angels; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of the least of these, ye did it not to ME. E. S. For the Panoplist. CONCERT OF PRAYER. " desirable. Ir is known to the religious public, that the first Monday evening in every month is observed, as a season of special and united prayer for missionaries, by many Christians in Europe, by some in America, and by the missionaries, their families, and congregations, in Asia and Africa. That the number of pious persons, who regularly unite in this concert, should be as great as possible, is certainly Christians will do well to consider, whether they Gan spend that evening more usefully in reference to their own spiritual improvement, or more beneficially to the cause of Christ, than by swelling the multitude of those, who are then with one heart, though in far distant places, and in different languages, earnestly beseeching their heavenly Father to send his Gospel to the heathen, and cause it to be received by all nations. It has been contemplated by some pastors and members of Our churches to establish a cocert of prayer for our nation, now suffering under a great calamity; a concert in which the pious should intercede for our guilty land, confess our national sins, and supplicate a return of peace, a reformation of morals, and a general revival of religion. Why cannot all these objects be united in one concert, to be held at the time above-mentioned? That the objects are impor tant no one will question; that they are such as all Christians can join in promoting, is equally clear. The thought of concert in prayer is peculiarly pleasing, and tends powerfully to excite devotional feelings. Should such a plan as is here hinted at go into operation, the topics can be ar ranged in some such manner as the following; viz. 1. Prayer for the heathen;that missionaries may speedily be sent into all the unevangelized regions of the earth;-that a great and effectual door may be opened for their labors;-that they may be faithful and laborious men, suitably qualified for their station, and largely endowed with the spirit of Christ; that all, who have the direction of missionaries, may have wisdom to discern the fittest places, for immediate action, and zeal to discharge their duties without wavering or fainting, and with steadfast faith in Christ, as the great Patron of missionary exertions. 2. Prayer for our own couptry; that peace may be speedily restored, and, if restored speedily, that it may be followed by proofs of national gratitude;-that the effect of public calamities may be a thorough reformation;—that the Sabbath may be kept holy, profaneness and other immoralities cease, all charitable and public-spirited designs prosper, the means of grace be diligently used, and the renewing, refreshing, and sancti. fying influences of the Spirit be generally experienced. 3. Prayer for all ministers of the Gospel; that they may be strong in faith, fervent in prayor, unwearied in labors, and wholly given to their work; that their numbers may be in creased in proportion to the exigencies of the churches and of the world; that, for this purpose, great multitudes of pious young men may be educated end put into the ministry, in evary Christian country, and every other country so fast as it shall become Christian, till the number of evangelical laborers shall be adequate to the extent of the harvest; that all the true shep herds may be known and received by the flock, while all wolves in sheep's clothing are also recognized and shunned;-that all blind guides may be convinced of their blindness, and apply to Christ for spiritual sight; and that all faithful servants of Christ, however separated at present by unessential differences, may cordially unite in the same great labor of love. 4. Prayer for the rulers of every nation; that they may fear God and hate covetousness, and resist the ten thousand temptations by which they are beset;that they may lay aside sloth, ease, and indulgence, and apply themselves laboriously to promote the real and permanent good of their subjects;-that they may discard foolish national jealousies, and perceive that the highest prosperity of any na tion is perfectly compatible with the highest prosperity of every other nation;that they may know and feel, that elevation to public office is not desirable on any other account than as furnishing the means of usefulness; that they may live mindful of the account which they must render to God for all their opportunities of doing good;-and that the people may joyfully submit to all the laws and recommendations which are calcu lated to promote their best in terests. 5. Prayer for all men;-that the vice and ignorance, the injustice and violence, the hatred of the truth and love of falsehood, which deform and pollute this guilty world, may be uni versally forsaken;--that God would speedily interpose and deliver mankind from those tremendous evils, which have converted the earth into one vast field of blood; and that Christ may be hailed from the rising to the setting sun, as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. That all the above-mentioned topics make a part of the daily and weekly supplications of the people of God admits not of a doubt; but I am not therefore. convinced that such a concert, as is here contemplated, would be useless. On the contrary, I believe it would powerfully tend to awaken in Christians a juster feeling of their duties and obligations, than they have generally experienced hitherto. A. B. REVIEW. XXXIX. Withholding a suitable support from the Ministers of Religion is robbing God: A Sermon preached to the Pres byterian congregation in Plattsburgh, N. Y. Sept. 26, 1813. By WILLIAM R. WEEKS, at that time pastor of said congregation. Albany. Printed for the Author. 1814. pp. 28. THIS sermon is introduced by a series of observations, all tending to the conclusion, that a minister is bound to declare all the counsel of God to the people of his charge, and to explain and urge offensive doctrines and disagree able duties, however painful the task may be. It is added, that there is one duty, "which ministers are apt to pass over in silence, though it is intimately connected with the best interests of their people, and is of vital importance to the cause of Christ." The duty here refer red to is that of making provision for the suitable support of the ministers of the Gospel. The text is Mal. iii, 8. Will a man rob God? yet ye have rob. bed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. From this passage of Scrip. ture Mr. W. enforces the doc. trine, which he has placed as the title of his discourse, and which he illustrates by inquiring, first, what is a suitable support of the ministers of religion; secondly, when a people may be said to withhold it; and thirdly, whether, in such a case, they are guilty of robbing God. In the inquiry as to a suitable support, Mr. W. examines what was provided for the ministers of religion under the Old Testament dispensation, and then establishes the following rules on this subject, viz. That the ministers of religion should have it in their power to be honest; to be respectable; to be charitable; to make improvement in the manner of discharging the duties of their calling; to educate their children; and to make some provision for their families, in case they should be removed by death. These positions are satisfactorily proved; they are, indeed, at first view, perfectly reasonable. Under the second head it is urged, that a congregation may be said to withhold a suitable. support from a minister, when they do not make any permanent provision for it; when they refuse to contribute their equal proportion, according to their property, for this purpose; when thy make engagements, but never fulfil them; when they promise a sufficient support, but do not punctually comply with their promise; and when they do not increase the nominal amount. of a stipulated salary, upon a decrease of its value. The remaining head of discourse, and the application, are well worthy of the perusal of all, who are desirous of knowing and performing their duty. We cannot give even an abstract, without excluding a paragraph which we have selected as a fair specimen of the sermon. We must therefore refer our readers te the discourse itself, assuring them, that they will find abundant evidence of a vigorous mind, employed in urging powerful considerations, and in establishing sound conclusions. The following paragraph is yecommended, as a useful discussion of a topic, which is not unfrequently brought forward with a view to prejudice the people against regular ministers of the Gospel. "In the light of this subject, we see, that there is no reason to charge ministers with being hirelings, because they elaim and receive a suitable support from their people. There is a great hue and ery made, at this day, against those ministers who claim a suitable support from their people, as though they were hireKings; and some who pretend to be preachers of the Gospel themselves, are foremost in this clamor. But if claiming and receiving a suitable support, makes a man a hireling, then Paul was a hireling. For he says, he took wages of the church, and that for preaching. If this makes a man a hireling, then Christ taught his disciples to be hirelings. For he told them to anake no provision for themselves, when they went forth to preach, because the laborer is worthy of his HIRE. They should receive their wages where they persformed their work. But receiving wages is not what makes a man a hireling. It is elfishness, which constitutes a man a hireAing. A man is a hireling, when the gain s his principal object. That preacher is hireling, who cares only for what he can get, but cares not for the flock. That nan is a hireling, who enters the ministry from any selfish motive; not only he who does it for the sake of gain, but he who does it for the sake of honor and distinction, because he loves to have the preeminence. There is little reason to think that men enter the ministry, at this day, who are qualified for the other learned professions, for the sake of gain. But there is reason to fear that some undertake to preach, who are not qualified for this, or any other learned profession, merely from an aspiring, ambitious spirit, that will not be content with the humble station for which Providence has qualified them. These are the true hireling preach. ers, notwithstanding their loud professions of disinterestedness. Paul was charged with being a hireling, by the false teachers of his day. They made so great a clamor at Corinth, about his receiving pay for preaching, that he thought it expedent to wave his right, in that place, and to take wages of other churches, while he preached to them. They made this amor, in order to destroy his influence, that they might take his place. To cut off occasion from them, he dispensed with his right. But he was very careful to inform the Corinthians of the true reason of his doing so, that they might not conclude it was because it is wrong to receive pay for preaching. He says, 2 Cor. xi, 8, I robbed other churches, TAKING WAGES OF THEM TO DO YOU SERVICE. And then he expresses his determination to do so still And afterwards he says, Wherefore? Because I love you not? God knoweth. He was sensible that to those who esteem ed it a privilege to honor the Lord with their substance, by supporting his ministers, it would seem in hin. like a want of love for them, if he declined it. He assures them that this was not the reason, and adds, But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. They gloried in their disinterestedness, in preaching the Gospel without any pay. And he thought best, in this particular instance, to, cut off occasion from them, by doing so too. But he tells us, in the following verses, what was the character of these disinterestedness, and raised such a clamor men, who made such a parade of their against him, because he took pay for preaching. He says, 'For such are fulse apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness. No; there is no foundation for the charge against faithful ministers, of being hirelings, merely because they claim and receive that support, which to withhold is robbing God. And when people raise this clamor against them, for receiving what God commands to be given them, we have reason to conclude it is done merely to excuse themselves from paying any thing,—that is merely as a cloak for their covetousness. And when pretended preachers are foremost in this clamor, we have reason to suspect they have some sinister design, which they wish. to conceal by a great show of disinterested benevolence." pp. 24, 25. It is very remarkable, that those persons, who make the greatest clamor on the subject of hirelings, always lay great stress on a passage of Scripture which is directly against them. We refer to our Savior's direction to his disciples not to take with them either bread, or money, or a staff, or two coats apiece;' which direction is enforced by this express reason, that the laborer is worthy of his hire. That this passage should be al leged as conclusive against giving or receiving hire for preaching, is indeed wonderful. It is a striking instance of the manner in which any thing, and every thing, may be alleged to be proved from Scripture. Some of the disciples of our Lord were probably able to make provision for themselves, during their short excursions, into the neighboring towns and villages: but this he absolutely forbids them to do. They might not even take a little bread in a wal. let, nor a staff on which to support their weary steps. Why? Because it was to be a law from the very first promulgation of the Gospel, that the minister of the Gospel should derive his support, all the articles of comfort and necessity, from the people for whom he labored. But suppose the people would not open their houses to these first preachers; might they not then provide for themselves. No; far from it. In that case, the rejected messenger of the Lord was to shake off the dust of his feet, as a testimony against them;as a token, that by rejecting an ambassador of Christ, they had rejected Christ himself, and were exposed to aggravated condemi.- ation. RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. ABPORT OF THE DIRECTORS TO THE TWENTIETH GENERAL MEETING OF THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY, MAY 15, 1814. (Concluded from p. 377, vol. x.) GANJAM. MR. LEE, who was at Vizagapatam, has removed, with the consent of his brethren, and at the invitation of some friends of religion, to Ganjam, a populous town on the coast. Here he is surrounded not only by a vast body of the natives, but also by a multitude of Portuguese and country-born people. When we last heard from him, he was about to open a school for children of the latter description, and another for the natives, in which he would teach both English and Gentoo, and thereby have another opportunity of introducing and explaining the doctrines of the Gospel. The attendance of Europeans and others on public worship was encouraging. About one hundred per sons attend twice on the Lord's day, and hear the word with seriousness, and he hopes with good effect. In the morning he reads the church service before the sermon. He wishes that more Missionaries may be seut to assist him. TRAVANCORE. MR. RINGELTAUBE still resides at Magilady, near Oodagherry, in Travancore, and continues his labors at several villages in that neighborhood. In the summer of 1812, he took a journey to the eastward, and at Negapatam was happy to meet with some of the fruits of Mr. Vos's ministry at that place. His successor has a flourishing school there. At Tranquebar he had a dangerous illness, from which, however, he was happily restored. In the month of October he reached his usual residence and resumed his labors. visits twice a month his several congrega tions, and every evening addresses as many as are willing to attend. In some of these places, the people are irregular in their attendance, but at Ectamoly and Auticada they attend much better; at the latter place he thinks of enlarging the church. Pittalow and Covilvilly appear stationary; but a new congregation has sprung up at Ananda-nalan-cudi-yirappa, where the people have erected a small He |