Here we haue great pleasure in the bewtie of the worlde and of the pleasures honours dignities of the same also in the company of our friendes parentes wyfe children subiectes also in pientie of ryches cattel c. and yet we knowe that neuer a one of these is without his dyscommoditie which god sendeth lest we shuld loue them to much as if you wyl weye thinges you shal easly perceiue The Sunne though it be fayre cherefull yet it burneth sometimes to whot The ayre though it be light and pleasant yet somtimes it is dark and troublous and so of other thinges But be it so that there were no discommodities mingled with the commodities yet as before I haue saide the breuitie and shorte time that wee haue to vse them shoulde asswage their dulcetnes But if this were not also but that the pleasures of this lif were without discommoditie permanent and without peril wherof they be ful yet are they nothing at all to be compared to the commodities of the lyfe to come What is this earth heauen and shape of the worlde wherin beastes haue place and wicked men Goddes ennemies haue abyding and lybertie in comparison of the newe heauen and earth wherin righteousnes shal dwell in comparison of that place where Angels and archangels and al gods people yea God hym selfe hath his abiding and dwelling What is the company of wife children c. in comparison to the company of Abraham Isaack Iacob tste Patriarkes Prophetes Apostles martyrs confessors virgins and all the sainctes of God what is the companye 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 sonne and god the holyghost What are the ryches and pleasures of this lyfe in comparison of the felicitie of euerlasting lif which is without all discommodities perpetuall without all peryll and ieoperdie without all griefe and molestation Oh the myrth and melody Oh the honour and glory Oh the ryches and bewtye Oh the power and maiestie Oh the swetenes and dignitie of the lyfe to come The eie hath not seene the care hath not hearde nor the harte of man is not able to conceiue in any thynge any parte of the eternall felycitie and happy state of heauen Therefore the Sainctes of God haue desired so earnestly so hartely to be there Oh how amiable are thy tabernacles sayth Dauid My soule hath a desire to enter into y t courtes of the Lord my hart and my soule reioyce in the lyuinge god Blessed are those y t dwell in thy house that they may aiwayes be praysing thee for one day in thy courtes is better then a thousand els where I had rather be a dore keper in the house of my GOD then to dwel in the tentes of vngodlines For the lorde god is a light and defence And againe as the Hart desireth the water brokes so lōgeth my soule after thee oh god My soule is a thyrst for god yea euen for the lyuing god when shall I come to appere before the presence of god And my soule thirsteth for thee my fleshe also lōgeth after thee in a barren and drye lande where no water is They gods peple I meane desier the daye of their redemption they still crye let thy kingdome come they crie come lord Iesus come they lyft vp theyr heades loking for his appearing whiche wyll make their vile bodies like to his own glorious and immortall body For when hee shal appeare they shalbe like vnto hym The angels wyl gather them together they shall mete hym in the clowdes and be alwayes with hym They shall heare this ioyfull voyce come ye blessed of my father possesse the kyngdome prepared for you from the begynning Then shall they be lyke vnto his Aungels then shall they shyne lyke the Sunne in the kyngdome then shall they haue crounes of glory and be endued with whyte garmentes of innocencie and righteousenes palines of victorye in their handes Oh happy happy is he that may with them se that imusrial and incorruptible inherytaunce which thē we shal enioy for euer Thus you se I hope sufficiently that in respect of heauen eternall blysse wherunto by the hauen of death we land this lif though there were no euyll in it is not to be loued but rather we that he pilgrimes in it should desier with Paule and Simton to be losed and dissolued that wee might be with god Here our bodies as before is spoken are in daunger of innumerable euilles but there our bodies shall be not onely without al daunger vutalso be like the glorious immortal body of the lord Iesus christ Nowe our bodies be darke then shall they be most cleere lyght as we se Christes face dyd shyne in his transfiguration like to the suane Now our bodies be vile miserable mortall and corruptible but then shall they be gloryous happy immortal and incorruptible wee shall be lyke vnto Christ our sauiour euen as he is so shal we be As we haue borne the image of the earthly so shall we beare the image of the heauēly Here our soules are in greate dearknes and daungers of many euyls but there they shall be in great light safe securitie and secure felicitie we shall se god face face where nowe wee se him but as in a glasse thorowe a darke speaking There shal we behold him euen as he is and be satisfied without lothsomnes of his presense yea we shalbe endued with most perfecte knowledge where now we know but partly there shal we know as we be knowen Here our commodities are measurable shorte vncertaine and mingled with many incommodyties but there is myrth without measure all lybertie al light all ioye reioysing pleasure healthe wealthe ryches glorye power treasure honour triumphe comforte solace loue vnitie peace concorde wisdome vertue melody mekenes felicitie beatitude and all that euer can be wysshed or desired and that in most securitie and perpetuitie that may be conceiued or thoughte not onely of men but also of aungelles as wytnesseth hee that sawe it I meane Paule who was caryed vp into the thirde heauen The eye hath not seene saith hee the tare hath not heard neither hath entred into the harte of man the felicitie that God hath prepared for them that loue hym There the archangels angels powers thrones dominions cherubins Seraphins Patriarkes Prophetes apostles martyrs Virgins confessors and ryghteous spirites cease not to singe nyghte and day Holy Holy Holy lord God of hostes honor maiestie glory impery and dominion be vnto thee oh lord God the creator Oh Lord Iesu the redemer O holy spirit the comforter For the light of the moone shalbe as the lyght of the sunne and the lyght of the sunne shalbe seuen folde euen as the lyght of seuen daies in his blessed kyngdome
to come THis body is but a prison wherein y e soule is kepte and that verely not beautifull bright but darke and most dirtie disquiet fusty fraile and filled vp with muche vermine and venemous vipers I meane it coÌ„cerning our affaccions standing in an ayre moste vnholsome prospect most lothsome if a man consyder the excrements of it by the eyes nose mouth eares hands feete and al the other partis So that no bocardo no little ease no dungeon no bishops prison no gate house no sinke no pit maye be compared in any poynte to be so euill a pryson for the body as the body is for and of the soule whereby the chyldren of God haue bene occasioned to crie and lament their longe being in it Oh sayth Dauid how longe shall I lye in this prison Oh wretch that I am sayth Paule who shal delyuer me out of this body of sinne which is an heauy burthen vnto y e soule as y e wise maÌ„ saith And therfore the godly crye nowe let thy seruant depart in peace Oh that I were dissolued had put of this earthly and fraile tabercle Take me vnto thee and bringe my soule out of this prison that it may geue thankes vnto thee O Lord. For so long as we be in this body we caÌ„not see the Lorde yea it is an heauy habitation and depresseth down sore the spirite from the familiaritie which it els shoulde haue with God This world and life is an exile a vale of miserye a wildernes of it selfe being voyde of all vertues and necessaries for eternal life ful of enemies sorows sighings sobbinges groninges miseryes c. In daunger to hunger colde heate thirst sores sicknes temptations troubles death and innumerable calamities being momentanie short vnstable and nothing but vayne and therfore is coÌ„pared to a warfare a womaÌ„s trauaile a shadow a smoke a vapor a worde a storme a tempest in the whych Gods people feele greate molestations grefes and troubles nowe of Sathan hymselfe nowe of the world nowe of their owne fleshe that so wonderfully diuersly daungerously and contrarily that they are enforced to cry Oh Lord wheÌ„ shal we come and appere before thee WheÌ„ shal this misery ende wheÌ„ shall we be deliuered out of thys vale of misery out of this wyldernes out of this continual affliction and most perilous seas But where thou art Oh lord and deare father of mercy there is not only no prison no dolors no sorow no sighings no teares no sicknes no hunger no heate no colde no payne no temptations no displeasure no malice no pride no vncleanes no contention no tormentes no horror no sinne no filth stink dearth death no weping teares misery myschiefe There is I say not only no such thynge or any euill noysome or displesaunt thyng but al libertie all light all plesantnes al ioy reioycing mirth pleasure pastime health wealth ryches glory power treasure honor triumphh comfort solace loue vnitie peace concord wisedome vertue melodye mekenes felicitie beatitude and all that euer can be wished or desired in moste securitie eternitie and perpetuitie y t may be thought not only of maÌ„ but of Angels and Archangels yea aboue all thoughts The eye hath not seene the lyke the eare hath not heard it nor no hart is able to conceyue in any poynt any part of the blisseful beatitude which is wyth thee moste deare God and father most deare lorde and sauiour most gracious good God and comforter where thou art O blessed God The ArchaÌ„gels Angels thrones powers Dominations Cherubiâ—s Ceraphins Patriarkes prophets apostles martyrs virgins confessors and ryghteous spirites cease not to singe nighte and day holye holye holye Lorde God of Hostes honour maiestye glory power empire and dominion be vnto thee Oh God the creator Oh Lord Iesu the redeiner Oh holy spirite the comforter In recordation of this oh how thy Children reioyce howe contemne they the pleasures of thys worlde howe little esteme they anye corporall griefe or shame how desire they to be with thee Howe amiable are thy tabernacles Oh Lorde God of Hostes say they my soule hath a desire to enter into the Courtes of the Lorde my hart and my soule reioyceth in the liuing God blessed are they that dwell in thy house they y t may alwayes be praysing thee For one day in thy courtes is beter theÌ„ a thousaÌ„d els wher I had rather bee a bore keper in the house of my God then to dwell in the tentes of vngonlynes for the Lord God is a lyght and defence And againe lyke as y e harte desireth y e water brokes so longeth my soule after thee oh god my soule is a thirst for god yea euen for the liuing god WheÌ„ shal I come to appeare before the prsence of god My soule thirsteth for thee my flesh also loÌ„geth after thee in a barren dry land where no water is They thy chyldren I meane O lord desire the day of that their redemptioÌ„ they still crie let thy kingedome come they cry come lord Iesus they lift vp their heads lokynge for thy apearing oh lord which wil make their vile body lyke to thine own glorious and immortall body for when thou shalt appeare they shalbe like vnto thee Thy Angelles wil gather them together they shall meete thee in the cloudes and be alwayes with thee They shal heare thys ioyfull voyce Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the begin ning Then shall they be like to thy Aungels Then shal they be like vnto the Sunne in thy king dome TheÌ„ shal they haue crownes of glory be endewed with white garments of innocencie righteousenes with palmes of victory in their handes Oh happy is he that may but see that immortall and incorruptible inheritauÌ„ce which they shal enioy for euermore Amen ¶ A short introduction to the vnderstanding of the Scriptures conteininge the summe of all the Diuitie necessarie for a Christian conscience By Iohn Bradford A Man that is regenerate and borne of God the whiche thinge y t euery one of vs do beeleue oure baptisme the SacrameÌ„t of regeneration doth require vnder paine of dampnation and therfore let euery one of vs with the virgin Mary say be it vnto me O Lorde according to thy worde accordinge to thy sacrameÌ„t of baptisme wherin thou hast declared our adoption and let vs lament the dowting hereof in vs striuing against it as we shalbe made able of the Lorde a man I say that is regenerate coÌ„ sisteth of two meÌ„ as a man maie saie namely of the olde man and of the newe man The olde man is like to a mightie Giant such a one as was Goliath for his birth is now perfecte But the newe man is like vnto a little chylde suche a one as was Dauide for his birth is not yet perfecte vntill the day of his generall resurrection The
is doubt not of eternall blisse for that is to putte Christ out of heauen But mark what the lord saith vnto thee the worde is nighe thee euen in thy mouth and in thy hart and thys is the worde of faith which wee preach If thou confesse with thy mouth that Iesus Christ is the lord beleue with thy hart that God raysed him vp from y e dead thou shalt be safe If thou beleue that Iesus Christe died and rose againe euen so shalt thou be assured saith the lord god that dieng with christ I wil bringe thee agayne with him Thus deare brother I thought good to wryte to thee in y e name of the Lorde that thou fearinge death for nothing els but because of thy sinnes mightest be assured of pardon of them so embrace death as a deare friend insulte against his terrour stinge power sayinge death where is thy stinge hel where is thy victory Nothinge in all the worlde so displeaseth the lorde as to doubte of his mercie In the mouth of two or thre witnesses we shoulde be content Therefore in that thou haste hearde so many witnesses howe that in dede desiring mercye with the Lorde thou art not sente empty a waye geue credite thereto and saye wyth the good Virgin Marye beholde thy seruaunt Oh Lorde be it vnto me according to thy word Vpon the which word see thou set thine eie only and wholy For otherwise here thou seest not god thy father but iÌ„ his worde which is y e glasse wherin now we behold his grace and fatherly loue towards vs in Christe therfore herewith we should be content and geue more credit to it then to all our lenses to al the world besides The worde saith our Sauiour shall iudge According to it therfore not according to any exteriour or interiour shew iudge both of thy selfe of al other things els Concerning thy selfe if thou desire in dede Gods mercy and lamentest that thou hast offended loe it pronounceth y t there is mercye with the lord for thee plenteous redemption It telleth thee which wouldest haue mercy at y e lordes hand that the Lorde willeth the same and therfore thou art happy for he woulde not thy death It telleth thee that if thou acknowledge thy faultes vnto the lorde he will couer them in his mercye Againe concerning death it telleth thee that it is but a sleepe that it is but a passinge vnto thy father that it is but a deliuer aÌ„ce out of misery that it is but a putting of of mortality corruption that it is s putting on of immortalitie incorruption that it is a putting a way of an earthy tabertabernacle that thou mayest receiue an heaueÌ„ly house or maÌ„sioÌ„ that this is but a callinge of the home from the watching standing in the warfare of this miserable life According to this 〈◊〉 worde I meane do thou iudge of death thou shalt not be afraide of it but desire it as a moste holsome medecine and a frendly messenger of the lordes iustice mercy Embrace him therfore make hym good chere for of al enemies he is the leaste In ennemy quod I nay rather of all frendes he is the beste for he bringeth thee out of all daunger of ennemies into y e most sure safe place of thy vnfained frende for euer Let these things be ofteÌ„ thought vpon Let death be premeditated not only because he commeth vncerteinly I meane for the time for els he is most certeyne but al so because he helpeth much to the contempt of this worlde out of y e which as nothinge wil go with thee so nothinge canste thou take with thee because it helpeth to y e mortifying of the fleshe whyche when thou fedeste thou doest nothinge els but feede wormes because it helpeth to the well disposing due ordering of the things thou haste in this lyfe because it helpeth to repentaunce to bringe thee vnto the knoweledge of thy selfe that thou arte but earth and ashes and to bring thee the more better to knowe God But who is able to tel the coÌ„modities that come by the often and true consideration of death whose time is therefore lefte vnto vs vncertein and vnknowen although to god it be certein and the bounds ther of not only knowne but appointed of the Lorde ouer the whych none can passe because we should not prolonge and put of from day to day y e amendement of our life as dyd the riche man vnder hope of longe life And seinge it is the ordinance of god commeth not but by the will of god euen vnto a sparrow much more then vnto vs which are incoÌ„parably much more deare theÌ„ many sparowes and in that this wil of god is not only iuste but also good for he is our Father let vs if there were nothing els but this submit our selues our senses iudgements vnto the pleasure of him beynge content to come out of the roume of our souldership whensoeuer he shal send for vs by his purseuant death Let vs render vnto him that whiche he hathe lente vs so longe I meane life leaste we be â—ounted vnthankful And in that death commeth not but by sinne in that wee haue sinned so often and yet the Lorde hathe ceassed from exacting this tribute punishment of vs vntil this preseÌ„t let vs with thankefulnes prayse hys pacience and pay our det not doubting but that he being our father our almighty father can will if deathe were euil vnto vs as god knowech it is a chiefe benefite vnto vs by Chryst coÌ„uert turne it into good But deathe being as before I haue shewed not to be dred but to bee desired let vs lift vp our heades in thinking on it and know that our redemption draweth nigh Let our mindes be occupied in the consyderation or often coutemplation of the four last articles of our beliefe y t is the coÌ„munioÌ„ of saincts or the holy catholike Church remission of sinnes resurrection of the fleash the life euerlasting By faith in Christ be it neuer so saint little or cold we are meÌ„bers in very dede of the catholike holy church of Christe that is we haue coÌ„munion or feloweship with al the saints of God that euer were bee or shalbe Wherby we may receaue great comforte For though our faith be feble yet the Churches faith wherof our Sauiour Christ is the heade is mighty enough though our repeÌ„tance be littel yet the repentance of y e churche wherwith we haue communion is sufficient though our loue be languishinge yet the loue of the church of the spouse of the church is ardent and so of al other thinges we wante Not that I meane this as though any man shold think that our faith shoulde be in any or vpon any other then only vpon god the Father the sonne the holy ghostener ther that any