the devil dwelt in you, which the Lord forbid, he would not stir up his knights to besiege your home, to snatch at your goods, or suffer his fiends to enter into your hogs. But because Christ dwelleth in you, as he doth by faith, therefore satan stirreth up his first begotten son, the world, to seek how to disquiet you, to rob you, to spoil you, to destroy you.

And perchance, your dear Father, to try and to make known unto you, and to the world, that ye are destinate to another dwelling than here on earth, to another city than man's eyes have seen at any time; hath given, or will give power to satan, and to the world, to take from you the things which he hath lent you; and by taking them away, to try your fidelity, obedience, and love towards him; for ye may not love them above him, as by giving that ye have, and keeping it, he hath declared his love towards you.

Satan, perchance, telleth God, as he did of Job, that ye love God for your good's sake. What now then, if the Lord, to try you with Job, shall give him power over your goods, and body accordingly, should ye be dismayed? Should ye despair? Should ye be fainthearted? Should ye not rather rejoice, as did the apostles, that they were counted worthy to suffer any thing for the Lord's sake? Oh, forget not the end that happened to Job; for as it happened to him, so shall it happen unto you; for God is the same God, and cannot long forget to shew mercy to them, that look and long for it, as I know ye do; and I pray you do so still, for the Lord loveth you, and never can nor will forget, to shew and pour out his mercy upon you.

After a little while that he hath afflicted and tried you, saith Peter, he will visit, comfort, and confirm you. As to 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 ye as Job and Jacob did, that is, order and dispose your things that God hath lent you as you may, and whilst you have time. Who knoweth whether God hath given you power thus long, even to that end.

Go to therefore, dispose your goods, prepare yourselves to trial, that either ye may stand to it like God's champions; or if ye feel such infirmity in yourselves, that ye be not able, give place to

violence, and go where you may, with free and safe conscience, serve the Lord. 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 fly;

so if ye feel such infirmity in yourselves, as should turn to God's

dishonour, and your own destruction withal; know that at this present, I am as God's angel, to admonish you to take time whilst ye have it; and to see that in no case, God's name by you may be dishonoured. Joseph might have objected the omission of his vocation, as perchance ye 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; fly and get you hence, and know that thereby God will have you tried, to yourselves and to others. For by this you shall know, how to take this world, and your home here as no home; but that ye look for another, and so give occasion to others, less to love this world; and perchance to some to doubt of their religion, wherein, though they be earnest, yet would not they lose so much as ye do for your religion, which ye confirm to me and others, by your giving place to violence.

Last of all, ye have cause to rejoice over these days, because they be days of conformation; in the which, and by the which, God our Father maketh us like to Christ's image here, that we may be like to him elsewhere. For if we suffer with him, we shall reign with him; if we be buried with him, we shall rise with him; if we company with him in afflictions, we shall rejoice with him in glory; if we 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 everyone to suffer loss of country, life, goods, home, &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 cognizance of the Lord of Hosts? This cognizance of the Lord, standeth 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, saith Christ. Lo, there is the cognizance and badge of God's children, the world shall hate you.

Rejoice, therefore, my dearly beloved, rejoice that God doth thus vouchsafe to begin to conform you, and make you like to Christ. By the trial of these days, ye are occasioned more to repent, more to pray, more to contemn this world, more to desire life everlasting, more to be holy; for holy is the end wherefore God doth afflict us, and so 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.

JOHN BRADFORD.

No. 92.*

TO HIS GOOD FRIENDS, IN THE LORD, M. R. AND HIS WIFE.+

My dearly beloved, I heartily commend me unto you in our common Christ, whom I so call, not that I would make him as common things be, that is, nothing set by, but because by him we are brought into a communion; and that as with him, so with his Father, and as with his Father, so with all God's people, if we be his people, as I trust we are; and therefore write I unto you, as one

• Cov. 383.

+ Most probably the same persons as the last.

careful, but not so much as I should be, for you, as for them whose well-doing comforteth me and is profitable to me, and whose evildoing maketh me heavy, and woundeth me.

The days are come, in the which we cannot but declare what we be, if we be indeed as we should be, as I trust we are, that is, if we be Christ's disciples. I mean we cannot now do as the world doth, or say as it saith; but as God's Church doth and saith. The world seeketh itself, and speaketh thereafter. The Church of God seeketh Christ's glory, and speaketh accordingly. The worldlings follow the world; the Church-children follow their Captain Christ, and therefore, as of the world they are not known to be as they be, so are they hated, and if God permit it, are persecuted and slain; the which persecution is the true touchstone, which trieth the true Church-children from hypocrites, as the wind doth the wheat from the chaff.

And of this gear, this our time and age setteth: very many forth for example, doctrine, and fear, who once were hearty and very zealous; and now are so cold, that they smell nothing of the spirit; for they are not only afraid to seem to speak with a Church-child, but also ashamed; and not only ashamed of them, and so of that which they profess, but also frame and fashion themselves, in all outward behaviour, as in coming to church and hearing mass, so as no man can accuse them for not allowing it, or not honouring it, as well as the papists. Whereas in their hearts they disallow it, and know the same to be naught, at the least, they have known it; but halting out of the way, may perchance have brought them so far, that now they cannot see the way, they are so far and so long gone astray; for the further and longer a man goeth wide, the harder shall it be to recover and see the way; and therefore the apostle giveth warning thereof, Heb. xii. as doth Moses, Deut. xxix., speaking of men who bless themselves, inwardly cursing themselves; read both the chapters, I pray you.

And mark the example of M. Hales, who after that he consented to seem to allow in outward fact, that which he knew once was evil, was fearfully left of God, to our admonition. For albeit God hath

* See Appendix, Note (P.)

not done thus to all, who have indeed done that which M. Hales purposed to do; yet in this example, God teacheth us how fearful a thing it is, to wound our consciences, and do any thing thereagainst, to the offence of the godly, and comfort of the obstinate.

I write not this, as thereof to accuse you or either of you, for as I cannot lightly be persuaded of any such thing of you, so I am assured you hitherto would not do any such thing; for I ween there be yet no great penalty, to punish you for not so doing, if thereof you should have been accused. For he that will do a thing unforced, I cannot hope any thing of the same, but that he will run apace when he is forced. But of this enough to you, who are to be comforted and exhorted, to continue in that pureness of religion, which you have, as I think, hitherto received, and by your open conversation protested.

Howbeit, considering how you have heard and read, as much as in manner can be spoken herein, for the Scriptures, which of themselves are most perfect herein, you have read and read again; I think it good to exhort you, to use earnest and hearty prayer, as I trust you do, and then doubtless God will so write that you have read, in your hearts, as shall be both comfortable and profitable, unto you and others plentifully.

You shall rejoice in the strait way, which few find, and fewer walk in, but most few continue therein to the end. You shall suffer with joy, the direption of your goods, because the best part of your substance is in heaven. You will set before you the example of Christ, the beginner and ender of your faith, who suffered much more than we can suffer, that we should not be faint hearted. You will rejoice, and greatly, because great is your reward in heaven. You will be glad that God accounteth you worthy to suffer any thing, for his sake. You will set before you the end of this your short cross, and the great glory which will ensue the same. You will know, that it is no small benefit of God, to suffer for his sake. You will know, that your sorrowing shall be turned to joying. You will know, that as God doth make you now like to Christ in suffering, so shall you be in reigning; and if you be partakers of affliction, you shall be also of glory, &c. Summa, you will know