# Meditations and Prayers - John Bradford

An episode of [The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1597045207), 8 Aug 2026, 1 h 09 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73430730/meditations_and_prayers_john_bradford.mp3

"Meditations and Prayers" by John Bradford offers profound insights into the Christian faith, reflecting on themes of sin, redemption, and the responsibilities of church leadership. As a chaplain and a close associate of Bishop Ridley, Bradford's writings resonate with timeless relevance, addressing the struggles and aspirations of devout believers throughout history. His ability to confront sin while passionately preaching Christ crucified demonstrates a balanced approach to faith that remains crucial in today's world. The heartfelt encouragement he provides to the weary and his earnest admonitions to lead a godly life make this work a valuable resource for those seeking spiritual depth and guidance in their lives. This episode includes AI-generated content.

## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: Section one of meditations and prayers. This is a LibriVox recording.
[0:06] Speaker 1: All librivanx recordings are in the public domain. For more
[0:10] Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Meditations
[0:16] Speaker 1: and Prayers by John Bradford. Meditation on the Lord's Supper
[0:22] Speaker 1: Jesus Immanuel, This heavenly banquet, wherewith thou dost witness thyself
[0:28] Speaker 1: of sweet Savior to be the bread of life, wherewith
[0:30] Speaker 1: our souls are fed unto true and eternal life and immortality.
[0:35] Speaker 1: Grant me grace so now to receive, as may be
[0:38] Speaker 1: to my singular joy and comfort. The signs and symbols
[0:42] Speaker 1: be bread and wine, which are sanctified in thy body
[0:46] Speaker 1: and blood, to represent the invisible communion and fellowship of
[0:49] Speaker 1: the same. For as in baptism, Thou, o God, dost
[0:53] Speaker 1: regenerate us, and as it were, engraft us into the
[0:56] Speaker 1: fellowship of thy church, and by adoption make us thy
[0:59] Speaker 1: tay children. So as a good householder and father, thou
[1:04] Speaker 1: dost afterwards minister meet to nourish and continue us in
[1:07] Speaker 1: that life whereunto thou, by thy word has forgotten us.
[1:12] Speaker 1: And truly, o Christ, thou art the food of the soul.
[1:15] Speaker 1: And therefore our heavenly Father giveth thee unto us, that we,
[1:19] Speaker 1: being refreshed in communicating of thee, might be received into immortality. Now,
[1:26] Speaker 1: because this mystery is of itself incomprehensible, thou dost exhibit
[1:30] Speaker 1: and give unto us a figure and image hereof in
[1:33] Speaker 1: visible signs. Yea, as though thou paidest down, present earnest,
[1:38] Speaker 1: thou makest us so certain hereof as if with our
[1:41] Speaker 1: eyes we saw it. And this is the end. Wherefore
[1:44] Speaker 1: thou didst institute this thy supper and banquet, namely that
[1:48] Speaker 1: it might confirm us as of thy body, once so
[1:51] Speaker 1: offered for us, that we may feed on it, and
[1:54] Speaker 1: in feeding feel in us the efficacy and strength of
[1:57] Speaker 1: thy one alone sacrifice of thy blood once so shed
[2:02] Speaker 1: for us, that it is unto us a continual potion.
[2:05] Speaker 1: And drink according to the words that thy promise added
[2:08] Speaker 1: there take eat this is my body which is given
[2:11] Speaker 1: for you, so that the body which was once offered
[2:14] Speaker 1: for our salvation we are commanded to take and eat,
[2:17] Speaker 1: that whilst we are partakers thereof we might be most assured.
[2:21] Speaker 1: The virtue of thy lively death is of force in
[2:24] Speaker 1: us whereof it cometh that thou callest the cup the
[2:28] Speaker 1: Testament or Covenant in thy blood. For the covenant which
[2:31] Speaker 1: thou once hast stricken with us in thy blood, thou dost,
[2:34] Speaker 1: as it were, renew the same as concerning the confirmation
[2:37] Speaker 1: of our faith. So often as thou reach unto us
[2:40] Speaker 1: this holy cup to drink of O wonderful consolation which
[2:44] Speaker 1: cometh to the godly hearts by reason of this sacrament.
[2:48] Speaker 1: For here we have assured witness that Thou christ art
[2:51] Speaker 1: so coupled unto us, and we so engrafted in THEE,
[2:54] Speaker 1: that we are one body with THEE. And whatsoever thou hast,
[2:58] Speaker 1: we may call it our own boldly. Therefore we may
[3:01] Speaker 1: boast that everlasting life thine inheritance is ours. That the
[3:05] Speaker 1: Kingdom of Heaven, whereinto thou art entered, can no more
[3:09] Speaker 1: be taken away from us or we from it, than
[3:12] Speaker 1: from THEE, or we from it than from THEE or
[3:15] Speaker 1: Thou from it. Again, our sins can no more condemn
[3:18] Speaker 1: us than THEE. For thou would they should be laid
[3:21] Speaker 1: to thy charge as though they were thine. This is
[3:24] Speaker 1: a wonderful change which Thou makest with us of thy
[3:27] Speaker 1: unspeakable mercy. Thou wast made the son of Man with us,
[3:31] Speaker 1: that we, with THEE, might be made the sons of God.
[3:35] Speaker 1: Thou camest down from heaven unto earth, to bring us
[3:38] Speaker 1: from the earth into Heaven. Thou tookest upon THEE our mortality,
[3:43] Speaker 1: that thou mightst give us thy immortality. Thou tookest upon
[3:47] Speaker 1: THEE our weakness, that thou mightst make us strong with
[3:50] Speaker 1: thy strength. Thou tookest on THEE our poverty, to pour
[3:53] Speaker 1: upon us thy plenty. Thou tookst upon THEE our unrighteousness,
[3:58] Speaker 1: that thou mightest cloak us with thy righteousness. O, Comfort
[4:02] Speaker 1: of comforts. Of all these things we have so assured
[4:05] Speaker 1: a witness in this sacrament, that we ought without all wavering,
[4:08] Speaker 1: to be so sure that they are exhibit and given
[4:11] Speaker 1: unto us, as if with our corporal eyes we did
[4:14] Speaker 1: see THEE, O Sweet Christ, present invisible form, and with
[4:18] Speaker 1: our very hands touched and handled THEE. For this word
[4:21] Speaker 1: cannot lure or beguile us. Take, eat, drink. This is
[4:25] Speaker 1: my body which is given for you. This is my
[4:28] Speaker 1: blood which is shed for the forgiveness of your sins.
[4:32] Speaker 1: In that thou biddest us take, Thou wouldt signify unto
[4:35] Speaker 1: us that it is ours. In that thou biddest us eat.
[4:38] Speaker 1: Thou wouldst we should know that it is made one
[4:41] Speaker 1: flesh with us. In that thou sayest it is thy
[4:43] Speaker 1: body given for us, thy blood shed for us. Thou
[4:47] Speaker 1: wouldst that we should learn both to be not only
[4:50] Speaker 1: thine now but also ours, for thou tookst and gave
[4:54] Speaker 1: us both not for thy commodity, but for ours. Grant therefore,
[4:59] Speaker 1: good Lord, that we may as be thankful to THEE forever,
[5:02] Speaker 1: so diligently always to mark that the chiefest and almost
[5:06] Speaker 1: the whole pith of the sacrament consisteth in these words,
[5:09] Speaker 1: which is given for you, which is shed for you.
[5:13] Speaker 1: For else it would little help us to have thy
[5:15] Speaker 1: body and blood distributed now, except they had been given
[5:19] Speaker 1: for our redemption and salvation by the bread and wine.
[5:23] Speaker 1: Therefore they are represented, that we might learn that they
[5:26] Speaker 1: are not only ours, but also that they are destinate
[5:29] Speaker 1: and appointed unto us for the seal of spiritual life. Thus,
[5:33] Speaker 1: Gould Lord, grant us thy grace to consider this sacrament,
[5:37] Speaker 1: that we stick not in the corporal things and things
[5:39] Speaker 1: which are object to our eyes, hands, taste, and feeling,
[5:43] Speaker 1: as the papists teach the people whose eyes open and
[5:47] Speaker 1: turn their hearts according to Thy good will, But that
[5:50] Speaker 1: we may arise to the consideration of spiritual things. Hereby
[5:53] Speaker 1: accordingly that is grant that we may deeply consider as
[5:58] Speaker 1: bread nourisheth socist, staineth and conserveth the life of this
[6:02] Speaker 1: our body. So thy body, O Christ, is the only
[6:05] Speaker 1: and alone food to quicken and make strong the soul.
[6:09] Speaker 1: As wine nourisheth, refresheth, confirmeth, and cheerreth the heart. So
[6:13] Speaker 1: doth thy blood shed for us on the cross, to
[6:16] Speaker 1: the souls of all faithful receivers and users of this
[6:19] Speaker 1: most holy sacrament. Grant good Lord, therefore, that I may
[6:24] Speaker 1: truly consider and know the principal parts of the sacrament,
[6:28] Speaker 1: not to exhibit and give the body simply and without
[6:31] Speaker 1: further consideration, but rather to absigne and confirm that promise.
[6:35] Speaker 1: Wherein as thou dost witness thy flesh to be food indeed,
[6:39] Speaker 1: and thy blood to be drink indeed, by which we
[6:41] Speaker 1: are fed unto everlasting life, so thou affirmest thyself to
[6:45] Speaker 1: be the bread of life, whereof whoso eateth shall live
[6:48] Speaker 1: for ever, and that this thing might be brought to
[6:51] Speaker 1: pass thy sacrament, doth send us to thy cross, O Christ,
[6:55] Speaker 1: where this promise indeed was performed and most fully on
[6:58] Speaker 1: all sides accomplished. For we cannot to salvation, feed on thee,
[7:02] Speaker 1: or eat thee, O Christ, except thou hast been crucified.
[7:06] Speaker 1: And this we do when with lively sense we apprehend
[7:09] Speaker 1: and catch hold on the efficacy of thy death. For
[7:12] Speaker 1: though thou call thyself the bread of life, yet dost
[7:15] Speaker 1: thou it not by reason of the sacrament, but because
[7:18] Speaker 1: there was such a one given to us from the Father,
[7:21] Speaker 1: And because thou didst give thyself to such a one,
[7:24] Speaker 1: by taking part with us in our mortal nature, to
[7:27] Speaker 1: make us partakers of thy divine immortality, by offering thyself
[7:31] Speaker 1: a sacrifice for us, to take thyself our malediction, and
[7:35] Speaker 1: pitifully to pour on us thy blessing, by swallowing up
[7:39] Speaker 1: death by thy death, and by raising up to glory
[7:41] Speaker 1: and incorruption this our corruptible flesh, which thou tookst on
[7:45] Speaker 1: thee through thy resurrection. So then it remaineth that we
[7:49] Speaker 1: should apply all this unto us, And this we do
[7:52] Speaker 1: as by thy Gospel, so no less, but rather more clearly,
[7:55] Speaker 1: by thy Holy Supper. Where as Thou offerest thyself unto
[7:59] Speaker 1: us with all thy beads, so we by faith receive
[8:02] Speaker 1: the same grant me therefore to mark well that this
[8:06] Speaker 1: sacrament is not the thing that maketh Thee to begin
[8:08] Speaker 1: to be the bread of life, but that this maketh
[8:11] Speaker 1: thee so to us, by making us to call to
[8:13] Speaker 1: mind that thou wast made the bread of life for
[8:16] Speaker 1: us continually to feed on, and by giving to us
[8:19] Speaker 1: a taste and savor of that bread, that we might
[8:22] Speaker 1: feel the virtue of the same bread. End of Section one,
[8:32] Speaker 1: Section two of Meditations and Prayers by John Bradford. This
[8:38] Speaker 1: LIBRIVANX recording is in the public domain. A brief admonition
[8:43] Speaker 1: written by Master Bradford in a New Testament of a
[8:45] Speaker 1: friend of his. This book is called Seramocrosis the word
[8:50] Speaker 1: of the Cross, because the cross doth always accompany it,
[8:53] Speaker 1: So that if you will be a student hereof you
[8:56] Speaker 1: must needs prepare yourself to the cross, which you began
[8:59] Speaker 1: to learn before before you learned your alphabet. Footnote. The
[9:02] Speaker 1: figure of a cross was then and afterward prefixed to
[9:05] Speaker 1: the alphabet. For young persons, see for instance the primer
[9:09] Speaker 1: in English Most Necessary for the Education of Children, Wayland,
[9:13] Speaker 1: No Date approximately fifteen thirty nine, signature A eight copy
[9:18] Speaker 1: British Museum and VI the Nares Glossary five Christ cross
[9:24] Speaker 1: and footnote. And Christ requireth it of everyone that will
[9:28] Speaker 1: be His disciple. Therein not swerving from the common trade
[9:31] Speaker 1: of callings or vocations, for no professional kind of life
[9:35] Speaker 1: wanteth his cross, so that they are far overseen which
[9:39] Speaker 1: think that the profession of the Gospel, which the devil
[9:42] Speaker 1: most envieth, the world most hateth, and the flesh most
[9:45] Speaker 1: repineth at, can be without a cross. Let us therefore
[9:49] Speaker 1: pray that God would enable us to take up our
[9:52] Speaker 1: cross by denying ourselves a carseareh from prison, eighteenth Febuari
[10:00] Speaker 1: fifteen fifty five, John Bradford, end of section two Section
[10:12] Speaker 1: three of Meditations and Prayers by John Bradford. This LibriVox
[10:17] Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Prayer for the presence
[10:21] Speaker 1: of God with white garments of innocency and righteousness and
[10:26] Speaker 1: palms of victory in their hands. Oh happy is he
[10:30] Speaker 1: that may have but a sight of the immortal and
[10:32] Speaker 1: incorruptible inheritance, which these thy people shall enjoy forever. Oh
[10:38] Speaker 1: that it please THEE, O Father, as of thy mercy,
[10:41] Speaker 1: thou hast called me into thy company and communion of
[10:44] Speaker 1: thy saints. So of the same thy goodness, thou wouldst
[10:47] Speaker 1: give me to become likewise affected, that in my heart
[10:50] Speaker 1: I might cry as they do and desire to be
[10:53] Speaker 1: with THEE. Not simply because of this prison and exile
[10:56] Speaker 1: that I am in presently, but rather only because of
[10:59] Speaker 1: THEE and of love. To THEE which love I humbly
[11:02] Speaker 1: pray THEE that art love itself, that thou wouldst right
[11:06] Speaker 1: in my heart and graciously open thine eyes to the
[11:09] Speaker 1: words of my mouth at this present, which I have
[11:11] Speaker 1: borrowed out of thy mouth by thy servants, saying, remember me,
[11:15] Speaker 1: O Lord, according to the favor that thou bearest unto
[11:17] Speaker 1: thy people. Oh visit me with thy salvation, that I
[11:21] Speaker 1: may see thee felicity of thy chosen and rejoice in
[11:24] Speaker 1: the gladness of thy people, and give thanks with thine inheritance.
[11:28] Speaker 1: Oh give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation by
[11:31] Speaker 1: the knowledge of thyself. O lighten the eyes of my mind,
[11:35] Speaker 1: that I may know what thee hope is, whereunto thou
[11:38] Speaker 1: hast called me, And how rich the glory is thine
[11:40] Speaker 1: inheritance upon thy saints. And what is the exceeding greatness
[11:44] Speaker 1: of Thy power to thy people, would which believe, Oh,
[11:47] Speaker 1: make me able to comprehend with thy saints. What is
[11:50] Speaker 1: the breadth and length, and depth and height of thy
[11:53] Speaker 1: sweet mercy? That is that I may know the excellent
[11:56] Speaker 1: love of the knowledge of Christ, that I may be
[11:58] Speaker 1: fulfilled with all fullness that cometh of THEE. O, lighten
[12:02] Speaker 1: mine eyes, that I sleep not into death. But send
[12:05] Speaker 1: thy light unto me to lead and bring me into
[12:08] Speaker 1: thy tabernacle, that I may believe to see the goodness
[12:11] Speaker 1: of THEE in the land of the Living. Oh, give
[12:13] Speaker 1: me the spirit not of the world, but which is
[12:16] Speaker 1: of THEE, that I may know the things which are
[12:18] Speaker 1: given to us of God, which are such as the
[12:21] Speaker 1: eye hath not seen, nor the ear hath heard, nor
[12:24] Speaker 1: the heart is able to conceive. For the light of
[12:27] Speaker 1: the moon shall be as the light of the sun,
[12:29] Speaker 1: and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, even
[12:31] Speaker 1: as the light of seven days in thy blessed kingdom.
[12:35] Speaker 1: And when thou wilt bind up the wounds of thy people,
[12:37] Speaker 1: and heal their plagues. Oh that I might have some
[12:41] Speaker 1: lively sight hereof When shall I rejoice of an exchange
[12:45] Speaker 1: for the immortal, the undefiled, and the imacessible inheritance, whereto
[12:50] Speaker 1: thou hast called me, and dost keep for me in heaven.
[12:53] Speaker 1: When shall I hear the sweet songs of thy saved
[12:56] Speaker 1: people crying salvation be to him that sitteth in the
[12:59] Speaker 1: throne of our God, and to the Lamb. When shall I,
[13:02] Speaker 1: with the elders and the angels, sing and say, Lords
[13:05] Speaker 1: and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power,
[13:08] Speaker 1: and might be to THEE our God, for ever and ever.
[13:12] Speaker 1: When shall I be covered with a white stole, and
[13:14] Speaker 1: have a palm in my hand, to stand before the
[13:17] Speaker 1: throne day and night, to serve THEE in the temple,
[13:20] Speaker 1: and to have THEE to dwell in me. When shall
[13:23] Speaker 1: I hear thy great voice saying from heaven, Behold, the
[13:26] Speaker 1: Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell
[13:29] Speaker 1: with them, and they shall be His people, and God
[13:31] Speaker 1: himself will be with them their God. Oh happy were
[13:35] Speaker 1: they that now might have a little show of thine
[13:38] Speaker 1: holy city, New Jerusalem, descending from Heaven, prepared of the
[13:42] Speaker 1: Gracious God, as a bride decked for her husband, which
[13:45] Speaker 1: thou ShoWest, thy servant, Saint John, this should I see
[13:49] Speaker 1: if I were with him in the spirit. But this
[13:51] Speaker 1: cannot be so long as I am in the flesh,
[13:54] Speaker 1: or that the time will come that I might then
[13:56] Speaker 1: put off this tabernacle in thy mercy, that I might
[13:59] Speaker 1: see this great which is felicity itself. But herein I
[14:03] Speaker 1: must do and will tarry Thy good pleasure, as I came,
[14:06] Speaker 1: not hither into this world when I would, but when
[14:09] Speaker 1: Thou wouldst. Even so, not when I will, but when
[14:12] Speaker 1: Thou wilt take me. Hence in thy mercy in the
[14:15] Speaker 1: mean season, as thy child, conserve and keep me, and
[14:18] Speaker 1: further grant to me that, being in this body, yet
[14:21] Speaker 1: I may live not in the flesh, but in the spirit.
[14:24] Speaker 1: Now and then to have some little true taste of
[14:27] Speaker 1: the pleasant dainties of Thy house and sanctuary, that all
[14:30] Speaker 1: worldly pleasures may be unpleasant and unsavory to my eternal
[14:34] Speaker 1: comfort through Christ, our Lord Amen. End of section three,
[14:46] Speaker 1: Section four of Meditations and Prayers by John Bradford. This
[14:50] Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. A sweet contemplation
[14:54] Speaker 1: of heaven and heavenly things, O, my soul, lift up
[14:58] Speaker 1: thyself above thy sel, fly away in the contemplation of
[15:02] Speaker 1: heaven and heavenly things. Make not thy further abode in
[15:05] Speaker 1: this inferior region, where is nothing but travail and trials,
[15:09] Speaker 1: and sorrow and woe, and wretchedness, and sin and trouble
[15:12] Speaker 1: and fear, and all deceiving and destroying vanities. Bend all
[15:17] Speaker 1: thine affections upward unto the superior places, where thy Redeemer
[15:21] Speaker 1: liveth and reigneth, and where thy joys are laid up
[15:24] Speaker 1: in the treasury of his merits, which shall be made
[15:27] Speaker 1: thy merits, his perfection, thy perfection, and his death, thy
[15:31] Speaker 1: life eternal, and his resurrection, thy salvation. Esteem not the
[15:36] Speaker 1: trifling pleasures of this life to be the way to
[15:38] Speaker 1: this wealth, nor thy ignominious estate here to be any
[15:42] Speaker 1: bar to prevent THEE from the full use and joyful
[15:45] Speaker 1: fruition of the glory there prepared for THEE. I am
[15:48] Speaker 1: assured that though I want here, I have riches there.
[15:53] Speaker 1: Though I hunger here, I have fullness there. Though I
[15:56] Speaker 1: faint here, I shall be refreshed there. And though I
[15:58] Speaker 1: be accounted here as a dead man, I shall there
[16:01] Speaker 1: live in perpetual glory. That is the city promised to
[16:06] Speaker 1: the captives whom Christ shall make free. That is the
[16:09] Speaker 1: kingdom assured to them whom Christ shall crown. There are
[16:13] Speaker 1: the joys prepared for them that mourn. There is the
[16:16] Speaker 1: light that shall never go out. There is the health
[16:19] Speaker 1: that shall never be impaired. There is the glory that
[16:22] Speaker 1: shall never be defaced. There is the life that shall
[16:25] Speaker 1: taste no death. And there is the portion that passeth
[16:28] Speaker 1: all the world's preferment. There is the world that never
[16:31] Speaker 1: shall wax worse. There is every want supplied freely without money.
[16:35] Speaker 1: There is no danger but happiness and honor, and singing
[16:39] Speaker 1: and praise and thanksgiving unto the heavenly Jehovah, to him
[16:42] Speaker 1: that sitteth on the throne, to the Lamb that here
[16:46] Speaker 1: was led to the slaughter that now reigneth, with whom
[16:49] Speaker 1: I shall reign after I have run this comfortless race
[16:52] Speaker 1: through this miserable earthly veil. The honour in this earth
[16:55] Speaker 1: is baseness. The riches of this world is poverty. The
[16:58] Speaker 1: fullness of this life is wont the joys of this
[17:01] Speaker 1: world's kingdom are sorrow and woe and misery, and sadness
[17:04] Speaker 1: and grief. And yet the fool saith in his heart
[17:07] Speaker 1: there is no other heaven but this harmful, deceiving world's happiness,
[17:11] Speaker 1: no other hell but this world's bitterness, No better comfort
[17:15] Speaker 1: than this world's cares, no further help than this world's wealth.
[17:19] Speaker 1: Thus is man's wisdom made foolishness, and man's glory turned
[17:22] Speaker 1: into shame, and man's power made of no force. And
[17:26] Speaker 1: the faithful poor that are here despised, they are advanced,
[17:30] Speaker 1: the sorrowful are comforted, and the castaways in this world
[17:33] Speaker 1: are received to this blessed being that cannot be expressed
[17:36] Speaker 1: with the tongues of man, nor conceived with the heart
[17:39] Speaker 1: of man. Oh that I had wings, Saith, heavenly hearted David,
[17:43] Speaker 1: that I might fly away from this world's vanities and
[17:46] Speaker 1: possess Heaven's happiness. Oh that I were dissolved, Saith, blessed Paul,
[17:50] Speaker 1: that I might be with Christ. Oh that I were
[17:53] Speaker 1: in this place of such wished happiness, where I might
[17:56] Speaker 1: rest from these worldly labors and earthly miseries and transitory vanities,
[18:02] Speaker 1: but be not heavy O my soul, though thou must
[18:04] Speaker 1: yet weighed under the burden of these earthly troubles. For
[18:08] Speaker 1: these heavenly mysteries are not seen of carnal eyes, nor
[18:11] Speaker 1: can be obtained by carnal means. But through troubles and afflictions,
[18:15] Speaker 1: and dangers and persecutions they must be achieved. And none
[18:19] Speaker 1: that are gods elected shall be free from this world's hatred.
[18:23] Speaker 1: For such difference is there between earth and heaven, and
[18:25] Speaker 1: between earthly and heavenly things, that whoso delighteth in the
[18:29] Speaker 1: first shall be deprived of the latter. For we cannot
[18:32] Speaker 1: have this world's heaven and the heaven of heavens, the
[18:35] Speaker 1: heaven of saints and angels and Cherubim and Seraphim, where
[18:39] Speaker 1: are all unspotted, and all glorious, and all in white
[18:42] Speaker 1: robes of sanctity, And where Christ, the sacrificed Lamb is
[18:45] Speaker 1: unto them. All in all all blessed all they that
[18:50] Speaker 1: are thus assured. Blessed are the poor that shall have
[18:53] Speaker 1: this heaven's riches. Blessed are the base that shall be
[18:56] Speaker 1: thus advanced. Blessed are the low that shall be thus raised.
[18:59] Speaker 1: And blessed are the world's despised, that shall have this
[19:02] Speaker 1: heaven's happiness. Yea happy is this wretched world's unhappy man,
[19:07] Speaker 1: For he shall be happy. I will daily meditate of
[19:10] Speaker 1: the greatness and majesty of this high Heaven's blessed estate,
[19:14] Speaker 1: where I shall one day bless my God with the
[19:16] Speaker 1: company of his saints, and where I shall one day
[19:19] Speaker 1: sit secure and free from the dangers and perils, and
[19:22] Speaker 1: crosses and afflictions that now do assail me on the
[19:25] Speaker 1: right hand and on the left, within me and without me,
[19:28] Speaker 1: And am never free from one calamity or another. But
[19:32] Speaker 1: it is good for me to be here humbled, that
[19:34] Speaker 1: I may be there advanced where I wish speedily to come.
[19:38] Speaker 1: It is good that I were in want here that
[19:40] Speaker 1: I might seek heavenly necessaries. It is good that the
[19:43] Speaker 1: world did discourage me that I might fly to God
[19:46] Speaker 1: that comforteth me. It is good that I am daily
[19:49] Speaker 1: killed here that I might live continually. Now, therefore, O
[19:53] Speaker 1: my soul stand up, fear not faint not at this
[19:55] Speaker 1: world's crosses, but give glory to this great God, Praise
[19:59] Speaker 1: this High and helping God seek him. While it is day,
[20:03] Speaker 1: drive not off to pray to this God. Notwithstanding any
[20:06] Speaker 1: hope thou hast in mortal men, but reject not his
[20:09] Speaker 1: gracious means, who in favor infinite and mercy endless moveth
[20:13] Speaker 1: the hearts of men in this life to do good.
[20:16] Speaker 1: Unto such as he seeth distressed. He can find out
[20:19] Speaker 1: and afford infinite means to succor them that are his,
[20:23] Speaker 1: and will not leave them forsaken in danger. For He
[20:26] Speaker 1: even here giveth me his blessings as pledges of his
[20:29] Speaker 1: never failing love, that being visited in his great mercy,
[20:33] Speaker 1: with timely comforts. Here I may assure me of greater
[20:36] Speaker 1: blessings in Heaven, where they are prepared beyond all that
[20:39] Speaker 1: I can ask or think. O, Lord, God of Hosts,
[20:44] Speaker 1: who is like unto THEE, who hast established Thy kingdom
[20:47] Speaker 1: with truth and equity, with mercy and judgment, Thou hast
[20:51] Speaker 1: a mighty arm Strong is Thine hand, and high is
[20:54] Speaker 1: Thy right hand. Whoso is under thy protection he is safe.
[20:58] Speaker 1: And he that trusteth in THEE may the embrace of
[21:00] Speaker 1: Him on every side. Oh, blessed art thou, o my soul.
[21:04] Speaker 1: If thou canst rejoice in the Lord, He is thy father,
[21:07] Speaker 1: he is thy helper walk therefore in the light of
[21:10] Speaker 1: His countenance, and be patient, wait in hope till these
[21:13] Speaker 1: storms be passed. And then shalt thou have that quiet
[21:16] Speaker 1: rest that He hath prepared in heaven. Lord, increase my faith.
[21:21] Speaker 1: Our conversation is in heaven. From whence also we look
[21:24] Speaker 1: for the Savior, even the Lord Jesus, if he be
[21:28] Speaker 1: risen with Christ. Seek the things which are above, where
[21:31] Speaker 1: Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your
[21:34] Speaker 1: affections on things which are above, and not on things
[21:37] Speaker 1: which are on the earth. End of section four, Section
[21:47] Speaker 1: five of Meditations and Prayers by John Bradford. This LibriVox
[21:52] Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain a meditation of the
[21:56] Speaker 1: life everlasting, the place where it is, and the incomparable
[22:00] Speaker 1: joys thereof That there is an everlasting life. None will deny,
[22:05] Speaker 1: but such as will deny God. For if He be
[22:08] Speaker 1: true and just, which he must needs be, or else
[22:10] Speaker 1: he is not God, then can there not be but
[22:13] Speaker 1: an eternal life that He hath both spoken it and
[22:17] Speaker 1: promised it In Matthew twenty five one Corinthians fifteen, Hebrews
[22:21] Speaker 1: four eleven and twelve one Peter one. It plainly Appeareth
[22:25] Speaker 1: and elsewhere in very many places. So that to deny
[22:29] Speaker 1: an everlasting life is to deny God, to deny Christ
[22:32] Speaker 1: and all that ever he did. Also to deny all
[22:35] Speaker 1: piety and religion, to condemn foolishness, all good men, martyrs, confesses, evangelists, prophets, patriarchs. Finally,
[22:43] Speaker 1: the denial of eternal life is nothing else but a
[22:46] Speaker 1: denial of the immortality of this soul, and so a
[22:49] Speaker 1: plain making of man nothing better than beasts. If it
[22:53] Speaker 1: be so, let us then eat and drink, for to
[22:55] Speaker 1: morrow we shall die. Lord, preserve us from this sad
[22:59] Speaker 1: jusial and curial impiety, and grant us for thy Mercy's sake,
[23:03] Speaker 1: Dear God, that we may be assuredly persuaded that there
[23:06] Speaker 1: is indeed an eternal life, and bliss with THEE for
[23:10] Speaker 1: them that put their trust in THEE, amongst whom account
[23:13] Speaker 1: me for thy Mercy's sake. Again, this eternal life and
[23:17] Speaker 1: the place appointed for them that be Thy servants, all
[23:20] Speaker 1: men do grant to be with Thee. Albeit they do
[23:23] Speaker 1: not think that because Thou art everywhere, therefore eternal life
[23:27] Speaker 1: is everywhere. For they, by thy word do know that
[23:31] Speaker 1: inasmuch as no man can see THEE and live this
[23:33] Speaker 1: eternal life, and thy blessed presence is most pleasant and
[23:37] Speaker 1: had in fruition after in another world, whereunto by corporal death,
[23:42] Speaker 1: they do depart and are translated to a place above them,
[23:45] Speaker 1: where Thou dwellest in a light whereunto no man can approach.
[23:50] Speaker 1: Abraham's bosom, they read was above as the place for
[23:53] Speaker 1: the wicked was alone beneath Elias was caught up into heaven,
[23:57] Speaker 1: and thy son, our dear Savior, prayed that where he is,
[24:00] Speaker 1: those also might be which Thou hadst given him, and
[24:03] Speaker 1: might see his glory. Now he, dear Father, we learn
[24:07] Speaker 1: by thy spirit, was ascended and taken up in his
[24:10] Speaker 1: very body into heaven. With a Stephen looked up and
[24:13] Speaker 1: saw Thy Christ standing on thy right hand, to whom
[24:16] Speaker 1: he prayed, O, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Grant I
[24:21] Speaker 1: beseech THEE Gracious God and Father, that I may have
[24:24] Speaker 1: a clean heart more and more to see THEE, and
[24:27] Speaker 1: so in spirit to see and look often upon this
[24:30] Speaker 1: place whither Thou bring me at the length in body. Also,
[24:33] Speaker 1: I humbly pray THEE. Now what a thing this everlasting
[24:37] Speaker 1: life is? No man is able to conceive much less
[24:40] Speaker 1: able to utter. For the peace of God, which is
[24:42] Speaker 1: eternal life, passeth all understanding. The eye hath not seen,
[24:47] Speaker 1: ear hath not heard. Neither can man's heart conceive those
[24:50] Speaker 1: things which Thou, Dear God has prepared for them that
[24:53] Speaker 1: love Thee. Whatsoever therefore can be spoken or imagined of
[24:57] Speaker 1: Thy kingdom of Thee, clearness, joy, and felicity of the
[25:00] Speaker 1: same is nothing in comparison, as we may see by
[25:04] Speaker 1: Thy prophets, which, because they could not otherwise under corporal things,
[25:08] Speaker 1: have shadowed the same, So that the confidence of eternal life,
[25:12] Speaker 1: what a thing it is, can in no wise be told,
[25:15] Speaker 1: howbeit somewhat we may be brought into some sight of
[25:19] Speaker 1: it by earthly things. To think on this sort. If
[25:23] Speaker 1: God hath given here so many things in a strange place,
[25:27] Speaker 1: how many are the great good things that be at home?
[25:30] Speaker 1: If in a prison are so many mercies, how many
[25:32] Speaker 1: are they in the palace? If the wicked have so
[25:35] Speaker 1: many benefits? What is the store prepared for thy servants,
[25:38] Speaker 1: O Lord? If thy children find such comforts in the
[25:41] Speaker 1: day of tears and mourning, what shall they find in
[25:44] Speaker 1: the day of the marriage. If with beasts men being
[25:47] Speaker 1: have the use of so innumerable blessings. Oh, how many
[25:50] Speaker 1: other blessings which they shall enjoy with thy angels and
[25:53] Speaker 1: with thyself, Oh Dear God, when they shall see THEE
[25:56] Speaker 1: and have the fruition of THEE, in whom is fullness,
[25:59] Speaker 1: without the loathing of all good and fair things, so
[26:02] Speaker 1: that nothing can be more desired, And that forever more
[26:06] Speaker 1: this thy children do not so see as they now
[26:09] Speaker 1: believe it. I say that even in their bodies, they
[26:12] Speaker 1: shall see it forever. As Job said, they believe that
[26:15] Speaker 1: they shall see THEE, and their own eyes behold THEE.
[26:19] Speaker 1: When these our corporal eyes, our bodies, being raised, shall
[26:22] Speaker 1: do their duties. Such a knowledge of THEE they believe
[26:26] Speaker 1: to have as shall not be only intellectual and by faith,
[26:29] Speaker 1: as now it is, but even a full sight and fruition,
[26:33] Speaker 1: yea a conjunction and fellowship with THEE. Now they see
[26:37] Speaker 1: but as in a glass, even in a dark speaking.
[26:40] Speaker 1: But then they shall see THEE face to face. For faith,
[26:44] Speaker 1: though it be the substance of things hoped for, and
[26:47] Speaker 1: a certain dark sight of THEE, yet may not be
[26:50] Speaker 1: compared to the reward of faith and glorious sight, which
[26:53] Speaker 1: we shall see in the life to come, when faith
[26:56] Speaker 1: and hope shall cease. Now thy children know that they
[27:00] Speaker 1: be thy sons, though it yet appear not what they
[27:02] Speaker 1: shall be. We know say they, that when our Christ,
[27:06] Speaker 1: God and Man shall appear, then shall we be like
[27:09] Speaker 1: unto him, For we shall see him, even as he
[27:11] Speaker 1: is our great prerogative to see Christ as he is,
[27:15] Speaker 1: which is not to be considered so much for the
[27:17] Speaker 1: manhood as for THEE Godhead itself. As Pall doth also
[27:21] Speaker 1: write that when all things are subject unto the Son,
[27:24] Speaker 1: then shall he be subject unto THEE dear Father. Also
[27:28] Speaker 1: that God may be all in all. And therefore Christ,
[27:31] Speaker 1: our Savior, prayed for us that we might know THEE,
[27:34] Speaker 1: the only true God. Not that our Christ, thy Son,
[27:37] Speaker 1: is not with THEE, the true, coequal and substantial God,
[27:41] Speaker 1: but that we might now know how that after the judgment,
[27:44] Speaker 1: such a mystery of His mediatorship shall not be in
[27:47] Speaker 1: heaven as is now on earth. Then Thou Blessed Trinity, God,
[27:52] Speaker 1: the Father, God, the Son, and God the Holy Ghost,
[27:54] Speaker 1: shalt be all in all. Thou shalt be the end
[27:57] Speaker 1: of our desires. Thou shalt be looked upon without end.
[28:00] Speaker 1: Thou shalt be loved without loathing. Thou shalt be praised
[28:03] Speaker 1: without weariness. Although loathsomeness be wont to follow fullness. Yet
[28:08] Speaker 1: our fullness in the contemplation of Thy pleasures shall bring
[28:11] Speaker 1: with it no kind at all of loathsomeness. Society of
[28:14] Speaker 1: joys shall be in the beholding of thee pleasures are
[28:17] Speaker 1: on thy right hand. Forever we shall be satisfied when
[28:20] Speaker 1: we arise after Thine image, I mean, in the resurrection. Oh,
[28:25] Speaker 1: Dear Father, show thyself unto us, and we ask no more. Oh,
[28:28] Speaker 1: grant us with thy saints in everlasting life, to praise
[28:31] Speaker 1: with perpetual praises thy holy name. Happy then and happy
[28:36] Speaker 1: again were we if that day were come, that we
[28:39] Speaker 1: might sing, with thy angels, elders and innumerable thousands a
[28:43] Speaker 1: new song, And say, thou Christ Jesus, which was slain
[28:47] Speaker 1: art worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength,
[28:50] Speaker 1: and honor and glory and blessing. In this blessed life.
[28:53] Speaker 1: All kinds of maladies, griefs, sorrows, and evils be far away,
[28:57] Speaker 1: and all full of all kinds of mirth, joy and play. Oh,
[29:01] Speaker 1: that we might see now a little with Saint John,
[29:04] Speaker 1: that Holy City, New Jerusalem, descending from Heaven, prepared of
[29:08] Speaker 1: God as a bride trimmed for her husband. Oh, that
[29:11] Speaker 1: we might now something. Hear the Great voice speaking out
[29:14] Speaker 1: of the throne. Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men,
[29:18] Speaker 1: and He will dwell with them, and they shall be
[29:20] Speaker 1: His people, and He shall be under them their God.
[29:23] Speaker 1: He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and
[29:26] Speaker 1: death shall be no more, nor weeping, nor crying, nor sorrow.
[29:29] Speaker 1: For the former things are gone. John Bradford, end of
[29:34] Speaker 1: section five Section six of Meditations and Prayers by John Bradford.
[29:46] Speaker 1: This LIBRIVANX recording is in the public domain. Meditation of
[29:51] Speaker 1: the blessed State and felicity of the life to come.
[29:55] Speaker 1: This body is but a prison wherein the soul is kept,
[29:59] Speaker 1: and that verily not beautiful nor bright, but most foul
[30:03] Speaker 1: and dark, disquiet, frail, and filled up with much vermin
[30:06] Speaker 1: and venomous vipers. I mean it concerning our affections, standing
[30:11] Speaker 1: in an air most unwholesome and prospect most loathsome if
[30:15] Speaker 1: a man consider the excrements of it by the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hands, feet,
[30:20] Speaker 1: and all other parts, so that no boccado, No little ease,
[30:24] Speaker 1: no dungeon, nor bishop's prison, no gatehouse, no sink, no
[30:28] Speaker 1: pit may be compared in any point to be so evil.
[30:31] Speaker 1: A prison for the body, as the body is for
[30:34] Speaker 1: and of the soul, where through the children of God
[30:37] Speaker 1: have been occasioned to cry and lament their long being
[30:40] Speaker 1: in it. O, Saith David, how long shall I lie
[30:43] Speaker 1: in this prison? Oh wretch that I am, Saith Paul,
[30:46] Speaker 1: who shall deliver me out of this body of sin
[30:49] Speaker 1: which is an heavy burden to the soul, as the
[30:51] Speaker 1: wise man saith, and therefore the godly cry. Now let
[30:55] Speaker 1: thy servant depart in peace, Oh, that I were dissolved
[30:59] Speaker 1: and had put off this earthly and frailed habernacle. Take
[31:03] Speaker 1: me unto THEE, and bring my soul out of this prison,
[31:06] Speaker 1: that it may give thanks unto Thee, O Lord. For
[31:09] Speaker 1: so long as we be in this body, we cannot
[31:12] Speaker 1: see the Lord. Yea. It is as an heavy habitation
[31:15] Speaker 1: and depresseth down sore the spirit from the familiarity which
[31:19] Speaker 1: it else should have with God. The world and life
[31:24] Speaker 1: is an exile, a veil of misery, a wilderness of itself,
[31:28] Speaker 1: being void of all virtues, and necessaries for eternal life,
[31:31] Speaker 1: full of enemies, sorrows, sighings, sobbings, groanings, miseries, et cetera,
[31:37] Speaker 1: in danger to hunger, cold, heat, thirst, sows, sickness, temptations, troubled, death,
[31:43] Speaker 1: and innumerable calamities, being momentary, short, unstable, and nothing but vain,
[31:49] Speaker 1: and therefore is compared to a warfare, a woman's travail,
[31:52] Speaker 1: a shadow, a smoke of vapor, a word, a storm,
[31:55] Speaker 1: a tempest in the which God's people feel great molestations, griefs,
[32:00] Speaker 1: troubles now of Satan himself, now of the world, now
[32:03] Speaker 1: of their own flesh, and that so wonderfully, diversely, dangerously
[32:07] Speaker 1: and contrarily that they are enforced to cry, O, Lord,
[32:11] Speaker 1: when shall we come and appear before thee? When shall
[32:14] Speaker 1: this misery end? When shall we be delivered out of
[32:17] Speaker 1: this veil of misery, out of these continual afflictions and
[32:20] Speaker 1: most perilous sees. But where thou art, Lord and dear
[32:25] Speaker 1: Father of mercy, there is not only no prison, no dollars,
[32:28] Speaker 1: no sorrow, no sighings, no tears, no sickness, no hunger,
[32:32] Speaker 1: no heat, no cold, no pain, no temptations, no displeasure,
[32:37] Speaker 1: no malice, no pride, no uncleanness, no contention, no torments,
[32:41] Speaker 1: no horror, no sin of filth, no stench, no dearth,
[32:45] Speaker 1: no death, no weeping, no tears, no misery, no mischiefs.
[32:50] Speaker 1: There is, I say, not only no such thing or
[32:52] Speaker 1: any evil, noisome or displeasant thing, but all liberty, all light,
[32:57] Speaker 1: all pleasantness, all joy, rejoicing, pleasure, health, wealth, riches, glory, power, treasure, honor, triumph, comfort, solace, love, unity, peace, concord, wisdom, virtue, melody, meekness, felicity, beatitude,
[33:12] Speaker 1: and all that ever can be wished or desired in
[33:14] Speaker 1: most security, eternity, and perpetuity that may be thought not
[33:18] Speaker 1: only of man, but of angels and archangels. Yea, above
[33:22] Speaker 1: all thoughts. The eye hath not seen, the like, the
[33:26] Speaker 1: ear hath not heard, nor no heart is able to
[33:29] Speaker 1: conceive in any point any part of the blissful beatitude
[33:33] Speaker 1: which is with thee most dear Lord and Savior, most
[33:36] Speaker 1: Gracious God, and comforter, where thou art a blessed God.
[33:40] Speaker 1: The archangels, angels, thrones, powers, dominations, cherubim, seraphim, patriarch's prophets, apostles, martyrs, virgins, confessors,
[33:48] Speaker 1: and righteous spirits, cease not to sing night and day.
[33:52] Speaker 1: Holy Holy, Holy Lord, God of Hosts, Honor, majesty, glory, power, empire,
[33:58] Speaker 1: and dominion be unto THEE God the Creator, O Lord
[34:01] Speaker 1: Jesus the Redeemer, O Holy Spirit, the comforter. In recordation
[34:06] Speaker 1: of this, O, how thy children rejoice, How con temn
[34:09] Speaker 1: they the pleasures of this world. How little esteem they
[34:12] Speaker 1: any corporal grief or shame, How desire they to be
[34:15] Speaker 1: with THEE. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O, Lord, God
[34:19] Speaker 1: of Hosts, say they, My soul hath a desire to
[34:22] Speaker 1: enter into the courts of the Lord. My heart and
[34:24] Speaker 1: my soul rejoiceth in the Living God. Blessed are they
[34:28] Speaker 1: that dwell in Thy house, that they may be always
[34:31] Speaker 1: praising THEE. For one day in Thy courts is better
[34:34] Speaker 1: than the thousand elsewhere. I had rather be a door
[34:37] Speaker 1: keeper in the house of my God than to dwell
[34:40] Speaker 1: in the tents of ungodliness. For the Lord God is
[34:43] Speaker 1: a light and defense. And again, like as the heart
[34:47] Speaker 1: desireth THEE water brooks, so longeth my soul after THEE,
[34:50] Speaker 1: O God. My soul is a first for God, yea
[34:54] Speaker 1: even for the Living God. When shall I come to
[34:56] Speaker 1: appear before the presence of God. My soul thirsteth for THEE.
[35:00] Speaker 1: My flesh also longeth after THEE. In a barren and
[35:03] Speaker 1: dry land, where no water is they, thy children, I mean,
[35:07] Speaker 1: O Lord, desire the day of that Thy redemption. Still
[35:11] Speaker 1: they cry, Let thy kingdom come, They cry, Come, Lord Jesus.
[35:16] Speaker 1: They lift up their heads, looking for thy appearing, O Lord,
[35:19] Speaker 1: which will make their vile body like to Thine own
[35:22] Speaker 1: glorious and immortal body. For when Thou shalt appear, they
[35:26] Speaker 1: shall be like unto THEE. Thy angels will gather them together,
[35:30] Speaker 1: and they shall meet THEE in the clouds and be
[35:32] Speaker 1: always with THEE. They shall hear this joyful voice. Come, ye,
[35:37] Speaker 1: blest of my Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you
[35:39] Speaker 1: from the beginning. Then shall they be like to thy angels.
[35:43] Speaker 1: Then shall they be like unto the Sun in Thy kingdom.
[35:46] Speaker 1: Then shall they have crowns of glory and be endued
[35:49] Speaker 1: with white garments of innocency and righteousness, having palms of
[35:53] Speaker 1: victory in their hands. Oh, happy is he that may
[35:56] Speaker 1: but see that immortal and incorruptible inheritance which they they
[36:00] Speaker 1: shall enjoy for evermore, Amen. J. Bradford end of section
[36:06] Speaker 1: six Section seven of Meditations and Prayers by John Bradford.
[36:17] Speaker 1: This LIBRIVANX recording is in the public domain. Prayer for
[36:21] Speaker 1: Deliverance from trouble being a godly prayer made by John Bradford,
[36:25] Speaker 1: O Eternal, Almighty and most merciful God, which has revealed
[36:29] Speaker 1: thyself unto mankind, not only by the handiwork of this
[36:32] Speaker 1: world and deliverance out of Egypt, but also which is
[36:35] Speaker 1: the greatest of all, by the sending of thy only
[36:38] Speaker 1: begotten son, our Lord Jesus Christ, into this vale of misery,
[36:42] Speaker 1: and by the gifts of thy Holy Spirit. Wherewith thou
[36:44] Speaker 1: hast adorned thy church, we humbly beseech thee by thy
[36:48] Speaker 1: dear Son, Jesus Christ, that thou wouldst meekly open thy
[36:51] Speaker 1: gracious ears to our complaints and send down thy help
[36:55] Speaker 1: and aid not so much for our sakes as for
[36:57] Speaker 1: the glory of thy holy name. For whereas man did lie,
[37:02] Speaker 1: as Thou knowest, altogether so overwhelmed in sin, that not
[37:06] Speaker 1: only he was destitute of that righteousness he had of
[37:09] Speaker 1: Thy creation, but also in no wise could by any
[37:12] Speaker 1: of his powers or merits rise up to recover the
[37:15] Speaker 1: same righteousness, and therefore of necessity the inheritor of eternal punishment.
[37:22] Speaker 1: Yet thou most merciful God, hadst mercy upon that our
[37:25] Speaker 1: marvelous great misery, and therefore didst promise and at length
[37:29] Speaker 1: send unto us Thine only begotten son, that he might
[37:32] Speaker 1: pay the ransom for our sins, and obtain by his
[37:35] Speaker 1: obedience unto THEE, his dear Father, that so many as
[37:38] Speaker 1: believed in him might be endued with his righteousness, to
[37:41] Speaker 1: be reputed as just for his sake before thy tribunal seat,
[37:46] Speaker 1: that although they want righteousness of their own, yet they
[37:49] Speaker 1: might have the fruition of the righteousness of another, namely
[37:53] Speaker 1: of the Lord Jesus Christ, whereby as they might be
[37:55] Speaker 1: made able to stand in Thy judgment, so to be
[37:58] Speaker 1: kindled in thy holy space, to the rendering of obedience
[38:01] Speaker 1: to THEE truly and from the very heart. This is
[38:05] Speaker 1: the doctrine of thy gospel, which thou at the first
[38:07] Speaker 1: showst to the fathers, which thy prophets taught, which thy
[38:11] Speaker 1: son Jesus Christ declared unto us, which thy Holy Spirit
[38:14] Speaker 1: by the apostles hath published throughout the whole world, which
[38:17] Speaker 1: doctrine in these our days thou hast notably set forth
[38:21] Speaker 1: by thy servant King Edward, in the Book of Homilies,
[38:23] Speaker 1: appointed in his reign, to be read in the churches.
[38:26] Speaker 1: By this doctrine, Thou keepest thy Church not only in
[38:30] Speaker 1: afflictions of this life, but also in the torments of
[38:32] Speaker 1: death itself. Now, Dear and most meek Father, we humbly
[38:36] Speaker 1: beseech thee to consider with thyself what wicked and cruel
[38:40] Speaker 1: men think of this thy great benefit. Behold, we open
[38:43] Speaker 1: before thy Majesty the articles of our bishops in their visitations,
[38:47] Speaker 1: the statutes, laws and ordinances, and injunctions of our parliaments
[38:50] Speaker 1: and magistrates, and working of sophisters, wherewith the doctrine of
[38:55] Speaker 1: thy son, our Savior Jesus Christ, concerning the righteousness of faith,
[38:59] Speaker 1: is so condemned that it is plainly accused of devilishness.
[39:03] Speaker 1: YEA Lord, So far forth do thy enemies now proceed,
[39:06] Speaker 1: that as to for by slaughter they made havoc of
[39:10] Speaker 1: thy sheep and church. Even so now by all kinds
[39:13] Speaker 1: of violence, cruelty, and injustice they go about their impiety. Therefore, arise, O, Lord,
[39:20] Speaker 1: our God defend Thou thine own cause. Forget not the blasphemies,
[39:24] Speaker 1: wherewith THEE wicked blaspheme THEE deliver Thy Christ from their presumption,
[39:28] Speaker 1: which they, by all means, and especially at this Parliament
[39:31] Speaker 1: seek utterly to condemn, Keep thy Church, which thine enemies
[39:35] Speaker 1: desire to oppress and utterly to destroy. Defend thy prisoned servants,
[39:39] Speaker 1: which at this present are in bonds for THEE defense
[39:42] Speaker 1: of thy verity. Indeed, we confess frankly that we are
[39:45] Speaker 1: grievous sinners, and in no point have been thankful unto
[39:48] Speaker 1: THEE for thy wonderful great benefits, which hitherto Thou hast
[39:51] Speaker 1: plentifully poured out upon us. But now, good Lord, we
[39:55] Speaker 1: desire to repent and something lament our miserable and sinful life.
[39:59] Speaker 1: We desire to embrace and heartily to believe the Gospel
[40:01] Speaker 1: of thy Son, that because we are sinners and cannot
[40:05] Speaker 1: make amends for our sins in any point by any
[40:08] Speaker 1: means or merits of our own, we may obtain free
[40:11] Speaker 1: remission of our sins for and through Christ, thy Son.
[40:14] Speaker 1: And we pray THEE further that henceforth Thou wilt govern
[40:17] Speaker 1: our whole life by Thy Holy Spirit, where through the
[40:20] Speaker 1: remnants of our flesh may be mortified, and we may
[40:23] Speaker 1: serve and sanctify Thy Holy Name forever. As concerning thy adversaries, Lord,
[40:28] Speaker 1: thou knowest that although they would seem nothing less than
[40:31] Speaker 1: persecutors of Thy name and Church, yet the thing itself
[40:35] Speaker 1: declareth that they do persecute thee true doctrine of the
[40:38] Speaker 1: Gospel of Thy Son, and not only do not acknowledge
[40:41] Speaker 1: their impiety, but also do defend it and undertake so
[40:45] Speaker 1: to do by all means they can. This is not
[40:47] Speaker 1: their mind that they might promote the glory of Thy
[40:49] Speaker 1: Holy Name, but that they might without blame, live lordlike
[40:53] Speaker 1: after their lusts and beastly pleasures, satisfying their cruel and
[40:57] Speaker 1: covetous desires and concupiscences. And wilt thou, o, Lord, our God,
[41:01] Speaker 1: approve this their purpose. Wilt thou help this their hope? No, No,
[41:06] Speaker 1: thou wilt never do it, for Thou art not God
[41:09] Speaker 1: that will iniquity, the wicked, shall not dwell with thee.
[41:12] Speaker 1: Thou hatest all workers of wickedness. Thou wilt destroy all
[41:16] Speaker 1: that speak lies. We indeed are unworthy to see Thy
[41:20] Speaker 1: glory But yet thou art worthy that Thy glory might
[41:24] Speaker 1: be showed to all the whole world. Wherefore we pray
[41:27] Speaker 1: and earnestly beseech THEE in Christ's name, that thou wouldst
[41:31] Speaker 1: witness publicly in these our days. How that thy will
[41:34] Speaker 1: is such as hateth iniquity and abhorreth these crafty and
[41:38] Speaker 1: bloodthirsty men. For if thou shalt leave us, Dear Father,
[41:43] Speaker 1: will not the world say where is their gospel? Where
[41:45] Speaker 1: is their Christ? Could Christ keep them in prison, preserve
[41:48] Speaker 1: them in death? These blasphemies? Even now, Dear Lord, we
[41:52] Speaker 1: here to walter out their hearts and lips. This thou knowest,
[41:57] Speaker 1: o Lord, the trier of the heart and reins. Let therefore,
[42:00] Speaker 1: o Good God, thy strength be magnified. And as thou
[42:03] Speaker 1: hast said, call upon me in the day of thy trouble,
[42:06] Speaker 1: and I will deliver THEE. And thou shalt honor me.
[42:09] Speaker 1: Even so now hear us calling upon thy name, through
[42:12] Speaker 1: thy only begotten Son, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
[42:17] Speaker 1: End of section seven, Section eight of Meditations and Prayers
[42:28] Speaker 1: by John Bradford. This LIBRIVANX recording is in the public domain.
[42:33] Speaker 1: Prayer in the time of persecution. Jesus Immanuel, O Almighty,
[42:40] Speaker 1: Everlasting and most merciful Lord God, the dear Father of
[42:44] Speaker 1: our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and through him our
[42:47] Speaker 1: most gracious good Father, whose providence is over us, whose
[42:50] Speaker 1: wisdom and righteousness is seen over all, as thy mercy,
[42:54] Speaker 1: even in the midst of most miseries is tasted. Of all. Indeed,
[42:58] Speaker 1: we have deserved most horrible plague by reason of our unthankfulness, contempt,
[43:02] Speaker 1: and slanderous abusing thy most holy Gospel, which most plentifully
[43:06] Speaker 1: and purely Thou didst give us with such a prince
[43:09] Speaker 1: to propagate, the same as never since England was christened
[43:13] Speaker 1: was known the like we I say, have deserved not
[43:17] Speaker 1: only the taking away of this our dear Prince, and
[43:19] Speaker 1: the benefit of the ministry of thy pure Gospel, but
[43:22] Speaker 1: also all other most terrible plagues that can be devised.
[43:26] Speaker 1: For great and heenous are our offenses, and therefore just
[43:29] Speaker 1: thou art, and righteous are thy judgments. If as Thou
[43:33] Speaker 1: hast begun, thou shalt continue to pour out upon us
[43:36] Speaker 1: thy fearful plagues and indignation. But Gracious Lord, remit thine anger,
[43:41] Speaker 1: because thou art accustomed to remember mercy, and full well
[43:44] Speaker 1: knowest whereof we are made and what we are able
[43:47] Speaker 1: to bear. We beseech THEE, which art rich in mercy
[43:50] Speaker 1: and plentiful to all them that call upon THEE, that
[43:54] Speaker 1: for Thy Name's sake through Christ, Thou wouldst correct us
[43:57] Speaker 1: according to thy sweet mercy, and not in Thy sour
[43:59] Speaker 1: favor and indignation. Much better it is for us, Dear Father,
[44:04] Speaker 1: and more tolerable, that we should yield ourselves into Thy
[44:07] Speaker 1: hands to be chastised of THEE, than to fall into
[44:09] Speaker 1: the hands of Thy enemies, as David prayed, for, great
[44:12] Speaker 1: is thy mercy against THEE. Against THEE, only have we
[44:16] Speaker 1: sinned and broken Thy holy commandments. But Loving God and
[44:21] Speaker 1: Almighty God and Father, well thou knowest we have not
[44:24] Speaker 1: sinned against the devil the world, the Pope and his prelates,
[44:27] Speaker 1: neither against the Queen's Highness and politic magistrates of the realm,
[44:32] Speaker 1: so that justly have they no right or power to
[44:34] Speaker 1: punish us, howbeit Thou mayst justly use them as thy
[44:38] Speaker 1: fierce rd against us. But Good God and Heavenly dear Father,
[44:43] Speaker 1: against them, have we not so behaved ourselves that rightly
[44:47] Speaker 1: and justly they can be thought to punish us. Yea, Rather,
[44:50] Speaker 1: they wish that with them horribly we would displease and
[44:53] Speaker 1: sin against THEE. For nothing should it grieve them if
[44:57] Speaker 1: we were horrible rebels against THEE, blasphemas of a life
[45:00] Speaker 1: thy name, idolators, worshippers of stocks and stones, false servers
[45:04] Speaker 1: of THEE, adulterers, thieves, drunkards, murderers, gluttons, oppressors, and altogether
[45:09] Speaker 1: overwhelmed in mischief. But this is our sin and offense
[45:13] Speaker 1: against them, because we preach, believe, and confess THEE God
[45:17] Speaker 1: the Father, to be the true and only God, and
[45:20] Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, thy dear son, to be the only Lord, Savior, Bishop,
[45:23] Speaker 1: priest and mediator, and the Holy Spirit to be the
[45:26] Speaker 1: only comforter, vivificator, counselor and master of all truth, and
[45:31] Speaker 1: Thy written word to be the lantern to our feet,
[45:34] Speaker 1: the sufficient doctrine to our salvation. This, Dear Lord, is
[45:38] Speaker 1: a sin against them, because we will not serve THEE
[45:41] Speaker 1: after the traditions of men. But as in thy word,
[45:44] Speaker 1: by thy son and apostles, thou hast taught us. Therefore
[45:47] Speaker 1: are they much wroth and persecute us if we would
[45:51] Speaker 1: worship Bread instead of Christ, cast off our hope and
[45:55] Speaker 1: creed of the satisfactory and propitiatory sacrifice which thy son,
[45:59] Speaker 1: our Lord did make in his own body himself once
[46:01] Speaker 1: for all to the perfect, sanctifying forever of all that
[46:04] Speaker 1: shall be saved, and come and buy their propitiatory sacrifices
[46:08] Speaker 1: in that abominable idol, the Mass. If we would cast
[46:12] Speaker 1: off thy commandments to follow good intents, to serve thee
[46:15] Speaker 1: in a tongue we know not to pray unto saints,
[46:18] Speaker 1: to buy pardons, to run a pilgrimage gate, going to
[46:21] Speaker 1: offer candles and tapers to images, to buy trentles diriges,
[46:25] Speaker 1: to say as they say and do as they do,
[46:28] Speaker 1: submitting ourselves to the faith of the anti Christian, popish
[46:31] Speaker 1: and devilish Church clean contrary from the faith of thy
[46:34] Speaker 1: Catholic and true Church, which is grounded and builded upon
[46:37] Speaker 1: thy dear child, Jesus Christ, whom as he is the foundation,
[46:42] Speaker 1: so is he the fullness of all whereof we all
[46:44] Speaker 1: receive and the very sinew which coupleth and knitteth together
[46:48] Speaker 1: every one of us to grow and go forwards into
[46:50] Speaker 1: a perfect man, being made of thee unto wisdom and righteousness,
[46:54] Speaker 1: and sanctifying and redemption, that our rejoicing might be in Him,
[46:58] Speaker 1: which also is our Head, from whom cometh our life
[47:01] Speaker 1: by the working of His spirit, which is kept always
[47:04] Speaker 1: alive in us, so long as we suck of the
[47:06] Speaker 1: blood and natural juice which descendeth from our head into
[47:09] Speaker 1: the members, that is to say, so long as we
[47:11] Speaker 1: stick and abide by His written word and Gospel, not
[47:14] Speaker 1: suffering the same to putrefy and corrupt by admitting false
[47:17] Speaker 1: glosses and expositions of men's own brains and devices not
[47:21] Speaker 1: contained in thy book of the Bible. If I say,
[47:24] Speaker 1: Dear Lord, we would do thus leaving the water in
[47:27] Speaker 1: the well of life and drink of their dirty, digged
[47:30] Speaker 1: pits and cisterns. Then should we have peace with them?
[47:33] Speaker 1: Then would not the devil rage? Then would the world
[47:36] Speaker 1: wrestle no more against us? Then would the Pope and
[47:39] Speaker 1: his prelates promote us? Then would the Queen be merciful
[47:42] Speaker 1: and the magistrates our good masters? Even as thy dear
[47:45] Speaker 1: child saith, if you are of the world, the world
[47:48] Speaker 1: would love his own. Here Therefore, look down a merciful
[47:52] Speaker 1: father towards us, and a fierce judge towards all such
[47:55] Speaker 1: our enemies as are not to be converted, For they
[47:58] Speaker 1: are no less thine enemies than ours, so that in
[48:01] Speaker 1: persecuting us and punishing us, they persecute thee and punish THEE.
[48:05] Speaker 1: For this word which we preach, believe, and confess, is
[48:08] Speaker 1: not our word, but Thy word, and not our expositions
[48:12] Speaker 1: or construings, but the expositions and construings of Thy Holy Spirit.
[48:16] Speaker 1: This gear the devil cannot abide, but would have thy
[48:20] Speaker 1: place and be to us a god. The Pope and
[48:23] Speaker 1: his prelates would reign in men's consciences and for God's word.
[48:27] Speaker 1: They would have us to believe their stinking traditions, counsels, decrees,
[48:31] Speaker 1: and lies. The Queen and the magistrates in place of
[48:34] Speaker 1: thy son Jesus Christ would place their abominable idol of
[48:37] Speaker 1: bread in place of our priest after the order of Melchizedek.
[48:41] Speaker 1: They would place priests after the order of Baol and Antichrist.
[48:45] Speaker 1: Instead of Christ's sacrifice. They would thrust out unto us
[48:48] Speaker 1: and horrible sacrilege. End of section eight, Section nine of
[49:01] Speaker 1: Meditations and Prayers by John Bradford. This LIBRIVANX recording is
[49:05] Speaker 1: in the public domain. Paraphrase of Psalm seventeen nine. Jesus
[49:12] Speaker 1: Immanuel O God, the Father of our Lord and Savior,
[49:16] Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, which of thine own mere goodness has vouchsafe
[49:20] Speaker 1: to make an everlasting covenant with us, namely that thou
[49:24] Speaker 1: wilt be our God, and we shall be thy people
[49:26] Speaker 1: and inheritance. Behold, as in times past the heathen came
[49:31] Speaker 1: into Thine inheritance of Israel and polluted Thy Holy Temple
[49:34] Speaker 1: and Jerusalem, and also made the goodly city of Jerusalem
[49:38] Speaker 1: itself a heap of stones, devastating it. Even so, now
[49:42] Speaker 1: very many heathen and limbs of Antichrist, though outwardly they
[49:45] Speaker 1: profess Christ, are come into Thine inheritance and Church, which
[49:49] Speaker 1: thou hast with us in this realm of England, and
[49:52] Speaker 1: have defiled Thy Holy Temple, that is, the souls and
[49:56] Speaker 1: bodies of many which have professed thee in whom, as
[49:59] Speaker 1: in thy temper, thou shouldst dwell. They have I say,
[50:03] Speaker 1: defiled them by enforcing them through tyrannical precepts and threats
[50:07] Speaker 1: to resort to idololatrical and anti Christian service, which Thou,
[50:12] Speaker 1: by thy word didst never allow, but rather and utterly forbid,
[50:17] Speaker 1: as is Latin service to them that understand not Latin
[50:20] Speaker 1: invocation to saints, adoration with godly honor of thy creatures
[50:24] Speaker 1: of bread and wine, as though they were God being,
[50:27] Speaker 1: but the sacraments of the body and blood of thy son,
[50:30] Speaker 1: our Savior, Jesus Christ, which they utterly corrupt and horribly
[50:34] Speaker 1: profane by presuming to offer up the same unto Thy majesty,
[50:38] Speaker 1: without any calling of them to that office by thee
[50:41] Speaker 1: in which doing they do, as much as in them,
[50:44] Speaker 1: is to crucify Christ again, utterly denying his one and
[50:47] Speaker 1: alone sacrifice offered up by himself to be omnisufficient, contrary
[50:52] Speaker 1: to all thy holy scriptures, that thy people should allow
[50:57] Speaker 1: this kind of religion. Dear Father, thou seest how these
[51:00] Speaker 1: wicked heathen have prevailed and have defiled thy temple, making
[51:03] Speaker 1: the face of thy church once with us in the
[51:06] Speaker 1: time of thy dear servant King Edward the sixth, no
[51:09] Speaker 1: less beautiful in thy sight by reason of pure doctrine
[51:12] Speaker 1: and the godly administration of thy sacraments than was the
[51:15] Speaker 1: city of Jerusalem, which was a figure of thy Church.
[51:18] Speaker 1: Utterly defaced, devastated, and now nothing but a heap of stones,
[51:23] Speaker 1: the congregation of the faithful, thy true Church, being scattered abroad,
[51:27] Speaker 1: driven into exile, and cast into prisons, temples of stones,
[51:31] Speaker 1: yet still remaining, as once the Heathen gave the carcasses
[51:36] Speaker 1: of thy servants to be meet for the birds of
[51:38] Speaker 1: the air, and as they gave the flesh of thy
[51:41] Speaker 1: holy ones to a prey for the beasts of the earth,
[51:44] Speaker 1: when Antiochus and other tyrants oppressed the country of Jury.
[51:48] Speaker 1: Even so now these limbs of Antichrist, with their parasites
[51:51] Speaker 1: and sworn shavelings, except Thou, for thy mercy and Truth's sake,
[51:55] Speaker 1: do let them are purposed and fully determined to hang
[51:59] Speaker 1: up and burn the bodies, flesh and bones of all
[52:02] Speaker 1: that will persevere to worship Thee after the verity and
[52:05] Speaker 1: truth in demonstration. Whereof they have cast of thy dearest saints,
[52:10] Speaker 1: no small number, into exile and prison, utterly taking from
[52:13] Speaker 1: them with all injustice, all kinds of comfort and equity.
[52:18] Speaker 1: As in times past thee Heathen poured out the blood
[52:21] Speaker 1: of thy people like water round about Jerusalem, so that
[52:24] Speaker 1: there was none to bury the dead. Even so these
[52:27] Speaker 1: hill hounds limbs of Antichrist, have done in times past
[52:31] Speaker 1: in the slaughter of Frith Barnes, Garret, Jerome, Lambert, la Cells,
[52:36] Speaker 1: et cetera, and now lately have done by the cruel
[52:39] Speaker 1: destroying of the good and innocent Lady Jane, as they
[52:42] Speaker 1: thirstily gape to drink up more blood of thy slaughter sheep,
[52:46] Speaker 1: which they have in prison and keep for a soil
[52:48] Speaker 1: and cooling of their heat, which will not be slaked
[52:51] Speaker 1: until they have destroyed all thy sealy souls, or driven
[52:55] Speaker 1: them out of England, except thou, good Lord, wilt, for
[52:58] Speaker 1: thy namesake prevent them. As once thy people complain to
[53:03] Speaker 1: THEE that they were made a reproach, and by word
[53:06] Speaker 1: unto their neighbors, are laughing stock and scorn to such
[53:09] Speaker 1: as dwelled about them. Even so, now, dear Father, we
[53:13] Speaker 1: thy people, at this present here in England, cannot but
[53:16] Speaker 1: complain that we are become a byword to our neighbours,
[53:19] Speaker 1: a mock and mowing to those that dwell about us.
[53:23] Speaker 1: For everywhere now it is tauntingly spoken, where are our Protestants,
[53:27] Speaker 1: Where are these new Gospellers, Where is the new doctrine
[53:30] Speaker 1: they taught Therefore with thy people we are enforced to
[53:35] Speaker 1: cry out, how long, o Lord, wilt thou be angry?
[53:37] Speaker 1: The punishments we do not so much complain of, although
[53:40] Speaker 1: they be painful, as do we thy displeasure which daily increaseth.
[53:45] Speaker 1: But how long, o Lord, shall thy wrath, which we
[53:48] Speaker 1: have wrought to work our woe, Dear Lord, burn forever
[53:51] Speaker 1: as now it beginneth even corporally, to bring us into
[53:54] Speaker 1: a servitude and captivity, to demonstrate the heenous captivity of soul.
[53:59] Speaker 1: Many are caught in by idolatry and horrible abomination. Whereto
[54:03] Speaker 1: very many do consent against their conscience, outwardly allowing that
[54:07] Speaker 1: which inwardly they detest, for fear of loss of life, lands, goods, liberty, friends,
[54:13] Speaker 1: et cetera. Shall I say this wrath burn and waste
[54:17] Speaker 1: all forever? Alas O Lord, who is able to bear
[54:21] Speaker 1: thy wrath, A lord which art a consuming fire, wilt
[54:25] Speaker 1: not thou in thine anger remember thy mercy? Wilt not
[54:28] Speaker 1: thou remember that we are as hay, dust, stubble and straw,
[54:32] Speaker 1: and cannot but consume in thy displeasure. Oh, pour out
[54:37] Speaker 1: thy wrath and vengeance rather upon the wicked, which have
[54:40] Speaker 1: not nor will not know THEE. And upon the countries
[54:43] Speaker 1: which call not and will not call upon Thy name,
[54:45] Speaker 1: but upon their avourries or trust in their own policy
[54:49] Speaker 1: and power, and go about as they have done and
[54:51] Speaker 1: will do. If thou let not to devour Jacob, thy
[54:55] Speaker 1: church and poor people, and so also have not, do not,
[54:59] Speaker 1: nor will not cease to destroy Thy tabernacle, temple, worship,
[55:04] Speaker 1: true religion, and service with all them that love the same.
[55:08] Speaker 1: To the Lord, these caterpillars and philistines are known. If
[55:12] Speaker 1: there be any of them to be converted, those do
[55:15] Speaker 1: thou convert her Father? Upon the residue which are not
[55:18] Speaker 1: to be converted. Pour out thy wrath and heavy indignation,
[55:22] Speaker 1: that we might praise thy holy name, and others might
[55:25] Speaker 1: tremble at Thy power and sing praises unto THEE in
[55:27] Speaker 1: the day of Thy visitation. But methinks we hear THEE
[55:32] Speaker 1: object unto us our monstrous ingratitude for thy word, so
[55:35] Speaker 1: plentifully preached, for thy sacraments, so sincerely ministered, and forsooth
[55:40] Speaker 1: for THEE good ministers, ecclesiastical and civil, especially for our
[55:44] Speaker 1: good and most holy King, and for our carnal and
[55:46] Speaker 1: sinful life, not knowing the time of our visitation these
[55:50] Speaker 1: things and many other our misdeeds and evil life. Methinks
[55:54] Speaker 1: that thou dost object against us as though we were
[55:57] Speaker 1: not entreated otherwise now than we have deserved. Yea, that
[56:01] Speaker 1: great mercy thou ShoWest to us in not dealing with
[56:04] Speaker 1: us as we have deserved, being as we be yet
[56:08] Speaker 1: so far from true repentance, flattering ourselves in many evils,
[56:12] Speaker 1: so that thou knowest not what to do with us,
[56:15] Speaker 1: or strike us any further. As Asiah witnesseth O, Lord God,
[56:20] Speaker 1: we are ashamed to lift up our faces, for indeed
[56:23] Speaker 1: these are most true. We have sinned in heaven and
[56:26] Speaker 1: against thee, and are no more worthy to be called
[56:29] Speaker 1: thy children. The reason why Thou becamest Thou God and
[56:33] Speaker 1: maddest us thy people, was thine own goodness and mercy
[56:37] Speaker 1: in Christ. In that these still remain, we cannot but
[56:41] Speaker 1: take some comfort that thou now wilt in thine anger
[56:44] Speaker 1: remember thy mercy. For if it was to the glory
[56:48] Speaker 1: and praise of thy name so to adopt us, how
[56:51] Speaker 1: should it be but to the glory of thy name
[56:54] Speaker 1: now to look upon us and help us the more
[56:56] Speaker 1: we are now unworthy, the more it shall be to
[56:59] Speaker 1: the praise of Thy grace and glory. For unto none
[57:02] Speaker 1: other we come but to THEE. Help. We look not
[57:06] Speaker 1: for elsewhere, but only from THEE. And that not of
[57:10] Speaker 1: our deserts or anything we can do, but only of
[57:13] Speaker 1: Thy mercy, the which in that thine enemies begin to limit,
[57:18] Speaker 1: as though it would not care for us. And therefore say,
[57:21] Speaker 1: where is their God, Dear Father? According THEE consider it?
[57:26] Speaker 1: They say, not where is God? But where is their God?
[57:28] Speaker 1: That is the God whom we have taught and preached,
[57:31] Speaker 1: as though thou Lord, who art not the true God,
[57:34] Speaker 1: as though we had swerved from Thy word in teaching
[57:37] Speaker 1: and profession. Indeed, o Lord, we have swerved from THEE
[57:40] Speaker 1: in living, but yet not in teaching, as thou knowest,
[57:44] Speaker 1: Even as the Israelites, which were put to a flight
[57:47] Speaker 1: before I, departed not from THEE in profession and doctrine,
[57:51] Speaker 1: but only in living. As Joshua thereon said, so say
[57:57] Speaker 1: we what wilt thou do, Good Lord, to thy Holy name.
[58:00] Speaker 1: As when thy ark was taken of the Philistines, they
[58:03] Speaker 1: did not attribute the cause. While the Israelites were overcome
[58:06] Speaker 1: to their sins and the cause of their victory to
[58:09] Speaker 1: thee the True God, but to their own Dagone and
[58:12] Speaker 1: the Israelites contempt of him. Even so, our philistines and
[58:16] Speaker 1: enemies do not attribute this Thy vengeance fallen upon us
[58:20] Speaker 1: to our carnal life, because they are as evil therein.
[58:24] Speaker 1: I will not say worse, for then we could and
[58:26] Speaker 1: would acknowledge no less. Most humbly and thankfully, neither do
[58:30] Speaker 1: acknowledge their victory and upper hand over us to Thy working,
[58:34] Speaker 1: but to their popery, false religion, mass God of Bread,
[58:37] Speaker 1: et cetera. For the witch, as they have shed much
[58:40] Speaker 1: innocent blood as of Tyndale, Frith, Barnes, Garret, Jerome, the Cells, Lambert,
[58:46] Speaker 1: et cetera, and are more purposed to do if thou
[58:49] Speaker 1: let not, as therefore thou didst amongst the Philistines, declare
[58:53] Speaker 1: Thy power and glory by taking vengeance on them and
[58:57] Speaker 1: their false God. So, Dear Lord, in thy goodaes time,
[59:00] Speaker 1: do now the like let the vengeance of thy servants
[59:04] Speaker 1: blood that is already shed, and the tyrannical handling of
[59:07] Speaker 1: thy people at the present being of these Philistines cast
[59:10] Speaker 1: into prison and into miserable exile, be openly showed upon
[59:14] Speaker 1: them which are not to be converted, whom Thou only
[59:18] Speaker 1: dost know, And so many of them as are to
[59:20] Speaker 1: be converted, We beseech THEE to show Thy mercy upon
[59:23] Speaker 1: them and to convert them. If it be thy good will,
[59:27] Speaker 1: So shalt thou be known to be the defender of
[59:30] Speaker 1: the Church, And such as would serve THEE after Thy word,
[59:33] Speaker 1: which now thine enemies tread under foot, and would have
[59:36] Speaker 1: us full with swellings and draft, utterly hailing and persecuting
[59:41] Speaker 1: all them that would return from keeping pigs to serve
[59:44] Speaker 1: THEE and Thy house, which they detest and abhor. Seeking
[59:48] Speaker 1: what means possible they can it should never rise and
[59:51] Speaker 1: be builded again. How many have they driven into exile?
[59:55] Speaker 1: How many have they perverted by their promises and promotions.
[59:58] Speaker 1: How many by terror and threat do they draw deadly
[1:00:01] Speaker 1: to displease THEE by doing outwardly against their consciences. How
[1:00:05] Speaker 1: many have they cast into prison and taken all they
[1:00:08] Speaker 1: have most unjustly from them, lest by any means Thy
[1:00:12] Speaker 1: house and temple might be builded. Thou knowest how miserably
[1:00:16] Speaker 1: they handle Thy bond servants, keeping from them all worldly
[1:00:20] Speaker 1: consolations as company, pen, paper, ink, books, et cetera, the
[1:00:25] Speaker 1: prisons of the King's Bench, Marshal Sea, Fleet, Newgate, and
[1:00:29] Speaker 1: in many other places, at Oxford and elsewhere. Doth presently
[1:00:33] Speaker 1: to all the world cry out, Oh, let their groans
[1:00:36] Speaker 1: and sorrowful sires come up into thy sight. According to
[1:00:40] Speaker 1: the greatness of Thy power, which our enemies, by reason
[1:00:43] Speaker 1: of their success puffed up. Do think thou wantest? As
[1:00:47] Speaker 1: Pharaoh did when he said what fellow is God? According
[1:00:51] Speaker 1: I say, to the greatness of Thy power, preserve thou
[1:00:54] Speaker 1: them that are appointed to die and become thy slaughter
[1:00:57] Speaker 1: sheep Thou disappointedest, Herod of Peter, the sworn conspirators of Paul,
[1:01:03] Speaker 1: King Joas of eleseus ay Have, and Jezebel of Eli,
[1:01:07] Speaker 1: and Machaeus Haymen of Mordecai. Even so, dear Lord, break
[1:01:12] Speaker 1: the dream of thy combined enemies with us, and save
[1:01:15] Speaker 1: thy servants Latimer, cranmer Ridley, Hooper, Chrome, Rogers, Saunders, Bradford,
[1:01:21] Speaker 1: Philpot Coverdale, Barlow, Cardmaker, Taylor, et cetera, which are appointed
[1:01:26] Speaker 1: to die. If Thou, by thy mighty power, deliver them not.
[1:01:31] Speaker 1: It is the glory of thy name, o Lord, which
[1:01:33] Speaker 1: moveth us thus to make our moan. For thou knowest
[1:01:37] Speaker 1: how thine enemies take part against Thee thy verity and truth.
[1:01:42] Speaker 1: Thou forbiddest the making and worshiping of images. They command
[1:01:45] Speaker 1: it as a worship. Thou forbiddest prayer in a tongue
[1:01:48] Speaker 1: that is not to the edifying of the hearers. They
[1:01:51] Speaker 1: straightly enjoin and command it. Thou forbiddest us all kinds
[1:01:55] Speaker 1: of idolatry and spiritual fornication. They utterly enforce men thereto
[1:02:00] Speaker 1: and to commit fornication with bread, wine, gold, silver, stocks,
[1:02:04] Speaker 1: and stones. Thou wouldst the remembrance of thy death by
[1:02:07] Speaker 1: the using of thy holy supper. They take away not
[1:02:10] Speaker 1: only all remembrance of Thy death, but even the place
[1:02:13] Speaker 1: thereof by their mass transubstantiation and popish pilf. Thou commandest
[1:02:18] Speaker 1: THEE lay as the clergy to drink of Thy cup,
[1:02:21] Speaker 1: but they forbid it utterly. Thou wouldst have the people
[1:02:24] Speaker 1: brought up in knowledge, not as infants. And they seek
[1:02:27] Speaker 1: by all means that none should have any true knowledge
[1:02:30] Speaker 1: of THEE. And therefore they chase out scriptures out of
[1:02:33] Speaker 1: all places, and may not abide Thy Holy Testament to
[1:02:36] Speaker 1: be had for thy people to look upon. And therefore
[1:02:39] Speaker 1: they persecute many a one, and wet their tongues against
[1:02:43] Speaker 1: not men only. But also here there is a lacuna
[1:02:46] Speaker 1: in the text, making indeed Thy Christ and all that
[1:02:50] Speaker 1: confess Him. And here there is a lacuna in the text.
[1:02:56] Speaker 1: And who doeth this, O Lord, Not foreigners and strangers,
[1:03:00] Speaker 1: such as are our neighbors and profess Thee, such as
[1:03:03] Speaker 1: thou hast given thee regiment unto as silicate to it
[1:03:07] Speaker 1: in both the states, in this poor and wretched realm
[1:03:10] Speaker 1: of England, especially the clergy, and such as would be
[1:03:13] Speaker 1: counted pillars of Thy church. Therefore, in thy time reward
[1:03:18] Speaker 1: them this their blasphemy, wherewith they have blasphemed, and do
[1:03:22] Speaker 1: still blaspheme THEE, and that sevenfold into their bosom, that
[1:03:26] Speaker 1: is most plentifully and abundantly recompense thy tarrying with good measure,
[1:03:31] Speaker 1: and plentifully upheaving thy measure. And we poor misers, which
[1:03:35] Speaker 1: are yet thy people and sheep of thy pasture, having
[1:03:39] Speaker 1: none other help nor hope, but only THEE, our God
[1:03:42] Speaker 1: and pastor, we I say, shall praise Thy name forever
[1:03:46] Speaker 1: we shall, with Thy people delivered out of the hands
[1:03:49] Speaker 1: of Pharaoh Sunacarib Holoferns Hayman, et cetera, give thanks to
[1:03:54] Speaker 1: Thy lovely name. We will always, day and night be
[1:03:57] Speaker 1: telling out Thy praises from generation to jail generation. This
[1:04:01] Speaker 1: is the end why we crave Thy help. This is
[1:04:04] Speaker 1: the end why we desire to live, that as we
[1:04:07] Speaker 1: have been negligent, we might become diligent to serve Love Lord,
[1:04:11] Speaker 1: and magnify Thy holy name in all our thoughts, words,
[1:04:15] Speaker 1: and deeds publicly and privately. When we shall perceive and
[1:04:19] Speaker 1: feel how good thou, our God art, when we shall
[1:04:23] Speaker 1: see how Thou art merciful and mindful of goodness towards
[1:04:26] Speaker 1: them that put their trust in thee, Oh Dear Father,
[1:04:30] Speaker 1: So be it, So be it, So be it, So
[1:04:33] Speaker 1: be it. End of section nine, Section ten of Meditations
[1:04:45] Speaker 1: and Prayers by John Bradford. This LIBRIVANX recording is in
[1:04:49] Speaker 1: the public domain a very godly prayer of one standing
[1:04:53] Speaker 1: at the stake, ready to be burnt for Christ's gospel sake.
[1:04:57] Speaker 1: Merciful God and Father to whom our say Christ approached
[1:05:01] Speaker 1: in his fear and need by reason of death, and
[1:05:04] Speaker 1: found comfort Gracious God and most bounteous Christ, on whom
[1:05:08] Speaker 1: Stephen called in his extreme need and received strength most
[1:05:12] Speaker 1: benign Holy Spirit, which in the midst of all crosses
[1:05:15] Speaker 1: and deaths, didst comfort the apostle Saint Paul with more
[1:05:18] Speaker 1: consolations in Christ than he felt. Sorrows and terrors of
[1:05:23] Speaker 1: mercy upon me, a miserable, most vile and wretched sinner,
[1:05:27] Speaker 1: which now draw nigh the gates of death, deserved both
[1:05:30] Speaker 1: in soul and body, eternally by reason of my manifold, horrible,
[1:05:34] Speaker 1: old and new transgressions, which to Thine eyes, O Lord God,
[1:05:39] Speaker 1: are open and known. Oh, be merciful unto me, and
[1:05:43] Speaker 1: forgive me for the bitter death and bloodshedding of thy
[1:05:46] Speaker 1: only son, Jesus Christ. And though Thy justice do require
[1:05:50] Speaker 1: in respect of my sins, that now thou shouldst not
[1:05:54] Speaker 1: hear me measuring me with the same measure that I
[1:05:57] Speaker 1: have measured Thy majesty in contemning thy daily call. Yet
[1:06:01] Speaker 1: let thy mercy, I say, prevail towards me, which is
[1:06:04] Speaker 1: above all Thy works, and wherewith the earth is filled
[1:06:07] Speaker 1: through and for the mediation of Christ, our Savior, for
[1:06:11] Speaker 1: whose sake in that it please Fee to bring me
[1:06:14] Speaker 1: forth now as one of His witnesses and a record
[1:06:17] Speaker 1: bearer of Thy verity and truth, for whose sake in
[1:06:20] Speaker 1: that it pleaseth Theee to bring me forth now as
[1:06:23] Speaker 1: one of His witnesses and a record bearer of Thy
[1:06:25] Speaker 1: verity and truth, taught by Him to give my life.
[1:06:29] Speaker 1: Therefore to which dignity I do acknowledge, Dear God, that
[1:06:33] Speaker 1: there was never any so unworthy and unmeet, No, not
[1:06:36] Speaker 1: the thief that hanged with him on the cross. I
[1:06:39] Speaker 1: humbly therefore pray THEE that Thou wouldst according the aid,
[1:06:42] Speaker 1: help and assist me with Thy strength and heavenly grace,
[1:06:45] Speaker 1: that with Christ, thy Son, I may find comfort. With Stephen,
[1:06:50] Speaker 1: I may see thy presence and gracious power. With Saint Paul,
[1:06:53] Speaker 1: and all others which, for thy name's sake have suffered
[1:06:56] Speaker 1: afflictions and death, I may find so present with me
[1:07:00] Speaker 1: thy gracious consolation, that I may, by my death glorify
[1:07:03] Speaker 1: Thy holy name, propagate and ratify Thy verity, comfort the
[1:07:07] Speaker 1: hearts of the heavy, confirm Thy Church in truth, convert
[1:07:11] Speaker 1: some that are to be converted, and so depart out
[1:07:14] Speaker 1: of this miserable world where I do nothing but heap
[1:07:17] Speaker 1: daily sin upon sin, and enter into the fruition of
[1:07:20] Speaker 1: Thy blessed mercy, whereof now give and increase in me
[1:07:25] Speaker 1: a lively trust, sense and feeling, where through the terrors
[1:07:28] Speaker 1: of death, the torments of fire, the pangs of sin,
[1:07:32] Speaker 1: the darts of satan, and the dollars of hell may
[1:07:34] Speaker 1: never depress me, but may be driven away through the
[1:07:38] Speaker 1: working of that most gracious Spirit which now plenteously endow
[1:07:42] Speaker 1: me withal that through the same spirit I may offer,
[1:07:45] Speaker 1: as now I desire to do in Christ and by
[1:07:47] Speaker 1: Him myself, wholly soul and body, to be a living sacrifice,
[1:07:52] Speaker 1: wholly and acceptable in thy sight, Dear Father, whose I
[1:07:56] Speaker 1: am and always have been, even from my mother's womb,
[1:07:59] Speaker 1: yet even before the world was made, to whom I
[1:08:03] Speaker 1: commend myself, soul and body, faith and name, family and friends, country,
[1:08:07] Speaker 1: and all thy whole church. Yea even my very enemies,
[1:08:11] Speaker 1: according to Thy good pleasure, beseeching THEE entirely to give
[1:08:14] Speaker 1: once more to this realm of England the blessing of
[1:08:17] Speaker 1: Thy word again with godly peace to thee, teaching and
[1:08:21] Speaker 1: setting forth the same, O, Dear Father, give me now
[1:08:25] Speaker 1: to come unto THEE purge me, and so purify me
[1:08:28] Speaker 1: by this fire in Christ's death and passion through thy Spirit,
[1:08:32] Speaker 1: that I may be a burnt offering of sweet smell
[1:08:34] Speaker 1: in thy sight, which livest and reignest with thy Son
[1:08:37] Speaker 1: and the Holy Ghost, now and evermore world without end Amen,
[1:08:43] Speaker 1: John Bradford, end of Section ten. End of Meditations and
[1:08:49] Speaker 1: Prayers by John Bradford,

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