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.

¶Out of the first part are many thinges to be noted.

FIrst the nature and condition of God, (for as much as hée hath prepared for men a place of ioye permanent and e∣uerlasting:) is not to reward such as be his,* 1.1 and ordeined to the life to come with so slender,* 1.2 and small a recompense in the bloud of his sonne Iesus Christ,* 1.3 as these worldy and tran∣sitorie thinges be of this world:* 1.4 but with riches and treasures that shall not corrupt,* 1.5 nor be eaten with

vermine,* 1.6 nor yet taken from vs by théeues. As S. Paule saith:* 1.7 He hath made vs to sit with him in the glorie of heauen.* 1.8 And as Christ said vnto Peter, that became a begger with the rest of the Apostles in this world, for Christes sake: Ye shall (saith Christ) sitt vppon the twelue seates, iudging the twelue tribes of Israel. We must therefore note out of this place of the Prophets Psalme, That God, although he whip and scourge vs, as we haue most worthily deserued: yet he loueth vs, and will not take his mercie from vs, but once leaue beating of vs, and burne the rod: and then in Christ reward vs with euerlasting life.* 1.9 In any case therefore,* 1.10 we must well assure our sel∣ues in the dayes of Gods punishmentes,* 1.11 that the end of his crosses & afflictions be the beginning of euer∣lasting ioyes.* 1.12 For, He receiueth none: but such as he first correcteth and chasteneth.* 1.13

The second learning in this part,* 1.14 is to be persua∣ded,* 1.15 that God doth not punish without iust cause,* 1.16 for that he delighteth in punishing of his people:* 1.17 As the wicked Pharao,* 1.18 Nemroth, Saule, and Iulian the A∣postata said.* 1.19 When he had drowned all the world with water for sinne,* 1.20 the wicked people iudged, that God had punished of a parcial and cholericke passion in his furie,* 1.21 without iust matter & cause. And there∣fore they went about in contempt of God, to build a tower so high, that God should neuer haue béene a∣ble to wreake his wrath vppon them againe. So did cursed Pharao,* 1.22 he asked What God that should be, that could plague him and his realme? And in the time of his punishment railed,* 1.23 and spake most vnre∣uerently. Wicked Saule also, when God for his dis∣obedience punished him: he in despite of God, sought remedie to withstand the punishmentes of God by witchcraft,* 1.24 and Nekromancie. And Iulian the Em∣perour,

when Christ gaue him in the warres his deathes wound, tooke an handful of his owne bloud, and hurled it in despite of Christ into the aire, and said, Thou hast ouercome thou Galilean, and so in moc∣kerie he called Christ, & Christian men Galileans. Wherfore, in any case this beginning of the Psalme is to be marked, and vsed in the time of all mens pu∣nishments: and to say with heart and mouth vnto the heauenly father, whatsoeuer he layeth vpon vs, Truely God is louing vnto me, &c. And so doth king Dauid crie out, when God was most seuere and bu∣sie in punishing both him and his people,* 1.25 saying: Thou art iust, (Lord) and right: and iust is thy iudg∣ment. So did the Emperour Maurice say, when his wife,* 1.26 and children were killed before his face: Thou art iust, Lord, and thy iudgementes are righteous.

Iob likewise was of the same minde,* 1.27 although his wife and kinsefolke prouoked him to speake vnpa∣tiently, and vnreuerently of God: yet he said, that He and all his were the Lords, and that if he had ta∣ken them of him, why should not he be contented, that God should haue them againe at his pleasure? These two notes are to be marked, and vsed, what∣soeuer happen.* 1.28 First, that God purposeth to bestowe heauenly pleasures and treasures vppon his people:* 1.29 and therefore he wil not reward them with the trash and wicked Mammon of this life,* 1.30 and transitorie vale of miserie.* 1.31 The second,* 1.32 when he punisheth his in this world,* 1.33 it is of loue: and that the person af∣flicted must both take it so,* 1.34 and also saye so with this Prophete Asaphe, Truely God is louing vnto Israel, (that is to say,) To him that professeth his religion.

The third note is, to marke that God is knowen and felt in the time of punishment, and persequu∣tion

to be louing:* 1.35 but of such as be of a cleane heart. Whereof we learne,* 1.36 that all men that beare the name of Israelites,* 1.37 and of Christian religion: iudge neither reuerently nor yet patiently of Gods punish∣mentes,* 1.38 but such Christian men as be of cleane* 1.39 heartes.* 1.40 Out of this place we may learne, the cause why in this troublesome time,* 1.41 so many waxe wea∣rie and fall from the trueth of Gods word,* 1.42 whiles God is a punishing of vs that haue béene vnthanke∣ful vnto him, and did not liue according to his word, (the Lord forgiue vs.) Doubtles, now they mislike, and starte backe: no not starte backe, but open∣ly in the face of Gods enemies sweare and stare, as Peter did, (God sende them Peters repentance,) that they neuer passed, nor cared a iote for Gods word. And all is, because they be not, nor euer were of a cleane heart: that is to say, so persuaded in their heartes, that Gods holy word is the onely trueth, what punishment soeuer GOD lay vppon them that professe it. God giue vs this cleane heart, that we may vnfeignedly say, Doubtlesse the Lord is lo∣uing vnto his word, and to them that professe it, al∣thoughe he lay thousandes of crosses vppon them in this world.

Out of this place we be admonished (dearely be∣loued,) to beware of the greatest, and abhominable euill (one of them) that can be done against God: that is to say, witchcrafte, and calculation by Astro∣nomie, and such other like. Howe haynous an of∣fence is this, when we sée the heauens raine, the cloudes wholy bent to stormes and tempestes, the windes roaring, and in such rage, as all should goe a sunder, thunder and lighteninges as men won∣der at: and vnder all these plagues, tempestes and soule weather, the young springing corne, the swéete

roote of hearbes, the little withered grasse lye bu∣ried and couered vnder weather and stormes, frost and snowe, whilest GOD suffereth winter, and maketh colde to continue. Were it not now witch∣craft and very abhomination, to say and diuine of these stormie and winterly tempestes, that sommer should not be gréene, parched blades of graine should not come againe in the haruest to corne: bitten, and buried rootes, should not at the spring bring foorth swéete and pleasant floures: that shaken and wind torne trées by tempestes, should not in the calme comming of the sommer, bud foorth their leaues? What witche and cursed man would thus iudge of earthly things, that haue their times of vading and loosing of all beautie for the sinne of man? If this be abhomination for the bitternesse and stormes of winter, to condemne and curse the sommer to come, bycause sommers fruites, and the sprin∣ges beautie be stayned and all defiled with win∣ters barrennesse, and dimme cloudes: what is this, but tenne times more abhomination, for the bitter∣nesse and stormes of persequution, to condemne and curse the life to come of Gods people, bicause truthes fruites, and the resurrections glory be stained, and all dishonoured with worldly scarsitie, and dimme persequution? But as Asaph the Prophete saith, Al eyes see not these thinges, but such as be of a cleane heart. All men haue eyes, for the most part, and all men haue hearts, but they be such, as the wormes of the earth, and birdes of the ayre can eate and de∣uour: but he that will liue in GOD, and sée these things, must haue immortall eyes, and an incorrup∣tible heart, which commeth by grace in Gods spirit, to sée by faith, and honour with reuerence Gods do∣ings, as well in the winter and colde stormes of per∣sequution,

as in the summer of felicitie and pleasure: and to remember that all men and women haue this life and this worlde appointed vnto them, for their winter and season of stormes. The summer draweth neare, and then shall we be fresh, orient, swéete, ami∣able, pleasant, acceptable, immortall, and blessed for euer and euer: and no man shall take vs from it. We must therefore in the meane time, learne out of this verse to say vnto God: whether it be winter or summer, pleasure or paine, libertie or imprisonment, life or death, Truely God is louing vnto Israel, euen vnto such as be of a cleane heart.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Matth. 6.
• * 1.2

  Colos. 3.
• * 1.3

  1. Cor. 15.
• * 1.4

  Matth. 25.
• * 1.5

  Cantic. 4.
• * 1.6

  Iohn. 17.
• * 1.7

  Ephes. 2.
• * 1.8

  Matth. 19.
• * 1.9

  Rom. 8.
• * 1.10

  Luke 23.
• * 1.11

  Psalm. 119.
• * 1.12

  Apoc. 6. 27 22.
• * 1.13

  Esaie 54.
• * 1.14

  Ose. 1.
• * 1.15

  Heb. 12.
• * 1.16

  Esaie. 53.
• * 1.17

  Rom. 3.
• * 1.18

  Exod. 14.
• * 1.19

  Gene. 10.
• * 1.20

  1. Reg. 28.
• * 1.21

  Trip. Hist.
• * 1.22

  Exod. 5.
• * 1.23

  1. Reg. 28.
• * 1.24

  Trip. Hist.
• * 1.25

  Psalm. 119.
• * 1.26

  Carion.
• * 1.27

  Iob. 1. 2.
• * 1.28

  Ioh. 16.
• * 1.29

  Gal. 5.
• * 1.30

  Col. 1.
• * 1.31

  1. Thes. 1.
• * 1.32

  Heb. 12.
• * 1.33

  Iames. 1.
• * 1.34

  1. Iohn. 1.
• * 1.35

  Psalm. 119.
• * 1.36

  Deut. 4.
• * 1.37

  2. Reg. 22.
• * 1.38

  Neh. 9.
• * 1.39

  Psalme. 18. 91 118.
• * 1.40

  Rom. 5. 12.
• * 1.41

  1. Cor. 4.
• * 1.42

  2. Cor. 1.