136 The Gofpe! of thé Minj1ratáon of the Legal.IMRio:ifry. '7. The Reflitution-Money for 7"refpafes and Injuries, often fell into their Hands ; which was the principal, with a fifth part fuperadded, Num6, 8. 5. 8. They had a priviledge of exemption from all publick Taxes andAf= feffinents, that were laid on others, granted them by Artaxerxes, Ezra 7 24. All which put together amounts to a very large and ample Mainte- nance. Some have obferved, that the,' the Levites were not equal in Numbers to the one and fortieth part of the Peo'pfe.; yet their Reve- nue and yearly Income was above four times as much, as fell to the tot of the richeft Tribe in all the Land of Canaan ; and that the Temple, and thefe facred Officers of it, had above a third part of the Income of the whole Land. The Inftru&ion which the Apoftle teacheth us out of all this, is the Maintenance of Gofpel- Minifters. He difputes the point at large, r Cor. 9. as from Arguments of all forts, fo from the Equity andRea- fon of this old Temple- Ordinance. ObjeE. But what neceffty is there, that Minifters (hold be maintained by others ? For, can they not follow forne other honefl Calling, and yet preach too ? Anfw. For a Man to follow another Calling, and yet tobe a conilant J'reacher, is neither lawful nor poflïble ordinarily. I. It is not lawful, becaufe it is the Ordinance and Appointment of Jefus Chrift, that the Miniftry fhould be a particular Calling ; that is, that Minifters fhould employ their whole time upon it, s Tim. q.. 53, 14, 15. Be thou wholly in them, give thy feif to reading, &c. To think o. therwife, argues a fecret Contempt of this Calling ; and blindnefs of Heart concerning the Nature of it. Is it fuch a (mall thing in your Eyes to preach the Gofpe! ? That this muff be done as a /rci,s yav, as a Work upon the by, which is of fo great Weight and Concernment, that it requires the whole Man, and the utmoft Improvement of all his Abilities, and of all his Time and Talents for the right difcharging of it. 2. As it is not lawful, fo it is not poffible ordinarily, as no Man may preach conftantly, fo no Man can preach conftantly that follows another Calling. Objet. But try may, by the immediate AfTfiance of the Spirit fay fome: Anfw. I anfwer, the Spirit of God doth not give any fuch immediate Affiftance in thefe Times : And therefore it is Prefumption to expect it. I fay, it is not Faith, but Prefumption toexpect it: For Apofto- lical
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=