in deed: which are discerned from those that only say they do believe, by dying temporally, that is by labouring to mortify Roma. 6. thorough god's spirit, the affections of the flesh: not that they should not be in them, but that they should not reign in them, that is in their mortal bodies, to give ever them selves to serve sin: whose servants we are not, but are made servants unto righteousness, being now under grace and not under the law, and therefore hath god mercifully promised that sin shall not reign in us: The which he continually grant for his truth, power, & mercy's sake Amen. A meditation A Meditation concerning the kingdom of Christ, & that it is no corporal thing, as the jews & anabaptists do feign: to whom the Papists (in manner) assent, making the church so glorious and gay a dame, far unlike to be Christ's Spouse: who was here on earth in no such felicity & worldly glory, as their church is. They make more of the good wise then of the good men, and therefore set forth to us a strumpet for Christ's spouse. OPen mine eyes dear lord, to see thy kingdom, for it is spiritual, and of carnal eyes simply cannot be considered, & therefore less ought we to marvel to see it contemned, and the children thereof persecuted: the most part of men, and specially the great men of the world being carnal & not spiritual, although by title many be called so. give me thy light to see, that thy kingdom (O christ) is thy sitting on the right hand of thy father & ours, & thy interpellation and mediation for us, & also thy giving of pardon & forgiveness of sins, & the holy spirit to thy church, that is, such as believe in thee and call upon god the father through confidence in thee: & hereto, thy sanctifying of of them, that thou mayst raise them up in the last day, to life & glory everlasting. Grant me to know, that for the attaining of all these been fits (which be the liberties & privileges of thy kingdom) thou haste ordained the ministry of thy gospel & sacraments, thereby to call & bring men to the knowledge of thy father & thee, which is eternal life. Grant that I may feel in myself lively & comfortably the efficacy and virtue of thy holy ghost, which is effectual by the ministry & word. And lest afflictions should dismay me, & the company of evil men mingled with the godly, overthrow me or offend me: grant that I may not only know how that thy church & the true children thereof shall in this world until the last day, suffer persecution, & that goats will be amongst the sheep, until the day of judgement: but also that I may in affliction rejoice and glorify thy holy name, being preserved always from the council of the ungodly, from the way of the wicked, & from the seat of the scornful: to delight in thy law night and day, to be made spiritual & to have the benefit of thy kingdom & priesthood, which be both spiritual, preserving thy people from the tyranny of sin & Satan, although in this life that permit their enemies to vex them, to thy further glory & their increase in repentance and & godliness: which give unto me and increase in me for thy holy names sake. Amen. ¶ Scriptures proving Christ's kingdom to be spiritual. My kingdom is not of this world. Thou hast given john. 18. him power over all flesh, that how many soever thou hast given unto him, he might give to john. 17 the same everlasting life. What is it? any worldly policy? no: therefore it followeth: & this is everlasting life, that they may know thee Rom. 8. Esay. 12. to be the only true God, & whom thou didst send jesus Christ, which sitteth on the right hand of god & prayeth for us. The rote Esay. 11. of jesse shall stand up and the gentiles shall make their prayers unto him. etc. By these two sentences we may see Christ's kingdom & priesthood to be spiritual, and no politic regiment. He prayeth for us to his father, and so reigneth that he will be called upon, will hear us, satisfy us, & keep us with his holy spirit, as gods children: for they are led by the spirit of God: in their hearts he will write his law etc. which benefits let us look for, & no corporal kingdom. We are fellow heirs with Christ. If so be we do suffer with him, we shallbe glorified with him. We are saved by hope. For thy sake we are killed all the day long. In this world Psal. 44. you shall have affliction. All that will live godly in christ must suffer john. 16. 2. Tim. 3 persecution. And many places there be, which teach us the the glory of Christ's kingdom is no worldly dominion or power, but a spiritual thing, that we should be resuscitated & have a new & an eternal life, righteousness & glory, even such as Christ hath. Besides this Paul telleth that Antichrist shall 2. Thes. 2 bear rule in the Church, until Christ come to judgement: then shall he destroy his kingdom. So that the true church of Christ shall not have worldly dominion and kingdom, but rather be persecuted, & especially towards thence of the world, as Peter telleth, that as there was before Christ's coming 1. Peter 2 in the church, false prophets, & the regiment was with the adversaries which bear the name of the church, under the which they destroyed the church: so shall it be in the church after Christ's tyme. There willbe (saith he) many false teachers which will deceive not a few or the fewer part, but many & the greater part, as now the Papists have done almost all Christendom. Again he saith that there will come mockers, which will make a mock of religion, so that the church cannot but be persecuted. Daniel plainly showeth 1. Dan. 7 that the beasts, that is the empires of the world: shallbe cast into the fire, when Christ shall come to judgement: so that some wicked Empires shall continue until the last day. The true Church of Christ is careful for inward beauty, as it is written of the king's daughter: whereas the papistical church nothing Psal. 45. passeth thereof, but altogether careth for external gear. So saith our Papists in England: Come to the church & do as other men do outwardly, & kept your conscience to yourselves. ¶ Scriptures proving that in Christ's Church upon earth there shallbe good and bad mingled until the day of judgement. AS it was in the days of Lot, so shall it be in the coming etc. In the night there Luke. 17 Math. 13 shallbe two in one bed, one shallbe taken etc. Let them (the tars amongst the Corn he meaneth) grow together until the harvest. The harvest is the end of the world: then the son of man shall send forth his angels, & they shall gather all offence givers out of his kingdom, and those which work wickedness. So shall it go in the end of the world: the Angels shall go forth, and separate the evil from the righteous, & cast them into the furnace of fire. By these sentences we may see the Hypocrites shall be mingled with the godly until the day of judgement. Whereas the Anabaptists do cite the Prophets, who speaking of Christ's kingdom, use often figures and similitudes of worldly Empires, that by temporal & visible things we may arise to a deep consideration of spiritual & eternal things in Christ's king doom, let us learn so to do: and again let us know, that the Gospel is the exposition of the Prophets, and therefore those corporal metaphors in the Prophets, painting forth the kingdom of Christ, must be interpreted according to the Gospel, which teacheth clearly Christ'S kingdom to be a spiritual and no temporal thing, as before is showed. Esay. 53. Moreover the Prophets even themselves do plainly show Christ's kingdom to be a spiritual thing. Do the not Daniel Daniel. 9 say that Christ shall be killed? And Isaiah also, doth not he say that Christ shall give his life for sin? So that we may see no affirmation of corporal dominion here on earth in this life. Besides this, the Prophets do affirm also Christ's kingdom to be eternal, and therefore cannot be temporal. Figures and Metaphors can be no otherwise than Allegorically understanded. I need not to tell how that the prophets use to speak of Christ'S kingdom, that they do not discern the times of this life and of the life to come, because Christ's eternal kingdom is begun in spirit and faith in this life, and afterward endureth for ever. How be it some times, and often they do otherwise, & plainly show that Christ'S kingdom and Church shall suffer persecution in this life, as in the. 2. Psal. and Psal. 115. precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. And Psalm. 72. Esay. 30. Daniel. 12. ¶ That there is an everlasting life, where it is, & what knowledge and understanding thereof may be had in this life. THat there is an everlasting life, none will deny but such as will deny God. For if he be true and just (or else he is not God) then can there not be but an eternal life. That he hath both spoken it &. promised it in Math 25. 1. Cor. 15. Hebre. 4. 11. 13. 1. Peter. 1. it appeareth, & else where in very many places. So that to deny an everlasting life, is to deny God, to deny Christ, and all that ever he did: also to deny all pity and religion: to condemn of foolishness all good men, Martyrs, Confessors, Evangelists, Prophets, patriarchs. Sunina, the denial of eternal life is nothing else, but a denial of the immortality of the Soul, and so a plain making of man nothing better than beasts. If it be so, let us then eat and drink, for to 1. Cor. 16 morrow we shall die. Lord deliver us from this Sadduceal and Epicureal impiety, & grant us for thy mercy's sake (dear God) that we may be assuredly persuaded that there is in deed an eternal life & bliss with thee for them that put their trust in thee: amongst whom account me for thy mercy's sake. Again, this eternal life, Where this eternal life is and the place appointed for them that be thy servants, all men do grant to be with thee. Not, because thou art every where, they do therefore think so of eternal life that it is every where. For they by thy word do know, that in as much as no 1 john. 4 man can see thee and live, this eternal life and thy blessed presence is most pleasant and had in fruition after in an other world, whereunto by corporal death they do departed, and are translated to a place above them, where thou dwellest in a light where unto no man can approach. Abraham's 1. Tim. 6 wsome (they read) was above, as the place for the wicked was allow and beneath. Helias was caught up into heaven: and thy son our dear saviour prayed, that where he is, those also might be which thou hadst given him, and might see his glory. Now he (dear father) we learn by thy spirit, was asceuded and taken up in his very body into heaven, whether Steveu looked up and saw thy Christ standing on thy right hand, to whom he prayed: Oh Lord jesus receive my Act. 8. 7 Spirit. Grant I beseech thee gracious God and father, that I may have a clean heart more & more to see thee, and so in spirit to see and look upon often this place: whether bring me at the length in body also, I humbly pray thee. Now, what a thing this everlasting What manner of thing this everlasting life is. life is, no man is able to conceive, much less able to utter: For the peace of God which is eternal life, passeth all understanding. The eye hath not seen, the ear hath not heard, neither can man's heart conceive those things, which thou (dear god) haste 1. Cor. 2. prepared for them that love thee. whatsoever therefore can be spoken or imagined of thy kingdom, of the clearness, joy, and felicity of the same, is nothing in comparison: as we may see by thy Prophets, which (because they could not otherwise) under corporal things have shadowed the same. So that the confidence of eternal life, what a thing it is, can in no wise be told. How ve it, somewhat we may be brought into some sight of it by earthly things, to think on this sort: If God have given here so many things in a strange place, how many are the great good things that be at home? if in a prison are so many mercies, how many are they in the palace? If the wicked have so many benefits, what is the store prepared for thy servants, Oh Lord? if thy children find such comforts in the day of tears and mourning, what shall they find in the day of the marriage? If with beasts men being have the use of so innumerable blessings, oh how many are the blessings which they shall enjoy with thy Angels, and with thee thyself (O dear God) when they shall see thee, and have the fruition of thee, in whom is fullness without loathing of all good and fair things: so that nothing can be more desited, and that for evermore? This thy Children do not so see, as they now believe it: I say that even in their bodies they shall see it for ever, as job said: They job. 19 believe that they shall see thee and their own eyes behold thee, when these our corporal eyes, our bodies being raised, shall do their duties. Such a knowledge of thee they believe to have, as shall not be only intellectual and by faith, as now it is: but even a full sight and fruition, yea a conjunction & fellowship with thee. Now they see but in a glass, even in a 1. Cor. 13 dark speaking: but then they shall see face to face. For faith though it be the substance of things hoped for, and a certain dark sight Heb. 11 of thee: yet it may not be compared to the reward of faith, and glorious sight which we shall see in the life to come, when faith and hope shall cease, Now thy children 1. john. 3 know that they be thy sons, though it yet appear not what they shall be, we know (say they) that when our Christ God and man shall appear, then shall we be like unto him, for we shall see him even as he is. Oh great prerogative to see Christ as he is: which is not to be considered so much for the manhood, as for the godhead itself: as Paul doth also write, that when all things are subject unto the son, then shall 1. Cor. 19 he be subject unto thee (dear father) allo, that God may be all in all. And therefore Christ our Saviour prayed for us, that we might know thee the only true God. Not that our christ thy Son, is not with thee the true coequal and substantial God: but that we might know how that after the judgement, such a mystery of his mediatorship shall not be in heaven as is now in earth. Then thou blessed trinity, God the father, God the son, & God the holy ghost, shalt be all in all: thou shalt be the end of our desires: thou shalt be looked upon without end: thou shalt be loved without loathing: thou shalt be praised without weariness. Although loathsomeness be wont to follow fullness, yet our fullness in the contemplation of thy pleasures, shall bring with it no kind at all of loathsomeness. Satiety of joys Psal. 16. shall be in the beholding of thee: pleasures are in thy right hand for ever: we shallbe satisfied when we arise after thine Image, I Psal. 17. mean, in the resurrection. Oh dear Father, show thyself unto us and we ask no more. Oh grant us with thy Saints in everlasting life, to praise with perpetual praises, thy holy name. Happy then and happy again were we, if that day were come, that we might sing with thy Angels, elders, and innumerable thousands, a new song and say: thou christ jesus which waste Apoca. 5. slain, art worthy to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, & blessing. In this blessed life all kind of maladies, griefs, sorrows and evils be far away, and all full of all kind of mirth, joy, and pleasure. Oh that we might see now a little with S. john that holy City new jerusalem descending from heaven, prepared of GOD as a bride trunmed for her husband. Oh that we might now something hear the great voice speaking out of the throne: behold the tabernacle of GOD is with men, & he will dwell with them, Apoc. 21 and they shallbe his people, and he shall be unto them their God: he will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and death shall be no more, nor weeping nor crying, nor sorrow, for the former things are gone. ¶ A Meditation of the blessed state and felicity of the life to come. THis body is but a prison wherein the soul is kept, and that verily not beautiful & bright, but dark and most dirty, disquiet & fusty, frail, and filled up with much vermin and venomous vipers (I mean it concerning our affactions) standing in an air most unwholesome, & prospect most loathsome, if a man consider the excrements of it by the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hands, feet and all the other partis. So that no bocardo, no little ease, no dungeon, no bishops prison, no gate house, no sink, no pit may be compared in any point, to be so evil a prison for the body, as the body is for and of the soul. whereby the children of God have been occasioned to cry, and lament their long being in it. Oh saith David, how long shall I lie in this prison? Oh wretch that I am, saith Paul, who shall deliver me out of this body of sin? Rom. 7. which is an heavy burden unto the soul, as the wise man saith. And therefore the godly cry, now let thy servant departed in peace: Oh Luke. 2. that I were dissolved & had put of this earthly and frail tabercle: Take me unto thee, and bring my soul out of this prison, Psal 142 that it may give thanks unto thee, O Lord. For so long as we be in this body, we cannot see the Lord: yea it is an heavy habitation, and depresseth down sore the spirit from the familiarity, which it else should have with God. This world and life is an exile, a vale of misery, a wilderness, of itself being void of all virtues and necessaries for eternal life, & full of enemies, sorrows, sighings, sobbings, groanings, miseries, etc. In danger to hunger, cold, heat, thirst, sores, sickness, temptations, troubles, death, and innumerable calamities: being momentany, short, unstable, and nothing but vain, and therefore is compared to a warfare, a woman's travail, a shadow, a smoke, a vapour, a word, a storm, a tempest, in the which Gods people feel great molestations, griefs, and troubles, now of Satan himself, now of the world, now of their own flesh, & that so wonderfully, diversly, dangerously, and contrarily, that they are enforced to cry: Oh Lord when shall we come and appear before thee? When shall this misery end? when shall we be delivered out of this vale of misery? out of this wilderness? out of this continual affliction and most perilous seas? But where thou art (Oh lord and dear father of mercy) there is not only no prison, no dolours, no sorrow, no sighings, no tears, no sickness, no hunger, no heat, no cold, no pain, no temptations, no displeasure, no malice, no pride, no uncleanness, no contention, no torments, no horror, no sin, no filth, stink, dearth, death no weeping, tears, misery, mischief: There is (I say) not only no such thing or any evil, noisome, or displeasant thing: but all liberty, all light, all plesantness, all joy, rejoicing, mirth, pleasure, pastime, health, wealth, riches, glory, power, treasure, honour, triumphh, comfort, solace, love, unity, peace, concord, wisdom, virtue, melody, meekness, felicity, beatitude, and all that ever can be wished or desired, in most security, eternity, and perpetuity that may be thought, not only of man, but of Angels and Archangels, yea above all thoughts. The eye 1. Cor. 2. hath not seen the like, the ear hath not heard it, nor no heart is able to conceive in any point, any part of the blissful beatitude, which is with thee most dear God and father, most dear lord and saviour, most gracious good God and comforter, where thou art (O blessed God) The Archangels, Angels, thrones, powers, Dominations, Cherubin's, Ceraphins, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, virgins, confessors, and righteous spirits, Apoca. 4 cease not to sing night and day holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts: honour, majesty, glory, power, empire and dominion be unto thee, Oh God the creator, Oh Lord jesus the redeiner, Oh Apoca. 5. holy spirit the comforter. In recordation of this, oh how thy Children rejoice: how contemn they the pleasures of this world? how little esteem they any corporal grief or shame? how desire they to be with thee? How amiable are thy tabernacles, Oh Lord God of Hosts, Psal. 84. (say they:) my soul hath a desire to enter into the Courts of the Lord: my heart and my soul rejoiceth in the living God: blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they that may always be praising thee. For one day in thy courts is better than a thousand else where. I had rather be a boar keeper in the house of my God, then to dwell in the tents of ungonlynes: for the Lord God is a light and defence. And again, like as Psal. 24. the heart desireth the water brooks, so longeth my soul after thee, oh god: my soul is a thirst for god, yea even for the living god. When shall I come to appear before the Psal. 13. prsence of god? My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh also longeth after thee in a barren & dry land, where no water is. They (thy children I mean O lord) desire the day of that their redemption: they still cry, let thy kingdom Roma. 8. come: they cry, come lord jesus: they lift up their heads, looking Apoc. 22. for thy appearing (oh lord) which will make their vile body like to Philip. 3. thine own glorious and immortal body: for when thou shalt appear, they shallbe like unto thee. Math 14 Thy Angels will gather them together, & they shall meet thee in the clouds, and be always with thee. They shall hear this Math 25 joyful voice: Come ye blessed of my father, possess the kingdom prepared for you, from the Math. 12 beginning. Then shall they be like to thy Angels. Then shall they be Math. 13 like unto the Sun in thy king doom. Then shall they have crowns of glory, & be endued with white garments of innocency & Apoc. 7. righteousness, with palms of victory in their hands. Oh happy is he that may but see that immortal and incorruptible inheritance, which they shall enjoy for evermore. Amen. ¶ A short introduction to the understanding of the Scriptures, containing the sum of all the divitie necessary for a Christian conscience. By john Bradford. A Man that is regenerate and borne of God (the which thing that every one of us do believe, our baptism the Sacrament of regeneration doth require under pain of damnation, and therefore let every one of us with the virgin Mary say, be it unto me O Lord according to thy word, according to thy sacrament of baptism, wherein thou hast declared our adoption: and let us lament the doubting hereof in us, striving against it as we shallbe made able of the Lord) a man I say, that is regenerate, consist of two men (as a man may say) namely of the old man and of the new man. The old man is like to a mighty Giant, such a one as was Goliath, for his birth is now perfect. But the new man is like unto a little child, such a one as was David, for his birth is not yet perfect until the day of his general resurrection. The old man therefore is more stronger, justly, and stirring, then is the new man, because the birth of the new man is but begun now, and the old man is perfectly borne. And as the old man is more stirring, lusty, & stronger than the new man: so is the nature of him clean contrary to the nature of the new man, as being earthly & corrupt with Satan's seed, the nature of the new man being heavenvly & blessed with the celestial seed of god. So that one man, in as much as he is corrupt with the seed of the serpent, is an old man: and in as much as he is blessed with the seed of God from above, he is a new man. 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 help, and a friend to God, the seed of God preserving him from sin, so that he cannot sin, as the seed of the serpent, wherewith he is corrupt even from his conception, inclineth him, yea enforceth him to sin & nothing else but to sin. So that the best part in man before regeneration, in God's sight, is not only an enemy, but enmity itself. One man therefore which is regenerate, well may be called always just, and always sinful: just in respect of God's seed, and his regeneration: sinful in respect of Satan's seed & his first birth. Betwixt these two men therefore, there is continual conflict & war most deadly. The flesh and old man by reason of his birth that is perfect, doth often for a time, prevail against the new man (being but as a child in comparison) and that in such sort, as not only other, but even the children of God themselves think that they be nothing else but old, and that the spirit & seed of God is lost and gone away, Psal. 77 where yet notwithstanding the the truth is otherwise, the spirit and the seed of god at the length appearing again, and dispelling away the clouds, which cover the son of god's seed from shining, as the clouds in the air do the corporal son: so that some times a man cannot tell by any sense, that there is any son, the clouds and winds so hiding it from our siht: Even so our cecity or blindness and corrupt affections ☞ do often shadow the sight of God's seed in God's children, as though they were plain reprobates, whereof it cometh, that they praying according to their sense, but not according to the truth, desire of god to give them again his spirit, as though they had lost it & he had taken it away. Which thing God never doth in deed, although he make us to think so for a time: for always he holdeth his hand under his children in their faults, that they lie not still as other do which are not regenerate. And this is the difference betwixt God's Children which are regenerate, and elect before all times in Christ, & the wicked cast aways, that the elect lie not still continually in their sin as do the wicked, but at the length do return again by reason of god's seed, which is in them hid as a sparkle of fire in the ashes: as we may see in Peter, David, Paul, mary Magdalin and others. For these (I mean God's Children) God hath made all things in Christ jesus: to whom he hath given this dignity, that they should be his inheritance & spouses. This our inheretour Christ jesus, GOD with God, light of light, coeternal and consubstantial with the father and with the holy Ghost, to the end that he might become our husband (because the husband and the wife must be one body and flesh) hath taken our nature upon him, communicating with it and by it in his own person, to us all his children, his divine majesty, as Peter saith, and so is become 2. Pet. 1. flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bones substantially: as we are become flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones spiritually, all that ever we have pertaining to him yea even our sins: as all that ever he hath, pertaineth unto us, even his whole glory. So that if Satan should summon us to answer for our debts or sins, in that the wife is no suitable person but the husband, we may well bid him enter his action against our husband Christ, and he will make him a sufficient answer. For this end (I mean that we might be coupled & married thus to Christ, and so be certain of salvation & at godly peace with god in our consciences) god hath gegeven his holy word, which hath two parts (as now the children of God do consist of two men) one part of god's word being proper to the old man, & the other part of God's word being proper to the new man. The part properly pertaining to the old man is the law: the part properly pertaining to the new man is the gospel. The law is a doctrine which commandeth & forbiddeth, requiring doing and avoiding. Under it therefore are contained all precepts, threatenings, promises upon conditions of our doing & avoiding etc. The Gospel is a doctrine which always offereth and giveth, requiring on our behalf, not as of worthiness or as a cause but as a cerificat unto us, & therefore under it is contained all the free and sweet promises of god: as I am the lord thy god etc. In those that be of years of discretion, it requireth faith, not as a cause, but as an instrument whereby we ourselves may be certain of our good husband Christ, and of his glory: and therefore when the conscience feeleth itself disquieted for fear of God's judgement ☞ against sin, she may in no wise look upon the doctrine pertaining to the old man, but to the doctrine only that pertaineth to the new man, in it not looking for that which it requireth, that is Faith, because we never believe as we should: but only on it which it offereth, which it giveth that is, on god's grace & eternal mercy and peace in Christ. So shall she be in quiet, when she looketh for it altogether out of herself in God's mercy in Christ jesus: in whose lap if she lay her head with saiut john, then is she happy and shall find quietness in deed. when she feeleth herself quiet, then in God's name let her look on the law & upon such things as it requireth, thereby to bridal and keep down the old Adam, to slay that Goliath, from whom she must needs keep the sweet promises, being the bed wherein her spouse and she meet and lie together, as the wife will keep her bed only for her husband, although in other things she is contented to have fellowship with others, as to speak, sit, eat, drink, go, etc. So our consciences, which are Christ's wives, must needs keep the bed, that is, God's sweet promises, alonely for ourselves and our husband, there to meet together, to embrace and laugh together, and to be joyful together. If sin, the law, the devil, or any thing would creep into the bed and lie there, then complain to thy husband Christ, and forth with thou sahlte see him play Phinees part. Thus my dearly beloved, I have given you in few words a sum of all the Divinity which a christian conscience can not want. ¶ A Prayer, which John Bradford said a little before his death in smithfield Merciful God and Father, to whom our saviour christ Math. 26 approached in his fear and need, by reason of death, & found comfort: gracious God & most bounteous Christ, on whom Stephen called in his extreme Acts. 7. need, & received strength: most benign holy spirit, which in the midst of all crosses & death, didst comfort the apostle s. Paul, 2. Cor. 1. with more consolations in christ, than he felt sorrows & terrors in the world: have mercy upon me a most miserable, vile & wretched sinner, which now draw near the gates of death deserved both in soul & body eternally, by reason of my manifold horrible, old & new transgressions, which to thine eyes (O lord god) are open and kuowen. Oh be merciful unto me, and forgive me for the bitter death and blood shedding of thine only son jesus Christ. And though thy justice do require in respect of my sins, that now thou shouldest not hear me, contemning thy daily callings: yet let thy mercy, which is above all thy works, and wherewith the earth is filled, let thy mercy (I say) prevail towards me, thorough the merits & mediation of christ our saviour, for whose sake it pleaseth thee to bring me forth now, as one of his witnesses, & a record bearer of thy verity and truth taught by him, to give my life therefore. To which dignity I do acknowledge (dear god) that there was never any so unworthy and unmeet, no not the thief that hanged with him on the cross. I humbly therefore pray thee that thou wouldst accordingly, aid, help, & assist me with the strength and heavenly grace, that with christ thy son I may find comfort, with Stephen I may see thy presence and gracious power, with Paul and all others, which for thy name's sake have suffered afflictions and death, I may find so present with me thy gracious consolation, that I may by death glorify thy holy name, set forth & ratify thy verity, comfort the hearts of the heavy, confirm thy church in thy truth, convert some that are to be converted, and so departed out of this miserable world (where I do nothing but daily heap sin upon sin) and enter into the fruition of thy blessed mercy: whereof now give & increase in me a lively taste, sense, and feeling, wherethrough the terror of death, the torments of fire, the pains of sin, the darts of Satan, & the dolours of hell, may never overcome me: but may be driven away through the working of that most gracious spirit: which now plenteously endue me withal, that through the same spirit I may offer (as now I desire & am ready to do) in christ & by him, myself wholly, soul and body, to be a lively sacrifice, holy & acceptable in thy sight (dear father) whose I am & always have been, even from my mother's womb, yea, even before the world was made: to whom I commend myself, faith & name, family & friends, country, and all the whole church: yea, even my very enemies, according to thy good pleasure: beseeching thee entirely to give once more to this realm of England, the blessing of thy word again, with godly peace, to the teaching and setting forth of the same. Oh dear Father, now give me to come unto thee: purge & so purify me by this fire, in Christ's death and passion, thorough thy spirit, that I may be a burnt offering of sweet smell in thy sight, which livest & design'st with the Son & the holy ghost now and forevermore, world without end. Amen. Ephe. v. ☞ Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead, and Epriste shall show light unto thee. Certain faults escaped. In the 7. leaf & first side, read in the margin thus: By looking on our old faulles. In the 13. leaf and second side add to the later note in the margin: felicity which we obtain by Death. In the 43. leaf, in the title of the Introduction read Divinity. And in the other titles, for Instruction read Introduction.