8r6 MIN.IS TERS COMPARED TO "L ABORE "R s. Book IV. • Equity and Ju!tice. And from hence our Aponte rakes his firft Plea, in 1 Cor. ix. 7, · • &c. W'bo goeth a fVarfa re any 'Time at his own Charges? Who planteth a f/ineyard, ' and eateth uot of the Fmit thereof? Or who feedeth a Flock, a;.d eateth not of the Milk • of the Flock? The MiniHry is a \~7arfare, undertaken at the Command of Chrift, for • the Service of your Souls; and it is .as reafonable that the Minifter fhould receive a ' s~pply of outv.ard Things from you, as that a faithful Soldier fhould receive his Pay • from his Captain, at the Charge of the common Wealth, for whofe Good he militates. ' Shall a Man feed a Flock, as a Pallor does, and be denied to eat of the Milk of that ' Flock, which it is h.s Work to keep and feed? Or, is it con!iftent with commo" · ' Juftice, to depnvea .M ,m of the Fruit of that Vineyard, which is planted and ma- ·• nured by his own Labor? Such is the Cafe, in refpd:l of Maintenance, between ~ ' Minifter and the People. Jt is !lOt your Charity that I afk for him, but Juftice and ' Debt that I pleau for: He is employed in your Servtce, and of Hight fhould live ' upon your barge; nay, you have called him off from other Bur,nef>, and there– ' fore his Maintenance is due from you, as is the Wages of your Servant; thouah { -• fear fome give more to the meandl: Servant in their Houfe, than they .are willin~ to ' cio to their Mini!ler. Certainly, if you chufe as you ought, your Minifiers are"not ·' of the loweft of the People, but may be allo~'ed to have a Share of Parts, common • Prudence, and Ability tor Bu!inefs, with mher Men; and could manage Trades, ' or fall into other lomployments, and get Ellates as well as you, if they were not ' devoted to a better Service: And muft they needs be devoted to Nece!flties and Mi– ·• fery, in the fame Hour that they enter upon the Miniftry? My Brethren; this oucrht .., not to be. Let your Minifters have as good a Treatment at leaf\, as the Law p~o·• vided for the Ox that treads out the Corn, who might not be muzzled. Neither was ' this written for the fake of Oxen ; for, doth God take care of Oxm ? or were there · ' no higher End of this Law, than that the brute Creature fhould not be abufed? · ' Certainly there was; And for our fakes no doubt was this written, that be that ·' plottgheth Jhould plougb in Hope; 'and that be that threjheth in Hope, jhou!d be partaker ·' of his Hope: For if we "have fowv unto you JPiritual '!'bings, is it a great 'l'bing if we 'fball reap your camal 'Things? 1 Cor. ix. B-t I. ' Secondly, The Lord bath not left us to argue this only from general Principles of ·' Heafon, and common Equity; but, to put the Matter beyond difpute, hath fuper– ' added his exprefs Command. Thus he provided for his Minifters in the Time of the ' Law, which the Apoftle urgeth in the next Place: 1 Cor. ix. t3. Doye not know, that ' they which minijler about holy 'l'bings, live of the 'l'bings of the 'J'emple? and they which ·• wait at the Altar., are Partakers with the Altar? God did no fooner feparate the Le– ·• vites to the Service ofthe Sanftuary, but he by Law provided for their Sub!iftence; • and though they were b11t one Tribe in Twelve, yet the Tenth of the Increafe of the ' whole Land was given to them, · beftdes the Firft-fruits and Offerings, and divers ' other Advantages; fo that thetr Lot might equal, yea, exceed that of their Brethren. · • This Law indeed is now abrogoted, and we pretend to no Right of tithing your El~ ' tares; but the moral Equity of it can never ceafe: N either hath Chrift left Gofpel– ' Minifters.to the wide World, but bath made Provi!ion for them alfo, fo far as the ln– ' tereft of his Command will go with them that profefs his Name; for fo it follows, 'Ver. 14. Evenfo bath the Lord ordained, that they which preach theGofPel, fbould live ' of the Gofpel. The Laborer is ftill worthy of his Hire, and not the lefs worthy, be– ' caufe he tabors in the Gofpcl. Though indeed; if Men did fully come u,p to their · • Duty, yet !till, the Charge of Gofpel- Wor!hip will appear very inconr,derable, when ' compared .with that of the Law; for, were that my Buonefs, 1 think I could demon– ··• ftrate, that the fifth Part of their Eftates was yearly to be fpent in Things re-lating to • the Temple Service. And if we are lenf.ble of the great Privilege and Hle!flng of the ' Gofpel, on higher AGcounts than meerly the Eafe of thofe' Burdens, we fl1all never 'think much to defray the moderate Charge of a·Gofpel-.Mmtftry, m fuch a Manner as · • may rrivc Heputation to our Profe!flon. ' Thirdly, That you may prevent the Evil and Inconvenience that follows the Negleft • of this Duty, it concerns you cheorfully to prafttce It: 1 mtght have fatd, Evils and •,Inconveniences, as of many, for many there are, and thofe of eafy Obfervation tO an ' unprejudiced Eye; but it is the Difcouragement of Study, which at prefent I chiefly · • aim at. That Study muft needs be dt!couraged, 1 mtend the Study of Theology, by -•. the Peoples N£gleCl ro make a comfortable ProvJfiOn for their Minifters, is too evi- _z 'dent
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