God Loves a Cheerful Giver 1Of the handreachinge vnto ye sayntes, it is no nede for me to wryte vnto you: 2for I knowe youre redynesse of mynde, wherof I boast my selfe amonge them of Macedonia, and saye: Achaia was ready a yeare agoo. And youre feruentnesse hath prouoked many. 3Neuertheles yet haue we sent these brethren, lest oure reioysinge ouer you shulde be in vayne in this behalfe, that ye mighte be ready, as I haue reported of you: 4lest whan they of Macedonia come with me, and fynde you vnprepared, we (I wyl not saye ye) shulde be ashamed in this presumpcion of boostinge. 5Wherfore I thoughte it necessary to exhorte the brethren, to come before hande vnto you, for to prepare this blessynge promysed afore, that it mighte be ready, so that it be a blessynge, and not a defraudynge. 6This I thynke: that he which soweth litle, shal reape litle also: and he yt soweth plenteously,shal likewyse reape plenteously, 7euery one acordynge as he hath purposed in his hert, not grudgingly, or of compulsion. For God loueth a chearfull geuer. 8God is able to make you riche in all grace, yt ye in all thinges hauynge sufficiet to the vttemost, maye be riche to all maner of good workes. 9As it is wrytte: He hath sparsed abrode & geue to ye poore, his righteousnes remayneth for euer. 10He that geueth sede vnto the sower, shal mynistre bred also for fode, and shal multiplye youre sede, and increase the frutes of yor righteousnes, 11that in all thinges ye maye be made riche vnto all singlenesse, which causeth thorow vs, thankesgeuynge vnto God. 12For the hadreachinge of this colleccion not onely suppleeth the nede off the sayntes, but also is abudaunt herin, that for this laudable mynistracion many mighte geue thakes vnto God, 13and prayse God for yor obedient professynge of the Gospell of Christ, & for yor synglenesse in distributynge vnto the, and to all men, 14and in their prayer for you, which longe after you, for the abundaunt grace of God in you. 15Thankes be vnto God for his vnoutspeakeable gifte. |
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