By John Bradford
Here, good Lord, thou commands unto me pureness and chastity and therefore thou says I should not commit adultery; in the which word thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ comprehends all uncleanness, yea, the very concupiscence and abusing of the heart in lusting after any man's wife, or otherwise unchastely. By which thou would have us to love in ourselves and others purity and cleanness, that we might he holy as thou our God art holy, and our bodies being temples of thy Holy Spirit might be kept pure; and accordingly we may easily see that as thou forbids all unclean deeds, words, looks, and thoughts, so dost thou command us to love and exercise all purity, chastity, cleanness, sobriety, temperance, &c.
By reason whereof I have great cause to be thankful unto thee, who not only for the help and advantage of man, but also for remedy of man's infirmity, hast made womankind, and ordained the state of matrimony, which in thy sight is so holy and pure, that thou accounts this state of matrimony to be an undefiled thing. And such care thou hast over the persons who are married and their condition, that those sin unto damnation, who not only go about to defile that bed, but wish or desire it within their hearts, yea, which do not endeavour themselves with thought, word, and deed, to help that purity and cleanness may be kept between married folks. But the great causes thou gives us to thank thee for this state and ordinance, and for thy defending us (forbidding us from evil, editor) by this commandment, are innumerable.
Full well I see, that it is thou who by this commandment not only restrains me, but also keeps my wife from impurity, which else we might both commit. Great is thy love O good Lord, and more than I am able to consider, who declares thyself to be thus careful over me, concerning the benefits which come unto me, both for the mind, body, and goods, by sobriety and temperance, which thou here requires: only this I cannot but see, that I have great cause to thank thee, who art so careful over me, as by this commandment I well see.
But, alas! good Lord, what shall I say, who am and have been so far from thankfulness, that I am to be accounted among the most unthankful; yea, thou knows it, good Lord. Grievously have I broken this law, and caused others so to do, of whose repentance I am uncertain; as also my tongue, alas! has often been shamefully exercised, mine eyes and thoughts too wickedly abused.
All this I have increased by mine intemperance in eating, drinking, cherishing my body, &c. I have also hurt my bodily health, diminished that which I and others should live on, and horribly hindered all good prayers and meditations; wherein, though I have time and place, yet, alas! I nothing exercise myself as I should do. By reason whereof I have deserved everlasting damnation.
O good Lord and gracious Father, do thou for thy name's sake, and in Christ's blood, pardon me and forgive me, I beseech thee; and as thou hast most mercifully hitherto spared me, so of thy mercy put away my trespasses, and the transgressions of those whom I have caused to sin; let that love which moved thee to pardon Judah, David, Bathsheba, and the great sinner of whom we read in Luke vii. move thee to pardon and forgive me also. Thou gave this commandment to this end, that I might know my sin and sinful nature, and so thereby be driven to thy Christ crucified, for whose sake I ask mercy; and also that thy good Spirit may be given unto me, to purify me, and work so in me and with me, that I may truly know, heartily love, and faithfully obey this thy holy precept, inwardly and outwardly, now and for ever. Amen. Gracious good Lord, grant to me and my wife, that we may dwell together according to knowledge, and may keep ourselves in holiness; grant, O Lord, that we may be pure and undefiled, and grant the same to all that are married; and to them which are unmarried, grant that they may live a pure, chaste, and undefiled life; and if they have not the gift of singleness of life, grant unto them mates with whom they may live holily to thy praise. Dear Father, give me the gift of sobriety and temperance, and grant the same to all them whom thou would I should pray for. As in times past I have fired my tongue and other members evil, so now, good Lord, grant that I may use them well, chastely and godlily. This I pray thee to grant, through Jesus Christ; and finally, O Lord, sanctify me both in soul and body, and as in thy temple dwell in me now and for evermore. Amen.
