A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

Ye do well.] I proceed to their commendation; the Apostle praiseth them. Goodness deserveth praise, and let it have the merit: let no man be afraid to bless, where God hath blessed. If Mary be blessed of God, all generations shall call her blessed. 1 Cor. 11.2. Now I praise you brethren. Our Saviour praiseth John the Baptist. Matth. 11. Among them that are borne of women, there hath not risen a greater. If Alexander so envied the happiness of Achilles, qui virtutis praeconem Homerum invenerit; that found such a trumpet of his honour, as Homer: what glory was it for John, to be commended by CHRIST, who neither would flatter, nor could falter? Indeed adulation is dangerous; Plus nocet lingua adulatoris, quàm gladius persecutoris, Greg. The word of a flatterer is worse than the sword of a persecutor. A malicious enemy often doth us good, by telling our vices: but a fawning friend doth us hurt, in telling our virtues. This is Simonia linguae, verbal Simony: to commend what we have not, or to extol too much what we have. Col. 4.6. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt. There must be salt in our language, so well as honey, Plant. The Parasite hath bread in one hand, and a stone in the other: using a man, as the Jews did CHRIST; carry him up to the top of a hill, and then strive to throw him down headlong, Luk. 4.29. But withal, as even beasts will draw better, or ruin faster by being encouraged: so just praises upon due deserts, are spurs to virtue. When God had given such an approval of Job, that he was a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil: who but a devil would pick quarrels against him? It is a breach of that Justice, which is due from man to man, Rom. 13.7. Render to all their dues, honour to whom honour belongeth. The whole time is not to be spent in reproof of evil, there is some to commend what is done well. That you do attend to Sermons, in this you do well; I fear not to ⟨p. 346⟩praise you. But then be sure you are such hearers! Sophocles ever made women good in his plays, Euripides ever made them bad. Sophocles being asked the reason of this disparity, answered I make them such as they should be, Euripides makes them such as they are. When I tell you of attentive auditors, I speak of such as you should be: when I mention negligent and forgetful hearers, I speak of such as you are.