Certain comfortable expositions of the constant martyr of Christ, M. John Hooper, Bishop of…Certeine comfortable expositions of the constant martyr of Christ, M. Iohn Hooper, Bishop of…

as it appeareth by his woeful cry and complaint, Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body subject unto death? He felt (as we may perceive) the heavy burden and weight of Gods displeasure, and yet in the midst of terror and fear, he stayed assuredly in ⟨image 102⟩the mercy of God through Christ.¹ And the same he writeth also to the Corinthians,² & to his disciple Timothy: that his death was at hand, & that he knew (although his quarrel were never so good,) that he of himself was a sinner, and by sin worthy rejection & casting away from God: yet he said that Christ had in keeping for him a crown of justice, which he should assuredly receive at the day of his death. God is contented that his chosen people, shall suffer and bear the burden and heaviness of temptation and fear of everlasting pain,³ as Adam did first in Paradise, David many times,⁴ Job, and others: yea Christ himself,⁵ that said his soul was heavy even unto death,⁶ which made him sweat both water and blood.⁷ But these temptations and terrors shall never overcome and cast away the person that hath his faith in Christ: for none is able to take his sheep out of his hand. Yet God withdraweth his hand many times, and suffereth his to be tempted and to be comfortless, and as it were clean overthrown: not that in deed their election can be altered,⁸ or they themselves left comfortless until the end of their lives,⁹ but for a time: as ye may see by Job, who spake as horrible words, and as desperately as might be. Yet see in the end of his book, and mark what a joyful outgoing his grievous temptations had. What pitiful cries were these of Christ our Saviour upon the cross? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Yet the end was, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit.