A03620:79
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…
Certain comfortable expositions of the constant martyr of Christ, M. John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester and Worcester written in the time of his tribulation and imprisonment, upon the XXIII. LXII. LXXIII. and LXXVII. Psalms of the prophet David.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.
London: printed by Henry Middleton, 1580London: printed by Henrie Middleton, 1580
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thus I have tarried longer then I thought in this matter, because I would bring my self and all others (as much as lieth in me) to feel that knowledge and talk of virtue and vice, of Gods favour and of Gods punishment, is not sufficient: and to ⟨p. 29⟩bring my self and all men from knowledge and talk,1 to feeling, consenting, and a full surrendering of our selves, unto the profit and vantage of the things which we speak and know, or else knowledge and speaking please not God, nor profit our selves, as Christ saith: Not every man that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Therefore did David both know, speak, and feel signed in his heart,2 the favour, help, and assistance of God, to be with him into what troubles so ever he should fall, and in that feeling (did say) He would not fear. But it may fortune I have so written of virtue and vice to be known of in the mind, spoke of with the mouth, and felt in the heart: that ye may judge and feel in your selves, never to have come to this perfection. For this is out of doubt, he that hath Gods love and fear thus sealed in his heart, liveth in this life rather an Angelical life, then the life of a mortal man: and yet it is evident by king David in this Psalm,3 and by his 121. Psalm, and in many more, that he was so sure, and so well ascertained of Gods present help in his troubles, that he cared nothing for death, or any other adversities that could happen. And doubtless, we perceive by his Psalms in many places, that his faith was as strong as steel, and he trembled not nor doubted any thing, but was in manner without all kind of mistrust, and nothing troubled what so ever he saw contrary to Gods promises, and he passed over them, as things that could not once withdraw his cogitations from the trueth and verity of Gods promises, which he believed.4 As Abraham likewise did, he staggered not, but with constancy of faith would have killed his own son, so strong was his faith. But as the gift of faith is a treasure incomparable, thus to know ⟨image 26⟩