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…

When that men can not feel Gods mercy in their conscience, as they hear it spoken of, and as they read it in the book, they be troubled and full of anguish and pain: and as long as they be in this case, without Gods mercy, they can do nothing that pleaseth GOD, or content them selves. But as soon as the spirit is assured and feeleth, that GOD for his mercy doth forgive and forget the iniquity that the spirit and body have committed and done against God, it rejoiceth and is so glad, that it will do nothing but that, which pleaseth and is acceptable unto God, and in Christ shall content and quiet his own conscience. As for example: Adam before he inwardly felt the mercy of God promised in Christ,¹ to forgive and remit his sin and offence: in what heaviness was the poor man? He hid him self, and could not abide the voice of the living God: for he felt that his doings pleased neither GOD nor him self. But when grace had assured him of Gods mercy, ⟨p. 111⟩he fell in the spirit to quietness.² For where the spirit of God testifieth and beareth record with the spirit of man, that he is the child of God, there is joy and consolation, with this joyful song and melodie: Abba pater, Father, father: So that where so ever this song is felt in the spirit: there are such joys as no tongue can express: as all the book of Solomons ballads marvellously do declare. And whereas the mercy of God is not, there is either abomination of sin, and continuance therein, without any fear or grudge of conscience at all: or else such heaviness of spirit, that desperation utterly quaileth, and oppresseth the spirit for ever. Yet shall the spirit & soul of man feel this for a time, while God hideth his merciful face: Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Which cogitations of the mind, be full bitter and sorrowful: as all men of GOD do know that have felt them, and as the Prophet declareth in the process of his Psalm, in this sort: And is his promise come utterly to an end for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? And will he shut up his loving kindness in displeasure? These demands and questions of his own mind and spirit that was troubled, be no more in effect, then troubles that he named before.

When that men can not féele Gods mercy in their conscience, as they heare it spoken of, and as they reade it in the booke, they be troubled and full of anguish and paine: and as long as they be in this case, without Gods mercy, they can do nothing that pleseth GOD, or content them selues. But as soone as the spirite is assured and féeleth, that GOD for his mercy doth forgiue and forget the iniquitie that the spirite and body haue committed and done against God, it reioyceth and is so glad, that it will doe nothing but that, which pleseth and is acceptable vnto God, and in Christ shall content and quiet his owne conscience. As for example: Adam before he inwardly felt the mercy of God promised in Christe,