A Fruitful Treatise, Instruction – Prayer
¶ 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 yt eueryevery one of vsus do beeleue, oure baptiſme the Sacramēt of regeneration doth require vnderunder paine of dampnation, and therfore let eueryevery one of vsus with the virgin Mary ſay, be it vntounto me O Lorde according to thy worde, accordinge to thy ſacramēt of baptiſme, wherin thou haſt declared our adoption: and let vsus lament the dowting hereof in vsus, ſtriuing againſt it as we ſhalbe made able of the Lorde) a man I ſay, that is regenerate, cō ſiſteth of two mē (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 vntounto a little chylde, ſuche a one as was Dauide, for his birth is not yet perfecte vntill the day of his generall reſurrection.
The olde man therefore is more ſtronger, iuſty, and ſtirring, then is the new man, becauſe the birth of the newe man is but begonne now, and the olde man is perfectly borne. And as the olde man is more ſtirringe, luſtye, & ſtronger thē ye new man: ſo is ye nature of him cleane cōtrary to ye nature of ye new mā, as being earthly & corrupt wt Satans ſede, ye nature of ye new mā beīg heauēly & bleſſed with the celeſtial ſeed of god. So that one man, in as much as he is corrupt with the ſeede of the ſerpente, is an olde man: and in as muche as hee is bleſſed with the ſeede of God from aboue, he is a new mā. And as, in as much as he is an old man, he is a ſinner & an enemy to god: ſo in as much as he is regenerate, he is righteous, and helpe, and a frende to God, the ſeede of God preſeruīg him from ſinne, ſo that he cannot ſinne, as the ſeede of the ſerpente, wherwith he is corrupt euen frō his cōception, inclineth him, yea enforceth him to ſinne & nothing els but to ſinne. Soo that the beſt part in man before regeneration, in Gods ſight, is not onelyonly an enemie, but enmitie it ſelfe.
One man therfore wich is regenerate, well may bee called alwaies iuſt, and alwaies ſinfull: iuſt in reſpect of Gods ſeed, and his regeneration: ſinfull in reſpect of Satans ſeed & his firſte birth. Betwixt theſe two men therfore, there is continuall conflicte & warre moſt deadly. The fleſh and olde man by reaſon of his birth that is perfect, doth often for a time, preuaile againſte ye new man (being but as a child in compariſon) and that in ſuche ſorte, as not onelyonly other, but euē the children of God themſelues thinke that they bee nothing els but olde, and that the ſprit & ſeed of God is loſt and gone away, Pſal. 77wher yet notwithſtandinge the the truth is otherwiſe, the ſpirit and the ſeede of god at the length appearing againe, and diſpelling away the cloudes, which couer the ſonne of gods ſeed from ſhininge, as the cloudes in the ayer do ye corporal ſonne: ſo that ſome times a man cannot tell by anye ſenſe, that there is any ſonne, the cloudes and windes ſo hiding it frō our ſiht: Euen ſo our cecitie or blindnes and corrupte affections ☞doe oftē ſhadow the ſight of Gods ſeed in Gods children, as though they were plaine reprobates, wherof it commeth, that they praying accordinge to their ſenſe, but not accordinge to the truth, deſire of god to geue them againe his ſpirit, as though they had loſt it & he had takē it away. Which thing God neuer doth in deede, althoughe he make vsus to thinke ſo for a time: for alwayes he holdeth hys hande vnderunder hys childrē in their faules, that they lie not ſtil as other do which are not regenerate. And this is the difference betwixte Gods Children which are regenerate, and elect before all times in Chriſt, & the wicked caſt awayes, that the elect lie not ſtill continually in their ſinne as do the wicked, but at the length do returne againe by reaſon of gods ſeed, which is in them hid as a ſparkle of fier in the aſſhes: as we may ſee in Peter, Dauid, Paule, Marye Magdalin
and others.
For theſe (I meane Gods Children) God hath made all things in Chriſt Ieſu: to whom he hath geuen this dignity, yt they ſhould bee his inheritance & ſpouſes.
This our inheretour Chriſt Ieſus, GOD with God, light of light, coeternal and conſubſtanciall with the father and with the holy Goſt, to the end that he might become oure huſband (becauſe the huſband and the wyfe muſt be one body and fleſh) hath taken our nature vppon hym, communicating with it and by it in his owne perſon, to vsus all his children, his diuine maieſtie, as Peter ſaith, and ſo is become 2. Pet. 1.fleſh of our fleſh, and bone of our bones ſubſtancially: as we are become fleſh of his fleſh and bone of his bones ſpiritually, all that euer we hauehave pertaining to him yea euen our ſins: as al that euer he hath, perteineth vntounto vsus, euen his whole glory. So that if Satan ſhould ſōmon vsus to aunſwere for our dettes or ſinnes, in that the wife is no ſutable perſon but the huſband, wee may well byd him enter his action againſt our huſband Chriſt, and he wyll make him a ſufficient anſwere.
For this end (I meane that we might bee coupled & maried thus to Chriſt, and ſo be certein of ſaluatiō & at godly peace with god in our conſciences) god hath gegeuen his holy word, which hath two partes (as now the children of God do conſiſte of two men) one part of gods word beīg proper to ye old man, & the other part of Gods word beinge proper to the new man. The part properly perteining to the old man is the law: the part properly perteining to the new man is the goſpell.
The law is a doctrine which cō maundeth & forbiddeth, requiring doing and auoiding. VnderUnder it therfore are cōteined al preceptes, threatnings, promiſes vponupon condicions of our doing & auoyding &c. The Goſpell is a doctrine which alwaies offreth and giueth, requiring on our behalfe, not as of worthines or as a cauſe but as a cerificat vntounto vsus, & therfore vnderunder it is conteined al the free and ſwete promiſes of god: as I am the lord thy god &c.
In thoſe that be of yeres of diſcretiō, it requireth faith, not as a cauſe, but as an inſtrumēt wherby we our ſelues may be certeine of our good huſband Chriſt, and of his glorye: and therfore when the conſcience feleth it ſelfe dyſquieted for feare of Gods iudgement ☞agaynſt ſinne, ſhe maye in no wiſe loke vppon the doctryne perteyninge to the olde man, but to the doctrine only that perteyneth to the newe man, in it not loking for that which it requireth, yt is Faith, becauſe we neuer beleue as we ſhould: but only on it which it offreth, which it geueth yt is, on gods grace & eternal mercy and peace in Chriſt. So ſhall ſhe bee in quiet, when ſhe loketh for it altogether out of her ſelf in Gods mercy in Chriſte Ieſu: in whoſe lappe if ſhe laye her heade with ſaiut Iohn, then is ſhe happy and ſhal find quietnes in deed. when ſhe feleth her ſelfe quyete, then in Gods name let her looke on the lawe & vponupon ſuch thinges as it requireth, therby to brydel and kepe downe the olde Adam, to ſlay that Goliath, from whom ſhe muſt nedes keepe the ſweete promiſes, being the bed wherein her ſpouſe and ſhe mete and lie together, as the wife will kepe her bed only for her huſbād, although in other thinges ſhe is contented to hauehave fellowſhip with others, as to ſpeake, ſitte, eat, drinke, go, &c. So our cōſciences, which are Chriſts wiues, muſt nedes kepe the bed, that is, Gods ſwete promiſſes, alonly for our ſelues and our huſbande, there to meete together, to embrace and laugh together, and to be ioyful together. If ſinne, the lawe, the deuyll, or any thinge would crepe into the bed and lie there, then complaine to thy huſband Chriſt, and forth wyth thou ſahlte ſee hym playe Phinees parte. Thus my dearly beloued, I hauehave geuen you in fewe wordes a ſumme of all the Diuinitie which a chriſtian conſcience can not want.
¶ A Prayer, whiche Ihon Bradford ſayd a little before his death in Smithfelde
MErcifull God and Father, to whom our ſauiour chriſt Math. 26approched in hys feare and nede, by reaſon of death, & founde comforte: gracious God & moſt bounteous Chriſte, on whō Stephen called in hys extreame Actes. 7.neede, & receiued ſtrength: moſte beninge holy ſpirite, which in the middeſt of all croſſes & death, diddeſt comfort the apoſtle ſ. Paule, 2. Cor. 1.with more conſolations in chriſt, then he felt ſorrowes & terrours in the worlde: hauehave mercy vppon me a moſt miſerable, vile & wretched ſinner, which nowe drawe nere the gates of death deſerued both in ſoule & body eternally, by reſon of my manifold horrible, old & newe tranſgreſſions, which to thine eyes (O lorde god) are opē and kuowen. Oh be merciful vntounto me, and forgeue me for the bitter death and bloud ſheddinge of thine onelyonly ſonne Ieſus Chriſte. And thoughe thy Iuſtice do require in reſpect of my ſinns, that nowe thou ſholdeſt not heare me, contemning thy dayly callinges: yet let thy mercy, which is aboue all thy works, and wherwith the earthe is filled, let thy mercy (I ſay) preuayle towardes me, thorow the merites & mediation of chriſt our ſauiour, for whoſe ſake it pleaſeth thee to bringe me forth now, as one of his witneſſes, & a record bearer of thy verity and trueth taught by him, to geue my life therfore. To which dignity I do acknowledge (deare god) that there was neuer anye ſo vnworthy and vnmeete, no not the thefe that hāged with him on ye croſſe. I humbly therfore pray thee that thou wouldeſt accordingly, ayde, helpe, & aſſiſt me with the ſtrēgth and heauenly grace, yt with chriſt thy ſonne I may finde comforte, with Stephen I may ſee thy preſence and gracious power, wyth Paule and all others, whych for thy names ſake hauehave ſuffred afflictious and death, I maye finde ſo preſent with me thy gracious cō ſolation, that I may by death glorify thy holy name, ſet forth & ratify thy verity, comforte ye hartes of the heauy, confirme thy church in thy truth, cōuert ſome that are to be conuerted, and ſo depart out of this miſerable world (wher I do nothing but dayly heape ſinne vponupon ſinne) and enter into the fruition of thy bleſſed mercy: wherof now geue & increaſe in me a liuely taſte, ſenſe, and felinge, wherthrough the terrour of death, the torments of fier, the pains of ſin, ye darts of Sathan, & the dolours of hell, may neuer ouercome mee: but may be driuen away through the working of that moſt gracious ſpirite: whych now plēteouſly endue me withal, that through the ſame ſpirite I maye offer (as nowe I deſire & am redye to do) in chriſt & by him, my ſelf wholy, ſoule and body, to be a liuely ſacrifice, holy & acceptable in thy ſight (deare father) whoſe I am & alwaies hauehave ben, euen frō my mothers wombe, yea, euen before ye world was made: to whō I commende my ſelfe, faith & name, familye & frendes, countrey, and al the whole church: yea, euen my very ennemies, accordinge to thy good pleaſure: beſechinge thee entierly to geue once more to this realme of Englande, the bleſſinge of thy worde againe, with godly peace, to the teaching and ſettinge forth of the ſame. Oh deare Father, now geue me to come vntounto thee: purge & ſo purify me by this fier, in Chriſtes death and paſſiō, thorowe thy ſpirite, that I may be a burnte offeringe of ſwete ſmel in thy ſight, which liueſt & raygneſt with the Sonne & the holy ghoſt nowe and foreuermore, worlde without ende.
Amen.
Ephe. v.
☞ Awake thou that ſlepeſt and ariſe from the Dead, and Epriſte ſhal ſhew light vntounto thee.
Certein faults eſcaped.
In the 7. leafe & firſt ſide, reade in the margent thus: By loking on our olde faulles.
In the 13. leafe and ſecond ſyde adde to ye later note ī ye margēt: Felicitie which we obtain by Death.
In the 43. leafe, in ye title of the Introduction read Diuinitie.
And in the other titles, for Inſtruction read Introduction.
End of the text · John Bradford, A Fruitful Treatise (1564)