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This was the cause why I judged it reasonable to send the three brethren, before mentioned, unto you, that they might make up your bounty; prokatartiswsi, not so much to move, quicken, or exhort you to it, as to hasten the despatch and perfecting of it, that your money might be ready gathered. The word which we translate
bounty, in the Greek signifieth blessing, which agreeth with the Hebrew dialect. Abigail’s present to David in his distress is called hkrb, a blessing, 1Sa_25:27: so Jacob called his present to his brother Esau, Gen_33:11. Such kind of reliefs are called a blessing in both the Hebrew and the Greek tongue:
1. Because they are a part of God’s blessing upon him that gives, Psa_24:5.
2. Because the giving of them is a recognition or acknowledgntent how far God hath blessed persons, they giving as the Lord hath prospered them, 1Co_16:2.
3. Because they are an indication of the blessing, or well wishing, of him that giveth to him that receiveth the gift.
4. Because they are a real doing good to the person that receiveth them, an actual blessing of him.
5. Possibly they are (in him that gives) an effectual, real blessing of God; for we then bless God with what we have, when we use and improve it for the ends for which he hath given it to us. It is very observable, that a liberal, free giving to the relief of the servants of God in distress, is called cariv and eulogia, grace and blessing; a heart to it being created in us from the free grace of God, and the work itself being a real, actual blessing of God with our substance, and the fruit of our increase: which two things well digested, will be potent arguments to charity with every soul that knoweth any thing of God, or hath any love for God.
That the same might be ready; that the same may be ready gathered, not to gather when I come. As a blessing, we translate it,
as a matter of bounty: the sense is the same.
Not as of covetousness: the meaning is, I have also sent the brethren, that they may persuade you to a free and liberal contribution, a giving that may look like a blessing, not as proceeding from a narrow heart, in which the love of money prevaileth above the love of God. Giving to the distressed saints of God sparingly, and disproportionately to what estate we have, no ways looks like a blessing; he that so gives, doth not, according to the apostle’s phrase, give wv eulogian’ for he neither gives as the Lord hath blessed and prospered him, nor yet according to what God requires of him; for he withholds a part of what he ought to part with: neither doth he bless his brother; he doth him some little good, but blessing another signifies a more liberal doing good to him.