“There, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford.”

In the middle of the 16th century, a Protestant, English roving chaplain named John Bradford had occasion to watch several criminals led to the gallows and executed. As the criminals were led up to the scaffold, Bradford uttered the famously quoted, albeit generically, saying. Bradford’s words are well known, but they are not well understood.

Without the God of the universe acting in particular on my own heart… Without Jehovah God opening my eyes to see the truth and opening my ears to hear and understand… Then I am like the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Who were blind, and although the Lord Jesus stood before them, walked the same dirt path, talked with them, even ate with them and discussed scripture with them, were unable to comprehend Him.

We are blind and stupid. We suppress the truth in unrighteousness. We are all criminals against God. We assert our own right to be like him, judging for ourselves what is right and wrong. We desire to be the determiner of our own destiny. We fight for the right to let our will be done. We are sinners. We deserve the gallows and much worse. There is no righteousness in us. It is filthy rags.

But, Christ opened my eyes, just like He opened the eyes of the disciples on that road. He changed me, revealed himself to me, and I in return could naught but bow my head and humbly submit to the King of Kings.

Without Him changing me in particular, I could never see Him. Once my eyes were opened I could not help but see Him. Without God’s particular grace towards me, I was lost. All that I am is because of His condescension towards me.

So you see… “There but for the grace of God goes Joe Graber.”

On January 31, 1555, John Bradford was burned at the stake as a heretic, in opposing the papacy, by the Roman Catholic Queen Mary. It was written that he endured the flame "as a fresh gale of wind in a hot summer's day, confirming by his death the truth of that doctrine he had so diligently and powerfully preached during his life."

I should note that William Bradford, who came to the New World aboard the Mayflower and was governor of that settlement for 30 years, was likely a relative of John Bradford.