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 third part of the Psalme.

Howe man is brought to the knowledge of life and salua∣tion: which part sheweth what man is of him selfe, and howe he is brought into this life, and to feede in the pleasant pastures of Gods worde.

THE THIRD VERSE.

He shall conuert my soule, and bring me into the pathes of righteousnesse, for his names sake.

MY soule erred and went astray from the right way of godly liuing, but the Lord conuerted me from mine errors & faultes of liuing, and brought me to the obseruation of his holy lawes, wherein is conteined all iustice, trueth, and godli∣nesse. Here is to be noted, what degrées and orders the Lord and heauenly shepheard doth vse, in bring∣ing his shéepe vnto the pasture of life. First, he con∣uerteth the man that is gone astray, by his wicked wayes and sinnefull maner of liuing. If he were an Infidel, he bringeth him first to knowe, féele, and hate his infidelitie, and afterwardes to a true faith. If he be a persecuter, he sheweth him first his tyran∣nie, and afterward how to vse him selfe méekely. If he be a sinful man that liueth cōtrarie to his know∣ledge & profession, he bringeth him first to the know∣ledge and hatred of his sinne, and afterwards to the forgiuenes of the same. As Christ our sauiour won∣derfully teacheth in Saint Iohn,* 1.1 where he saith: The holy Ghost, when he commeth, shall rebuke the world of sinne, iustice, and iudgement. By the which wordes he declareth, that the faithfull of God, can not profite in the Gospell of Christ, neither loue nor exercise iustice and vertue, except they be taught, and

made to féele the burthen and daunger of sinne, and be brought to humble them selues, as men that be of them selues nothing but sinne. And therefore the lawe and threatenings of God be verie wholesome, whose nature and propertie is to cite and call mens conscience vnto the iudgment of God, and to wound the spirite of man with terrour and feare. Where∣fore, Christe vseth a wonderfull way, and teacheth the same vnto his Apostles, that neither him selfe for that present time, nor they in time to come, could preach profitably the Gospell, wherewith men are led into the swéete and pleasant fieldes of Gods promises by his word, except they vse this order: to leade them from sinne to iustice, and from death to life. And as iustice and life commeth by Christe, shewed vnto vs in his bitter passion,* 1.2 death, and glo∣rious resurrection: so doeth sinne and death both appeare and be felt by the spirite of God, shewed vn∣to vs in the lawe. This order also fawe the holy Prophet, when he saide: The Lorde conuerteth my soule, and leadeth me into the pathes of righteousnes. This is a wonderfull sentence, and much and déepe∣ly to be considered and weighed of the Christi∣an man. The Lorde conuerteth my foule, saith Dauid. He féeleth in him selfe, that as long as the diuell and sinne haue the rule and kingdome in man, the soule of man being Gods creature, is deformed, foule, horrible, and so troubled, that it is like vnto all things, more then vnto God and ver∣tue, whervnto it was created: but when the wicked diuel & deformed sinne, be by the victorie of Christ o∣uercome & expelled, the soule waxeth faire, amiable, swéete, louing, pleasant, & like vnto God againe, and cōmeth into order & obeisance vnto his creatour, & so brought into y^e pathes of righteousnes, féedeth with

the rest of Gods well ordered flocke vppon she pa∣stures and foode of his holy worde, to doe his blessed will.

Oh that we would, in the glasse of Gods worde, looke vpon our owne soules, when they be in the ty∣rannie of the diuell, vnder the kingdome of sinne, as this king did: we should more loathe and detest our owne soule, and the companie that our soule is ac∣companied withall, then if we should for all our life time, be put into sties with hogges, and alwayes be bound during our life, to liue with them, féede as they féede, sléepe and wake as they do, and be as they be in all things.* 1.3 Looke in the Gospel of Saint Luke, and there shall ye sée a man by sinne, so foule, so dis∣ordered, so accompanied with swine, so hungerba∣ned, so rent and torne, so beggerly, so wretched, so vile, so loathsome, and so stinking, that the very swine were better for their condition, then he was. But sée howe the heauenly shepheard behelde from his heauenly throne, the place of the euerlasting ioyes, this poore strayed shéepe, féeding not amongst shéepe, but amongest swine, and yet could not be sa∣tisfied therewith. And no meruell, for swine féede not vpon the meate of shéepe, nor yet doe shéepe fill them selues with hogges draffe and swillinges: but this shephearde vsed his olde wonted clemen∣cie, and strake the heart of his shéepe, making him to wéepe and bewayle his condition, a man to come to suche dishonour to be coupled and matched with swine, to féede like swine, eate like swine such meate as swine eate, remembring that the worst in his fathers house was a Prince and noble King, in com∣parison & respect of him: then also being persuaded of his fathers mercy, he returned, & his father brought him into his pleasant & swéete pastures, & gaue him

his old fauor & accustomed apparel againe, as a man to kéepe companie with men, & no more with adulte∣rous men, and vncleane swine: howbeit, he came not to his old honour againe, till the Lord had prac∣tised in him, that he practised in this Prophete king Dauid, Ammam meam conuertit, He conuerted and turned my soule.

It is but a follie for a man to flatter himselfe, as though he were a Christian man, when his hart and soule is not turned vnto the Lord. He shal neuer féed in the pastures of life, but be an hypocrite all the days of his life, as the most part of the world be that professe Christes name at this present day. They say they be conuerted from the world to God, when there is nothing within the pastures of Gods word, but that they wil contemne rather, then to haue as much as an euil looke of the world for it. They say they be conuerted to God, when they be contented with the world to honour that for God, that is but bread and wine in the matter and substance, as the scripture of God, and the holy Church of Christ haue taught and beléeued, these thousand and fiue hundreth yeares and more. Oh Lord, be these men turned to thée? Be these the men that shall dwell with thée, in thy ho∣ly mount of Sion,* 1.4 and stand in thy holy place? Nay doubtlesse, for they be not turned to thée, but from thée, & be not with thée, but against thée. They speak with thée, and yet their déedes dishonour thée, they talke of trueth and practise lies. What (good Lord) shall thy simple & poore vnlearned shéepe do? Where shall they séeke thy trueth? For the shéepeheards say and sing this Psalme euery wéeke, and at euery di∣rige for the dead, and yet they be not conuerted in their spirits to thée, that thou mightest lead them in∣to the pathes of righteousnes. But (Lord) there is no

man nowe (in manner) that dare accuse them: they destroy themselues and thy shéepe, and no man can be suffered with Gods word to remedie it. Notwith∣standing, (good Lord) although in this world none may accuse them, yet they in the world to come shal haue king Dauid (whose Psalmes they daily reade, and in whom they most glorie,) to accuse them, both of heresie and blasphemie: as Moses shall accuse the wicked Iewes, whome they most glorie of. For as the Iewes read the scripture of Moses, and yet were neuer the better: so these priests of Antichrist reade the holy scripture, & yet neither the people, nor they themselues, are any thing the better. And in this they passe y^e abhomination of the Iewes & Turkes: for they were, and yet be content, that their bookes of religion shal be vsed in their churches in the vul∣gar and common tongue: but these enimies of God and man, would not haue the word that God hath appointed for all mens saluation, to be vsed in any tongue but in the Latine.

The God therefore of peace, that brought a∣gaine from death to life, the great shéepheard of the shéepe, by the bloud of the euerlasting testament, our Lord Iesus Christ, conuert the soules and heartes of all those, that cause the shéepe of God thus to eate and féed vppon the carrine and infected pastures of mens traditions. Amen.

Nowe, as king Dauid in this text hath wonder∣fully set foorth y^e miserable nature of al Gods shéepe, and put himself for an example, that the nature and condition of all men is corrupt, wicked, and damna∣ble, so that it cannot be partaker of Gods benedicti∣on and euerlasting grace, except it be borne a newe, amended, restored, and instructed: so likewise he she∣weth, that none conuerteth the soule of man, but

the heauenly father the great shéepeheard, that both séeth the loste state of his shéepe, and willeth of his mercie the saluation and calling of the shéepe home againe: and then he procéedeth further, and sheweth what the heauenly shéepeheard will doe with his shéepe. He saith, Hee will lead them into the pathes of iustice. Wherein the Prophete declareth, that it is not onely God that conuerteth the man from e∣uill, but also he alone that kéepeth him in goodnes and vertue. And therein is shewed a wonderfull miserie and wretchednesse in the soule and body of man, that can neither beginne nor yet continue in a life acceptable vnto God, except that GOD wholy worketh the same himselfe.

And as it declareth the wonderfull wretchednes of man, so doeth it manifest and set foorth a wonder∣ful and vnspeakeable mercie and compassion of God towardes man, that so meruellously and gratious∣ly he canne be content to helpe and saue his enimie and very aduersarie. But herein is required of as many as the Lorde conuerseth from iniquitie and sinnefull liuing, that they walke in the same lawe, and vse their conuersation in equitie and iustice, as it béecommeth obedient men and wo∣men redéemed with the shéepeheardes most preti∣ous bloud.

For the Lord doth not teach his shéepe the truth, that they should liue in falsehood: neither giueth he them the remission of their sinnes, that they should returne to the same againe: but because they should studiously applie and diligently exercise themselues in vertuous woorks,* 1.5 to the honor of almightie God.* 1.6 There be two sortes of people that the Lorde will iudge and punish in the latter day, with extreme ire and iustice.

The one sort be called vpon to learne the knowledge of God and of Gods honour, as Gods word comman∣deth: but they will not heare, nor obey the calling, but knowe God and learne God, as the custome and maner of the world is to know him and learne him, though it be neuer so farre from the trueth. And the other sort be contented to heare and learne to knowe God, and to serue him as he teacheth in his holy and most pure word, but in their heartes consent not to their knowledge: but contrary to it they do outward seruice to a false God, and frame their conuersation, both in religion toward God,* 1.7 and their maners to∣ward men, as men of the world do. So that God hath no more reuerence of him that knoweth the trueth, then of him that is ignorant of the trueth.

Esaie the Prophet speaketh against the first sort of men, that will not heare when they be called, nor learne when they be taught, and saith: When other men shall laughe, they shall weepe: when other bee merrie, they shal be sorrie: when other be whole, they shalbe sicke: when other men shal liue, they shall die: and when other men reioyce in mirthe, they shall la∣ment in sorowe. And good cause why saith S. Paule: For,* 1.8 the Lord hath stretched forth his hand alwayes to a rebellious and obstinate people, that will not learne nor knowe his holy will. Againe, the other sort that knowe and haue learned the Lordes will and pleasure, and yet prepare not themselues to doe his will,* 1.9 shall be beaten with many stripes (saith our sa∣uiour Christ.) And the Lord in S. Matthewe doeth wonderfully charge both such as ignorantly doe of∣fend, and those that doe with knowledge offend, those also that be called vppon to amendment in faith and charitie, and those that be not called vppon by prea∣ching of the trueth, and saith: The greater damna∣nation

is vppon such as know or might knowe, or els when they do knowe, they be nothing the better for their knowledge. He putteth foorth there foure cities, Chorozaim and Bethsaida, Tire and Sidon: two of them many times admonished by Christ to amend: the other two not so called vppon, neuerthelesse both of them the Lord will iudge, but most seuerely such as neglect the word of God when it is offered. Ther∣fore, it is not ynough for a man to hearken or heare, read or learne Gods word, but he must be ruled by Gods word, frame his whole life after Gods word, and before all things auoyd idolatrie by Gods word: as king Dauid saith in this Psalme, that The Lord did not onely conuert his soule, but brought him into the pathes of iustice.

Let euery man and woman therfore thinke with themselues, what knowledge they haue receiued of God: for he that hath receiued most, shall make ac∣compt for most: and the more he knoweth, and abu∣seth his knowledge, the more shalbe his damnation: and in case they knowe nothing at all, and be neuer the better for all the preaching of the Lordes word, let them take héede what persons they be, and in what place they haue dwelled. In case their pouer∣tie was such, that they could not heare, and their dwelling where as was no preaching at all: yet be they vnder the iudgement and damnation of God, because they knowe not, as Tire and Sidon were. If they were of such state, as they might haue come if they would, and had preachers to tel them the truth, in case they would haue heard the trueth, such men and women shall be the more in daunger of Gods se∣uere and iust iudgement.* 1.10 For God doth not onely take an accompt of that which men haue receiued, if they vse not Gods giftes well: but also straightly re∣quireth

of them, that might haue learned the thing, that either willingly or obstinately they refused to learne: as ye may sée by Choroazim and Bethsaida. God will as well take an accompt of him that refu∣sed to receiue the gift of Gods word, as he requireth an accompt of him that hath receiued it, and abused it.* 1.11 Whereby we learne,* 1.12 that not onely the man that abuseth Gods word shalbe damned, but also he that will not learne Gods word. King Dauid had the word offered, he receiued it, and was carried thereby into the pathes of iustice, and liued godly thereafter. Nowe he goeth foorth, and sheweth, wherefore man is brought to life and saluation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iohn. 16.
• * 1.2

  The con∣sciēce that feeleth the sting of death by sinn, thir∣steth for life.
• * 1.3

  Luke. 15.
• * 1.4

  Psalme. 24.
• * 1.5

  Psalme. 1.
• * 1.6

  Matth. 5.
• * 1.7

  Woefull are these dayes whē in so cleare lighte of the trueth, the profes∣sours ther∣of are so faithlesse and fruit∣lesse. Esaie 65.
• * 1.8

  Rom. 10.
• * 1.9

  Luke 12.
• * 1.10

  GOD re∣quireth not only a compt of that hath beene re∣ceiued, but of that might haue bene receiued.
• * 1.11

  Matth. 11.
• * 1.12

  Luke. 12