A16580:110
Godly meditations upon the Lords prayer, the belief, and ten commandments with other comfortable…Godlie meditations vpon the Lordes prayer, the beleefe, and ten commaundementes with other comfortable…
Godly meditations upon the Lords prayer, the belief, and ten commandments with other comfortable meditations, prayers and exercises. Whereunto is annexed a defence of the doctrine of gods eternal election and predestination, gathered by the constant martyr of God John Bradford in the time of his imprisonment. The contents whereof appear in the page next following.Godlie meditations vpon the Lordes prayer, the beleefe, and ten commaundementes with other comfortable meditations, praiers and exercises. Whereunto is annexed a defence of the doctrine of gods eternall election and predestination, gathered by the constant martyr of God Iohn Bradford in the tyme of his imprisonment. The contentes wherof appeare in the page nexte folovvyng.
London : Now first printed by Rouland Hall, dwelling in gutter lane at the sign of the half Eagle and key, the .12. of October 1562London : Nowe fyrst prynted by Rouland Hall, dwellyng in gutter lane at the signe of the halfe Egle and key, the .12. of October 1562
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.
Thou mightest have made me a dog, but of thy goodness hast made me a creature after thine Image: y• mightest have made me a Turk, a Jew, a Saracen, but thou hast made me a christian, a member of thy Church, thou after my birth mightest have left me, and in all need have made no providence for me, as we sometimes see hath happened unto others, but yet thou never diddest so with me, and yet I am of all others most unthankful.
Thou mightest haue made me a dogge, but of thy goodnes hast made me a creature after thine Image: y• mightest haue made me a Turcke, a Iewe, a Sarracen, but thou hast made me a christiā, a member of thy Churche, thou after my birth mightest haue lefte me, and in all nede haue made no prouidence for me, as we sometimes see hath hapned vnto others, but yet thou neuer diddest so with me, and yet I am of all others most vnthankfull.
Thy creatures I thankfully use not, thy invisible love by thy manifold visible tokens I consider not, as now, I should by this apparel of my body, by this corporal health by this light, by this my hearing, seeing, feeling, memory, understanding, time, place, company, creatures, and benefits, aswell in keeping innumerable evils from me both in soul and body, which ells could not but come to me: as also in giving to me presently so many ⟨image 34⟩things as without thy especial grace & working I never could have had, or presently could keep them. In thy creatures I see not thy power, for I fear thee not, I see not thy presence for I reverence thee not, I see not thy wisdom, for I adore thee not, I see not thy mercy, for I love thee not I praise thee not but in lips & tongue and therefore in that all thy creatures do teach me, cry out upon me to be thankful to thee, to love, fear, serve thee and trust in thee and that continually, in that I do not so, they cannot but cry out upon me and against me in thy sight, & in the day of Judgement will weapon themselves against me.