said was death and deadly poyson 2 Reg. 1. 39,40 is medicinable with us and commonly used in purgations so is Vipers flesh c. But we stand not on this but though they were not good for to shew Gods mercy and love to the Godly yet they are good to shew his justice and wrath to the wicked Esay 10. 5. there are none but will say that rods are good and necessary in a school so are these things good to punish the wicked in the world Joel 2. 25. So that if there were nothing but this which David confesseth Psal. 119. 67. Before I was troubled I went wrong but now I keep thy Law therefore it was good for me that I have been introuble c. It were enough to prove them to be good because these Armies and Hosts of Gods displeasure doe bring us to goodnesse Joel 2. 25. But now for germinabit tibi spinas Gen. 3. 18. that is for thy finne and because of thy disobedience the earth shall bring forth to thee thousinner so that before we did sinne there was none of these things that could hurt us but were for our good for as God made us mortall and subject to corruption yet it was Gods preservative grace which keeping him from dying and mortallity that his dust returned not to dust so the same preservative grace should have kept all Adams posterity from any hurt of these things if they had continued in integrity Wherefore to conclude this whether thornes and venomous herbs were created in principiis suis or in semine for we hold both Creations it is certain that they had been good and could not have been hurtfull to them if they had not sinned which we see by warrant for those men which were renewed to the Image of God and were in Gods favour all things did serve to their good and no ill thing could hurt them Jam. 5. 17. Elias could command Heaven to rain not to rain Jam. 5. 18. Joshuah might by Gods permission command the Sun and Moon Joshuah 10. 12. The three Children could not be hurt in the fire raging and flaming Dan. 3 27. Neither could the Lyons be evill to hurt him Dan. 6. 22. The Viper could not hurt Paul Act. 28. 3. If the faithfull drink deadly poyson it shall not hurt them Mark 16. 18. and many such examples are Heb. 11 33. which shew that God giveth his preservative grace to the Godly by which they have such a prerogative as Adam had in his innocency when his corruptible dust was kept from corruption that it turned not to dust again They which have Gods eyes and Image shall see this to be true that the thing which is deadly to some shall not hurt them So that as all things are clean to the Clean so all is good to the Good and Godly Usus Spiritualis Now for the spirituall use And first we are put in minde of our homage to God in serving and praising him for these earthly and temporall blessings which we receive from him the only author and owner thereof for many not knowing that their Wine Oyle and Corn and other riches come from God Ose 2. 8. did give the glory and praise of them to Idolls ascribing the gift to others If by these things we receive strength and continue in health we must remember our duty to be thankfull Ezech. 11. 16. to 21. for seeing God hath opened his mouth for our good saying Let the Earth be fruitfull and if now he still openeth his hands and fill us with his blessing it is our duty of gratefullnesse to lift up our hands and open our mouths to blesse and praise his holy name so these earthly benefits must be keyes to unlock and open our mouths to sing some praise to him Jer. 2. 31. God hath not been a Lord of darknesse nor a wildernesse to us therefore we must not be as barren and unfruitfull ground to him but yeild some fruit of our lives by obedience and some fruit of our lips by thankfullnesse Usus duplex The use and profit of this is first in regard of Gods word to the Earth and then in regard of Gods word in respect of himself For the first we see that God speaketh but once to the Earth and it is sufficient to move it to perfect obedience But in the 22. Jer. 29. God is fain to speake thrice terra terra terra before we can be brought to heare and understand for our eares are more deaf than the senselesse earth Post dixit Deus Sunto luminaria in Expanso Coeli ad distinctionem faciendum inter diem noctem ut sint in signa cum tempestatibus tum diebus annis Sintque in luminaria in Expanso Coeli ad afferendum lucem super terram Gen. 1. vers 14.15 IN this Chapter God created the World and being created he perfected it and being perfected he furnished it Thus the Heavens and the Earth were finished and all the hosts of them the first verse of the next chapter Austin saith well Creata ordinavit ordinata ornavit creata ordinata ornata septimo die perfecit after the beginning was the perfecting after the perfecting was the adorning tenebras fugavit abyssum exaltavit terram discooperuit In these three following dayes is the beautifying of the Heavens the Waters and the Earth God first began to create the Heavens then he made the Waters and lastly the Earth So he first beautifieth the Heavens then the Waters and lastly the Earth that is first beautified which was first created Argument Touching the Argument of this dayes work The Heaven is as a Garden the Fathers call the stars coelestes Rosas heavenly Roses The Sun is as the general of the hoste of Heaven the Moon is as the Suns Lieutenant The Sun is as the Father the Moon as the Mother the Stars are as the Children When Joseph dreamed that the Sun and the Moon and the eleven Starres did doe him reverence and he told it his father Jacob was angry saying What! shall I and thy mother and thy brethren fall on the ground before thee chap. 37. 9. The Sunne seemeth as gold the Moon as silver and the Starres as many pearls God counteth the starres and calleth them all by their names Psal. 147. 4. and in Psal. 19. 4. he hath set in the Heavens a Tabernacle for the Sunne which commeth forth as a Bridegrome out of his Chamber and rejoyceth like a mighty man to run his race His going out is from the end of the Heaven his compasse is unto the ends of the same and none is hid from the heat thereof The Sunne saith Austin is a Bridegrome all the starres with one consent doe sing praises unto God Job 38. 7. This is the summe of the Argument As for the words in Dixit Deus is the Decree then is the return then the execution then lastly the approbation Of Dixit generally Quest.
teach us that he is our per quem and must be our propter quem in all our actions therefore as it is he per quem sumus so we must make here his glorie and praise the end of all our thoughts words actions or devises whatsoever Psal. 96. 5. Elohim is said to make all and therefore we must with praise tell it out among the Heathen So there we are taught to remember him in our youth as our Creator to knit our selves and our wills to him as our Governor and in trembling to fear him as our Judge for he commeth to judge the world in truth Psal. 96. 13. for if we shall amend our lives we shall rejoyce and wish for his comming as we rejoyce and praise him for our making and this is the perfection of a Christian man contremiscere when we think how wonderfully God hath made us and with joy and gladness say with David Psal. 119. 52. I remembred thy judgements of old and received comfort and as we know that in him and by him we live move and have our being Acts 17. 28. so we must live move and breath only for him that is so farre forth as may make for his glorie that at last we may with joy commend our souls to him as to a faithfull Creator 1 Pet. 4. vers 19. 4 Point The fourth point was the things made namely Heaven and Earth which comprehended all in them that one being the upper bound above and the other below between both which are all The use is that if we look upward we see Heaven if we cast our eyes down the earth will be seen for our eyes and light are given to see both which two if we ask them they will tell us Job 12. 7. If we will not ask them yet they will preach and declare Gods glorie Psal. 19. 1. that not once a week but night and day not for an hour in the night or day but continually though their preaching doe not trouble our ears being dumb yet they cry aloud and though they speak not English yet their voyce is intelligible to all Nations and Languages in the world wherefore seeing they still cry aloud and tell us of the Creator that he made all these for us it is required of us that we be ready with our tribute and homage which is to yeild due and continuall praise and thanksgiving to God for them for heaven and Earth have a fellow feeling of the good and evill which either we doe or God doth for us Esay 39. 1. and they rejoyce with us when we doe or have any good done to us And so when we offend God in paying our duty Jer. 2. 12. then it is enough to make heaven and earth stand still and be amazed and astonished at it because we forget God and our duty Thus doth our sinne and ungratefullness overthrow and prevent and stain the whole course and order of Nature Jer. 12. 4. so there is a concurrent of them with us in honoring serving and praising the Creator both of them and us Therefore it is our duty and part to give heedfull care to those preachers which preach God without the Church alwayes in silence and so give our duty and tribute to serve and praise God with them amongst his Saints here that we may be glorified with them in Heaven that we may praise and magnifie him with his Creatures in earth that we may be glorified with his Saints in Heaven quod faciat Deus per Christam Terra autem erat res informis inanis tenebraeque erant in superficie abyssi Gen. 1. 2. verse THE former verse was delivered to us an abstract of the whole work of Gods Creation now lest we should think that when he mentioned Heaven and Earth before he should mean that all things in Heaven and Earth were made in the very moment of the beginning even as we see them now therefore Moses 〈◊〉 haste to tell us that though at the beginning and first moment God made quecunque nunc sunt yet he made them not qualia nunc sunt but did that in six distinctions of severall times It had been as easie to him to have created all things even in the perfection and order they are in a moment and instant and in that beautifull form in which they present themselves now to our eyes But it pleased God though in power he could doc it yet in wisdome to proceed after these three degrees mentioned before First to create the beginning both of all times and of all things as the matter and beginning of all superior bodies and the beginning of all inferior bodies of nothing After the work of creation followeth the work of distinction from this 2. verse to the 11. And lastly ensueth the work of persection with beauty to adorn all his works and to finish them which is from the 11 verse to the 16. It pleased God thus to proceed in this work as well that he might shew himself to be the God of order as also to discover to us the mysterie of the Trinity in the three properties of the three persons which appear in the Creation For all was made by his Power which is the property of God the Father By his Wisedome which is the property of God the Sonne by which all things were orderly disposed and distinguished And by the riches of his Goodness which is the property of the holy Ghost by which all things were adorned and made perfect these three properties are remembred in the Revel 5. 12. and Acts 17. 28. We live by his power we and all things move in this order by his wisdome and we have this our being by his grace and goodness by his power we are taught to acknowledge him to be our beginning and originall ex quo sumus by his wisdome we acknowledge him to be the upholder per quem sumus by his goodness we confess him to be the Chief propter quod sumus For considering his goodness we and all Creatures must endeavor to doe all that we can for him and his praise and honour All which three are plainly and orderly set in the 11. Rom. 36. God also took this orderly proceeding partly that we entring into the meditation of Gods works might by this means have as it were a thread to direct us orderly therein for by this means we come to know this difference between Creatum ordinatum ornatum esse as the Hebrews say by this means we shall know not only the beginning and being of all things but also how orderly and excellently all things were made in this Creation And thus much of the reasons of this course of Gods proceeding in this work Moses having therefore in the first verse set down the materials of the World and all in them now to the 11. verse he sheweth the work of distinction And after the work of adorning and perfecting all But first of all he handleth
these sensible and visible Heavens so must we for these invisible and incomprehensible Heavens which we enjoy only by hope and faith for seeing we know that he created them to be a dwelling place for his Saints John 14. 2. we must not only praise God with thankfull hearts for it but also prepare our souls that we may be meet to be received into them with the wise Virgins evermore praising him for that although he hath not made us Haeredes regalis mansionis here on Earth yet he hath called us to have mansionem in regno Coelorum which he send us which hath purchased it for us cui honos gloria in seculum Postea dixit Deus confluant aquae istae quae sub hoc Coelo sunt in locum unum conspicua sit arida fuit ita Gen. 1. 9. THE action of the second day was suspended as I told you the last time and in some sort left undone and unperfect by reason that the Prophet delayed and deferred the approbation of the Heavens untill he should shew us what should become of the nether waters then separated wherefore having declared how the upper waters being lift up were stretched and spread abroad and made a Firmament now he sheweth how the nether waters below were gathered together to make the Seas and withall he sheweth us the Earth which as St. Ambrose saith lay as a wrack in the middest and bottom of the waters was by Gods word drawn up and brought to light and made profitable for man and beast For after the swadling bands of darknesse were removed and the disordered course of waters well ordered and disposed then the eye of Gods providence from which nothing is hid beholdeth the Earth which was covered and swallowed up in the deep Psal. 104. 6. and so he delivereth it of his goodnesse both from the outward impediments of the waters which kept it from the sight of the light and also from the inward and naturall inconvenience of emptinesse by which it was unmect for any living thing to dwell on it which mercy of God because it sheweth it self to Earth we are earth dust and ashes therefore it doth so much the more neerly teach and concern us though light was made and the firmament framed yet both these parts of the world and the world it self was unperfect untill the Earth was discovered Therefore Moses telleth us that God did as it were make haste and speedily passe over the first and second day that he might the sooner come to the Earth which in the next place he frameth partly to shew that he is not bound to any course or frame in building his house as to descend orderly from the cealing of Heaven down to the foundation of the Earth and partly to manifest his spirituall care and providence that he hath for the Earth and earthly things indeed as the Prophet telleth us Esay 45. 18. God made not the Earth in vain but to this end that it might be habitable but it passeth our capacities to think that God would put it to so honourable a use as to be the place on which he would set his chief delight But whereas we would think that God being in Heaven would not abase himself to vouchsafe to look down on the Earth in this miserable and desolate case yet now this third day being come in which the Earth should be made and perfected we see God adorneth this work with a double Precept with two actions and a double approbation to shew his speciall care and delight he had in this work for here is twice dixit Deus and twice fecit and twice dixit Deus bonum esse which repetition of redoubling we only see when there is another revolution and another third day in which God made man of the Earth to be the perfection of the Earth as it was the perfection of the world Therefore we see that though the Heavens were his own habitation and the Earth he meant to give and bestow on men 〈◊〉 115. 16. yet he seemeth to have lesse care and regard of Heaven than of Earth and to bestow as it were double pains and cost on our habitation over he did upon his own which is our great comfort that God rewardeth and esteemeth or respecteth so much this Earth 4 Parts In this dayes work we are to consider four parts each doubled First two Decrees then two Actions performed Thirdly by two accomplishments Fourthly by two approbations On the Earth we see two actions necessarily performed First the emptying and removing of that it should not have which was the outward impediment of a huge number of waters which hindred the sight of it and ability to be inhabited The second the delivering and removing from it his nether and inward inconvenience of emptinesse being void of all things meet for habitation and replenishing it with store and variety of Plants and Herbs c. And so having removed the outward and inward impediment Tohu Tobohu which it had within and without he finished the work of God getteth out a severall warrant to remove both inconveniences to this end that it be habitable and stored with necessaries for them that dwell therein The parts are the Decree and the Action the giving out of the Decree is to be considered in this word Dixit the tenor of the Decree is durable First for the removing of the waters Secondly for the appearing of the Earth The third and last place setteth down the accomplishment of it Touching the giving out of the Decree to omit the things before rehearsed I will deliver these three points First the giving out of it in regard of God Secondly touching the word Thirdly of the number 1. For the first Seeing Abraham maketh it a great matter Gen. 18. 27. that Earth should seem to speak to God we may think it a wonder and a strange thing that God should so abase himself as it were to behold much more to vouchsafe to speak to this rude and poor Creature which lay in worse and baser case than any other for whereas other Creatures in their imperfection had but one inconvenience we see this had two without and within Wherefore if we make this a matter of inquiry the Scriptures shew us this reason that it is Gods usuall custome and nature and delight to shew his goodnesse especially in exalting things humble and most base and to lift the poor out of the mire Job 5. 11. It is a known thing that God Humilibus dat gratiam Pro. 3. 34. which all the Apostles also teach wherefore the Earth being the lowest and basest and most poor and humble doth God of his grace and goodnesse choose to give it this grace and to exalt it thus The Prophet telleth us that God had made choise to dwell in two places Habitat aut in aeternitate or else habitat in humilitate that is he will no where dwell but either in the high Heavens
terram Great then is their humilitie to us which are subject to corruption whose brothers and sisters are the very worms So that the Sunne in his very name in Hebrew doth import that it is not Deus but servus hominum At Joshua's commandement the Sunne stayed in Gibeon and the Moon in the valley of Aielon Joshua 10. 12. Isaiah showed this sign that Hezechiah should restore his health he brought the Sunne back again ten degrees God then sheweth great favour unto man that can make the Sunne to stand still and retire back again 2 Kings 20. 9. These Lights then were assigned to divide the day from the night their Function is for the inferior Earth and the superior Heaven they were ordained for the decking of the Celestiall part and for the use of man and lastly for the glory of God They doe serve for the Earth and they doe shew forth Gods praise yea the starres of the morning praise God together Job 38. 7. The Sunne and the Moon and all the bright Starres shall praise him Psal. 148. 3. Et fuit ita Fecit enim Deus duo illa luminaria magna luminare majus ad praefecturam diei luminare minus ad praefecturam noctis atque stellas Et collocavit ea Deus in expanso coeli ad afferendum lucem super terram Et ad praesidendum diei ac nocti ad distinctionem faciendum inter lucem hanc tenebras viditque Deus id esse bonum Sic fuit vespera fuit mane diei quarti Gen. 1. 15,16,17,18,19 BEFORE we have spoken of the Decree now of the execution and of the return of the censure or approbation and so we will end the fourth day Of them in order and it was so some say fecit others posuit all the six dayes work stand upon these three joynts creavit fecit and sint It was so It was so This is the return and execution of Gods Decree it is the usuall eccho of Gods word it is the Amen of that which proceedeth from his mouth herein is the verifying of his edict the power of his word and the expedition of that he commandeth Herein is the conformity of the return and the commandement and the continnance of that is commanded Let this suffice for and it was so For the continuance God promiseth to David I will stablish thy seed for ever and thy throne from generation to generation Psal. 89. 4. These lights are placed in the Heavens where is no error by his power they were made he bringeth forth the innumerable hoste of starres by his word the Lord biddeth Abraham to look up unto Heaven he biddeth him tell the starres if he be able to number them and he said unto him So shall thy seed be chap. 15. 5. For the expedition The Sunne rejoyceth like a mighty man to run his race Psal. 19. 5. He runneth a long race in a short space For the conformity in the Heavens we doe daily pray sicut in Coelo in Terra that Gods will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven As for the constancy of the Heavens it is circular regular and certain God did swear by his holinesse that he would not fail David saying His seed shall endure for ever and his throne shall be as the Sunne before me Psal. 89. 36. Thus saith the Lord Jer. 33. 20. If you can break my covenant of the day and of the night that there should not be day nor night in their seasons then may my covenant be broken with David my servant that he should not have a sonne to sit upon his throne But as the armie of Heaven cannot be numbred neither the sand of the Sea be measured so will I multiply the seed of David And it was so Eclipses and Conjunctions are by their certainty oh wonderfull is their immutability in their continuall mutability by them is the differences of all times of all seasons It was so even by the hand of God by his hand they were made they were placed Every good and perfect gift is from above and commeth from the father of lights with whom is no variablenesse James 1. 17. The Earth is immovable yet subject to alteration the Starres are in their motion immutable they were made to lighten the Earth to rule the day and the night they were not made to be adored Austin maketh this dialogue between these lights and man Creator est supra me te qui fecit me te me prote te pro se this is spoken by the Sunne God made these lights for man he made man for himself David in the 8. Psalme 3. saith When I behold thine Heavens and the works of thy fingers the Moon and the Starres which thou hast ordeyned What is man say I then that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou regardest him Thou hast made him little lower than God and hast crowned him with glory and worship thou hast given him dominion over the works of thine hands yet is he by Abrahams confession but dust The worms are his kinsfolk saith Job The words of his mouth are iniquitie and deceit saith David Psal. 36. 3. Creata sunt omnia per Deum Patrem ordinata sunt per Verbum ornata per Spiritum His spirit hath garnished the Heavens Job 26. 13. Let all the Kings of the Earth sing the praises due unto the Lord Psal. 138. 5. Austin saith well What greater obedience can there be dixit and facta sunt What greater love can there be then quod pro nobis facta sunt Oh therefore let all the Nations of the Earth be thankfull to the Lord who hath made us and them and them for us Of what are they made surely of somthing sit lux that was of nothing fecit stellas that was of somthing He created the form and formed the matter fecit and fuit is not all one the matter is the light the Heavens is the form God hath stretched out the Heavens which are strong as a moulten glasse Job 37. 18. They are made by the best opinion of water and light The Sunne and the Moon Now what is made Two great lights the Sunne and the Moon which are as a great fire and the Starres are as little sparkles as two great torches and as many little wax candles The Moon is lesser than many starres according to Astrologie which Moses doth not impugne though it be a lesser body yet is a greater light in respect of the starres and a lesser in regard of the Sunne and so saith Moses Moses was very great in the land of Egypt not great of personage but great in favour Exod. 11. 3. The greatest Apostle is not taken in the quantity but in the quality the great men are said men of dignity of account that are in much favour Paul counteth himself the least of the Apostles not as one of lowest stature but of least desert David was great
and though they had yet this reward doth not last for ever Honor fugientem sequitur sequentem vitat We see Saul Judas 〈◊〉 and Saphira while in hypocrisie they made a shew of good works to procure themselves glorie were disappointed and they 〈…〉 of God upon them But though it have a 〈…〉 yet not 〈◊〉 Patrem vestrum 〈◊〉 Which is 〈…〉 That if they have glory yet it is not God 〈◊〉 gives 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 And as the 〈◊〉 of Manna was a figure that it came not 〈…〉 blessing of God Exodus the sixteenth chapter And when the Manna of the wicked 〈◊〉 it is a signe that it was not Gods gift 〈◊〉 the tenth chapter So in that the glorie of hypocrites doth not 〈◊〉 it is a token that it is not a praise given them of God Again it 〈◊〉 That though 〈◊〉 have a reward in earth yet not in 〈◊〉 for then to hypocrites that say we have cust out Devils and preached in thy name he shall say Depart from me I know ye not Matthew the seventh chapter Secondly Note how powerfull this perswasion is to make us avoid vain glory and the desire of it Here Christ saith non habet is mercedem ye have no reward In the next verse he saith you have your reward habet is mercedem to shew that the worldly reward is nothing in respect of the heavenly reward that God will give Gods reward is by grace in this life for to them that forsake father and mother he promiseth an hundred fold Matthew the nineteenth chapter and the twenty ninth verse Then by glory in the world to come the glory of a Kingdome Luke the twelfth chapter It is my Fathers pleasure 〈◊〉 give you a kingdome Than which glory none is greater and therefore he will say Come ye 〈◊〉 possesse the kingdome Secondly such a Kingdome as shall be void of all affl ction that might take away the glory I know the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory to come Romans the eighth chapter And howsoever no Kingdome is so glorious but either eye hath seen or care hath heard or at least the heart may conceive of a Kingdom of more glorie yet such is the glory provided for them that by well doing seek the praise of God and not of men as neither eye hath seen the first epistle to the Corinthians the second chapter and the ninth verse So that if we knew the gift of God John the fourth chapter if it would please him to open the eyes of our minde that we might see the excellencie of the Heavenly reward Ephesians the first chapter and the eighteenth verse and the basenesse and uncertainty of the worlds gift we would not only not desire but even carefully avoid and be afraid of the worlds glory and would abhor the desire of it as a thing not only injurious to God but hurtfull to our selves Operemini non cibo qui perit sed cibo illi qui permanet in vitam aeternam quem filius hominis dabit vobis hunc enim Pater obsignavit id est Deus John 6. 27. Novemb. 6. 1598. THese words are the beginning of that long Sermon which Christ made concerning the bread that comes down from Heaven the occasion whereof was the flocking of the multitude to Christ for that they had been partakers of the feeding of the loves and for that Christ saw them so earnest in seeking after material bread he takes occasion to put them in minde of a more excellent bread which they should labour for For whereas the names of the good things in this life were given to spiri ual things As that godlinesse is gain the first epistle to Timothy the sixt chapter That to 〈◊〉 in good works is true riches the first epistle to 〈◊〉 the sixt chapter and the eighteenth verse That to be decked with virtue is the beauty that doth indeed adorn both men and women the first epistle of Peter the third chapter and the fourth verse It appeareth that howsoever these corporal blessings doe carry the names of good things yet they are not so truly called but the truth thereof is comprehended in spiritual good things whereof the good things of this life are but shadows Christ by that water which the Samaritan came to draw took occasion to speak of the water of life whereof whosoever drinketh shall thirst no more John the fourth chapter and the fourteenth verse And by the bread which the Capernaites sought after took occasion to stirre them up to seek for the bread of life So should we from the outward things which we enjoy for the maintenance of the life present gather spiritual meditations of true good things necessary to the life to come Secondly These words depend upon the former verse Wherein Christ seeing them flock unto him said reseek me not because ye saw the miracles but for that ye eat of the loves Upon which words as he concludes with this exhortation Labour not for the meat c. So before he gives them this counsell he sets down the reproof Where Booze chargeth his servants concerning Ruthe that they should let her gather and not rebuke her the word signifieth to confound or put to shame Ruth the second chapter and the fifteenth verse the reason is because we are all ashamed of reproof Christ though he had no wounds by sinne was contented to be baptized as if he had been a sinner but we that have the wounds and sores of sinne cannot abide the plaister of reproof but think it a shame to be rebuked when we offend But Christ before he counsels them doth think good first by reproof to put them to shame And it is a shame to them in two respects First That in the heat of their Religion and devotion when they would seem most devout Christ chargeth them with hypocrisie Ye seek me not for the miracles that by them ye may beleeve but for the meat Secondly They are put to shame the more for that he doth not lightly touch them and glance at their hypocrisie but doth accuse them in vehement and earnest manner Verily verily I say to you the twenty sixt verse but Christ doth rebuke them for another end Howsoever it be a good effect that men be made ashamed of their sinne by reproof yet is it not the last end Christ doth it not to confound but rather to amend them and therefore exhorts them that they should chiefly labour for the meat that perisheth not as the Apostle in one place saith hoc loquor ad pudorem the first epistle to the Corinthians the sixt chapter and the fift verse doth elsewhere say I write not these things to shame you the first epistle to the Corinthians the fourth chapter So Christ to these men saith I speak not this for your confusion but for your amendment So that albeit they were guilty of hypocrisie yet not desperate hypocrites for Christ had some hope of them and therefore ceaseth