give." These acts of power you are to perform gratis, without receiving any fee or reward, because you have acquired the ability to perform them without any expense of yours. When Christ thus prohibited his disciples from taking any reward for performing miraculous cures, he was aware, that it would immediately occur to the minds of the apostles, that they must furnish themselves with all kind of provision for such a journey, at least with money, with which every thing might be purchased. To anticipate this thought he immediately tells them, that they were to give themselves no concern about any of these things: "provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey," (a bag in which it was usual to carry such things as might be wanted for travelling), "neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves;" and adds this reason for it; "for the workman is worthy of his meat," (where meat must signify not merely food, but the necessaries of life, food, clothing, lodging, or the articles before specified) meaning, that the common principles of justice would induce mankind to furnish them with these necessaries, in the same manner as they are induced to give the means of subsistence to the workmen, the benefit of whose labours they enjoy.

From the words of the text I shall take occasion to inquire,

I. Upon what ground the apostles, or first

preachers of the Gospel, were entitled to a maintenance;

II. How far the preachers of the Gospel in the present day are entitled to a like support; and then conclude with making some inferences.

We are first to consider upon what ground the apostles were entitled to a maintenance. The apostles were persons, who had attended Jesus Christ during his life time, and who were commissioned by him to communicate the knowledge of his religion to mankind after his death, by laying before them the history of his life and the doctrines which he taught. For this purpose they were not to confine themselves to that slow method of teaching Christianity, which might have been employed by remaining at home, and instructing those, who came: to hear them; but they were to visit the different towns and villages in Judæa, and even to travel into foreign counties in every quarter of the known world, to carry to all men the glad tidings of salvation, and to bring them even to their doors. The business, in which they were employed, was not calculated solely or principally for their own profit, to promote their own private interest, but chiefly if not entirely for the profit of others. They were prepared to make men acquainted with a revelation. of the will of God, to furnish them with a perfect rule of moral conduct, to give them the clearest evidence of a future life of rewards and punishments, and hereby to afford the strongest motives for a

virtuous life, 'and the best foundation for comfort, which it was possible for human creatures to know. Other knowledge, although of the most important kind, appears insignificant and trifling when compared with this.

As those, whom Christ thought proper to employ to communicate this knowledge, were mechanics and fishermen, poor men who subsisted by the daily labour of their hands, they must give up their usual occupations in order to execute the purposes of their mission, and, if no other provision were made for their support, necessarily perish for want. Was it reasonable, then, that men, who had given up their usual employment to perform services for the sole benefit of others, should be left without the means of subsistence and be suffered to die? Men do not act in that manner toward one another in other instances. To the labourer, who gives them his time and his services, individuals allow such wages as may be adequate to his support; to the servant of the nation, who fights for it's defence or manages it's affairs, a stipend is given proportioned to his services. Why should not some allowance then be made for the support of the apostles of the Gospel of Christ by those, who had the benefit of their time and of their labours. It is true, there was no stipulation or agreement in the latter case between them and mankind; they did not desire the apostles to preach the Gospel to them and to become their instructors. An office was undertaken by them, .

But were

upon

to which they were not called by man. their services less valuable, because they were voluntary and gratuitous? If they were men of so much benevolence, as to take up a new but useful employment, at the hazard of their former maintenance and of every thing that was dear to them, can that be any reason with generous or equitable minds, why they should be suffered to lose it, or is it not rather an additional motive for giving them support? Wherever services are performed, and more especially when to the detriment of the agent, there is always a claim to compensation from the party benefitted. This is an acknowledged principle of equity among mankind; and it is this principle with others that the apostle Paul grounds his claim to maintenance in his apostolic character: "Have not we power," says he to the Corinthians, "to forbear working? Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charges?" meaning, that the apostle may as justly look for support as the soldier, who fights for others, expects to be maintained by them. He appeals also to another principle, which was acknowledged to be alike equitable, that a man who engages in any employment should be maintained by it: "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?"

To this method of reasoning it might be objected, that it was only just as applied to worldly matters,

.

and that in religious concerns men ought to be di rected by some other principles. To obviate this objection, the same apostle produces arguments in support of his claim from the law of Moses, in which it was ordained, that the priests, who ministered in the tabernacle and temple, should have for their maintenance a certain portion of the sacrifices and offerings presented there: "Do ye not know that they, who minister about holy things, live of the things of the temple? and they, who wait at the altar, are partakers with the altar?" Yea, so attentive was the law of Moses to this principle, that every one ought to be supported by the employment in which he was engaged, that it extended the law, to brutes, and therefore prohibited the Jews from muzzling the ox which was employed in treading out the corn, a practice made use of in eastern countries instead of threshing it. He insists upon it, that this order was given, not so much for the sake of oxen as for the instruction of mankind, to inculcate upon them this equitable principle, that every one has a right to live by his profession. So that it appears hence, that the apostle was supported by the claim which he advanced, not only by those principles of equity and justice which reason teaches men, but likewise by the light of revelation, which prescribed the like things: 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 tread