person of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Their work is to treat of peace between God and man, or of open hostility between the Creator and the creature, 2 Cor. v. 19, 20.

7. Their reward from God is honourable. Though the world crown them with thorns as it did their Lord and Master before them, yet God will crown them with honour. They shall shine as the stars in the firmament, Dan. xii. 3. You know ambassadors have not preferments while they are abroad, but when they come home into their own country, then their princes prefer them, and put much honour upon them. So will God deal with his ambassadors. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and in vain, yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my reward with my God. Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength, Isa. xlix. 4, 5. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish, 2 Cor. ii. 15. Ministers shall be rewarded according to their faithfulness and diligence, though some perish. It shall be with them, as with vine-dressers. You know, vine dressers are rewarded according to their diligence and faithfulness, though some vines never bear, nor bring forth fruit at all. As ministers are diligent and faithful, so the reward, the crown shall be given full at last. This is many a faithful minister's grief, that he takes a great deal of pains in rubbing and washing, as it were, to make souls white and clean, pure and holy, and yet they remain, after all, as black as hell; but surely their reward shall never be the less with God. The nurse looks not for her wages from the child, but from the parent. If ministers, like clouds, sweat themselves to death, that souls may be brought to life, great will be their reward, though those souls should perish for ever, for whom they have wept, sweat, and bled.

God will not deal by faithful ministers, as Xerxes did

by his steersman, who crowned him in the morning, and beheaded him in the evening of the same day. No, God will set an everlasting crown upon their heads, who remain laborious and faithful to the death. The world for all their pains will crown them with thorns, but God at last will crown them with glory; he will set a crown of pure gold upon their heads for ever. And thus you have the point proved.

II. The second thing that I am to do, is is to shew you what honour that is which is justly due to faithful ministers.

Now this I shall shew you in three things; there is a three-fold honour that is due unto them.

1. Honourable countenance is due to them that are in so honourable a place and office as they are in. Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God, 1 Cor. iv. 1. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake; or, to esteem them more than exceedingly, or, more than abundantly, as the Greek will bear, I Thess. v. 12, 13. And so in 1 Tim. v. 17; Let the elders that rule well be. accounted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. The Greek word that is here rendered labour, signifies not simply to labour, but to labour with much travail and toil, to labour even to lassitude, as he does that cleaves wood, or that toils in harvest, or that goes a warfare. Preaching is a most painful work, and enfeebles a man exceedingly, whence the prophet cries out, My leanness, my leanness, Isa. xxiv. 16. No pains, no labour, no work, like that of the brain, like that of the mind; and none so worthy of praise, as those that are most in that labour, in that work. No men's work is so holy and heavenly, as their's; and no men's work is so high and honourable, as their's; and therefore none deserve to be more honoured than they, though not for their own sakes, yet for their work's sake. Shall Turks and papists so highly esteem and honour every hedge priest of their's, above their merits? and shall not Christians much more honour their faithful ministers?

Faithful ministers must have countenance, as well as maintenance; they must have reverence as well as recompence. You are not to nod the head, and put out the lip, to scoff, and mock, and jeer at them. And my temptation which was in my flesh, ye despised not, nor rejected, but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus, Gal. iv. 14, When Ehud told the king of Moab, I have a message to thee from God, O king, he rose from his throne, and bowed himself, Judg. iii. 20. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Isa. lii. 7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet! What is their face then? What is their doctrine then? Their very feet when dirty and dusty are yet very beautiful and lovely.

It was a common saying at Constantinople, that it was better the sun should not shine, than that Chrysostome should not preach.

I have read of one who said, if he should meet a preacher, and an angel together, he would first salute the preacher, and then the angel afterward. If you do not give them honourable countenance, Jews and Turks, papists and pagans, will in the great day of account rise up against you, and condemn you. I could say much of what I have observed in other nations and countries concerning this thing, but I shall forbear. Should I speak what I have seen, many professors might well blush.

The Grecians used to give far greater respect and honour to their philosophers, than to their orators, because that their orators did only teach them to speak well, but their philosophers did teach them to live well. O what honour then is due to them that do teach you both to speak well and to live well; both how to be happy here, and how to be blessed hereafter! And thus you see that honourable countenance is due to faithful ministers.

2. There is an honour of maintenance, as well as an honour of countenance that is due to them. Let the elders that rule well be accounted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth

out the corn, and the labourer is worthy of his reward, 1 Tim. v. 17, 18. It was not the manner in the eastern countries to thresh out corn as we do, but their oxen trod it out; to which the apostle allegorically compares laborious pastors, who after a sort crush out that corn of which the bread of life is made. Let him that is taught in the word, communicate to him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for what a man soweth, that shall he also reap, Gal. vi. 6,7. Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charge? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen! or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he that ploweth should plow in hope, and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 1 Cor. ix. 7-11. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves, for the workman is worthy of his meat, Mat. x. 9, 10. God's appointment in all these texts, bespeaks it. Again; you may consider the necessity of it. How shall they go on in their warfare, if they are troubled with the things of this life. Again they are to give themselves wholly to the work of the ministry. And again; the equity and justice of the duty Christ and the apostle shews, in the fore-named scriptures, Mat. x. 10; 1 Cor. ix. 10. The maintenance of the minister should be so free and so liberal, as may testify that you honour him in your hearts, and as may keep him from contempt and scorn in the world. There are multitudes who grumble at the expense of a penny for the maintenance of those divine candles that waste themselves to give light to them, who will rather die to save charges, than spend a little money to save their lives, yea, their souls. They like well of religion without expense, and a gospel without charge, but if it grow costly, it is none of their money. The scripture

says, Buy the truth, and sell it not; you can never overbuy it, whatsoever you give for it; you can never suf ficiently sell it, if you had all the world in exchange for it.

It is said of Cæsar, that he had greater care of his books, than of his royal robes; for swimming through the water to escape his enemies, he carried his books in his hand above the water, but lost his robes. But, alas! what are Cesar's books to God's book? The word is the field, and Christ is the treasure that is hid in that field. The word is a ring of gold, and Christ is the pearl in that ring of gold, and is it then worth nothing? Many deal with faithful, painful ministers, as carriers do with their horses; they lay heavy burdens upon them, and exact work enough, and give them but easy commons, and then to recompense this, they hang bells at their ears and necks; they shall be commended and applauded for brave excellent preachers, and for great pains-takers. That maintenance which is justly due to the ministers of the gospel, is honourable; it ought to be suitable to their condition and dignity. The maintenance that is due to them, is of the same nature with that which is given to princes and magistrates by those who are under them, and not a common maintenance which superiors give to their inferiors, or servants.

3. There is an honour of obedience and service that is due to them. And indeed, of all honours this is the greatest honour that can be cast upon a faithful minister, the honour of obedience. Remember them that have the rule over you, who have spoken to you the word of God, Heb. xiii. 7. And ver. 17; Obey them that rule over you. O submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. Obey them that have the rule over you. The word that is rendered rule over you, in the seventh and seventeenth verses, signifies captains, guides. Faithful ministers are your captains, they are your guides, they are your chieftains, they are your champions that bear the brunt of the battle, the heat of the day; and therefore you must obey them, even as soldiers do their captains. So in 2 Thess. iii. 14; And if any man obey not our words, note