An exposition vpon the .23. psalme of Dauid full of frutefull and comfortable doctrin, written to the citye of London by Iohn Hooper, bushop [sic] of Gloceter and Worceter, and holye martyr of God for the testimonye of hys truth. Wherunto is annexed an apology of his, agaynst such as reported that he cursed Quene Mary, wyth certaine godlye and comfortable letters in the ende.

¶The argumente or matter whiche the prophet chefely en∣treateth of in thys psalme.

IT should seeme by the merua••lous and won∣derfulle description and settynge foorthe of al∣my••htye God, by the prophet & king Dauid in thys psalme, that he was inflamed wyth the holye ghoste bei••ge dely∣uered frome all hys enemyes, to de∣clare vnto all the worlde how fayth∣full and mightye a defender and ke∣per God is of as many•• as put theyr trust in hym. He was in great daun∣ger, and specially in the warres that hee made agaynste the Ammonytes, the euente and successe whereof it seemeth by the. 20. psalme hys sub∣iectes greatelye ••cared. Wherefore they commended theyr kyng (as true subiectes alwayes vse) wyth earnest prayer vnto God. And that battayle

and manye other daungers more en∣ded (wherin the Godly kynge found alwayes the protection and defence of the heauenlye father ready and at hand) now Beinge at rest, he would haue thys mercyfull defence of God knowen to all others, that as he in al his aduersities put his trust in the Lord, and had the ouerhand of al his enemyes: euen so by hys example all other menne should learne too do the same, and assure them selues to find (as he found) the Lorde of heauen to be the succour and def••ce of the trou∣bled, and theyr keper from all euyll.

And because the hearers and rea∣ders of thys his moo••••e dyuine and Godly hymne, should the better vn∣derstande the same, and the sooner take credit therof in the hart, he cal∣leth the heauenly father (the God of all consolation) in thys psalme, a shepheard or heardman f••dynge hys fl••oke, and the people, wyth hym selfe he cauleth sheepe pastured and ••edde by the shepehearde. And by

these two meanes, as by a most con∣uenient allegory or transla••ion me••e for the pourpose, frome the office of a shepheard and the nature of shepe, he setteth out meruaylously the safgard of man by Goddes prou••dence, and good wyll towards man. And in the same allegory or translatyon he oc∣cupyeth the foure fyrst verses of thys psalme. In the fyrst verse, and so to the ende of the psalme he declareth styll one matter and argumente of gods defence towards man, and how man is preseru••d. But yet it semeth that he expresseth the same by o••her wordes, and by an other translation, shewynge the nature of God almigh¦tye in feding and nourishing of man vnder the name of a Lorde or kynge that hath prepared a table and plen∣ty of meates to fe••de the hongry and nedye, and setteth f••orth man poore and destytute of consolation and ne∣cessarye helpe, vnder the name of ge∣stes and bydden folkes too a kynges table, where is plentye of all things

necessarye, not onely to satisfy hon∣ger, and to quenche thurste, but al∣so too expell and remoue them, that the poore manne shall neuer honger nor thyr••te agayne: And not onelye that, but also for euer worlde with∣oute ende, thys poore manne shall ••well and inherete, by the mercy of hys heauenlye kynge, the ioyes e∣uerlastinge. And thys laste transla∣tion or allegorye is in manner not onelye a repetytion of the fyrste in other woordes, but also a de∣claration, and more plaine openings of the prophets mynde, what he mea∣neth in thys cele∣stiall hymne.