And particularly, to be maintained by his Ministry :

301

bas, have we not Power to nions, that it should rob me of the Liberties Sect. 16. forbear Working.

7 Who goeth a Warfare any Time at his own. Charges? Who planteth a Vineyard, and eateth not of the Fruit thereof? Or eateth not of the Milk of

who feedeth a Flock, and

the Flock?

8 Say I thefe Things as a Man? Or faith not the

Law the fame alfo ?

9 For it is written in the Law of Mofes, Thou fhalt the Ox that treadeth out the Corn,

not muzzle the Mouth of

others have; fo that I only and Barnabas (d),
fhould not have Power to decline working with our I Cor. IX. 6.
own Hands for a Maintenance, while we are
preaching the Gospel? I might here infist in-
deed on the natural Equity of the Thing, that
they, who devote themfelves to the Service of
the Publick, fhould be fupported by the Pub-
lick, whom they ferve. Who, for Inftance, ever
goes to War at his own Charge? The Community
furnishes out Provision for those who guard it,
and fight its Battles. And if the Services of a
Soldier deferve that Maintenance, which, while
engaged in Defence of their Country, Men can-
not earn, how much more may it be expected by
us, who daily hazard our Lives, as well as wear
them out, for Men's everlasting Happiness? Who
planteth a Vineyard, and doth not expect to eat of
its Fruit? Or who feedeth a Flock, and doth not
think he hath a Right to eat of the Milk of the
Flock? And if it be judged reasonable, that Men
should have an Equivalent for their Labours about
natural Things, and the Accommodations of the
Body, is it not more evidently fo, when the Fe-
licity of immortal Souls is concerned?

9

But do I speak thefe Things merely as a Man, 8
upon Principles of human Reafon alone, and
doth not the Jewish Law Speak alfo the fame?
For there is a Paffage in the facred Volume, on
which the like Argument may be built, (I mean,
Deut. xxv. 4.) where it is written, even in the
Law of Mofes itself, for which fome have fo diftin-
guishing a Regard, "Thou shalt not muzzle the
Ox, that treadeth out the Corn (e), but fhalt allow
the
poor Animal to feed, while it is labouring for
thee,

(d) I only, and Barnabas.] From this Expreffion one would indeed think, that the Judaizing Chriftians, who were the main Caufe of St. Paul's Uneafinefs in this Refpect, had a peculiar Spleen against thofe two Apofiles of the Uncircumcifion; who were fo inftrumental in procuring and publishing the Jerufalem Decree, which determined the Controverfy fo directly in Favour of the believing Gentiles.It feems probable from the 12th Verfe, that Barnabas fupported himself by the Labour of his Hands, when at Corinth, as well as St. Paul.

(e) That treadeth out the Corn.] It is well known, that this was the Cuftom in Judea,

302

Which be argues from Scripture and Equity:

Sect. 16. thee, in the Midft of Food: A Circumftance, Corn. Doth GOD take Care in which its Hunger would be peculiarly pain- for Oxen?

1 Cor. IX. 9. ful. Now is GOD fo folicitous about Oxen, that

he intended this Precept merely for their Relief? 10 Or doth be fay [this] with a farther View, and on the whole (f), for our Sakes? Surely, we may conclude, he intended fuch Precepts as thefe, relating to Compaffion to the Brutes, in fome Mea fure at least for our Sakes; to humanize the Heart with generous and compaffionate Sentiments, and to make Men much more tender to each other, where their various Interefts are con cerned. I may therefore apply it to the Cafe before us, as entirely comprehended in his extenfive [it]

II

univerfal Views; and fay, for us indeed wast

written, that the neceffary Offices of Life might
be more chearfully performed, in the Expecta
tion of fuch due Acknowledgments: That be
who ploweth, might plow in Hope of Succefs, and.
that he, who threfheth in fuch Hope, fhould not
be disappointed, but should in proper Time pan-
take of his Hope, and poffefs the Good, for whicht
he has laboured. And furely, amidst his Care:
for others who are in meaner Offices of Life,
GOD could not intend, that the Minifters of the
Gospel alone fhould be funk under continual Dif-
couragement, Neglect, and Ill-ufage.h

10 Or faith he it altogether for our Sakes? For our

Sakes, no Doubt, this is
written: That he that plow-
eth, fhould plow in Hope;
and that he that threfheth
of his Hope.
in Hope, fhould be Partaker

11 If we have fown unto you fpiritual Things, is

reap your carnal Things?

$97 to 20 sit

And indeed when we confider, what great Benefactors these Perfons are, to the Souls amongst it a great Thing if we thallwhom they labour with Succefs, the Reafonablenefs of the Conclufion will appear beyond all Contradiction. For if we by our inceffant Dili gence in preaching to you the Gofpel of the bleffed GOD, have fown unto you fpiritual Things, which may fpring up in a Harveft of eternal Bleffings, [is it] any great Matter, that we should reap your carnal Things? Is there the leaft Propor

and other Eastern Nations. It is ftill retained by many of them, and particularly in Ceylon Raphelius has produced Paffages from Xenophon, which fomething illuftrate it.

(f) On the whole.] It cannot be thought, that God had no Regard at all to the Brutecreatures, in fuch Precepts as thefe; and therefore I thought it better to render mails, on the whole, than entirely or altogether, tho' that Senfe is more frequent.

(8) Partake

Yet he had waved this Right in Condefcenfion to them.

303 tion between any Thing, which your Liberality Sect. 16. can impart to us, and that which we have been the happy Inftruments of imparting to you?

This is the Priviledge of Minifters in general,
and it is a Priviledge, which, you well know,
fome of them have exerted. And if others are
fo readily allowed to partake of [this] Power over
you (g), [hall not we rather claim it, with yet
more evident and apparent Reafon, who have
been the Means, not only of edifying and in-
structing you, but likewife of calling you into
the Profeffion of Christianity? But we have not
made Ufe of this Power, tho' founded in such evi-
dent and various Principles of Equity. But we
rather choose to endure all Things, the Fatigues.
of Labour, and Inconveniencies of frequent Ne-
ceffity, that we may not occafion any Hindrance to
the Gospel of Christ (b), from the Cavils of ill-dif-
pofed People, who are always watchful for Op-
portunities to mifreprefent and cenfure our Con-
duct.

But tho' I do not now afk any Thing of this
Kind for myfelf, yet I will not give up
the Juf-
tice of the Demand. And I might farther fup-
port it, from the Provifion, which God made
for the Priefts and Levites, under the Mofaick
Law. Know ye not therefore, that they who are
employed about holy Things, are fed out of the Pro-
vifions which belong to the Temple, and [that]
they who wait upon the Service of the Altar, are
Partakers with the Altar, in, a Part of the Vic-
tims offered on it, particularly the Vows, and.
the

(8) Partake of [this] Power, &c.] Mr. Pyle thinks, this refers to the other Apostles of Chrift; but I rather think St. Paul intended to glance on the falfe Teachers, who carried their Claims of this Right to fuch an exorbitant Height, tho' their Services had been by no Means comparable to thofe of the Apoftle. Compare 2 Cor. xi. 20.—Mr. Locke woxld here read gas up, of your Subftance; but Mat. x. 1. John xvii. 2. and many other Places, prove that eolas uuwv, may properly be rendered, Power over you.

(b) Hinderance to the Gospel.] From the Conduct of the other Apoftles, and of St. Paul at other Places, particularly among the Macedonian Churches, we may conclude, that he might fee fome Circumstances at Corinth, (not neceffary for us exactly to know,) which determined him to decline accepting of any Subfiftence from them while he refided there.

I Cor. IX.

13

12.

(i) Live

304

Reflections on the Right Minifters have to be maintanted.

Sect. 16. the Sacrifices of Peace-offerings:

And it is

14 Even fo hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the Gofpel, fhould - live of the Gospel.

farther to be confidered, that fo alfo, that is, on Cor. IX. Principles like thefe, the Lord Jefus Chrift

44.

felf bath exprefsly commanded and ordained, that
they who preach the Gospel fhould live and fubfift
upon the Gospel (i); when he declares, as your
know more than one of the Evangelifts affures
us he did," that the Labourer is worthy of his
"Hire." Compare Mat. x. 10. Luke x. 7.

M

IMPROVEMENT.

AY the Difciples of Christ learn from thefe Inftructions, to bonour the Lord with their Subftance, and the First-fruits of all their Increase! And may they feel thofe happy Effects attending the Miniftration of the Gospel, and reap fuch an abundant Harvest of Spiritual Bleffings, that the imparting temporal Subfiftence and Accommodation, to those who are the Inftruments of conveying them, may not be Matter of Conftraint, but of free and affectionate Choice! May the Minifters of Chrift, while they thankfully accept of that Subfiftence, which Providence, by the Inftrumentality of their Brethren, fends them, ever act a moderate and generous Part, and maintain fuch a vifibleSuperiority to all fecular Views, as may do an Honour to the Gospel, and command Veneration to themselves!

May the fecular Advantages of the Office never invite bad Men into it; nor its Difcouragements deter good Men, from undertaking it. And whatever Cenfures a malignant World, who themselves know not any higher Motive than Self-intereft, fhall pafs, may the Minifters of Jefus, ever have a Teftimony in their Confciences, that they feek not the Properties, but the Souls, of their Hearers!

Let us attend to the humane Genius of the Mofaick Law, manifefted in the Precepts, which relate even to the Brutes. And remember, that it is the Character, and fhould be the Care, of a merciful Man, to extend Mercy to his Beaft. Much more then let us fhare Compaffion to our Fellow-men. Let us not defire to enjoy the Benefit of their Labours, even

in

(i) Live upon the Gofpel.] Mr. Mede underftands varyior of the Reward given for bringing a good Meffage, (See Diatrib. in Loc.) and fhews, that the Word fometimes has that Meaning in Heathen Authors: But it is a very uncommon Signification in the Sacred, and therefore not to be admitted, without farther Proof.-That Man might be faid to live on the Gospel, who was maintained for preaching it; as he might be faid to live on the Temple, who was fupported out of it's Income, for miniftering there, tho' the Word Tem ple has the ufual Signification.

He did not mention this, to refume the Right he had waved;

305 in the lowest Employments of Life, without giving them fome valuable Sect. 16. Equivalent. Let us bear towards all, the Hearts of equitable and generous Brethren, and conftantly with the Profperity and Happiness of the human Family. On the whole, may there be between the Teachers, and those who are taught by them, a continual Intercourfe of benevolent Affections, and friendly Actions; as becomes thofe, who ftand in such an endearing Relation to each other, and have, as Chriftians, the Honour of being intimately related to that bleffed Redeemer, who fought not his own Things, but ours, and hath thereby laid the strongest Engagement upon us, if we have any Spark of Gratitude and Honour, not to feek our own Things, but his!

The Apostle illuftrates the Condefcenfion and Tenderness of his Conduct towards the Corinthians, in declining to accept of their Contributions; and fpeaks of his Self-denial under a very expreffive Simile, taken from those who contended in thofe Grecian Games, with which they were familiarly acquainted. I Cor. IX. 15, to the End.

I CORINTHIANS IX. 15. BUT I have ufed none of thefe Things. Nei

ther have I written these

fo done unto me: For it

I CORINTHIANS IX. 15.

17.

I Cor. IX.

15.

HAVE thought it my Duty, in the fore- Sect. going Discourse, to plead the natural and the Things, that it should be Evangelical Rights, which (the Minifters of the were better for me to die, Gofpel have, to be maintained by the People, to than whofe fpiritual Edification they give their Time and Labours. But you well know that I myself, during my Abode among you, have used none of thefe Things, nor have I written thus, that if, according to my Purpose and Hope, I ever should vifit you again, it should hereafter be fo done unto me. I think of the generous and Self-denying Part, which I have acted among you, in declining, for fome particular Reasons to take a Maintenance, with a Pleasure fo great, that I may even say, [it were] better for me to die for

VOL. IV.

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