MarginaliaAn. 1555. Iuly.the shortnes of this time before your eyes, and let not the eternity that is to come, departe out of your memory. Practise in doing that you learne, by reading & hearing. Decline from euill, and pursue good. Remember them that be in bondes, especially for the Lords cause, as members of your body, and fellow heires of grace. Forget not the afflictiōs of Sion, and the oppression of Ierusalem: and God our father shall geue you his continuall blessing, through CHRIST our Lord, who guide vs as his deare children for euer, Amen. And thus I take my Vale & farewell with you (deare brother) for euer in this present life, til we shal meete in eternal blisse: whether our good God & father bring vs shortly, Amē. God blesse al your babes for euer, Amen. Out of prison this. 8. of February.

Your afflicted brother for the Lordes
cause. Iohn Bradford.

MarginaliaAn other letter to Mistres Anne Warcup.ALmighty God our heauenly father for his CHRISTES sake, encrease in vs fayth, by which we may more and more see what glory and honour is reposed and safely kept in heauen, for all them that beleue with the hart, and confesse CHRIST and his truth wyth the mouth, Amen.

My derely beloued, I remember that once heretofore I wrote vnto you a Vale or a farewell vpon coniecture: but now I wryte my farewell to you in this life in dede, vpon certaine knowledge. My staffe standeth at the dore: I continually loke for the Shiriffe to come for me, and I thanke God, I am ready for him. Now goe I to practise that which I haue preached. Now am I climing vp the hill: it will cause me to puffe and blow before I come to the cliffe. The hill is steepe and high: my breath is short, and my strength is feeble: pray therefore to the Lord for me, that as I haue now through his goodnes, euē almost come to the toppe, I may by his grace, be strengthned, not to rest till I come where I should bee. Oh louing Lord, put out thy hand, and draw me vnto thee: for no man commeth, but he whom the father draweth. See (my dearely beloued) Gods louing mercy: he knoweth my short breath & great weaknes. As he sent for Helias in a firy chariot, so sendeth he for me: for by fire, my drosse must bee purified, that I may be fine gold in his sight. Oh vnthankefull wretch that I am: Lord do thou forgeue me mine vnthankfulnes. In deede I confesse (right deare to me in the Lord) that my sinnes haue deserued hell fire: much more then, this fyre. But loe, so louing is my Lord, MarginaliaGod turneth the deserued death of his to a glorious testimonial of his truth.that he conuerteth the remedy for my sinnes, the punishment for my transgressions, into a testimoniall of his truth, and a testification of his verity, which the Prelates do persecute in me, & not my sinnes: therefore they persecute not me but CHRIST in me, which, I doubt not, wil take my part vnto the very ende, Amen.

Oh that I had so open an harte, as could so receiue as I should do, this great benefite & vnspeakeable dignitie, which God my father offreth to me. Now pray for me, my dearely beloued: pray for me that I neuer shrinke. I shal neuer shrinke I hope, I trust in the Lord, I shal neuer shrinke: for he that alwayes hath taken my parte, I am assured will not leaue me when I haue most nede, for his truth and mercies sake. Oh Lord helpe me: into thy hands I commend me wholy. In the Lord is my trust, I care not what man can do vnto me, Amen. My dearely beloued, say you Amen also, and come after if so God call you. Be not ashamed of the gospell of CHRIST, but kepe company with him stil. He will neuer leaue you: but in þ^e middest of temptation will geue you an outscape, to make you able to beare þ^e brunt. Vse harty prayer: reuerently read and heare Gods word: put it in practise: loke for the crosse: lift vp your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh: know that the death of Gods Saintes is precious in his sight: be mery in the Lord: pray for the mitigation of Gods heauy displeasure vpon our countrey. God kepe vs for euer: God blesse vs with his spirituall blessings in CHRIST. And thus I bid you farewell for euer in this present life. Pray for me, pray for me, for Gods sake, pray for me. God make perfect his good worke begun in me, Amen. Out of pryson this. 7. of February.

Yours in the Lord,
Ihon Bradford.

In the story of M. Bradford it was aboue rehersed, MarginaliaRead before pag. 1802.Pag. 1802. how a certein Gentlewomā being in trouble by hir father and mother, for not comming to Masse,

sent her seruaunt to visite M. Bradford in prison. Who tendering the woful case of the gentlewoman, to the entent partly to confirme her with counsell, partly to releaue her oppressed minde with some comfort, directed this letter vnto her: the contentes wherof are these.

MarginaliaAn other letter of Master Bradford to a godly gentlewoman.J Wish vnto you right worshipful, and my dearely beloued sister in the Lord, as to my selfe, the continuall grace and comfort of CHRIST and of his holy worde through the operation of the holy spirit, who strengthē your inward man with the strength of God, that you may continue to the ende, in the faithfull obedience of Gods gospell whereunto you are called, Amen.MarginaliaRom. 1.

I perceaued by your self the last day whē you were with me, how that you are in the scholehouse, and triall parlour of the Lord, which to me is (at the least it shold be) a great comfort, to see the number of Gods elect by you encreased, which is in that state whereof God hath not called many, as Paule sayth.Marginalia1. Cor. 1. And as it is a cōfort to me, so should it be a cōfirmation vnto me, þ^t the Lord for his faithfulnes sake, will make perfect and finishe the good he hath begun in you to the ende.Marginalia1. Cor. 1. and. 10.

MarginaliaThe crosse a token of Gods election.If then your crosse be to me a comforte or token of your election, and a cōfirmation of Gods continuall fauour (my dearely beloued): how much more ought it to be so vnto you? Vnto whom he hath not only geuen to beleue, but also to come into the trace of suffring for his sake, and that not commonly of common enemyes, but euen of your owne father, mother, and all your frends, I meane kinsfolkes as you tolde me. By which I see CHRISTES wordes to be true: MarginaliaMath. 10.How that he came to geue his children such a peace with him, as the Deuill might not, nor may abide, MarginaliaSathan euer seketh to disturbe the peace of Christ.& therefore stirreth vp father and mother, sister and brother, rather then it shold continue. But (my deare sister) if you cry with Dauid to the Lord, and complaine to him: MarginaliaPsal. 22.how that for conscience to him, your father and mother haue forsaken you, you shall heare him speake in your hart, that he hath receaued you, and by this would haue you to see, how that MarginaliaRom. 8.he maketh you here like to CHRIST, that elswhere in heauen you mought be like vnto him, whereof you ought to be most assured, knowing that in tyme, euen when CHRIST shal appeare, you shall be like vnto him. Marginalia1. Iohn. 3. Phil. 3. Math. 10. MarginaliaMat. 8. Marginalia2. Timo. 2.For he will make your body which now you defile not with Idolatricall seruice in going to Masse, like vnto his owne gloryous and immortall body, accordyng to the power whereby he is able to doe all things. He wil confesse you before his father, which doe not deny his verity in worde nor deede before your father: he will make you to raigne with him, that now suffer for him and with him: he wil reward you with him selfe and all the glory he hath, that now for his sake deny your selfe with all that euer you haue: he will not leaue you comfortles, that seeke no comfort but at his hand: though for a little time you be afflicted, yet therin will he comfort and strength you, and at the length make you to be mery with him, in such ioy as is infinite and endles. He will wipe all the teares from your eyes: he wil embrace you, as your deare husband: he will after he hath proued you, crowne you with a crowne of glory & immortality, such as the hart of man shall neuer be able to conceaue in such sort as the thing is. He now beholdeth your stedfastnes, and striuing to do his good will: and shortly will he shew you how stedfast he is, and will be ready to do your wil, after that you haue fully resigned it to his will.

MarginaliaCommunicating wyth Christ in suffering.Pledge him in his cuppe of the crosse, and you shall pledge him in the cuppe of his glory. Desire to drinke it before it come to the dregges, wherof the wicked shall drinke, and al those that for feare of the crosse and pledging the Lord, do walke with the wicked in betraying in fact and dede, that which their hart embraceth for verity. The which thing if you should doe (which God forbid) then my deare mistres and sister in the Lord, you should not onely lose al that I haue before spoken, and much more infinitely of eternall ioy and glory: but also be a cast away, and partaker of Gods most heauy displeasure in hell fire eternally: and so for a little ease, which you can not tell how long it will last, to lose for euer and euer, all ease and comfort. MarginaliaLuke. 11.For he that gathereth not with me saith CHRIST (as no Masse gospeller doth)