Claims of the Gospel Ministry to an Adequate Support [pp. 180-201]

Claim.s of the Gospel Ministry
Let tlemn take away'the excuse and occasion for this evil, and
then will they have a right to (lemand the entire time and
attention of those who labour in word and doctrine.
Few perhaps are sufficiently sensible of the magnitude of
the evils which result from ministers being so much engaged
in secular concerns. Ministers are of like passions with
other men. Their characters are influenced or formed by
their circumstances, as is the case with others. They cannot take coals into their bosom without being burned. If
forced to be men of business, they will have more or less of
the character of secular men. Gain will become to them a
definite object of pursuit. Success will increase the disposition
to acquire; and they will gradually become more interested
in their agricultural or commercial enterprises than in their
ministry. Their peculiar official duties are secondary objects. The Sabbath is given to preaching; the week to
worldly business. How often matters reach this extremnity,
we are not prepared to say. But such is the tendency. It
would be little short of a miracle if, as a general rule, a set
of men, who are obliged to devote the greater part of their
time to secular business, should retain their spirituality and
devotedness as ministers of the gospel. If their whole object
in labouring, was to obtain means to preach the gospel, as
was the case with Paul, they would doubtless like Paul keep
the world and its concerns entirely subordinate in their affections and attention to their great work. But every one
knows how easy and gradual is the transition from one state
of mind to another. When a minister once sets himself to
make money, he must be an extraordinary man, or have an
extraordinary measure of grace, if he keep himself within the
strict limnit of supporting himself and family; and if he continues to labour not for gain, but that he may preach the gospel.
Why should the feet of ministers be placed on such a slippery declivity, where so few have been able to retain their
standing? Why should the people force them to run a risk
so perilous both to themselves and others? This is the way
to train up a worldly ministry; a ministry more concerned
about the things of this world, than the spiritual welfare of
their people. It is not from selfish motives that the clergy
need complain of their inadequate support. For one of the
surest ways to make a clergyman rich, is to give him an insufficient salary. He is then thrown on his own resources.
He commences teaching, or farming, or speculating. If an
educated man, he has great advantage over his ordinary com
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