A godly and learned exposition vppon the Prouerbes of Solomon: written in French by Maister Michael Cope, minister of the woorde of God, at Geneua: and translated into English, by M.O.

9 He that is despised, and is his owne seruant, is better then he that boasteth himself & lacketh bread.

We all naturally are set to glory and boasting, & do loue rest, and are glad that others shoulde labour for vs, and serue vs: for this cause wee thinke it very strange that Solomon shoulde heere com∣mend basenes and seruice. But seeing we loue not to want victuals, and doe feare to starue for hunger, so that for bread wee will applie ourselues to the vilest office that can be thought of, rather then wee wil die for hunger, let vs not therefore finde it strange though So∣lomon doth commend the man that is despised, and doeth apply his worke for to serue and helpe himselfe, and to earne his bread in the sweate of his face. He doth not simply and absolutely commend the basenes and seruice, but by comparison. For in that that man is con∣strained to become slaue and bounde, commeth of sinne. And thus abiection and seruice are after a sort the reward for sinne, which we * 1.1 were better to suffer, then to runne into further danger & trouble, that is to say, to starue for hunger. There is none of vs but if neces∣sitie pricke him, that wil not rather choose to humble himselfe and to giue himselfe to worke, then to suffer himselfe to die for hunger, by contemning labour and worke. And suche an election is agreeable vnto the ordinance of God, when we are set to worke in good con∣science. Man in the beginning was in a noble and excellent state, as wee may wel vnderstand when it is saide, That God did create him vnto his image and likenesse: and when it is saide, they both were naked, &c. But sinne did otherwayes change their estate. The * 1.2 Ecclesiastes doth wel signifie the same, saying, That God hath made man righteous: but they haue sought many inuentions And thus from the beginning we haue experimēted, that he which exalteth

himself, shalbe brought lowe. Now albeit that humilitie & bondage are paines due for sinne, yet seeing they are of smal continuance, & that the Lorde woulde haue vs to beare them for to mortifie our flesh (the which otherwise woulde runne into al filthinesse and vn∣cleannesse, into al insolencie and dissolutenes) we must not abhorre them, neither to be grieued to be despised, to be vile and abiect, and to abase ourselues to doo the woorkes of seruantes, and chiefly when they are fit and meete to prouide for the necessities of vs and our housholde, and needie brethren: but wee must reioyce therein, knowing that in such estate we are not vnprofitable vnto our neigh∣bours and also that wee ourselues therby reape profite. Solomon doth signifie it, by this worde, and is his owne seruant. He meaneth not by this worde to teache vs to be niggardes, to loue ourselues, to make our particular profite, without hauing care of our neigh∣bours. If he spake after the manner of the worlde; and carnal men, which wil say, giue vs more of your purse, and lesse of your courte∣sie: and wil forget al glorie, pompe and magnificence for to labour least we should dye for hunger, there might be inferred vppon his saying, that it were ynough for vs to meddle with our own busines, and not to care for our neighbours: seing that after the world, man is seruant to himselfe, who doth his workes without thinking that his neighbours do belong to him, or that hee is bounde vnto them. And such a woorthy man is preferred before him which boasteth himselfe, and by glory wil not esteeme to set his hand to worke, and in the meane while shalbe ready to starue. They which are most gi∣uen to the flesh, and to the world, haue taken such an opinion, and doe also seeme at the first sight that Solomon doth folow it: but So∣lomon being instructed by the spirit of God, hath vttered this sen∣tence by the same spirit, by whome wee al are one body in Iesus Christ, and euery one, one anothers members. Let vs learne that Solomon calleth man a seruant for himselfe, or his owne seruant, * 1.3 the which doth folow his vocation, & therin doth labour for to o∣bey God, by louing of his neighbor as himself. Wherupon it folow∣eth that he setteth himselfe to woorke looking to profite his neigh∣bours and labouring to succour them when neede requireth: other∣wise there is no loue in him. Whosoeuer hath this worlds good, and

seeth his hath need, and shutteth his cōpassion frō him, how dwel∣leth the loue of God in him? But wee must marke the next exhorta∣tiō: * 1.4 My little childrē, let vs not loue in word, neither in tongue, but indeede,, and in trueth. A man thus doing, is his owne seruant, and is better then him that glorieth, and yet hath nothing to susteine himselfe, much lesse to helpe his neighbours. When Solomon saith is better, he meaneth not that the needie boaster, and vaine glo∣rious is good, seeing he is neither profitable to himselfe, nor to his neighbours, but hurtful. For to liue, he must vse either craft and sub∣tiltie, or force and violence, or els other vnlawful meanes, as to bo∣rowe without willing to pay againe, or els to sel that which is not his. Such a personage is no better then a theefe, or a robber, in whō there is no goodnesse, but al hurt and hinderance. Therefore when Solomon saith, Better, he denieth that the glorious wanter is good, that he might on the contrary part affirme the goodnesse of him which is despised, and yet he serueth himself so wel, that he wanteth nothing, and laboureth to helpe his poore members to get to sustein themselues. Besides this he willeth vs not to be greeued, though we be despised of the worlde, but that we shoulde conceiue so humbly of ourselues, that we might rightly say, Lord, mine hart is not hauty, neither are mine eyes loftie. Our Lorde Iesus Christ hath not dis∣dained to bee counted an artificer or handicraftes man. Hee disdai∣ned not to take vpon him the fourme a seruant: and therefore S. * 1.5 Paule exhorteth vs, saying, Let the same minde be in you, that was euen in Christe Iesus. &c. Furthermore let vs knowe that Solo∣mon prayseth and commendeth labour and trauell, and sheweth vs that wee ought not to boast ourselues of any goodnesse, when wee doe not apply ourselues to doe our office: for then wee are vnpro∣fitable, and are not worthie of the bread that wee eate. For euen when we were with you, this wee warned you of, that if there were * 1.6 any, which woulde not worke, that he shoulde not eate. To con∣clude, let vs knowe that Solomon doeth teache vs, that euery one shoulde content himselfe with his owne vocation and state, & ther∣in to labour according as hee knoweth the wil of God to bee: and that none shoulde brag, nor presume to support many charges, and to occupie diuers offices. For as the Prouerbe saith, who so gri∣peth too muche, doeth holde so muche the worse: that is, hee that

woulde al haue, shal al forgoe. They which are contented to holde their estate, are willingly contented with sufficiencie, and aswel for themselues as to helpe the necessitie of their neighbours. Contrari∣ly, they which are vaine boasters, presuming to bee sufficient to go∣uerne many affaires, and doe fall into suche necessitie that they haue nothing whereon to eate, except they borrow it, or stealeit, so much it wanteth that they haue wherewith to satisfie them which labour for them, or to them, to whome rhey stande bounde. The doctrine of Paule is not contrary to this same, when hee saith, Let him that stole, steale no more. &c. This doctrine seemeth very plaine, but it is not easie to doe, that wee can attaine therevnto without bri∣deling * 1.7 our corrupt nature, considering the inclination thereof.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gen. 3. 17.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1. 27 &. 2. 24 Eccle. 7. 31
• * 1.3

  Rom. 12. 4. 1. Cor. 12. 12. Ephe. 4. 4.
• * 1.4

  1. Iohn. 3. 17. & 18.
• * 1.5

  Psa. 131. 1. Mar. 6. 3. Phi. 2. 5.
• * 1.6

  2. Thes. 3. 10.
• * 1.7

  Ephe. 4. 28