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.

20 The poore is hated euen of his owne neighbour: but the friends of the rich are many.

Solomon pronounceth heere that which is commonly doone in the worlde, and not that which ought to bee doone. And so hee doeth not giue vs doctrine that wee must follow: but hee accuseth men of ingratitude, of discourtesie and crueltie, when hee saith, The poore is hated euen of his owne neighbour. The ingratitude which is committed in the hate of the poore is against God. For whosoeuer hateth the poore, hee doeth not acknowledge the bene∣fites which hee hath receiued of God, without his desertes. Wee are al naturally borne poore both in body and soule, and are voide and naked of all benefites, and cannot obteine either corporal or spiritual, vnlesse God of his onely grace and free goodnesse doe giue them vs without hauing respect vnto vs: for wee are so cor∣rupted and malitious of nature, that wee prouoke him so muche as wee can to make vs poore, and to destroy vs rather then to doe vs good, and saue vs. First of all, touching our body, if wee consider our conception in the wombe of our mother, wee shal knowe, how poore a thing wee are: that wee were very weake and sickly, and that wee coulde haue no nourishment nor increase but of God: for seeing the gouernment of mothers, which is then very disordered, and their lustes vnbrideled, immediately man should perishe, if God did not wonderfully as it were preserue and fortifie him. This poore

state of man, and the helpe of God are wel expressed in Iob. And when wee are borne wee bring no riches with vs. If wee haue any necessay and profitable thing for this body, it is the gift of God: as * 1.1 wee confesse when we aske our dayly bread. And our Lorde doeth reache it vs, when hee woulde not haue vs to take care for this life. Secondly, as touching our soule, wee are no better furnished then was Dauid, who confesseth, Beholde, I was borne in iniquitie, and in sinne hath my mother conceiued mee: And Paul saith, That wee were by nature the children. Therefore if wee be partakers of the spiritual and heauenly riches, it commeth of the grace and * 1.2 gift of God, as Saint Paul doth pronounce afterwardes. Now the Lorde making vs prtakers of his benefites (for al is his) would haue vs to confesse the goodnesse and liberalitie that hee bestoweth vp∣on vs. The which wee cannot truely doe: except wee submit our¦selues wholy to obey the commandementes of his wil, which is, that the riches which hee giueth vs, we shoulde vse them as good disposers of them, distributing by loue vnto thē which haue neede. Let there bee no poore man amongest you. Againe, When one of thy brethren with thee is fallen into pouertie, thou shalt lende him. * 1.3 Again, Thou shalt giue him, and let it not greeue thine heart to giue vn to him. See that thou deale thy bread to the hungrie, &c. If we be not diligent to followe this wil, we are vnthankeful vnto God, considering the bountifulnesse hee vseth towardes vs. Vn∣gentlenesse * 1.4 and crueltie is made manifest, in the hatred of the poore: For hee that hateth his neigbour is a manslear: and that is because hee exerciseth not the charitie hee ought. They then that charge & burden their neighbours with impostes, vsuries, and oppressions, which doe molest them with lawe and other wronges to destroy them, are heere righly accused of churlishnesse and crueltie. Besides * 1.5 the said accusatiō, Solomon doth shew that it is a very miserable thing to be poore, except we can patiently beare it, and do not feare what man can doe vnto vs. As touching the second part of this pre∣sent sentence, which is,

But the freendes of the riche are many: Solomon doth not rebuke and blame those which are truely the freendes of the rich: for it is not lawful for vs to hate any man, but it is rather com∣manded vs to loue our neighbours, without regarde of persons.

Likewise they which truely loue the riche, doe not procure to them¦selues any profite to their purse: but if it bee needeful, doe ex∣horte them to occupie themselues about their saluation, in giuing almes to the needie, according to the doctrine of our Lorde, and of * 1.6 Saint Paule. But hee accuseth the worlde of flatterie, of accep∣ting of persons and of couetousnesse. They which thus behaue themselues towardes the rich, are called their freendes: not that they are so indeede, but because they seeme so to bee, and woulde bee counted suche.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iob. 10 8. & 1. 21. 1. Tim. 6. 7. Mat. 6. 11. 25
• * 1.2

  Psal. 51. 6. Ephes. 2. 3. 4. Psal. 24. 1. & 50. 12.
• * 1.3

  Deu. 15. 4. 7. 7. 10.
• * 1.4

  Esa. 58. 7.
• * 1.5

  1. Iohn. 3. 1••.
• * 1.6

  Luke. 6. 9 2. Cor. 8. 7. &. 9. 6. 1. Tim. 6. 17 Iam. 2. 1