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death_n	bread_n	eat_v	show_v	5,537	5	5.6290	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03627	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.	Hooper, John, d. 1555.; Bull, Henry, d. 1575?; Hooper, John, d. 1555. Apologye. aut	1562 (1562)	STC 13752; ESTC S113071	47,811	140

to the Corinthyans as often as ye eate of this breade drinke of this cuppe shewe ye the Lordes deathe vntyll he come Wherein S. Paule requyreth a knowledge of Christe in the receauer not onlye in his mynde that hee knowe Christe dyed for hys synne and the synne of the worlde and too speake and declare the same deathe wyth his ●onge vnto others but this is the chefest and moste principall commoditye of Christes holye supper whiche men nowe vngodlye call the masse that the vertue and benefyte of Christes deathe as it is appoynted for the remyssion of hys synnes be sealed and fullye consented vnto in his conscience And this knowledge of Christes death wyth the assurannce of the vertue strengthe and power thereof in the harte wil and ought to inflame vs to thankes geuynge and too preache and teach vnto others those comodities of Christes death that we know feele fyrste in oure selues within our own spirit and harte This I haue taryed longer then I thoughte in thys matter because I would bringe my selfe and all others as muche as lyethe in mee too feele that knowledge and talke of vertue and vyce of Goddes fauoure and of Gods punishmente is not sufficy●nte and to bringe my selfe and all men frome knowledge and talke to feelinge consentinge and a full surrendrynge of oure selues vntoo the profytte and vauntage of the things whiche we speake and knowe or ●ls knowledge and speakinge please n●t God nor profit our selues as Christ sayth Not euery man that saith lord lorde shall enter in to the kingdome of heauen Therfore did Dauid both know speake and feele signed in his harte the faucure healpe and assistaunce of God to be with him in too what troubles so euer he should fall and in that feelinge sayde he woulde not fear But it may fortune I haue so written of vertue vice to be knowen of in the mynde spoke of with the mouth and feite in the hart that ye may iudge and fele in your selues neuer to haue come to this perfectiō For this is out of doubt he that hath gods loue and fear thus sealed in his hart liueth in this life rather an Angelicall life then the life of a mortall mā yet it is euident by king Dauid in thys psalme by his 111. psalme in manye more that he was so sure so wel ascertained of Gods presente helpe in his troubles that hes cared nothinge for death or anye other aduersityes y ● could happen And doutlesse we perceaue by his psalmes in many places that his faith was a● stronge as steele and he trembled not nor doubted anye thinge but was in maner without all kind of mistrust nothing troubled whatsoeuer he saw contrarye to gods promises and he passed ouer thē as thinges that could not once withdrawe his cogitacions frō the truth verity of gods promises which he beleued As Abrahā likewise did he staggered not but w t constancy of faith would haue killed his sonne so stronge was his fayth But as the gifte of fayeth is a treasure incomparable thus to know and feele fayth too ouercome all daungers so maketh it y t hart of him that is sealed with suche a faith to feele the ioyes mirth vnspeakable But as this faith is the gift of god cometh only from him so is it in him only to apoint the tyme when it shall come and howe muche and howe strongly it shall bee geuen at all tymes whiche is not at all tyme● lyke but some tymes so stronge that nothynge can make the fayethfull manne afearde no not death it selfe and some tymes it is so strong that it maketh the man afflicted to bee contented too suffer yea deathe it selfe rather then too offend● God But yet it is wyth muche conflycte greate troubles manye heauye and meruaylouse cogytacions and some tyme with suche a feare as the man hath muche a doo to see and feele in the later ende of his heauye conflicte the victory and vpper hand of the temptation And at an other tyme the Christian man shall fynde suche heauines oppression of synne and troubles that he shall not feele as muche in manner as one sparke of fayeth to comforte him selfe in the trouble of hys mynd as he thinketh but that all the flouds and dreadefull assaultes of desperacion haue theyr course thorowe his conscyence Nothyng feeleth he but his owne mind and poore conscyence so one too eate the other that the conflicte is more payne to him then death it selfe hee vnderstandeth that god is bable to do all thinges he confesseth wyth the knowledge of his mynde and wyth his tonge in his headde that God is true and mercifull he woulde haue his conscyence and hearte too agree thereunto and be quyet but the conscience is prycked and oppressed so muche wyth feare and doubtefuldes of Gods tre for synne that he thincketh God can be mercifull vnto other but not vntoo him And thus doeth his knowledge for the tyme of temptation rather trouble him then ease him because his harte doeth not or rather can not consent vnto the knowledge yet woulde he rather then his lyfe he could consent vnto god loue god hate synne and be Gods altogether althoughe he suffered for it all the paynes of the worlde I haue knowen in many good men and many good women this trouble and he●ines of the spirite for the time as though God had cleane hyd him selfe from the afflicted personne and had cleane forsaken him yet at lengthe the daye of lyghte frome aboue and the comforte of the holye spirit hath● appeared that laye couered vnder the velle and couert of bitter cogitacions of gods iust iudg●ments against synne Therefore seynge that faieth at all tymes hathe not lyke strength● in manne I doe n●t speake too dyscomforte suche as at all tymes fynde not theyr fayeth a● stronge as Dauyd dyd in thys psalme For I know in the holye Saynctes them selues it was not alwayes lyke but euen in them as in others And although we canne not compare wyth them in all thynges in the perfection of theyr fayeth yet maye they compare them s●lues wyth vs in the weaken●s of oure fayeth as ye maye see by the scripture In thys psalm and in manye other ye shall perceaue that Dauyd by the con●●ancy● and suertye he felte in the promises of God was so stronge so ioyful comfortable in the myddest of al daūgers and troubles of death that he dyd not only contemne troubles and death but also desired death and to be dissolued out of this world ▪ as S. Paul others dyd At an other tyme ye shall perceaue hym too be stronge in fayeth but not so ioyfull nor yet the troubles so easy vnto him but that hee suffered greate battayle and conflicte with his troubles of the cause of all troubles synne and transgressyon of Goddes lawes as ye maye see in the syxt psalme wheras he cryed oute and

ignorancye As S. Paul saith god befor● tyme spake vnto oure fathers by the prophetes and in these later dayes ●nto vs by his sonne and after the ascention of his sonne by his Apostles and euangelis●es in so muche that non of the prophetes euer spake of Gods word that mayntayned the lyfe of the soule other wyse then they receaued it of the ●ighe shepehearde almyghty god as S. Peter sayeth prophecy came not by the wyl of mā but the holy mē of God spake as they wer taught vs the holy ghost So that God is the onelye authour and fountayn of his true word the foode of all mens soules In like maner he is the only geuer of the same as he is the geuer of it and none but him selfe So none can eate it but such as haue the same deliuered vnto them by the ●●●ye ghost So oure sauioure Christ likewise in the gospell of saint Iohn telleth Nicodemus that it was not possible to vnderstand and to knowe the grace of redemption excepte ●e were borne frome aboue And when saynt Iohn preached the word of God at Philippos amongs the women by the water side the lorde opened the hart of Lid●a to vnders●ād the things spoken of by Paul And when Christ preached among the Iewes wrought wonderful miracles yet they vnderstode nothing nether wer thei any thing the better And Christ sheweth the cause Proptere●uos non ●uditis quia ex deo nō estis that is to say therfore ye heare not because ye he not of god But the faute was not in god but in the obstynacy frowardnes of theyr own harts as ye maye see in S. Mathew Christ offered him self but yet the malice of mā rebelled at al time● S. Paul to the Corinthians wonderfully setteth forth mans vnablenes saith y ● natural man is not able to cōprehēd the things y ● be of god And in S. Iohn Christ saith no man cā come vnto him excepte the heauenlye father drawe him for they must be all taughte of God Now as the prophet sawe theese thinges for him selfe and his saluation in Gods worde Euen so must euery Christian manne take hede that he learne the same doctrin or els it wer no comodity to haue the scripture of god deliuered and taught vnto vs. And euery reader hear●r must learne of this psalme y ● there is none other foode nor meate for the soul● but Gods worde And who so euer do refuse it when it is offered or pr●ached or when they knowe the truth thereof do yet of malyce feare lucre and gayne of the world or any other waye repugne it they be vnworthy of al mercy and forgeuenes let euery man and woman therefore examyne theyr own conscience with out flatteringe of them selues and they shall fynde that the moost parte of th●s realme of Englande in the tyme of oure holy and blessed kynge Edwarde the syxt were fedde wyth thys holy foode of Gods word or els myght haue bene fedde wyth it For it was offerd and sent vnto them as well by most godly statutes lawes of parlament as by many noble mē and vertuous learned preachers If they fedde not vppo● it accordingely or nowe theyr teeth stande on edge and theyr stomacks be closed with it to theyr peryll be it Thus Christ sayth they haue nothinge whereby iustly to excuse them selues of theyr synne And lykewyse he sayeth that who so euer hatethe hym hateth also hys father By whyche words it appeareteth manyfestlye that no man can hate Christes doctrine but he must hate Christ him selfe and no man can hate Christ but he must also hate the father of heauē Wherefore it is expediente for euery manne to marke such places For it was not Christes name nor Christes personne that the Iewas hated so mo●tall●e Christe for but they hated hym to death for hys doctrines sake and it was Christes doctryne that condemned the worlde and shewed the life learninge of the world to be euyll and coulde not abide the lighte of gods worde and therfore in no case they coulde abyde to heare of it As ye see the like in his poore preachers For his wordes sake they be lesse passed of then dogges or brute beastes For they be hated to death and more fauour doeth Barabas the murtherer fynd then Peter the preacher of Christ that wold lead the flock redemed w t Christes precious bloud in to the pastures of gods word with the prophet Dauid yet in thys hatred of Gods worde the foode of gods sheepe they would ●e seene and non but they to loue and honour god but it is not so in theyr hartes For they haue a contempte of God as theyr frutes well declare And Christ sayth they hate bothe him and his father yea that withoute cause But thou Christian reader see thou fede thysoule with no other meat thē w t the holsome pastures of gods word whatsoeuer the world shal say or do Looke vpon this texte of saint Iohn when the comforter shall come whō I shal send from my father euen the spirit of truth whiche doth proceede from the father he shall testifye and heare recorde of me W●y that place and thincke wherefore the sonne of man referred him selfe to the witnes of the holye ghost and ye shall know that it was for no vntruth that was in the authour beinge Christ or in the doctrin that he preached but only to make the disciples to be of good comforte and that they shoulde not esteeme the gospell he preached vnto them any thinge the lesse althoughe it had manye aduersaries enemies and was spoken against in maner euerye where for against the fury and false iudgemente o● the worlde that cōtemn●d the gospel they shuld haue the testimonye of the holy ghost to alowe and warante the Gospell Let vs therefore praye to the heauenlye shepehearde that he wyll geue vs his holy spirits to testifye for the woorde of God the onely foode of our soules that it is true that God sayeth and onelye good that he appointeth too feede vs. And this we may be assured of that in this heauy and sorowfull t●me ther is nothing cā testify for the truthe of Gods word and kepe vs in the pleasaunte pasture thereof but the verye spirite of God whiche we must set against al the tumultes and daungers of the worlde For if we make thys veri●ye of Gode subiecte to the iudgemente of the worlde our fayeth shall quayle and faynte euery houre as mens iudgementes varye Wherefore let vs praye to haue alwayes in vs the spirite of adoption wherby whē our faith shalbe assaulted we may cry father father and the same helpe for the mayntenaunce of the truth God promysed by his holy prophet Esay sayingd Thys is my couenaunt with them saith the lord my spirit whiche is in thee and my wordes whyche I haue put in thy mouth shall not departe

frome thy mouthe nor frome the mouthe of thy seede nor from the mo●th of the seede of thy seede from hence foorth vntyll the world● ende Heare doth the almightye God set foorth what a treasure and singuler gift his worde is and that it shal not deparxe frome his people vntyll the worlds ende And in theese words i● this part of Dauids psalme marua●lously opened and set foorth It is the Lorde alone that feedeth and instructeth faith Esaye the prophet It wa● not mannes owne imaginatyon and intention nor the wysedome and religion of his fathers what so euer they were but it was the Lorde that spake and made the couenaunt with man and put his spirit in manne to vnderstande the couenaunte and by his worde and none other woorde he instructed manne and sayde that by these meanes all men should tyll the worldes ende feede and eate of gods blesse● promises For in his woorde he hath expressed and opened to eueriman what he shal haue euen the remission of sinne the acceptation in to his fatherlye fauoure grace to lyue well in this life and at the ende too be receaued in too the euerlastinge life Of these things the reader may know what maintayneth lyfe euen the word of God as Christe sayth if ye abyde in me and my wordes abide in you aske what ye wyll and ye shall haue it He shall learne also that it is not genenerall counsayle prouinciall counsayle the determyna●●on and agreemente of menne that can be the authour of this foode but onelye God And as God is the only authour of this foode euen so is hys holye spirite he that f●edeth the poore simple soule of the Christyan manne myth his blessed pasture and not the wysedome of man mens sacrifyces or mennes doynge● But as touchinge the foode of mans soule too be the onelye woorde of God I wyll if it be Goddes blessed pleasure to whome in the bytter and paynefull passion of Christe I commytte my wyll wyth my lyfe and death open vnt●o the sheepe and lambes of God at large in an other booke ¶ The .3 parte of the psalme ¶ Howe manne is broughte too the knowledge of lyfe and saluatyon Which part sheweth what man is of him self and how he is broughte in to this life to fede in the pleasaunt pastures of gods word THe Texte He shal conuert my soule bring me in to the pathes of righteousnes ¶ The explanation MY soule erred and wente a stray from the righte waye of godly liuinge but the Lorde conuerted me frome my errours and faultes of liuinge and broughte me to the obseruation of his holy lawes wherein is contayned all iustice truthe and godlines Here is to be noted what degrees and orders the Lord heauenlye shepehearde doeth vse i● bringing his shepe unto y ● pasture of life First he conuerteth the man y e is gone astraye bye his wicked wayes and sinfull manner of liuynge If he were an infidele he bringeth him first to know feele hate his infidelity and afterwardes to a true faith If he be a persecutour he sheweth him first his tyrānye and afterwards how to vse him selfe meekelye If he be a sinfull man that liueth contrary to his knowledge professiō he bringeth him first to the knowledge hatred of his syn and afterwards to the forgeuenes of y ● same As Christ our sauyour wonderfully teacheth in S. Iohn wher he satih The holy ghost when he commeth shall rebuke the worlde of synne iustyce and iudgemente By the whiche wordes he declareth that the faythfull of God can not profyt in the gospel of Christ nether loue nor exercise iustice and vertue excepte they be taughte and made too feele the burden and daunger of synne and be brought to humble them selues as menne that be of them selues nothinge but synne And therefore the lawe and threateninges of god be verye holsome whose nature and prosperity is to cyte and call mennes conscience vntoo the iudgemente of God and too wounde the spyrite of manne with terroure and fcare Wherefore Christe vseth ● wonderfull waye and teacheth the same vnto his Apostles that nether him selfe for that presente tyme nor they in time to come coulde preache profitablye the gospell wherewyth menne are ledde in to the sweete and pleasaunte feeldes of Goddes promises by his word except they vse this order to leade them frome synne to iustice and frome deathe to life And as iustice and life commeth by Christ shewed vnto vs in his bytter passion death glorious resurrection so doth synne and death both appeare and be se●te by the spirit of God shewed vntoo vs in the lawe This order also saw● the holy prophet when he said the Lorde conuerteth my soule and leadeth me in to the pathes of ryghteousenes This is a wonderful s●ntence and muche and deepelye to be considered wayed of thee christia● man The Lord conuerteth my soule sayth Dauid he feleeth in him selfe that as longe as the deuyl and sinne haue the rule and kingdome in man the soule of man beinge Gods treasure is deformed foule horrible and so troubled that it is like vntoo all things more then vnto god vertue wherunto it was created but when the wicked deuil and deformed sinne be by the victorye of Christ ouercome and ●xpulsed the soule waxeth faire amiable swete louinge pleasant like vnto God agayne and cometh in to order and obeysauce vntoo hys creatoure and so broughte in to the pathes of righteousnes feedeth with the rest of Gods well ordered flock● vppon the pastures and foode of hys ●olye worde to be his blessed wyll Oh that we would in the glasse of gods word loke vpon our own soules when they be in the tyrannye of the deuyll vnder the kingdome of synne as this kinge dyd we shoulde more loeth and detest our own soule the company that our soule is accompanyed with all then if we shuld for all oure lyfe tyme be put in too styes wyth hogges and alwayes be bound ●urynge oure lyfe too lyue wyth them feede as they feede slepe and wake as they do and be as they be in all thinges Looke in the gospell of Sayncte Luke and there shall ye see a man by synne so foule so disordered so accompanied wyth swine so hongerbaned so rent torne so beggerly so wretched so vile so lothsome so stincking y ● the very swyne wer better for theyr condycion then hee was But se how the heauenly shepeherd beheld frō his heauenly throne the place of the euerlastynge ioyes thys poore strayed sheepe feedinge not emonges sheepe but emonges swyne and yet coulde not be satysfyed therewyth And no maruayle for swyne feede not vppon the meate of shepe nor yet do shepe fyl thē selues with hog●draffe swillings but this shepehearde vsed his olde wonted clemencye and strake the harte of this sheepe making him to weepe and bewayle his condicion a men to come to suche dishonour to be coupled

hys psalmes alwayes when hee entreateth of ●●ddes mercye and of mans synne set foorthe manne so naked and vyle as a thynge mooste des●itu●● of all bra●●he and saluatyon and she w●th that none of these gyfts remyssion of synne acceptation in to Goddes loue and fauoure pasturinge of ●h●m wy●h his moste blessed worde canne happen vnto anye other sauinge vnto suche as do knowe and earnestlye confesse that they bee synners and infected wyth manye contagious and daungerous infirm●tyes And therefore he sayeth in the seconde verse of the psalme aboue mencioned blessed is he to whom the Lorde imputeth no synne and in whose spirite there is no guyle For there is no geater guyle nor more daunger in man than to thynke hym selfe to be somewhat when he is nothinge in dede or elles to thinke hym selfe to be of such purity of mynd as thoughe he needed not thys free remission and fauoure of God And as there is nothinge more proude and arrogant then such a mind so ther is nothing in man more detestable and miserable Of the contrary part they be blessed that honger and thurst for iustice for God fylleth the hongrye with good thyngs but the proude he sendethe a waye emptye And that knewe this holy prophet right well that it was humility and the casting doune of him selfe y ● was most acceptable vnto God and the seekinge of wealth and saluation onelye for hys names sake that is too saye for his mercye promysed in the deathe and passion of his onely sonne oure sauioure Christe In the ende of the. xxxii psalme kinge Dauid that hadde thus humbled hym selfe bringeth in god that speaketh vnto him whyles he is thus makinge his complaynte of his corrupte nature and synfull lyfe saying in this maner intellectum tibi dabo c. that is to say I wyll geue thee vnderstandinge and instructe thee in the waye thou shalte go and wyll haue myne eyes euer vppon thee Wherin he declareth that such humbled menne and lowelye persons as knowe theyr iniquitye shall haue vnderstandinge of God and shal not swarue from the right waies not for theyr dedes and their deseruings but for his mercye that vouchsafeth to instruct and teach thē And so lykewise doeth this godlye kinge shew in this psalme The Lorde rulethe me and I lacke nothynge he ●eedeth me in sweete pastures and leadeth me by the riuers syde he tourneth my soule and bringeth me in too the pathes of righteousnes and all for his names sake When he hathe opened the saluation of manne and also the cause thereof and wherein it consisteth he procedeth to the v. parte of his oration and holy himne ¶ The .5 parte of the psalme ¶ What trouble maye happen too suche as God geueth lyfe and saluation vnto The texte ¶ Althoughe I walke thorowe the valley and shadowe of death I wyl feare no euyl for thou arte with me ¶ The explanation SEinge I haue suche a guyde and defendour ther is no difficultye of perryll nor feare of death that I wyll passe of For what harme can death do to him that hath God the authoure of all lyfe wyth hym Or what can the tyrany of man do where as God is the defendoure In this first parte kynge Dauid sheweth how the Lorde God doeth exercise his shepe that he fedeth with his blessed worde in daungers and troubles and also howe he wyll defende them in the myddes of theyr troubles what so euer they bee In the firste wordes of the. v. parte of this sacrate and holye hymne the prophet declareth that the lyfe of Gods sheepe and people in thys worlde canne not bee wythonte daungers and troubles Therefore Christ sayth that he came too ●ut fyre in the worlde and that the same fyer should burne meaning that he came too preache suche a doctrine as ●●oulde moue dissention and dyscorde betwene frende and frende the father and the sonne and sette them at debate Not that his worde is a learninge or doctrine of dissention and discorde of it selfe but that by the malice of men that can not abyde t● be rebuked by the woorde of God they wyll be alwayes at discorde and variaunce with the woorde of God and wyth anye freende or ●oo that teacheth it And the same doth Christ onre heauenly shepehearde shewe vs both in his doctrine and in his lyfe who was hated and troubled more then anye manne before or sythens hys tyme and assurcthe all hys too haue troubles in this world yea and death also But it forceth not for he fayeth I haue ouercome the worlde And what so euer the daun●ers bee and ●owe horrible so euer they seme Christ beynge wyth vs we nede not to feare Therefore in thys ●●ynte the prophet correcteth the foolishe opinonion of manne that would lyue as one of the sheepe of God in thys world wythoute troubles It is contrarye both to the personne that professeth God and also to the religion that he is professed vntoo for in the worlde bothe shall be as Christe sayeth hated Of whych hatred cometh persecution and troubles so that the people of God shall whether they wyll or wyll not passe throughe manye daungers and no lesse perylous then the shadowes and verye ymage of death as here kinge Dauid sheweth in this hoolsome and blessed hymne And as he seeth righte well that the state and condicion of Gods people and shepe is too be troubled for Christes sake and his woorde Euen so dyd Zacharye the prophet speake of Christ and his people howe that not onelye the shepe shoulde be troubled and scattered abroade but also the shepehearde shoulde be strycken with the swearde that bothe sheepe and shepehearde shoulde be condemned in this world But nowe as Dauid and Zac●arye declare that th● lyfe and condicion of Christe and his shepe be troublous in the worlde So do they bothe declare that what so euer the troubles bee they be bothe knowen and appointed vpon whom they shall fall and in what time they shall trouble the shepe of God so that they canne come no sooner then God appointeth nor do anye more har●● then the heauenlye shepehearde shal appoynte them to doo And this we may see and learne as well in Christ as in hys sheepe How manye tymes dyd the priestes and Phariseys conspyre Christes death Yet because his tyme was not come they hadde not theyr purpose but when the tyme of God was come Christe sayed too his sheepe ye shall be all troubled this night for my cause for the shepe●earde shall bee strycken and the sheepe shall bee scattered abroade Then as God hadde appoynted the tyme it could be no longer differred And because they shoulde not mysse of hym whose death they sought he came and mette them and offred hym self vnto them and said that he was the same manne Iesus of Nazareth whom they soughte And when they had taken him and vsed as much crueltye towards hym as theyr wycked malyce and deuylyshe

sayed Lorde chastene mee not in thy ●urye nor punishe me in thy wrathe my soule is sore troubled but how longe lord wylte thou dyfferre healpe And of suche troubled consciences wyth c●nflyctes ye shall fynde often tymes in the booke of psalmes and in the reast of Gods scriptures yet shall ye fynd the end of the temptation to be ioyful and comfortable to the weake man that was so sore troubled For althoughe God suffer a longe fyghte betwene hys poore souldier and the d●uyll yet he geueth the victory to his seruaunte as ye may see in king Dauyd When he cryed oute that b●the his bodye and soule was weri●d wyth the crosse of Gods punishemente yet he sayed at the laste discedite a me oper arij iniquitatis quoniam exaudiuit dominus vocem fletns mei departe frome me ye woorkers of iniquitye for the Lorde hath bearde the voyce of my weepings And in other of hys psalmes ye shall perceaue hys faye●h more weake and his soule troub●ed wyth suche ang●yshe and soro●e that it shall se●me there is no consotion in his soule nor anye shewe of Gods carefulnes to wardes him In this state ye maye see hym in the 13. psalme where as a manne in maner destitute of al consolation he maketh his complaynte sayinge howe longe wylte thou forgette me The same may ye reade also in the. 43. psalme where he sheweth that he his moste iust cause and the doctrine that hee professed was lyke altogether too haue bene ouercome so that his spirite was in manner all coumfortles Then hee sayed too hys owne soule quare tristis es anima mea et quare cōturbas me Why art thou so heauy my soule and whye doeste thou trouble mee Truste in the Lord c. And in the. 42 psalme he setteth foorth wonderfullye the bytter syghte and sorowefull conflicte betwene hope and desperation Wherein he complayneth also of his owne soule that was so much discomforted and byddethe it truste in the lord Of the whych two places ye maya learne that no manne hadde ●u●r fayeth at all tymes lyke but sometimes more stronge sometimes more weake as it pleased God too geue it Let no man therfore despaire although he find weakenes of faith for it shall make hym to humble him selfe the more and too be the more diligent to praye to haue helpe when he p●rceau●th his owne weakensse and doubteles at lengthe the weake manne by the stronge God shall be broughte to this poynte that he shal in all troubles and aduersities saye with the prophet if I should go thorowe the shadowe and daungers of deathe I woulde not feare what troubles so euer happen And he sheweth hys good assurance in the text that folow●th which is the syxt part of this holye and bl●ssed himne ¶ The .6 parte of the psalme ¶ Whereby the troubles of Gods electe bee ouercome The texte ¶ For thou arte with me thy rodde and thy staffe comforte me thou shalte prepare a table before mee agaynst them that trouble me thou hast anoynted my heade with oyle and my cup shall be full The explanation SEinge thou art with mee at whose power will all troubles go and come I doubt not but to haue the victory and ouerhand of them how many and daungerous so euer they be for thy rodde chasteneth me when I go astraye and thy staffe stayeth me when I should 〈◊〉 Two thinges most necessarye for me good lorde the one to call me frome my faut and errour and the other to keepe me in thy truthe and very●ye What can be more blessed then to be susteined and kepte from falling● by the staffe and strengthe of the moste highest And what can be more profitable then too be beaten wyth hys mercyfull rodde when we go astray For he chasteneth as many as he loueth and beatethe as manye as he receaueth in too his holye profession Notwithstanding whiles we be here in this life he fedeth vs with y e swete pastures of holsome herbes of his holye worde vntyll we come too eternall lyfe and when we put of theese bodye● and come in too heauen and knowe the blessed fru●tion and riches of his kingedome then shall we not onelye be his sheepe but also the geastes of his euerlastynge banke● The whiche Lord thou settest before al them that loue thee in this world and doest so anoynt and make gladde oure myndes wyth thyne holye spirite that no adversities nor troubles can make vs sorye In thys syxte parte the prophet declareth the olde saying emongs wise menne non minor est virtus quam querer● par●a tueri that is to saye it is no lesse mastrye to keepe the thynge that is wonne then it was to wyn it Kinge D●uyd perceaueth r●ghte well the same and therefore as before in the psalme he sayed the Lorde turned his soule and ledde him in to the pleasaunte pastures where as vertue and iustice raygned for his names sake and not for anye righteousnes of his owne So sayeth he nowe that beinge broughte in too the pastures of truthe and in to the fauoure of the almightye and occompted and taken for one of hys sheepe it is onely god that keepeth and mayntayneth hi● in same state condicion and grace For he coulde not passe thorowe the troubles and shadowe of death as he and all Gods electe people muste do but onelye by the assistaunce of God and therefore he sayeth he passed thorowe all perryll because he was wyth him Of this parte of the psalme we learne that al the strength of mā is vnable too resist the troubles and persecutions of gods people and that the grace and presence of god is able to defende his people and nothinge but it Therefore doeth Saynte Paule byd the Ephesiians be stronge throught the Lorde and throughe the myght of his strengthe for he sayeth that great and manye be oure aduersaryes stronge and mightye whiche go abou●e not onely to weaken vs but also to ouercome vs and we of oure selues haue no power to wythstand wherefore he wylleth us to depende and staye onely vpon Gods strength And Sayncte Peter al●o when hee hath declared the force and malyce of y e devyll he wylleth vs to resist hym strongelye in fayeth And Saincte Iohn sayeth that this is the victorye that ●●ercometh the world ●uen our fayeth And oure sauioure Chris●e when the ty●e was come that hee should departe out of the worlde corporallye and perceaued howe maliciou●●● and strongly the d●u●l and the world were bente agaynste his diseyples that he shuld leaue in the world as th●●e●monges wolfes and towlyttle ●trength his poore flocke hadde agaynst suche merua●lous trouble●t he made his mo●te holye and effectuous prayer for them presente and them in trouble and likewise for vs that be nowe and also in trouble in thys sorte Pater sa●cte serua eos per nomen t●um quos dedisti mihi c. That is to saye holye father keepe them for thy names sake