They are counted the most profitable Teachers , which haue themselues good experience by practise in themselues , of that which they do teach to others ▪ such as may safely say , Brethren , be ye followers of me , & looke on them which walk so , as ye haue vs for an example , Phil. 3.17 . And surely , such a patterne was M. Bradford in his life time , of this doctrine of Repentance , which in both these Sermons he teacheth , that I which did know him familiarly , must needs giue to God this prayse for him , that among men I haue scarcely known one , like vnto him . I did know whe● and partly how it pleased God by effectuall calling to turne his heart vnto the true knowledge , and obedience of the most holy Gospell of Christ our Sauiour . Of which God did giue him such an heauen hold , and liuely feeling , that as he did then knowe that many sinnes were forgiuen him , so surely he declared by deedes , that he loued much . For where ● had both gifts & calling , to haue employed himse● in ciuill and worldly affayres profitably , such 〈◊〉 his loue of Christ , and zeale to the promoting ● his glorious Gospell , that he changed not onely t● course of his former life , as the woman did , Luke but euen his former studie , as Paul did change 〈◊〉 former profession and study .

Touching the first , after that God touched ● heart with that holy and effectuall calling , he s● his Chaynes , Rings , Brooches , and Iewels of go● which before he vsed to weare , and did bestowe the price of this his former vanity , in the necessary reliefe of Christs poore members , which he could heare of , or finde lying sicke , or pyning in pouerty . Touching ●he second , he so declared his great zeale & loue to promote the glory of the Lord Iesus , whose goodnes ●●d sauing health he had tasted , that to doe the same more pithily , he changed his study ; and being in the ●nner Temple in London , at the study of the common ●awes , he went to Cambridge , to studie Diuinitie , where he heard D. Martin Bucer diligently , & was ●ight familiar & dere vnto him . In this godly course ●e did by Gods blessing so profit , that that blessed Martyr , D. Ridley , then Bishop of London , did , as ●t were , inuite him & his godly companion M. Tho. Horton , to become fellowes of Penbrooke Hall in Cambridge : And afterwards , the said D. Ridley ●alled our Bradford to London , gaue him a Prebend ●n Paules Church , lodged him in his owne house ●here , & set him on work in preaching . And besides often preaching in London , & at Paules Crosse , and sundry places in the country , and specially in Lancashire , he preached before K. Ed. the 6. in the Lent , the last yere of his reigne , vpon the 2. Psalme ; and there in one Sermon , shewing the tokens of Gods iudgement at hand , for the contempt of the Gospel , as that certaine Gentlemen , vpon the Sabboth day , going in a whirry to Paris Garden , to the Bearebayting , were drowned : & that a dog was met at Ludgáte , carying a piece of a dead child in his mouth : he with a mighty and propheticall spirit sayd , I summon you all , euen euery mothers child of you , to the iudgement of God , for it is at hand ; as it folowed shortly after , in the death of K. Edward . In which state and labour of preaching he continued , till the cruelty of the papists cut him off , so as thou mayst reade in the history of his life & death , compiled by that faithful seruant of the Lord Iesus , M. Iohn Foxe .

In deed he had many pulbacks , but God still helped forward his chosen seruant , in that trade of life , to the which he had called him : in which he ranne forward so happily , that he did outrun me & other his companions . For it pleased God , with great speed to make him ready and ripe to Martyrdome ; in which through Christ he hath nowe gayned the crowne of life . But in all stops and stayes he was much helped forward by a continuall meditation , & practise of repentance & faith in Christ ; in which he was kept by Gods grace , notably exercised al the daies of his life . Euen in this meane time he heard a Sermon , which that notable preacher , M. Latimer , made before K. Edward the 6. in which he did earnestly speak of restitution to be made of things falsly gotten : which did so strike Bradford to the heart , for one dash of a pen which he had made , without the knowledge of his master ( as full often I haue heard him confesse with plenty of teares ) being Clarke to the Treasurer of the Kings campe beyond the seas , and was to the deceiuing of the King , that he could neuer be quiet , til by the aduice of the same M. Latimer , a restitution was made . Which thing to bring to passe , he did willingly forbeare & forgo all the priuate & certaine patrimony which he had in earth . Let all bribers & ●olling Officers , which get to themselues great reuenues in earth , by such slippery shifts , followe this example , least in taking a contrary course , they take a ●ontrary way , & neuer come where Bradford now is .

But besides this , our Bradford had his daily exercises and practises of repentance . His maner was to make to himself a Catalogue of al the grosest & most enorme sinnes , which in his life of ignorance he had committed , and to lay the same before his eyes when he went to priuat praier , that by the sight & remembrance of them , he might be stirred vp to offer to God ●he sacrifice of a contrite heart , seeke assurance of sal●ation in Christ by faith , thanke God for his calling from the waies of wickednes ▪ & pray for increase of grace , to be conducted in holy life , acceptable and ●leasing to God . Such a continual exercise of consci●nce he had in priuate prayer , that he did not count himselfe to haue prayed to his contentation , vnlesse ●n it he had felt inwardly some smiting of heart for sinne , & some healing of that wound by faith , feeling ●he sauing helth of Christ , with some change of mind into the detestation of sinne , and loue of obeying the good will of God . Which things doe require that inward entring into the secret parlour of our hearts , of which Christ speaketh , and is that smiting of the brest , which is noted in the Publican , Matth. 7. & is the same to the which the Psalmist exhorteth those men loose in sinne , Psa. 4.5 . Tremble ye and sinne not : speak in your selues , that is , Enter into an account with your selues , When you are on your couches , that is , when ye are solitary & alone . And be quiet , or silent : that is , When ye haue thus secretly , & deeply considered of your case and dealing , ye shal cease to thinke , speak , and do wickedly . Without such an inward exercise of prayer , our Bradford did not pray to his ful contentation , as appeared by this : He vsed in the morning to go to the common praier in the Colledge where he was , & after that , he vsed to make some praier with his Pupils in his chamber . But not content with this , he then repaired to his own secret praier , & exercise in praier by himselfe , as one that had not yet prayed to his own mind : for he was wont to say to his familiars , I haue praied with my Pupils , but I haue not yet prayed with my selfe . Let those secure men marke this wel , which pray without touch of brest , as the Pharisee did ; & so that they haue said an ordinary prayer , or heare a common course of praier , they thinke they haue prayed wel , & as the terme is , they haue serued God wel , thogh they neuer feele sting for sin , tast of groning , or broken heart , nor of the sweet sauing helth of Christ , thereby to be moued to offer the Sacrifice of thanksgiuing , nor change or renuing of mind , but as they came secure in sin , & senselesse , so they doe depart without any change , or affecting of the heart ; which is euen the cradle , in which Sathan rocketh the sinnes of this age asleepe , who thinke they do serue God in these cursory praiers , made only of custome , when their heart is as far from God , as was the heart of the Pharise . Let vs learne by Bradfords example , to pray better , that is , with the heart , & not with the lips alone , Quia Deus non vocis , sed cordis auditor est , as Cyprian saith ▪ that is , because God is the hearer of the heart , & not of the voice : that is to say , not of the voice alone , without the heart , for that is but lip labour . This conscience of sin , & exercise in praier had Bradford , cleane contrary to that cursed custome of those gracelesse men , which do ioy to make large and long accounts of their leudnes , & do glory therein ; so feeding their delights with their liues passed , as the dog returneth to smell to his cast gorge , & the horse to his doung ; such as the Prophet Esay 39. saith , They declare their sinnes as Sodom , they hide them not , wo be to their soules . It goeth with them , as Ieremy 3.3 . said , Thou hast a whores forehead : thou wouldest not be ashamed . God giue these men better grace ; else assuredly they shall finde woe , woe , to their very soules .

Another of his exercises was this : He vsed to make vnto himselfe an Ephemeris , or a Iournall , in which he vsed to write all such notable things , as either he did see or heare , ech day that passed . But whatsoeuer he did heare or see , he did so pen it , that a man might see in that booke , the signes of his smitten heart . For if he did heare or see any good in any man , by that sight he found and noted the want thereof in himself , and added a short praier , crauing mercy & grace to amend . If he did heare or see any plague , or misery , he noted it as a thing procured by his own sins , & stil added , Domine , miserere mei , Lord , haue mercy vpon mee . He vsed in the same booke to note such euill thoghts as did rise in him ; as of enuying the good of other men , thoghts of vnthankfulnes , of not considering God in his works , of hardnes & vnsensiblenesse of heart , when he did see other moued and affected . And thus hee made to himselfe , and of himselfe , a booke of dayly practises of repenta● .

Besides this , they which were familiar with him , might see how he , being in their company , vsed to fall often into a sudden & deep meditation , in which he would sit with fixed countenan e & spirit moued , yet speaking nothing a good space . And sometimes in his silent sitting , plenty of teares shuld trickle down his cheeks . Sometime he would sit in it , & come out ●f it with a smiling countenan e . Often times haue I ●tten at dinner and supper with him , in the house of ●at godly harbourer of many preachers & seruants of the Lord Iesus , I meane M. Elsyng , when eyther by occasion of talk had , or of some view of Gods benefits present , or some inward cogitation & thought of his owne , he hath fallen into these deepe cogitations , & he would tell me in the end such discourses of them , that I did perceiue , that somtimes his teares trickled out of his eyes , as well for ioy as for sorrowe . Neyther was he onely such a practiser of repentance in himselfe , but a continuall prouoker of others thereunto , not only in publike preaching , but also in priuate conference & company : for in all companies where he did come , he would freely reproue any sin & misbehauior which appeared in any person , especially swearers , filthy talkers , & popish praters : such neuer departed out of his company vnreproued ; & this he did with such a diuine grace & Christian maiesty , that euer he stopped the mouthes of the gainsayers : for he spake with power ; & yet so sweetly , that they might see their euil to be euil , & hurtfull vnto them , and vnderstand that it was good in deede , to the which he laboured to drawe them in God .

To be short , as his life was , such was his death : His life was a practise , an example , & prouocation to repentance . At his death , as the foresaid history witnesseth , when he was burned in Smithfield , and the flames of fire did flye about his eares , his last speach publikely noted & heard , was this , Repent , England . Thus was our Bradford a preacher , & an example of that repentance which hee did preach . Ionas preached to Niniue repentance ; and all Niniue , the King , Princes , people , olde and young repented . To England Bradford did preach , and yet doeth preach repentance : and surely England hath nowe much more cause to repent , then it had when Bradford liued , and preached repentance : for all states and sorts of persons in England , are now more corrupt , then they were then .

Let therefore now Bradfords Sermon , his life , his death , moue thee , O England , to repent all thy peril : I wish & warne , that as in Niniue , so in England , all from the highest to the lowest , do vnfainedly repent . They which are of the Court , they which are of the Church , they which are of the Citie , they which are of the Countrey , Princes , Prelates , and people : let all & euery one repent & depart from that euill which he hath in hand , and turne wholy to the Lord . And I do humbly beseech thy Maiestie ( O glorious Lord Iesus ) which didst come to blesse Israel , turning euery one of them from their sinnes , to worke nowe by thy Spirit in our hearts , the same sound repentance , which thy Holinesse did preach to men , when thou saydest , Repent , for the Kingdome of God is at hand . This work in vs , O gracious God our Sauior . Amen .