You're here: oChristian.com » Articles Home » John Bradford » Letters of John Bradford » Letters 6 - 10

Letters of John Bradford: Letters 6 - 10

By John Bradford


      Letter 6. To my loving brethren, B. C. - etc., their wives, and whole families, J. Bradford

      I beseech the ever living God to grant you all, my good brethren and sisters, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and the continual sense of His mercy in Christ our Lord, now and for ever. Amen. The world, my brethren, seems to have the upper hand. Iniquity overflows. The truth and verity seem to be oppressed, and they which take part therewith are unjustly treated. And they which love the truth lament to see and hear as they do. The cause of all this is God's anger and mercy. His anger, because we have grievously sinned against Him. His mercy, because He punishes us here, and nurtures us as a father. We have been unthankful for His word. We have contemned His kindness. We have been negligent in prayer. We have been so carnal, covetous, licentious, etc., that we have not hastened to heaven-ward, but rather to hell-ward. We were fallen almost into an open contempt of God, and all His good ordinances. So that of His justice He could no longer forbear, but must make us feel His anger, as now He has done, in taking His word and true service from us, and permitting Satan to serve us with antichristian religion, and that in such a manner, that, if we will not yield to it, and seem to allow it in deed and outward fact, our bodies are likely to be laid in prison, and our goods given we cannot tell to whom.

      This we should look upon as a sign of God's anger, procured by our sins, which, my good brethren, every one of us should now call to our memories oftentimes, as particularly as we can, that we may heartily lament them, repent them, hate them, ask earnestly mercy for them, and submit ourselves to bear in this life any kind of punishment which God will lay upon us for them. This we should do in consideration of God's anger at this time. Now His mercy in this time of wrath is seen, and should be seen by us, my dearly beloved, in this respect, that God vouchsafes to punish us in this present life. If He had not punished us, do not you think that we should have continued in the evils we were in? Yes, verily, we should have been worse, and have gone forward in hardening our hearts, by impenitence, and negligence of God, and true godliness. And then, if death had come, should we not have perished, both soul and body, in eternal fire and perdition? Alas! what misery we should have fallen into, if God had suffered us to go forward in our evils! No greater sign of damnation is there, than to lie in evil and sin, unpunished of God, as now the papists, my dearly beloved, are cast into Jezebel's bed of security (Rev. 3), which of all plagues is the most grievous plague that can be. They are bastards, and not sons, for they are not under God's rod of correction.

      A great mercy therefore it is that God punishes us. for if He loves us not, He would not punish us. Now He chastises us, that we should not be damned with the world. Now He nurtures us, because He favours us. Now we may think ourselves God's house and children, because He begins His chastising at us. Now he calls us to remember our sins past. Wherefore? That we might repent, and ask mercy. And why? That He might forgive us, pardon us, justify us, and make us His children, and so begin to make us here like Christ, that we might be like unto Him elsewhere, even in heaven, where already we are set by faith with Christ. And at His coming, in very deed we shall enjoy His presence, when our sinful and vile bodies shall be made like to Christ's glorious body, according to the power whereby He is able to make all things subject to Himself.

      Therefore, my brethren, let us in respect hereof not lament, but laud God. Let us not be sorry, but be merry; not weep, but rejoice and be glad, that God vouchsafes to offer us His cross, thereby to come to Him to endless joys and comforts. For if we suffer, we shall reign. If we confess Him before men, He will confess us before His Father in heaven. If we are not ashamed of His gospel now, He will not be ashamed of us in the last day, but will be glorified in us, crowning us with crowns of glory and endless felicity. For blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Be glad, says Peter, for the Spirit of God rests upon you. And after you are a little while afflicted, God will comfort, strengthen, and confirm you. And therefore, my good brethren, be not discouraged for cross, for prison, or loss of goods, for confession of Christ's gospel and truth which you have believed, and which was taught amongst you in the days of our late good king, and most holy prince king Edward. This is most certain, if you lose anything for Christ's sake, and for contemning the antichristian service set up again amongst us; -- as you for your parts, even in prison, shall find God's great and rich mercy for passing all worldly wealth; -- so shall your wives and children, in this present life, find and feel God's providence more plentifully than tongue can tell. For He will show merciful kindness on thousands of them that love Him. The good man's seed shall not go a-begging his bread. You are good men, so many as suffer for Christ's sake.

      I trust that you all, my dearly beloved, will consider this with yourselves, and in the cross see God's mercy, which is more sweet and to be set by, than life itself, much more than any muck or pelf of this world. This mercy of god should make you merry and cheerful, for the afflictions of this life are not to be compared to the joys of the life prepared for you. You know that the way to heaven is not the wide way of the world, which winds to the devil, but it is a strait way, which few walk in. For few live godly in Christ Jesus. Few regard the life to come. Few remember the day of judgement. Few remember how Christ will deny them before His Father, that deny Him here. Few consider that Christ will be ashamed of them in the last day, which now are ashamed of His truth and true service. Few cast their accounts what will be laid to their charge in the day of vengeance. Few regard the condemnation of their own consciences, in doing that which inwardly they disallow. Few love God better than their goods.

      But I trust yet, you are of this few, my dearly beloved. I trust you are of that little flock, which shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. I trust you are the mourners and lamenters, which shall be comforted with comfort that never shall be taken from you, if you now repent your former evils, if now you strive against the evils that re in you, if now you continue to call upon God, if now you defile not your bodies with any idolatrous service, used in the antichristian churches; if you molest not the good Spirit of God, Which is given you as a gage (pledge, editor) of eternal redemption, an Counsellor and Master to lead you into all truth; which good Spirit I beseech the Father of mercy to give to us all, for His dear Son's sake, Jesus Christ our Lord, to Whom I commend you all and to the word of His grace, which is able to help you all, and save you all, that believe it, follow it, and serve God thereafter.

      And of this I would you were all certain, that all the hairs of your heads are numbered, so that not one of them shall perish, neither shall any man or devil be able to attempt anything, much less to do anything to you, or any of you, before your heavenly Father, Which loves you most tenderly, shall give them leave. And when He has given them leave, they shall go no farther than He will, nor keep you in trouble any longer than He will. Therefore cat on Him all your care, for He is careful for you. Only study to please Him, and to keep your consciences clean, and your bodies pure from the idolatrous service, which now everywhere is used, and God will marvellously and mercifully defend and comfort you; which thing He will do for His holy name's sake in Christ our Lord. Amen.

      Letter 7. To my dearly beloved in Christ, Erkinalde Rawlins and his wife

      God, our dear and most merciful Father, through Christ, be with you, my good brother and sister, as with his children forever; and in all things so guide you with His Holy Spirit, the Leader of His people, as may be to His glory, and your own everlasting joy and comfort in Him. Amen. Because I have oftentimes received from either of you comfort corporeal, for which I beseech the Lord to make me thankful, and to recompense you both now and eternally, I cannot but go about (Lord, help hereto for Thy mercy's sake!) to write something for your comfort spiritually.

      My dearly beloved, look not upon these days and the afflictions of the same here with us, simply as they seem unto you, that is as dismal days, and days of God's vengeance, but rather as lucky days, and days of God's fatherly kindness towards you, and such as you are, that is, towards such as repent their sins and evil life past, and earnestly purpose to amend, walking not after the will of the world, as the most part of men do, for the preservation of their pelf, which, will they, nill they, they shall leave sooner or later, and by whom, or how it shall be used, they know not. Indeed, to such as walk in their wickedness, and wind on with the world, this time is a time of wrath and vengeance; and their beginning of sorrow is but now, because they contemn the physic of their Father, which by this purging time, and cleansing days, would work their weal, which they will not. And because they will not have God's blessing, which both ways he has offered unto them by prosperity and adversity; therefore it shall be kept far enough from them, as, when the sick man will take no kind of physic at the hands of the physician, he is left alone, and so the malady increases, and destroys him at length. To such men indeed, these days are and should he doleful days, and days of woe and weeping, because their damnation draws nigh. But unto such as be penitent, and are desirous to live after the Lord's will, among whom I do not only count you, but, as far as a man may judge, I know you are, unto such I say this time is and should be comfortable. For, first, now your Father chastises you and me for our sins; for the which if he would have destroyed us, then would he have let us alone, and left us to ourselves, not taking to heart his fatherly visitation, which here it pleases him to work at present, because elsewhere he will not remember our transgressions, as Paul writes; he chastises us in this world, lest with the world. we should perish. Therefore, my dear hearts, call to mind your sins, to lament them, and to ask mercy for them in his sight, and withal undoubtedly believe to obtain pardon, and assured forgiveness of the same, for the Lord punishes not twice for one thing.

      So that, I say, first we have cause to rejoice for these days, because our Father suffers us not to lie in Jezebel's bed, sleeping in our own sins and security; but is mindful of us, and corrects us as his children, whereby we may be certain that we are not bastards, but children; for he chastises every child whom he receives, so that they which are not partakers of his chastising, or that contemn it, declare themselves to be bastards and not children. But I know you are children who when you are chastised, take it to heart accordingly. And therefore be glad, my dear hearts, as folks knowing certainly, even by these visitations of the Lord, that you are his dear elect children, whose faults your Father may visit with the rod of correction, but his mercy he will never take away from you. Amen.

      Secondly, you have cause to rejoice for these days, because they are days of trial, wherein not only you yourselves, but also the world, shall know that you are none of his, but the Lord's dearlings. Before these days came, how many thought of themselves that they had been in God's bosom, and so were thought, and would be thought by the world. But now we see whose they are; for to whom we obey, his servants we are. If we obey the world which God forbid, and hitherto ye have not done it, then are we the world's; but if we obey God, then are we God's; which thing (I mean that you are God's) these days have declared both to you, to me, and to all others that know you, better than ever we knew it; therefore you have no cause to sorrow, but rather to sing, seeing yourselves to be God's babes, and seeing that all God's children do so count you.

      What though the world repine thereat? what though he kick? what though he seek to trouble and molest you? My dear hearts, he does but after his kind. He cannot love the Lord, who lives not in the Lord; he that hates the father, cannot bear the child; he cannot mind the servant, that cares not for the master: if you were of the world, the world would love you; you should dwell quietly; there would be no grief, no molestation. If the devil dwelt in you (which the Lord forbid) he would not stir up his servants to besiege your house, to snatch your goods, or suffer his fiends to enter into your hogs; but because Christ dwells in you, as he does by faith, therefore he stirs up his first-begotten son, the world, to seek how to disquiet you, to rob you, to spoil you, to destroy you. And perhaps your dear Father, to try and to make known to you and to the world, that you are destined to another dwelling than here on earth, to another city than man's eyes have seen at any time, has given or will give power to Satan and to the world to take from you the things which he has lent you; and, by taking away, to try your fidelity, obedience, and love towards him; for you may not love them above him, as by giving what you have, and continuing it, he has declared his love towards you.

      Satan perchance tells God, as he did of Job, that you love God for your goods' sake. What now then if the Lord, to try you, with Job, shall give Satan power on your goods and body accordingly; should you be dismayed? should you despair? should you be fainthearted? Should you not rather rejoice, as did the apostles, that they were counted worthy to suffer anything for the Lord's sake? Oh! forget not the end that happened to Job, for as it happened unto him, so shall it happen unto you; for God is the same God, and cannot long forget to show mercy to them that look and long for it, as I know you do, and I pray you so to do still; for the Lord loves you, and never can nor will forget to show and pour out his mercy upon you. After a little while that he has afflicted and tried you (says Peter) he will visit, comfort, and confirm you. As unto Jacob, wrestling with the angel, at the length morning came, and the sun arose, so, dear hearts, doubtless it will happen unto you. Howbeit, do you as Job and Jacob did: that is, order and dispose your things, that God has lent you, as you may, and while you have time,owho knows whether God has not given you power thus long even for that purpose?

      Go to, therefore, dispose your goods, prepare yourselves to trial, that either you may stand to it, like God's champions, or else, if you feel such infirmity in yourselves that you are not able, give place to violence, and go where you may with free and safe conscience serve the Lord. (Erkinalde Rawlins and his wife followed this counsel, and fled beyond sea. Editor.) Think not this counsel to come by chance or fortune, but to come from the Lord. Other oracles we may not look for now. As God told Joseph in a dream by an angel, that he should see, so if you feel such infirmity, in yourselves as should turn to God's dishonour, and your own destruction, know that at this present I am as God's angel, to admonish you to take time while you have it, and to see that in no case God's name by you might be dishonoured. Joseph might have objected the omission of his vocation (the loss of his business, editor), as perchance you will do; but, dear hearts, let vocations, and all things else, give place to God's name, and the sanctifying thereof.

      This I speak, not as though I would not have you rather to tarry and to stand to it, but I speak it in respect of your infirmity, which if you feel to be so great in you that you are not certain of this hope, that God will never tempt you above your ability, flee and get you hence, and know that thereby God will have you tried, to yourselves and to others. For by it you shall know how to take this world, and that your home here is no home, but that you look for another, and so give occasion to others to love this world less, and perchance to some to doubt of their religion, wherein, though they are earnest, yet would they not lose so much as you do for your religion, which you do confirm to me and others by your giving place to violence.

      Last of all, you have cause to rejoice over these our days, because they are days of conformation, in which and by which God our heavenly Father makes us like unto Christ's image here, that we may be like unto him elsewhere. For if we suffer with him, then we shall reign also with him; if we are buried with him, then we shall rise with him again; if we company with him in all troubles and afflictions, then we shall rejoice with him in glory; if we now sow with him in tears, we shall reap with him in gladness; if we confess him before men, he will confess us before his Father in heaven; if we take his part, he will take ours; if we lose aught for his name's sake, he will give us all things for his truth's sake. So that we ought to rejoice and be glad, for it is not given to every one to suffer loss of country, life, goods, house, &c. for the Lord's sake. What can God the Father do more unto us, than to call us into the camp with his Son? what may Christ our Saviour do more for us, than to make us his warriors? what can the Holy Ghost do to us above this, to mark us with the cognisance of the Lord of Hosts?

      The cognisance of the Lord stands not in forked caps, tippets, shaven crowns, or such other baggage and antichristian pelf, but in suffering for the Lord's sake. The world shall hate you, says Christ. Lo! there is the cognisance and badge of God's children:othe world shall hate you. Rejoice, therefore, my dearly beloved; rejoice that God thus vouchsafes to begin to conform you, and to make you like to Christ. By the trial of these days you are occasioned more to repent, more to pray, more to contemn this world, more to desire life everlasting, more to he holy, for to be holy is the end wherefore God afflicts us, and so to come to God's company; which thing, because we cannot do, as long as this body is as it is, therefore by the door of death we must enter, with Christ, into eternal life, and immortality of soul and body which God of his mercy send shortly, for our Saviour Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

      Letter 8. To Mistress A. Warcup

      The everlasting peace of Christ be more and more lively felt in your hearts, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, now and for ever. Amen.

      Although I know it is not needful to write anything unto you, good sister, being, as I doubt not you are, diligently exercised in reading of the scriptures, in meditating of the same, and in hearty prayer to God for the help of his Holy Spirit for the sense and feeling, especially of the comforts you read in God's sweet book; yet having such opportunity, and knowing not whether hereafter I shall ever have the like, as this bringer can declare, I thought good, in few words, to take my farewell in writing, because otherwise I cannot. And now methinks I have done it: for what else can I, or should I say unto you, my dearly beloved in the Lord, but farewell? Farewell, dear sister, farewell; howbeit, in the Lord, our Lord, I say, farewell! In him shall you fare well, and so much the better, by how much in yourself you fare evil, and shall fare evil.

      When I speak of yourself, I mean also this world, this life, and all things properly pertaining to this life: in them you look not for your welfare, and be not dismayed when accordingly you shall not feel it. To the Lord our God, to the Lamb our Christ, which has borne our sins on his back, and is our Mediator for ever, do I send you. In him look for welfare, and that without all wavering, because of his own goodness and truth, which many evils and untruth cannot take away. Not that, therefore, I would have you to flatter yourself in any evil or unbelief; but that I would comfort you, that they should not dismay you. Yours is our Christ, wholly; yours I say he is, with all that ever he has. Is not this welfare, think you? Mountains shall move, and the earth shall fall, before you find it otherwise, say that liar Satan what he list.

      Therefore, good sister, farewell, and be merry in the Lord; be merry, I say, for you have good cause. If your welfare, joy, and salvation, hanged upon any other thing than only God's mercy and truth, then might you well be sad, heavy, and stand in doubt; but since it hangs only upon these two, tell Satan he lies, when he would have you to stand in a mammering (hesitating, editor), by causing you to cast your eyes on yourself in some respect, which in this ease should be set on Christ your sweet Saviour only. Indeed, look on yourself, on your faith, on your love, obedience, &c. to wake you up from security, to stir you up to diligence in doing the things appertaining to your vocation. But when you would be at peace with God, and have true consolation in your conscience, altogether look upon the goodness of God in Christ, think on this commandment, which precedes all other, that you must have no other gods but the Lord Jehovah, which is your Lord and God; which he could not be if he did not pardon your sins in very deed. Remember that Christ commands you to call him Father for the same intent. And hereto call to mind all the benefits of God, hitherto showed unto you, and so shall you feel, in very deed, that which I wish unto you and pray you to wish unto me. Farewell, or welfare, in the Lord Jesus; with whom may he grant us shortly to meet, as his children, for his name and mercy's sake, to out eternal welfare. Amen. Amen.

      Your own in the Lord,

      John Bradford.

      Letter 9. To mine own dear brother, Master Laurence Saunders, prisoner in the Marshalsea

      My good brother, I beseech our good and gracious Father always to continue his gracious favour and love towards us, and by us, as by instruments of his grace, to work his glory and the confusion of his adversaries. Out of the mouths of infants and babes he will show forth his praise to destroy the enemy, &c.

      I have perused your letters for myself, and have read them to others; for answer whereof, if I should write what Doctor Taylor and Master Philpot think, then must I say that they think the salt sent us by your friend (this friend advised them to subscribe to the Papists' articles with this condition, "so far as they were not against Gods word," when in fact they were quite contrary to it, yet shortly after he valiantly suffered death for refusing the same; Letters of the Martyrs,) is unseasonable; and indeed I think they both will declare it heartily, if they should come before men. As for me, if you would know what I think, because I am so sinful, and so defiled, (the Lord knows I lie not,) with maw grievous sins, which I hope are washed away by the blood of Christ our Lord, I neither can nor would be consulted withal, but as a cipher. Howbeit, to tell you how and what I mind, take this: I pray God that in no case I may seek myself, and indeed, I thank God therefore, I purpose it not. That which remains I commit to my Lord God; and I trust in him that he will do according to this: Cast thy care on the Lord, &c. Cast all your care upon him, &c. Reveal unto the Lord thy way, and trust, &c. Whoso trusts in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. I did not, nor do I know, but by your letters, that tomorrow we shall come in the presence of each other. Mine own heart, stick still to, "It shall be given you," &c.; for the Lord is faithful; he will in temptation make a way, that ye may be able to bear it. The Lord knows how to rid out of temptation the godly, &c. Oh! would God I were godly! The Lord knows how to deliver out of temptation such as trust in him, &c. I cannot think that they will offer any kind of indifferent or mean conditions, for if we will not adore "The Beast," we never shall be delivered, but against their will, think I. God our Father and gracious Lord make perfect the good he has begun in us! He will do it, my brother, my dearest brother, whom I have in my heart to live and die with. Oh! if I were with you! Pray for me, mine own heart-root in the Lord.

      For ever your own,

      John Bradford.

      Letter 10. Another Letter to Master Laurence Saunders

      God's sweet peace in Christ be with you, my good term brother in the Lord Jesus, and with all your fellow captives.

      I was hindered this morning from musing on that which I purposed to have thought on, by reason of you; against whom I saw myself guilty of negligence, even in this point, that I would not writeoI should say that I had not written unto you as yet. Therefore out of hand, I prepared myself to clear myself hereof; not that I will go about to excuse my fault, for that were more to load me; but by asking both God and you pardon, to get it no more laid to my charge. Now when I was thus purposing, and partly doing, there comes one with a letter from you; for which as I have cause to thank God and you, (howbeit not so that you should think I give not the whole to God,) so I see myself more blameworthy for thus long holding my peace. Howbeit, good brother, in this I have given a demonstration to you, to behold my negligence in all other things, and especially in praying for you, and for the church of God; which for my sins and hypocrisy (hypocrisy, indeed!oeven in this writing; God deliver me from it!) have deserved to be punished. God is just, for we have deserved all kind of plagues at his hands; but yet he is merciful, that will on this wise chastise us in this world, that we should not be condemned with the world. He might otherwise have punished us; I mean he might have cast us into prison for other causes, me especially, and not for his gospel and word's sake; praised, therefore, be his name, which vouchsafes us worthy this honour. Ah, good God! forgive us our sins, and work by this thy fatherly correction on usoon me especially, effectually to love thee and thy Christ; and with joyfulness to carry thy cross to the end, through thick and thin. Always set before our eyes, not this gallows on earth, if we stick to thee; but the gallows in hell, if we deny thee, and swerve from that we have professed.

      Ah, good brother! if I could always have God, his majesty, mercy, heaven, hell, &c. before mine eyes, then should I be, as Paul writes of Moses, Heb. 11, "He endured, (says he,) as seeing Him who is invisible." Pray for me, as I know you do, and give thanks also; for in the Lord I trust I shall not waver. If I walk by the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear, for thou art with me, O Lord. I think we shall be shortly called forth, for now they have a law, and according to that law we must die, otherwise they will not reason with us, and I think their sheet-anchor will be, to require us to subscribe; the which thing if we do, though with the condition only so far as the thing subscribed to, opposes not against Gods word, yet this will be offensive. Wherefore let us all confess we are no changelings; but are the same we were in religion, and therefore cannot subscribe, except we dissemble both with God, ourselves, and the world. These things I write unto you, dear brother in the Lord: now I will read your epistle. Ah, brother! that I had the practical understanding with you in that Vine, which you describe! Pray the Lord that I may so think indeed. God make me thankful for you! All our fellow-prisoners salute you, and give thanks to God for you. The same do you for us, and pray that, &c.

      Your brother in the Lord Jesus, to live and die with you,

      John Bradford.

Back to John Bradford index.

See Also:
   Letters 1 - 5
   Letters 6 - 10
   Letters 11 - 15
   Letters 16 - 20
   Letters 21 - 25
   Letters 26 - 30
   Letters 31 - 35
   Letters 36 - 40
   Letters 41 - 45
   Letters 46 - 50
   Letters 51 - 55
   Letters 56 - 60
   Letters 61 - 65
   Letters 66 - 70
   Letters 71 - 75
   Letters 76 - 80
   Letters 81 - 83

Loading

Like This Page?


© 1999-2019, oChristian.com. All rights reserved.