Certeine comfortable expositions of the constant martyr of Christ, M. Iohn Hooper, Bishop of Glocester and Worcester written in the time of his tribulation and imprisonment, vpon the XXIII. LXII. LXXIII. and LXXVII. Psalmes of the prophet Dauid.

THE ARGVMENT OR MATTER, which the Prophete chiefly intreateth of in this Psalme.

IT should seeme, by the meruellous and wonderfull descrip∣tion and setting foorth of almightie God, by the Prophete and King DAVID in this Psalme, that he was inflamed with the holy Ghost, being deliuered from all his enemies, to declare vnto all the world howe faithfull and mightie a defender and keeper God is, of as many as put their trust in him. He was in great daunger, and specially in the warres that he made against the AMMONITES, the euent and successe whereof it seemeth by the 20. Psalme his subiectes greatly feared: wherefore they commended their king (as true subiectes alwayes vse) with ear∣nest prayer vnto God. And that battell and many other daun∣gers more ended (wherein the godly king found alwayes the protection and defence of the heauenly father ready and at hand) nowe being at rest, he would haue this mercifull defence of GOD knowne to all others, that as he, in all his aduersities, put his trust in the Lorde, and had the ouerhand of all his eni∣mies: euen so by his example, all other men should learne to doe the same, and assure them selues to finde (as he found) the Lorde of heauen to be the succour and defence of the troubled, and their keeper from all euill.

And bicause the hearers and readers of this most diuine & godly Hymne, should the better vnderstand the same, and the sooner take credite thereof in the heart, he calleth the heauenly father (the God of all consolation) in this Psalme, a shepheard or heardman feeding his flocke: and the people (with him selfe) he calleth sheepe pastured and fed by the shepheard. And by these two meanes, as by a most conuenient Allegorie or Tran∣slation meete for the purpose, from the office of a shepheard, & the nature of sheepe, he setteth out meruellously the safegard of man by Gods prouidence, and goodwill towardes man. And in the same Allegorie or Translation, he occupieth the foure first verses in this Psalme. In the first verse, and so to the ende of the Psalme, he declareth stil one matter and argument of Gods de∣fence towardes man, and howe man is preserued. But yet it see∣meth, that he expresseth the same by other words and by an o∣ther translation, shewing the nature of God almightie, in feding and nourishing of man vnder the name of a Lord or King, that

hath prepared a table and plentie of meats to feede the hungrie and needie: and setteth foorth man poore and destitute of con∣solation and necessarie helpe, vnder the name of guestes and bid∣den folkes to a Kings table, where is plentie of all things ne∣cessarie, not onely to satisfie hunger, and to quench thirst, but also to expell and remoue them, that the poore man shall neuer hunger nor thirst againe: and only that, but also for euer world without end, this poore man shall dwell and inherite, by the mercy of his heauenly king, the ioyes euerlasting. And this last Translation or Allegorie is in maner not only a repetition of the first in other wordes, but also a declaration, and more plaine opening of the Prophetes minde, what he mea∣neth in this celestiall Hymne.