A16577:72
A fruitful treatise and full of heavenly consolation against the fear of death Whereunto…A frutefull treatise and ful of heauenly consolation against the feare of death Wherunto…
A fruitful treatise and full of heavenly consolation against the fear of death Whereunto are annexed certain sweet meditations of the kingdom of Christ, of life everlasting, and of the blessed state & felicity of the same. Gathered by that holy martyr of God, John Bradford.A frutefull treatise and ful of heauenly consolation against the feare of death Wherunto are annexed certeine sweet meditations of the kingdom of Christ, of life euerlasting, and of the blessed state & felicitie of the same. Gathered by that holy marter of God, Iohn Bradford.
London : Perused corrected & augmented according to the original, & imprinted in Fletestrete near to saint Dunstons Churche by William Powell, ca. 1564London : Perused corrected & augmented according to the originall, & imprinted in Fletestrete neere to saint Dunstons Churche by William Powell, ca. 1564
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
¶ A Prayer, which John Bradford said a little before his death in Smithfield
¶ A Prayer, whiche Ihon Bradford sayd a little before his death in Smithfelde
Merciful God and Father, to whom our saviour christ 1approached in his fear and need, by reason of death, & found comfort: gracious God & most bounteous Christ, on whom Stephen called in his extreme 2need, & received strength: most benign holy spirit, which in the middest of all crosses & death, diddest comfort the apostle s. Paul, 3with more consolations in christ, then he felt sorrows & terrors in the world: have mercy upon me a most miserable, vile & wretched ⟨image 50⟩sinner, which now draw near the gates of death deserved both in soul & body eternally, by reason of my manifold horrible, old & new transgressions, which to thine eyes (O lord god) are open and known. Oh be merciful unto me, and forgive me for the bitter death and blood shedding of thine only Son Jesus Christ. And though thy Justice do require in respect of my sins, that now thou shouldest not hear me, contemning thy daily callings: yet let thy mercy, which is above all thy works, and wherewith the earth is filled, let thy mercy (I say) prevail towards me, through the merits & mediation of christ our saviour, for whose sake it pleaseth thee to bring me forth now, as one of his witnesses, & ⟨image 51⟩a record bearer of thy verity and trueth taught by him, to give my life therefore. To which dignity I do acknowledge (dear god) that there was never any so unworthy and unmeet, no not the these that hanged with him on the cross. I humbly therefore pray thee that thou wouldest accordingly, aid, help, & assist me with the strength and heavenly grace, that with christ thy Son I may find comfort, with Stephen I may see thy presence and gracious power, with Paul and all others, which for thy names sake have suffered afflictions and death, I may find so present with me thy gracious consolation, that I may by death glorify thy holy name, set forth & ratify thy verity, comfort the hearts of the heavy, confirm thy church