And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
Ver. 14. To maintain good works] See Trapp on " Tit 3:8 "
That they be not unfruitful] As drone bees or body lice, living upon others' labours, and so opening the mouths of heathens who will be ready to say, as he once did, Odi homines ignava opera, philosopha sententia, I hate those that can give fair words, but that is all they are good for. See we not how every creature in its kind is fruitful The sun, moon, and stars in their courses restlessly move to impart their light, heat, and influence to the inferior creatures. The clouds fly up and down emptying themselves, to enrich the earth, from which notwithstanding they reap no harvest. The earth is cut and wounded with shares and coulters, yet is patient, and yields her riches and strength to the tiller; yea, what herb, plant, or tree grows upon the earth which is not in its kind fruitful, spending itself and the principal parts of its sap and moisture in bringing forth some pleasant berry or such like fruit? (Plin.) And shall only man remain unfruitful, and not serve God and man with cheerfulness in the abundance of all things? Shall he be like the cypress tree, which the more it is watered, the more it is withered? Or like cyparet, whose neither fruit, nor leaves, nor berry, nor shadow is useful, but rather hurtful? Hear what Cicero saith, Pudeat illos qui ita vixerunt, ut ad vitam communem nullum fructum afferre possint. Let them learn to be ashamed of their sloth that have so lived, as to have been altogether useless and unfruitful.