Book IV. MINISTERS COMPARED TO LABORER.S. LAB 0 RE R S. VLALaborer is worthy of his Meat, and ought not to be deni– ed it. PARALLEL. V[. So the Minifters of Chrifl: ought to have all Things neceffary provided for them, and their Families: 'l'houjhalt not muzzle the Ox that treadeth out the Corn. So God bath ordained, that the)' that pnach the Gojpel, jhould live of the Gojpel, 1 Cor. ix. 9· And, fince this Duty is much neglected alnong fame Chriftian Churches, I fi1all here tranfcribe a Page or two, being Part of a Sermon preached by Mr. N. C. at the Ordination of an Elder in the City of London, 1681. • Thefe vVords call not only for a Maintenance of Minifters, but for fuch a plenti- • ful Contribution, as may make them Partakers with you in all good Things. IfGod • blefs the Congregation with a plentiful Portion of this World's Goods, it is their • Duty to make their Minifter a Party with them in their flourifhing Condition. And, • confidering the Place and Employment he is in, and the Service he attends, it would • be extremely unworthy to think you have done enough, if his prdling Neceffities be • anfwered, while you abound in SuperAuities. If the Congregation be poor, their • Minifter muft be content to be poor with them, yea, rejoice to approve himfdf a • Minifter of Chrift, by Hunger and Nakednefs, if the Providence of God call him • thereto : But whilft it is in the Power of your Hand to provide better for him, God • expect< it from you; and, be not deceived, God is not mocked, neither will he fuffer • his Commands to be fiightec~ and evaded, without rendering a juft Rebuke to the Of– ' fender: For whatfoewr a Man foweth, that jhal( he alfo reap. • Now that you may the better underftand how far you are concerned in rhi• Dmy, • before I proceed to the further preffing of it, let me put you in remembrance: • r. That a Miniller is bound to attend wholly and only upon his Calling in the Mi- • niftry, and not to entangle himfelf in the Affairs of this Life, that he may pleafe him • by whom he is called to this fpiritual vVarfare; and nothing but real Neceffity moy • difpenfe with the contrary. His whole Time and Strength is little enough to be • employed in the Work and Service he is called to. He mufl: give himfelf to the Mi– ' niftry of the Word, and Prayer; and continue in Reading, Meditation, (<?c. as a • Man wholly devoted unto Gofpel-Service; and is therefore, by his Call to the Mini- • ftry, fecluded from thofeWays and Means of providing for his own Subfifience, as the • Trades and fecular Employments of others furnifh them witb, that his Mind, by the • Cares of worldly Bufinefs, may not be diverted from that Study of God's \Vord, a10d • Care of Souls, which the Duty of his Station engagetl1 him to. And if htt may not • expofe himfelf to the careful Thoughts that accompany worldly Bufinefs, thouoh • tending to his Profit; certainly it is no way meet, that he fhould be !eh to conA fa • with the thorny Cares of a neceffitous Condition, whilfl: thofe he rninifl:ers to, have < Means to prevent it. • z. It is no lefs the Duty of a Minifter, than of other Men, to provide for his Fa. · < mily, and, what lies in him, to take care of his Wife and Children, that they may • not be expofcd to a thoufand Miferies and Temptations, when he is gone, r 'l'im. v. 8. • I confefs, of all Men in the World, a covetous, raking Temper worft becomes a • Minifl:er: But we greatly mifhke, if we think he muft diveft himfelf of the due Af- • fection of an Hufband towards his Vl'ife, or of a Father towards his Children. or • that thofe Fruits thereof, which are ju[Uy efl:eemed commendable in others, fh~uld ' be a Fault in him. ' 3· An Elder or Birhop is under a fpecial Charge to ufe f-Iofpitality, and to ftt in 'himfelf a Pattern of Charity, and compaffionate Bounty to poor Souls; and if it be ' his Duty to be hofpitablc and charitable in an eminent Degree, than without Conrro– ' verfy rhe People are concerned to endeavor that he may be capable of giving proof c; of this Grace in him, by [he Exercife of i[ as [here is Occafion. ' Thefc Things being premifed, I fhall !hew you, tha< you lie under the ftronaefl: ~Obligation imaginable w [his Dmy: 0 ' (1 .) By the Law of Nature. • (2.) By the exprt!s Command and Appointment of Chrifl:. ' (3.) On the Account of the great and manifeft Evil and lnconvenienCe, rhat fol– lows the NegleCl: thereof. ' Firfi; The La•v and L ight of Nature cbligeth you to it, as to the Ma,ter of • Eqllity
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