2-30 To win heaven, flee covetousness, welcome righteousness.

HomiL.and welcome the other, that we may both gain freedom in

: this life, and obtain the kingdom of heaven, through the

grace and love towards men of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom, to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honour, now and for ever, and world without end. Amen.

A temporal, and a spiritual return. Both seeds m ultiplied. 231

HOMILY XX.

2 Cor. ix. 10.

Now He that ministereth seed to the sower, both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.

Herein one may particularly admire the wisdom of Paul, that, after having exhorted from spiritual considerations and from temporal, in respect of the recompense also he again does the very same, making the returns he mentions of either kind. This, (for instance,) He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness endureth for ever; belongs to a spiritual return; that again, multiply your seed sown, to a temporal recompense. Still, however, he rests not here, but even again passes back to what is spiritual, placing the two continually side by side; for, increase the fruits of your righteousness, is spiritual. This he does, and gives variety by it to his discourse, tearing up by the roots those their unmanly and faint-hearted reasonings, and using many arguments to dissipate their fear of poverty, as also the example which he now brings. For if even to those that sow the earth God gives, if to those that feed the body He grants abundance; much more will He to those who till the soil' of heaven, to those who take care for the soul; i yeapfor these things He willeth should yet more enjoy His providingyov'ri care. However, he does not state this in the way of inference, nor in the manner I have done, but in the form of a prayer; thus at once making the inference plain, and the rather leading them on to hope, not only from what [commonly]

232 In spirituals covet to abound. Here we make our own crop

Homil.takes place, but also from his own prayer: for,' May He

'-minister? saith he,' and multiply your seed sown, and increase

the fruits of your righteousness? Here also again he hints, in an unsuspicious way, at largeness [in giving], for the words, "multiply and increase, are by way of indicating this; and at the same time he allows them to seek for nothing more than necessaries, saying, bread for food. For this also is particularly worthy of admiration in him, (and it is a point 1 Ka7f- he successfully established' even before,) namely, that in m, things which be necessary, he allows them to seek for nothing more than need requires; but in spiritual things counsels them to get for themselves a large superabundance. Wherefore he said above also, that having a sufficiency ye may abound to every good work: and here, He that ministereth bread for food, multiply your seed sown; that is to say, the spiritual [seed]. For he asks not almsgiving merely, but with largeness. Wherefore also he continually calls it seed. For like as the corn cast into the ground sheweth luxuriant crops, so also many are the handfuls almsgiving produceth of righteousness, and unspeakable the fruits it sheweth. Then having prayed for great affluence unto them, he shews again in what they ought to expend it, saying,

Ver. 11. That being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

Not that ye may consume it upon things not fitting, but

upon such as bring much thanksgiving to God. For God

hath made us to have the disposal of great things, and

reserving to Himself that which is less, hath yielded to us

'cuVflTj that which is greater. For corporeal* nourishment is at His

sole disposal, but mental He hath permitted to us; for we have

3 roTji-Vit at our own disposal, whether the crops we have to shew be

luxuriant. For no need is here ofrains,and of variety of seasons,

but of the will only, and they run up to heaven itself. And

* Gr. largeness in giving is what he here calls bountifulnens *. Which

'»,mpli- causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For neither is that

which is wrought almsgiving merely, but also the ground of

much thanksgiving: yea, rather, not of thanksgiving only,

but of many other things besides. And these, as he goes on,

he mentions, that by shewing it to be the cause of many

good works, he may make them thereby the forwarder. The thanks to God of those that receive, disinterested. 233

[2.] What then are these many good works? Hear him 2 Cor.

saying: 12-u.

Ver. 12—14. For the administration of this service, not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; whiles by the trial1 x E- Jof this ministration, they glorify God for your professed ment. subjection unto the Gospels, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; and by their prayer for you, which long after you, for the exceeding grace of God in you.

What he says is this; 'in the first place ye not only supply the wants of the saints, but ye are abundant even;' that is,' ye furnish them with even more than they need: next, through them ye send up thanksgiving to God, for they glorify Him for your professed subjection.1 For that he may not represent them as giving thanks on this account solely, (I mean, because they received somewhat,) see how high-minded he makes them, exactly as he himself says to the Philippians, Not Phil. 4, that I desire a gift. 'To them too, I bear record of the same thing. For they rejoice indeed, that ye supply their wants and alleviate their poverty; but far more, in that ye are so subjected to the Gospel; whereof this is an evidence, your contributing so largely.' For this the Gospel enjoins.

And for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men. 'And on this account,' he says, ' they glorify God that ye are so liberal, not unto them only, but also unto all.' And this again is made a praise unto them, that they gave thanks even for that which is bestowed upon others. 'For,' saith he, 'they do honour', not to their own concerns only, but also^oo-noOto those of others, and this although they are in the extremest poverty; which is an evidence of their great virtue. For nothing is so full of envy, as the whole race of such as are in poverty. But they are pure from this passion; being so far from feeling pained, because of the things ye impart to others, that they even rejoice over it no less, than over the things themselves receive.'

And by their prayer for you. 'For in respect of these things,' saith he, ' they give thanks to God, but in respect of your love and your coming together, they beseech Him that they may be counted worthy to see you. For

234 God's gift, Sf peace unspeakable; His Essence more. Excess.

Homil. they long after this, not for the money's sake, but that

XX- they may be witnesses of the grace that hath been bestowed

(2.) upon you.' Seest thou Paul's wisdom, how after having

exalted them, he ascribed the whole to God by calling the

thing grace? For seeing he had spoken great things of them,

in that he called them ministers, and exalted them unto

1 ^A"- a great height, (since they offered service' whilst he himself

your, did but administer *,) and termed them 'tried3,' he shews that »"7«o (jj0<i was the Author of all these things. And he himself again, along with them, sends up thanksgiving, saying,

word ^er. 15. Thanks be to Godfor His unspeakable gift.

triai And here he calls gift, even those so many good things

which are wrought by almsgiving, both to them that receive, and them that give; or else, those unspeakable good things, which through His advent He gave unto the whole world with great munificence, which one may suspect to be the most probable. For that he may at once both sober, and make them more liberal, he puts them in mind of the benefits they had received from God. For this avails very greatly in inciting unto all virtue; and therefore he concluded his discourse with it. But if His Gift be unspeakable, what can match their frenzy who raise curious questions as to His Essence? But not only is His Gift unspeakable, but

Phil, i, that peace also posseth all understanding, whereby He reconciled the things which are above, to the things which are below.

Mora t. [3.] Seeing then that we are in the enjoyment of so great grace, let us strive to exhibit a virtue of life worthy of it, and to make much account of almsgiving. And this we shall do, if we shun excess, and drunkenness, and gluttony.

1 d88,i For God gave meat and drink not for excess, but for nourish7'u' ment. For it is not the wine that produceth drunkenness, for if that were the case, every body would needs be drunken. 'But,' saith one, ' it would be better, if even to drink it largely did not injure.' These are drunkards' words. For if to drink it largely doth injure, and yet not even so thou desistest from thy excess in it; if this is so disgraceful and injurious, and yet thou ceasest not even so from thy depraved longing; if it were possible both to drink largely and be nothing harmed, where wouldest thou have stayed in thine excess? Wouldest thou not have longed that