A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

§. 18. Of Ministers Maintenance.

THis generall point may well be inferred from Abrahams giving the tenth to Mel∣•…•…, that Gods Ministers who communicate unto us spirituall blessings, are* 1.1 to be made partakers of our temporall commodities. This is almost in these words s•…•…t down by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 8. 11. and again, Gal. 6. 6. Our Lord Christ, and his Apostle witnesseth that a Minister is a 1.2 worthy hereof: Matth. 10. 10. 1 Tim. 5. 18. The Apostle stileth the Ministers allowance b 1.3 wages: for it is as due to him, as wages is due to a servant, Souldier, workman, or any other that taketh paines for our good. The Apostle exemplifieth the equity of this by a Souldiers living upon his warfare: by a Vine-dressers partaking of the fruit of it; by a shepheards living upon the flock; by an oxes eating of the corn that he treadeth out; by a plough∣•…•…, threashers, reapers, and other workmens living upon their paines, yea, and of the Levites partaking of the sacrifices that they prepared, 1 Cor. 9. 7, &c.

• 1. Iustice requires as much, and this is implyed under these words, worthy, wages,* 1.4 Luke 10. 7. This therefore is one of those dues which the Apostle would have Christians to render, Rom. 13. 7. and that upon these and other like •…•…onsidera∣tions.* 1.5
  • 1. Ministers use to spend the prime of their age in fitting themselves to this cal∣ling. They might otherwise have fitted themselves to another calling, whereupon they might have lived with greater plenty.
  • 2. Their friends, for the most part, have been at great costs in training them up hereunto.
  • 3. They are deprived of other meanes of maintenance, by attending upon this calling.
  • 4. The paines required to this calling useth to be very great: both while they are in fitting and preparing themselves thereto, and also when they come to exercise the same. Ministers are many times at their study, while o∣thers are asleep, and have no other witnesse of their paines but their can∣dle, which teacheth them to spend themselves in giving light to others.
  • 5. The benefit received by their paines is invaluable. No calling affords grea∣ter. It concerneth the soul: the spirituall and eternall good thereof. If therefore recompence be given to men of other callings, much more to Ministers of the word.
• 2. Gratefulnesse should move people to recompence their Ministers; for good* 1.6 must be requi•…•…ed with good. This was one reason whereby Abraham was moved to give the tenth to Melchisedec. This is acceptable to God and man.
• 3. Wisdome should induce men hereunto, That Ministers might thereby more di∣ligently* 1.7 attend their calling: and be better enabled to go through the work of it: and so their people receive the more good from them. Daily wants whereby Mini∣sters are forced otherwise to provide for themselves and families, do make them more negligent in their calling. Men will well feed their beasts, that they may do the more and better work, 1 Cor. 9. 9.
• 4. That homage which they owe unto God, should most of all stir up people to* 1.8 be liberall to their Minister. For Ministers stand to them in Gods roome, 2 Cor. 5. •…•…0. What is given to them, as Ministers of the word, is given to God. The Apo∣stle

• therefore saith of that the Philippians sent him, I have received an 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sweet smell, A sacrifice acceptable, and well pleasing to God, Phil. 4. 18. In this •…•…∣spect God doth account himself robbed by such as withhold from his Ministers 〈◊〉〈◊〉 due, Mal. 3. 8, 9. For under the Law first fruits, tithes and all manner of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which were given to Priests and Levites, were accounted to be given to the Lord.

People therefore ought for the Lords sake, (Ioh. 13. 20.) for their soules 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ (Heb. 13. 17.) and for their own incomparable advantage (Matth. 10. 41.) to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to their Ministers what is meet.

Many imagine that under the Gospell there is no Law to bind people to give 〈◊〉〈◊〉* 1.9 thing to their Minister: and that what in this kind they do is a meer bene•…•…▪ and an arbitrary gratuity. But that which hath been before set down, doth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 eutly manifest, that people are bound by the strongest bonds that can be to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their Ministers: namely, Gods charge and invaluable benefits received. What 〈◊〉〈◊〉 binds men to give such liberall fees, as they ordinarily do, to Lawyers, and Physici∣ans? Were they as sencible of their spirituall good, as they are of their bod•…•… welfare, and temporall estate, they would be as liberall to their Ministers 〈◊〉〈◊〉 others.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Temporals due to such as bring spiritu∣als.
• a 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• b 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  Motives for Ministers maintenance.
• * 1.5

  1. Justice.
• * 1.6

  2. Grateful∣nesse.
• * 1.7

  3. Prudence.
• * 1.8

  4. Duty 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God.
• * 1.9

  Ministers al∣lowance not arbitrary.