2 Corinthians 9

2 Corinthians 9:1

TOuching the ministring] He, wisely meeteth with the suspition which the Corinthians might conceive, as if in urging them so earnestly to contribute liberally to the poor, he should doubt of their good will and inclination of themselves to so charitable a work, therefore he professeth, that he doth it not to teach them that they ought to relieve the Saints by their bounty, seeing that he had become suretie for them to the Macedonians, but onely to stirre them up, who were running of themselves, to the end that all things might both be in a better readinesse at his coming, and the cottection more liberall..2 Achaia was reaply a yeer ago] Achaia is the Countrey wherein the Citie of Corinth was situated, and sometimes the word is taken generally for all Greece, sometimes particularly for a part of Peoloponsus, known by that name. So Hesychius,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

2 Corinthians 9:2

Achaia was reaply a yeer ago] Achaia is the Countrey wherein the Citie of Corinth was situated, and sometimes the word is taken generally for all Greece, sometimes particularly for a part of Peoloponsus, known by that name. So Hesychius,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

your zeal hath provked very many] Or, stirred up. The Apostle in this Chapter termeth the bountifull contributions of the Corinthians to the Saints by the name of divers vertues. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 zeal, grace, becuediction, and righteousnesse. Zeal, because it proceeded out of fervant love, and so much tended to Gods glory; simplicite, because they did it out of a free minde and singlenesse of heart, without any sinister intention, or expecting any retribution: grace, because it was the gift of God. proceeding from his grace: benediction or blessing, because Gods blessing enables them to it, and the poor Saints blesse God for this supply of their wants: lastly, rightteousnesse, either because pious bountie is a part of that righteousnesse or justice in generall, which compriseth all vertues; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, justitia in sese virtutes continet omnes; or because we are not Lords of the goods of this life, but stewards onely, and he is an unjust steward who holds that wholly in his own hands, for his own advantage, which by order from his Master he ought to dispence to others for their relief and susteance.

2 Corinthians 9:4

in this same confident boasting] Gr. in the substance, or foundation of this boasting. The word in the Originall, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, may either signifie such a staiednesse and settlednesse of minde, as cannot be moved with any terrour or feare, and so it sheweth the assured confidence Saint Paul had in them, that they would make good what he had promised in their behalf: or, it may signifie a ground or a foundation; and so the meaning is, that he should not be ashamed of his boasting to others of their readinesse, because there was a good ground and foundation for it; either the publique faith of the Corinthians who engaged themselves to contribute liberally to the Saints; or some present pledge which he saw thereof, namely some remarkable simmes collected a yeer before.

2 Corinthians 9:5

make up] Or, make fit, or ready.

bounty] Gr. blessing.

whereby of ye had notice before] Or, which hath been so much spoken of before.

of bountitie, and not as of covetousnesse] Gr. blessing. Or, as an advantage. The words may carry a double sense, either that the Apostle would have them speedily to send this cottection as being a free benevolence, and not to stack the sending of it out of covetousnesse to make any benefit of the money of the poot so long in their hands. Or that it might be ready as a matter of bounty, that is freely coming from them and chearfully; not as money comes out of the hands of covetous men; that is, hardly, and with much grudging and repining.

2 Corinthians 9:6

He which soweth sparingly] Almes must be given neither niggardly nor unwillingly, but frankly and freely, seeing it is the sowing of that seed which will bring us a plentifull harvest both here and hereafter: other seed where we sow it there we reap the encrease of it, but of this seed we reap not onely a plentifull crop where it is sowed on earth; but a much more plentifull in heaven.

he which soweth bountifully] Gr. with blessings. Word for word it is, he which soweth in benedictions or blessings shall reap in benedicitons; and the Apostle alludeth either to psal. 68. 9. or Ezekiel 34:26 in which a plentifull showre of rain is called a showre of blessing or blessing: the Apostles meaning is, that he who contributeth liberally to the poor, and soweth very much sced, shall reap in blessing, that is thereby shall receive from Gods hand not one kind of blessing onely, butdivers, blessings of the right hand and blessings of the left, temporall blessings and spirituall blessings, in this life, and in the life to come.

bountisully] Gr. with blessings.

2 Corinthians 9:7

God loveth a cheersull giver]See Proverbs 11:25. Romans 12:8. Exxlus. 35. 9. That which is extorted from a man he properly giveth not: for liberalitie implieth libertie, and necessitie in this kind and libertie cannot well stand together: God loveth a Cheerfull giver, because he gives his heart first to God, before he giveth his almes to the poore; and giving that which he giveth with a cheerfull countenance he more comforteth the receiver, giving hope of future bountry. For what a man doth cheerfully he will do again upon a like good occasion. Pliny writeth that is was observed among the Romanes, that never any good came to a man by offering a beast in sacrifice, rentientem & trahemtem se abaris; by a beast that violently drew back from the Altar, and could not be brought to it but with much force: and most certain it is, that God esteemeth of no offering of ours which is not as free as liberall, according to our ablitie.

2 Corinthians 9:8

make all grace abound towards you] The Greek Scholiast acutely observeth that the Apostle here prayeth for the Co0rinithians, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a sifficiencie in temporall blessings, but an exuberancie or abounding inspirituall. For in temporals we may have too much as well as too little; and therefore Solomon prayeth for a mediocritie: but of spirituall blessing, especially such as appertain to our sanctification and salvation, we cannot have too great a proportion; the more we abound in them, the more happie are we.

2 Corinthians 9:9

He hath dispersed abroad] See Psalms 112:9.

his righteousnesse] Righteousnesse in this place is taken for bountie, as elsewhere, Hosea 10:12. Sow to your selves in righteousnesse; and Malac. 4. 2. Christ is called the Sunne of righteousnesse, because he freely and bountifully communicates both enlightening, and sactifying graces, as the Sunne doth his light and his heat.

for ever] Though the gift he bestoweth passeth away, yet his bountie remaineth for ever, both in the same of his verue, and much more in the eternall reward thereof in heaven. Qnas dederis solas semper habehis opes.

2 Corinthians 9:10

ministreth seed to the sower] See Isaiah 55:10.

2 Corinthians 9:12

administraiton of this service] Gr. oblation and service, or office. Romans 15:16. An excellent and double fruit of liberalitle towards the Saints is, that it giveth occasion to praise God, and that our faith also is thereby made manself. The word in the Originall is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which signifies not every service or ministery, but properly the publike service and holy office of prayers and oblations to God; and thereby impleth, that these their almes-deeds were rather acts of pietie them liberalitie, because they contribured to them of Jerusalem not onely as poor, but as Saints of the same profession with them, and that they sent them as a holy offering unto God for the reliefe of his dearest servants.

2 Corinthians 9:13

they glorifie] Gr. glorisying.

2 Corinthians 9:15

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift] Lest the Corinthians should be puffed up with his great commendation and praise of their pious bountie, he stautteth up his exhortaion with this passonate exclamation, wherein he ascribeth the glory and thanksgiving not to the Corinthians, who were but the conduits of Gods bouty, but to God himself, who is the fountain of all goodnesse, who both enclined their hearts, and furnished them with means thus liberally to supply the necessitie of his Saints. Some by this unspeakable gift understand Christ himself, who is, called the gift of God, Job. 4. 10. Others the Gospel, which is likewise an unspeakable gift: but the coherence with the former words seemeth rather to referre us to the exceding grace of God in the Corinithias menitioned in the verse immediately going before; so the plain meaning is, thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift, which he hath bestowed upon you in filling you with his grace, and stirring up your hearts in so liberall a manner to relieve the Saints at Jerusalem, whereby so much glory redoundeth to God, and honour to our holy profession.