DIRECT. III. Believe and be perfuaded, that communicating is not only a duty, but that it is a duty in cumbent upon you to communicate frequently.

BAPTISM being a facrament appointed for the initiation and implantation of believers into the church, it is to be received but once by the fame perfon, and not to be reiterated: But the Lord's fupper being a facrament instituted for the nutrition, increment, and growth of believers, it is often to be received and repeated by them. And this may be confirmed by many reasons :

1. "Frequent partaking of the Lord's fupper is injoined by the fame authority which instituted it." For Chrift tells us, that we are not only to eat of this bread, and drink of this cup, but we are to do it often; as is recited by the apoftle, 1 Cor. xi. 25. "This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." And again, ver. 28. "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do fhew the Lord's death till he come." Now, when our Lord doth exprefsly command the duty in these words, Do this in remembrance of me; and doth twice over annex the word OFTEN, as neceffary in the doing of it; it is all one as if he had faid, Do this often in remembrance of me. So that for Chriftians to communicare feldom, is difobedience to Chrift, and a contempt of Divine authority: For our Redeemer is God, and we are to look upon his commands as the fame with the commands of God the Father, feeing he approved of our Mediator, and of every thing he did. Had not his in-. ftitutions been agreeable to his Father's will, he had not been fo welcomed at his return to heaven, and advanced to fuch royal dignity to fit upon his throne of glory.

II." In obedience to Chrift's authority, the apostles and primitive Chriftians, did frequently partake of the Lord's fupper;" yea, it was their ordinary practice every Lord's day, as is evident from Acts xx. 7." And, upon the first day of the week, when the difciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them." The Christians there, are brought in as meeting together for partaking

partaking of the facrament, (which is oft expreffed by breaking of bread) without any previous warning, because it was their ordinary cuftom fo to do.. And this practice was kept up in the church for feveral centuries after the apostles death, as is teftified by the hiftorians and fathers of the ancient church. And, from their practice of constant breaking of bread every Lord's day, the day was anciently called Dies panis, Auguft. Epift. 18. And this primitive practice (according to fome) was grounded upon the word, Ezek. xliii. 29. "And when thefe days are expired, it fhall be on the eighth day, and fo forward, the priests fhall make your burntofferings upon the altar, and your peace-offerings, and I will accept you, faith the Lord God." Now, this vifion containing a prophetical defcription of the gofpel times, and of the ceafing of the ceremonial law for daily-facrifices, by the eighth day they understand the Lord's day, as being the eighth day following upon the seventh, viz. the Jewish fabbath, in room whereof it was to fucceed. By burnt-offering, the Lord's fupper, as being the remembrance of the great burnt-offering, whereby our peace was made. By burnt-offerings, prayer, and thanksgiving, which are called facrifices, Hebrews xiii. 15. and are the proper work of every Lord's day. The primitive Chriftians were peculiarly fond of the Lord's fupper; when they had the opportunity of a public affembly, though upon a week day, (as feverals do obferve from Acts ii. 46.) they could not think of parting till they had celebrated the memorials of Chrift's dying love. They reckoned this piece of worship a principal part of the Chriftian religion, which, in a manner, doth comprehend all other parts of it, and is an epitome of the whole. They accounted it a chief means of conveying to them the benefits of their Redeemer's death. And they would not flight the occafion of taking this provifion and viaticum in thefe ftormy times, when they knew not but they might be fnatched away by the fury of perfecutors before the next day of public meeting.

III. "The Lord's fupper was appointed for the commemoration of the death and fufferings of Chrift, and of his love to us manifefted therein;" and therefore we

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ought frequently to celebrate it for that end. Though gratitude to a merciful God, and love to him that loved us, and washed us in his blood, fhould engage us conftantly to remember redeeming love: yet, alas! we are naturally unmindful of God, ungrateful to Chrift our Saviour, and apt to forget his matchlefs love: And therefore we frequently need this help (which he of purpose hath inftituted) to renew our remembrance of him. Say not, you can remember Chrift frequently without this; for this were to make yourselves wifer than the inftituter of this ordinance. Befides, may not experience tell you what faint thoughts and languid remembrance you ordinarily have of him, notwithstanding of the word read and preached, until this folemn ordinance doth return and revive the memory of his love, and fix your thoughts more folemnly upon him. Ah! the body of death doth hinder us from remembering the Lord of life. It is not fufficient to commemorate his love once a year; there ought to be a conftant and habitual remembering of our Redeemer's death, and this habit must be acquired by frequent and reiterated acts of communicating. But fuppofing we would remember him without this; yet furely it would be bafe ingratitude to neglect to remember him in his own method, and by the means of his own chufing, when he might have put far harder conditions upon us.

IV." Chrift hath appointed this facrament as a fpiritual meal for the nourishment and strength of his people, and for the growth and increase of their graces:" And therefore it ought to be frequently received. Meals for the nourishment of our bodies muft be often repeated, becaufe of the frequent recurring of our needs; we are all fo fenfible of it, that we do not refufe to come frequently to our ftated meals: And though it be not told us how often we fhould eat and drink, yet our craving appetites, and the fenfe of our want of food and ftrength, are fufficient to direct in this matter. And, fhould not the fenfe of our fouls need of fpiritual food and ftrength direct us to frequency in communicating? We are in a journey, and we need ftrength to go forward. We are weak of ourselves, and the best are liable to frequent decays

decays of grace, and we have all need of frequent fupe plies of ftrength, to enable us to perform duties, bear croffes, refift enemies, and beat down lufts: And, confequently, we have frequent need of this quickening, reftoring, and ftrengthening meal, which Chrift, hath gra ciously provided for us in this ordinance. It is hereby that faith is ftrengthened, repentance renewed, love inflamed, defire fharpened, and the foul encouraged and confirmed in the ways of God.

V, " This ordinance was inftituted for bringing us to near communion with God;" and therefore fhould be frequently celebrated and attended by us. Hence it is that we call it the communion, according to that word, 1. Cor. x. 16. And, as the Apostle tells us there, ver. 19. 20, that the partaking of things facrificed to idols, was a fellowship with devils; fo here the partaking of that which was facrificed to God, is a fellowship with God. In this ordinance there is more communion to be had with God, than in any other; more than in prayer or praife: For we have not fo near communion with a prince or great man, by petitioning him, or returning him thanks for a favour received, as we have by fitting with him at his table, and partaking of the fame bread, and the fame cup with him. It is here that believers fit, feaft, and converfe familiarly with Jefus Chrift. Christ was "made known to the difci ples in the breaking of bread," though they knew him not before in the opening of the fcriptures, Luke xxiv, 30. 31. Now, if it be our duty to feek frequent communion and converfe with God, and frequent views and difcoveries of Jefus Chrift, then, furely, it is our duty to make frequent approaches to the Lord's table. Do we think that we can too oft behold a crucified Jefus? Can we too oft clasp about our bleeding high Priest ? Can we too oft hear the music of his voice, or fee the beauty of his face? Surely, if we love him, we will defire frequently to be in those ways where we may meet with him.

VI. "This facrament is an excellent mean for the weakening of fin, and keeping it under ;" and therefore we should frequently attend it. The foul is moft animated and refolved against fin, when it fees God's wrath

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and indignation manifefted against it: Now, where can we behold this fo well as in this ordinance, which reprefents the dreadful agonies and fufferings of Christ our furety? Here we may fee Chrift facrificed to juftice, overwhelmed with blood, made a curfe, and bearing all that wrath and vengeance which the law threatened for fin. The fouls looking upon Chrift here, doth open the fpring of forrow for fin, Zech. xii. 10 Our frequent approaches to a wounded Saviour here, do kindle frequent refolutions against fin that pierced him, and make us look and cry to him for grace to fubdue it. Now, this is what we are conftantly needing: For there is ftill a root of bitterness in us, always fprouting up; but frequent approaches to this ordinance do contribute to curb and crop it. Sins and lufts of themselves are apt to revive and gather ftrength, but the facramental cup is poifon to them. Do you think, then, that we can too oft take this cup into our hands, or put our hands into Chrift's wounds, or take a view of the fin-killing blood? VII." This ordinance is a choice mean for ftrengthening our faith in the promises, and confirming us in the fenfe of Chrift's love ;" and therefore it should be free quently celebrated It was upon this account, that fo great joy and gladness did attend the keeping of the pas-· fover of old, 2 Chron. xxx. 21 26. It was the frequent breaking of bread, that made the primitive Christians to continue in their gladnefs of heart, Acts ii 46. And no wonder a man's heart be glad, and be encouraged to go on his way rejoicing, when he gets a new feal of his pardon and peace with God. We frequently contract guilt, and thereby blot our evidences, and difturb our peace; and therefore we need to come frequently to this ordinance, to get the blood of sprinkling applied, for removing our guilt, clearing our evidencies, fealing our peace, and renewing our joy. It is matter of joy to fee the rainbow appearing frequently in the clouds as a fign of God's minding his covenant, and securing the world against a destroying deluge: In like manner, it should rejoice the heart, and strengthen faith, frequently to behold this facrament, which (like the rainbow in the VOL. I. clouds)

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