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.

27 He that is greedie of gaine, troubleth his owne house: but he that hate th giftes shal liue.

He that is prodigiall, spending excessiuely, or that maketh no account to gain his bread, by giuing himself vnto some good works, which may helpe to nourishe him and his familie, they say that hee holdeth a fit and right way and trade to bring al to naught and to be banker out, and that hee falleth in decaye, and that hee is neare vnto destruction. Wee can not deny this same, seeing there are so many proofes of experiences. But if a man be straight and holdeth fast, and spareth, and keepeth his goods carefully, labouring alwaies to adde to them and increase the stocke, hee wil thinke himselfe to be a good and diligent housholder, and it wil seeme vnto him, that he holdeth a meetely good trade, to become riche. His worldly and carnal neighbours, wil be also of the same opinion, & wil thinke, that there can be no better meanes to gaine his liuing, then to bee actiue, and to be readie to drawe vnto himselfe. This is the com∣mon opinion, but yet it ceaseth not to be false and wrong. Solomon doeth shewe it, when hee sayeth,

Hee that is greedie of gaine, &c. Hee reprooueth here al co∣uetous, which neuer haue enough, and the more they haue, the more they desire to haue, and stil labour to gather, & care not whe∣ther they doe wrong or hurt vnto their neighbours, but giue them∣selues to peele them, & chiefly whē they think that their neighbors are simple, & that they haue not the power to be reuenged & to de∣fend themselues. They which thus couet gaine, do labour to make a sure and continual recompence, and to fil their houses with such a∣bundance, as neuer they nor their posteritie may haue want: but let them florish, prosper, & be at their ease for euer. Solomon, I say, re∣prehendeth al such couetous men, when he saieth, that they trouble their owne houses. Now that they trouble their houses, Saint Paule doeth shewe it, They that wil be riche, doe fal into temptation and snares, and into many foolish & noisome lustes, which drowne men in perdition and destruction. But he reprooueth those chiefly which are in authoritie, which haue power and are aloft aboue other, and which haue the charge and office, & haue the ruling of their neigh∣bours: and in rebuking them, he also threateneth them with death and destruction. We ought thus to vnderstand it, forasmuch as the lawe expresly doeth forbid them couetousnes, and that God by his Prophetes is angrie with them, doeth reproche them for their

couetousnes, and doeth threaten them aboue al other, Thou shalt take no rewarde, &c. Thou shalt ordeine thee Iudges, that they may iudge the people with right iudgement. Neither shalt thou take any rewarde, &c. And it is saide of the King also, that hee shall not heape vp golde and siluer vnto himselfe. As touching the rebukes and threatenings, wee haue alledged some places, as the 25. verse. Solomon also giueth to vnderstande, that hee chiefly reprooueth great men, when against greedinesse of gaine, hee setteth, to hate giftes, the which is verie fit and proper vnto them which are in au∣thoritie or office: euen as hath bin shewed by the law, for he saith, But he that hateth giftes shal liue.

Moreouer let vs note in this Antithesis, that when he setteth, to liue, against troubling of the house, he doeth shewe vs that he doth not speake of a temporal trouble, and that soone taketh ende, but of an eternal destruction, as the same of the riche. For sith that hee promiseth life: and they which hate auarice, and giftes, doe often liue in penurie, pouertie and afflictions, the which is not properly to liue: let vs not thinke that hee speaketh onely of this life: other∣wise the state of honest men shoulde bee more miserable then the state of the wicked. But let vs vnderstande that hee promiseth lyfe eternal vnto those which hate and abhorre couetousnesse. If wee wil be partakers of this promise, let vs folowe the admonition of Saint Paule and of the Apostle, and let vs in no wise folowe the o∣pinion of the carnal and worldly, which say, there is no better get∣ting then giftes.

Notes

• 1. Tim. 6. 9.
• Exo. 23. 8. Deut. 16. 18 19. & 17. 17
• Luke. 16. 26.
• 2. Cor. 8. 7. & 9. 6. Ephe. 4. 28. 1. Tim. 6. 17. Hebr. 13. 5.