But the great errour, of the generality of professed Christians, lies in not making a right distinction between the works that men do in their own will, and by the leadings of their own carnal wisdom, and those works that the true believer does, in the will and wisdom of God. For although the former, let them consist in what they will, whether in prayers, or preaching, or any other devotional exercises, are altogether evil: so on the contrary, those of the latter, let them consist in what they may, whether in ploughing, in reaping, or in any handicraft labour, or in any other service, temporal or spiritual, as they will in all be accompanied with the peace and presence of their heavenly Father, so all they do, will be righteous, and will be imputed to them as such. And these, and these only, will witness the blessing pronounced by the royal psalmist, where he saith: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” And who are those whom the royal prophet here designates; why none but such as have carefully and strictly adhered to the teaching of the grace of God; and who by its teaching and aid have denied themselves of all ungodliness, and worldly lusts; and have come to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. And in order to prove the consistency of Christian ministers taking pay, and making contracts with the people for their preaching, and letting themselves out to the highest bidders, he brought forward quotations from the same Paul, who is so very severe against hirelings; showing, both by his example and precepts, that it is more blessed to give than to receive; and that parents or leaders ought to care for the children, and not the children for the parents. The quotations he brought forward were founded principally on these two passages from the epistle to the Corinthians: “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple, and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.”