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…

¹The Prophet remembereth the marvellous inundation and drowning of the world, in the days of Noah, that drowned all the world for sin: saving such as were in the Ark or Ship with Noah. And he remembereth also the horrible thunder that ⟨p. 128⟩was heard of the people,² when God gave his law unto them upon mount Sinai.³ Likewise, he calleth to remembrance the plagues of Egypt,⁴ wherewithal God punished Pharaoh,⁵ his people, and the whole land: which pains and plagues he calleth (after the phrase of the scripture) arrows and darts. These remembrances may be comforts to the hearers, and to the readers, two manner of ways. First, in this, that God (when he punisheth) punisheth justly: as he did the whole world for sin.⁶ Whereof the Prophet gathereth, If sin justly merited, do trouble all the generation of man: it is no great marvel, though sin trouble me, that am but one man, and a vile sinner. If sin brought all flesh unto death, saving those that were in the ship: is it any marvel, though sin make me to tremble & quake? Again, If God, when he gave the law of Moses, and to the people, spake out of thunder, declaring what a thing it was, to transgress that law, in so much, that all the people were afraid to hear the Lord speak,⁷ and desired that Moses might supply his room: what marvel is it, that my conscience trembleth, feeling that my soul hath offended the laws of God? And if Pharaoh and his realm were sore afraid of Gods outward plagues: what cause have I to fear the inward dread and sorrowful sight of sin, showed unto me by Gods law? So that we may take this consolation out of this place, that God is a just Judge to punish sin:⁸