Strait Is The Way

Strait Is The Way

Being a pastor has its risks.

WHEN King Edward VI died at fifteen in 1553, England was thrown into religious turmoil. Crowned at the age of nine only six years earlier, King Edward had been a sincere Christian. At that time the Reformation in England was only thirty years old and in its infancy.

At the death of Edward VI, his cousin Lady Jane Grey, an evangelical girl also fifteen, ascended the throne for nine days before she was deposed and replaced by Mary Tudor, Edward’s Roman Catholic half sister. Determined to reestablish the order of the Catholic Church, Mary removed the legislation that protected Protestants from persecution. She imprisoned Jane Grey and seven weeks later executed her for treason.

John Bradford, like hundreds of other Protestant pastors in England, was forced in 1553 to yield his pulpit to the Catholic Church. Bradford’s congregation was so opposed to its new bishop, Gilbert Bourne, that when Bourne came to preach in Bradford’s church, Bradford had to stand behind him in the pulpit to stop the congregation’s heckling. During the sermon that would change Bradford’s life, someone hurled a dagger at Bishop Bourne, causing Bradford to step forward to admonish the unruly crowd. After the service Bourne fled out the back door with Bradford shielding him from sight of the angry crowd and shepherding him to safety.

Bourne survived the uproar, but Bradford did not. Three days later he was arrested on charges of sedition. Bradford remained imprisoned for sixteen months. Then on January 22, 1555, the Roman Catholic bishops questioned Bradford. They pronounced him guilty of fostering the attempt on Bourne’s life and sentenced him to death by burning.

Bradford spent the next months preaching to his fellow prisoners twice a day. Then one afternoon the wife of the prison keeper came to him very troubled and said, “Oh, Mr. Bradford, I bring you heavy news. . . . Tomorrow you must be burned. Your chain is now a-buying, and soon you must go to Newgate.”

Bradford took off his cap, and lifting up his eyes to heaven said, “I thank God for it; I have looked for the same a long time, and therefore it cometh not suddenly; the Lord make me worthy thereof.”

Early that evening Bradford said good-bye to the friends he had made in prison and spent the evening alone in prayer. His captors moved him to Newgate Prison late that night. The next morning about nine, Bradford was led out of Newgate to the field where heretics were burned.

When Bradford arrived at the stake, he lay face down on the ground and prayed silently. Then rising to his feet and removing his coat, he walked to the stake. Turning to the young man who was to be burned with him, he said, “Be of good comfort, brother; we shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night.”

As he was tied to the stake, Bradford warned those around him, “Strait is the way and narrow is the gate that leadeth to eternal salvation, and few there be that find it.”

Reflection

John Bradford was sentenced to die because of an incident in which he did the honorable thing. Have you ever been criticized for doing the right thing? How did you handle the criticism? Remember that Jesus lived a perfect life, yet he was crucified.

If you suffer for doing right and are patient beneath the blows, God is pleased with you.

1 Peter 2:20