For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich he became poor, for your sakes; that through his poverty you might be rich.

“If, then, we keep in reserve any earthly possessions or perishable wealth, the mind sinks down as into mire and the soul inevitably becomes blind to God and insensible to the desire for the beauties of heaven and the good things laid up for us by promise. These we cannot gain possession of unless a strong and single-minded desire leads us to ask for them and lightens the labor of their attainment. This, then, is renunciation, as our discourse defines it: the severance of the bonds of this material and transient life and freedom from human concerns whereby we render ourselves more fit to set out upon the road leading to God. It is the unhindered impulse toward the possession and enjoyment of inestimable goods.… In short, it is the transference of the human heart to a heavenly mode of life.… Also—and this is the chief point—it is the first step toward the likeness to Christ, who, being rich, became poor for our sake. Unless we attain to this likeness, it is impossible for us to achieve a way of life in accord with the gospel of Christ. How, indeed, can we gain either contrition of heart or humility of mind or deliverance from anger, pain, anxieties—in a word, from all destructive movements of the soul—if we are entangled in the riches and cares of a worldly life and cling to others by affection and association?”

“'For have in mind,' says he, 'ponder and consider the grace of God and do not lightly pass it by, but aim at realizing the greatness of it both as to extent and nature, and thou wilt grudge nothing of thine. He emptied Himself of His glory that ye, not through His riches but through His poverty, might be rich. If thou believest not that poverty is productive of riches, have in mind thy Lord and thou wilt doubt no longer. For had He not become poor, thou wouldest not have become rich. For this is the marvel, that poverty hath made riches rich.' And by riches here he meaneth the knowledge of godliness, the cleansing away of sins, justification, sanctification, the countless good things which He bestowed upon us and purposeth to bestow. And all these things accrued to us through His poverty. What poverty? Through His taking flesh on Him and becoming man and suffering what He suffered. And yet he owed not this, but thou dost owe to Him.”

“Listen, now, to something about riches in answer to the next inquiry in your letter. In it you wrote that some are saying a rich man who continues to live rich cannot enter the kingdom of heaven unless he sells all he has and that it cannot do him any good to keep the commandments while he keeps his riches. Their arguments have overlooked our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who departed long ago from this life. It is a fact that all these had extensive riches, as the Scripture faithfully bears witness, yet he who became poor for our sakes, although he was truly rich, foretold in a truthful promise that many would come from the east and the west and would sit down not above them nor without them but with them in the kingdom of heaven. Yes, the haughty rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day, died and was tormented in hell. Nevertheless, if he had shown mercy to the poor man covered with sores who lay at his door and was treated with scorn, he himself would have deserved mercy. And if the poor man's merit had been his poverty, not his goodness, he surely would not have been carried by angels into the bosom of Abraham who had been rich in this life. This is intended to show us that on the one hand it was not poverty in itself that was divinely honored nor that riches were condemned but that the godliness of the one and the ungodliness of the other had their own consequences.”

“Which model of pitifulness in very deed the Mediator between God and Man gave to us. Who when He could have succoured us even without dying, yet was minded to come to the aid of mankind by dying, because plainly He would have loved us too little, except He took upon Him our wounds as well; nor would He exhibit the face of His love to us, unless the thing that He was to take away from us, He did Himself undergo for a time. For He found us subject to suffering, and mortal beings, and He, Who caused us to exist out of nothing, doubtless had the power to restore us from suffering even without death. But that He might shew how great the virtue of Compassion is, He deigned to become in our behalf what He would not have us to be, that He should take upon Him death temporally in His own Person, which death He should banish for evermore from ourselves. Could not He, while continuing invisible to us in the riches of His own Godhead, have been able to enrich us with wonderful powers? But that man might be brought back to the interior riches, God deigned to appear poor without. Hence also the great Preacher, that he might kindle to the kindness of bounty the bowels of our compassion, said, "For our sakes He became poor, when He was rich."”

“Here he leads the Corinthians to give alms by the example of Christ, saying: I wish to prove your good disposition toward giving, namely to the poor, and this you ought to do by the example of Christ. **For**, that is, *because*, **you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ**, which indeed he conferred upon the human race. John 1:17: *grace and truth came through Jesus Christ*, etc. And this is called grace, because whatever of our penalties the Son of God assumed, all of it is to be imputed to grace, since he was neither anticipated by anyone's goodness, nor compelled by anyone's power, nor induced by his own necessity. Now this is grace, since **for our sake he was made needy**. And he says *needy*, which is more than *poor*. For he is called needy who not only has little, but who lacks or is in want; whereas he is poor who has little. Therefore, to signify a greater poverty, it says **he was made needy**, namely in temporal things. Luke 9:58: *the Son of man has not*, etc. Lamentations 3:19: *remember my poverty*, etc. Now he was made needy, not out of necessity, but out of will, for otherwise this grace would no longer be grace. And therefore he says **though he was rich**, namely in spiritual goods. Romans 10:12: *the same God is rich unto all*, etc. Proverbs 8:18: *with me are riches*, etc. But he says *was* [*esset*], not *had been* [*fuisset*], lest Christ should seem to have lost spiritual riches when he assumed poverty. For he assumed this poverty in such a way that he did not lose those inestimable riches. Psalm 48:3: *rich and poor together, as one* — rich in spiritual things, poor in temporal things. Now the reason why he wished to become needy, he adds when he says **that by his want we might become rich**, that is, that by his poverty in temporal things, you might be rich in spiritual things. And this is on account of two things, namely on account of example and on account of sacrament. On account of example indeed, because if Christ loved poverty, we too, by his example, ought to love it. But by loving poverty in temporal things, we are made rich in spiritual things. James 2:5: *did not God choose the poor of this world, rich in faith*, etc. And therefore he says **that by his want**, etc. But on account of the sacrament, because all that Christ did or endured was for our sake. Hence, just as through his enduring death we have been freed from eternal death and restored to life, so through his enduring want in temporal things we have been freed from want in spiritual things, and made rich in spiritual things. 1 Corinthians 1:5: *you have been made rich in him in all knowledge*, etc. Next, when he says **in this I give counsel**, etc., he leads them to give from their own side. And concerning this he does two things. First he sets down their own advantage that arises from this; second he shows that this was also willed by them, namely that they should give alms, at **who not only**, etc. He says therefore: considering this benefit, **I give you counsel**, that is, I exhort you to this, namely to give alms — not only for the benefit of the saints who are in Jerusalem, but also for your own benefit. Proverbs 27:9: *the soul is sweetened by the counsels of a good friend*, etc. And this because **it is useful to you**. For the good of piety is more useful to the one who does it than to the one for whom it is done, because the doer thereby carries away a spiritual benefit, while the recipient carries away a temporal one. And just as the spiritual ought to be preferred to the temporal, so in works of piety the advantage of the giver is preferred to the advantage of the recipient. 1 Timothy 4:8: *piety is profitable to all things*. But this is not only useful to them, but they themselves also willed it, and therefore he says **because not only**, etc. Here he does three things. First he calls to mind the good beginning that was in them; second he exhorts them to the due completion, at **but now also in deed**, etc.; third he explains something he had said, at **for if the will**, etc. He says therefore: truly you ought to give alms gladly, because it is not only useful to you, but you yourselves also began to will this of your own accord, namely to give alms, **from the year before**, that is, when I came to you. Or **from the year before**, that is, the preceding one. As if he were saying: to will is more than to do, according to Ecclesiasticus 18:16: *a word is better than a gift*, etc. And therefore you ought to be ready to give. And because you are ready to give, therefore now **complete in deed** what you had in mind, otherwise that will would be in vain. John 4: *let us not love in word, nor in tongue*, etc. Philippians 1:6: *he who began in you*, etc. And the reason for this is: just as the mind of the will, that is, the discretion of the will — according to the Gloss, is ready — so let the discretion for accomplishing be ready. Or, otherwise, that *mind* be taken for *will*; and then it is said: just as you were ready to will, so be ready to accomplish. And this **from what you have**, that is, according to your means. Next he explains what he means by **from what you have**, saying **for if**, etc., as if he were saying: I say that you ought to be ready to give, and in this I do not intend to burden you — namely, that you should give beyond your means, because perhaps a ready will induces you to this, but in this matter the deed cannot imitate the will. And therefore he says: **from what you have** — *for* here stands for *because* — if the will is ready according to what it has, **it is accepted**. And the reason for this is that the will is accepted in the perfection of the operation; but the work is not perfected except from what one has. And therefore he says **according to what one has, it is accepted**. Tobit 4:9: *if you have much, give abundantly*, etc. Next, when he says **for not that to others**, etc., he removes a certain suspicion. For these might say: if we give alms to the poor saints who are in Jerusalem, they will live idly, and we will suffer loss, and thus we will be made wretched. Therefore the Apostle first excludes this suspicion; second he makes plain his own intention; third he confirms it by authority. He removes the suspicion when he says **for not that to others**, etc., as if he were saying: I do not so counsel you to give alms that there be relief to others, while they live idly on your alms, but tribulation to you, that is, poverty, in that you would be afflicted. But do they sin, those who give everything to others and are themselves afterward afflicted by poverty? And it seems that they do, by these words of the Apostle. I respond: it must be said, according to the Gloss, that it would be better to give everything to the poor and be afflicted for Christ. But what he says here, he did by condescension, because they were weak, and might perhaps fail if they were pressed by want. He makes plain his own intention when he says **but from equality**, etc., as if he were saying: I do not intend your tribulation, but a certain equality, namely that **your abundance**, etc. This can be explained in three ways: first, concerning equality of quantity; second, concerning equality of proportion; third, concerning equality of will. Concerning equality of quantity: because these, namely the Corinthians, abounded in temporal things and were lacking in spiritual things, while the saints who were in Jerusalem abounded in spiritual things and were lacking in temporal things. He wishes, then, that there be an equality of quantity between them, namely that those who abound in temporal things should give half of all to those who lack them, and these should give half of their spiritual things to them, so that thus they might be equally rich. And therefore he rather says this: that from equality of quantity, that is, from half the part of your goods, **in the present time**, which is brief, **your abundance** of earthly things may **supply their want**, who have forsaken all the things of the world, and that their abundance, namely in spiritual things, may be the supplement of your want in spiritual things, that is, that you may be partakers of eternal life. Luke 16:9: *make for yourselves friends*, etc. Ecclesiasticus 14:15f.: *in the division of the lot, give and receive* — give temporal things and receive spiritual things. But concerning equality of proportion, it is explained thus, and better: you, Corinthians, have an abundance of temporal things; the saints who are in Jerusalem, an abundance of spiritual things. I wish, then, a certain equality — not one according to quantity, but according to proportion — namely, that just as they are sustained by your alms, so you may be enriched by their prayers before God. For just as they are not so enriched by your temporal goods as you are rich, so neither are you enriched by their spiritual goods as they are. And therefore he says **but from equality**, etc.: let your aforesaid abundance of earthly things supply their want, namely the saints', in temporal things, so that their abundance also, in spiritual things, etc. 1 Corinthians 9:11: *if we have sown spiritual things for you*, etc. But concerning equality of will, it is explained thus: **but from equality**, etc., that is, I wish that there be in you an equality of will, namely that just as they have the will to share with you those things in which they abound, so you may have the will to share with them those things in which you abound. Next he confirms this by authority. Hence he says **as it is written**, namely Exodus 16: **he who had much** — namely, had gathered of the manna, that is, who had more than a gomor — **did not abound**, that is, did not have beyond his sufficiency; **and he who had little, did not have less**, that is, it did not fail him, because all abounded equally, as is said in Exodus 16. And thus neither did he who had gathered more have more, nor did he who had prepared less find less.”

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus,.... This is a new argument, and a very forcible one to engage to liberality, taken from the wonderful grace and love of Christ, displayed in his state of humiliation towards his people; which is well known to all them that have truly believed in Christ; of this they are not and cannot be ignorant, his love, good will, and favour are so manifest; there are such glaring proofs of it in his incarnation, sufferings, and death, that leave no room for any to doubt of it: that though he was rich; in the perfections of his divine nature, having the fulness of the Godhead in him, all that the Father has, and so equal to him; such as eternity, immutability, infinity and immensity, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, &c. in the works of his hands, which reach to everything that is made, the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that in them are, things visible and invisible; in his universal empire and dominion over all creature; and in those large revenues of glory, which are due to him from them all; which riches of his are underived from another, incommunicable to another, and cannot be lost: yet for your sakes he became poor; by assuming human nature, with all its weaknesses and imperfections excepting sin; he appeared in it not as a lord, but in the form of a servant; he endured in it a great deal of reproach and shame, and at last death itself; not that by becoming man he ceased to be God, or lost his divine perfections, thought these were much hid and covered from the view of man; and in his human nature he became the reverse of what he is in his divine nature, namely, finite and circumscriptible, weak and infirm, ignorant of some things, and mortal; in which nature also he was exposed to much meanness and outward poverty; he was born of poor parents, had no liberal education, was brought up to a trade, had not where to lay his head, was ministered to by others of their substance, and had nothing to bequeath his mother at his death, but commits her to the care of one of his disciples; all which fulfilled the prophecies of him, that he should be and "poor" and "low", Psa 41:1. The persons for whom he became so, were not the angels, but elect men; who were sinners and ungodly persons, and were thereby become bankrupts and beggars: the end for which he became poor for them was, that they through his poverty might be rich; not in temporals, but in spirituals; and by his obedience, sufferings, and death in his low estate, he has paid all their debts, wrought out a robe of righteousness, rich and adorned with jewels, with which he clothes them, and through his blood and sacrifice has made them kings and priests unto God. They are enriched by him with the graces of his Spirit; with the truths of the Gospel, comparable to gold, silver, and precious stones; with himself and all that he has; with the riches of grace here, and of glory hereafter. These are communicable from him, though unsearchable, and are solid and substantial, satisfying, lasting, and for ever. Now if this grace of Christ will not engage to liberality with cheerfulness, nothing will.”

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ - This was the strongest argument of all; and it is urged home by the apostle with admirable address. Ye know - Ye are acquainted with God's ineffable love in sending Jesus Christ into the world; and ye know the grace - the infinite benevolence of Christ himself. That, though he was rich - The possessor, as he was the creator, of the heavens and the earth; for your sakes he became poor - he emptied himself, and made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross; that ye, through his poverty - through his humiliation and death, might be rich - might regain your forfeited inheritance, and be enriched with every grace of his Holy Spirit, and brought at last to his eternal glory. If Jesus Christ, as some contend, were only a mere man, in what sense could he be said to be rich? His family was poor in Bethlehem; his parents were very poor also; he himself never possessed any property among men from the stable to the cross; nor had he any thing to bequeath at his death but his peace. And in what way could the poverty of one man make a multitude rich? These are questions which, on the Socinian scheme, can never be satisfactorily answered.”

“ye know the grace--the act of gratuitous love whereby the Lord emptied Himself of His previous heavenly glory (Phi 2:6-7) for your sakes. became poor--Yet this is not demanded of you (Co2 8:14); but merely that, without impoverishing yourselves, you should relieve others with your abundance. If the Lord did so much more, and at so much heavier a cost, for your sakes; much more may you do an act of love to your brethren at so little a sacrifice of self. might be rich--in the heavenly glory which constitutes His riches, and all other things, so far as is really good for us (compare Co1 3:21-22).”