i Epiflle o r S. Paulto Titus. CHAP.I.8 vs,but the poore we (hall alwaies haue to(hew our affe&ion to Chrifl in: 167 who hash faid,in that yeedoe it ro one of thefelittle ones that beleesse in me,ye Marrh.sf. haue done it to met.. 3. An hardman had rather lend to one that is able to repay him,thcn 3 glue to fuch an one as is not. If thou wilt not glue any thing to Chrif+, by gluing to the poore, lend vnto him, and bee will become thy pay- maUcr. 4, Becaufe many would glue vetoothers, but for feareof wanting themfelues, marke the promife of blefling; Prou. 1 I. aç. The likerall perfon/hall bauepiontie ; and, hethat roatereth/hall haue raine and, verf. s4. There is that fcattereth, and is moreentreated : on the contrarie,he thatfpa- rethmore then right, commeth topouertie : and he that turneth his care from the aria of the poore,himfelfe (hall crie, and not be heard:and,iudgement mercilefe belongeth unto himthatfheroethno merde. I would toGod all this would bringon our rich men, (who will doe nothing for thehonour of God)butbalfe the way theMacedonians werecomevoto:whobelow - ed to the vfe of the poore Saints to their abilitie, yea cuenbeyond theira- bilitie: but till men learne to glue themfelucsftrfl to the Lord, and then to his Minifsers (as they did) it will neuer bedone; that is, till they glue vp themfelues toobeyGod,teaching them fuch duties in the mouches of his Mini(lers. A louer ofgoodnefe ] Hauing exhorted to the doìrine ofbeneficence and liberalitietothe poore Saints : Now the Apofile perfwadeth voto the ground , from whence that muff rife: for otherwife it will proouc rather a Ihadow, or carkafe of a verrue, then a vertue or true grace it felfe, which perhaps may profit another, but not ones Celle. This ground is true Chriflian loue; of which the Apofilefpeaketh, s. Cor.13.3.11I giue'all mygoods away to thepoore, andwant lone, it profitethnee nothing : and therefore I thinke it is rather tobe read, a louerofgood men: feeing the word in the originali beareth well either reading. True it is, that there two are ne- uer tobe abflraeled one from another, for good men are co be loued fortheir goodnes; and whofoeuer loueth t;oodneffe, loueth good men; as he that hateth good men, hatethgoodneffe it Celle : yet of thcfe two, the context f emech to fauour and carrie vs to the latter. For as the A- pofile would haue the Minifier harberous , fo wouldhe haue his houle anharbour not for idle, and voluptuous, much.lefíe vicious perfons;but for good men: andbetides, there is another wordmore fit to exprefíe the former fenfe, as Beza obferueth. Bygood mea, are vnderf}ood chofe veto whom the Lord bath impar- ted, andcommunicated his goodtaes: not generali goodnes, which he L 4 extcn- 4 Iam,r.11. s.Cor.8.1. vert: r, r.t>.,yx8or. VI/lecher only good menare to be lourd.
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