work, and made far more bright difplays of his love and glory to us Chriftians, than he did to the Jews under the law, and hath inftituted the Lord's fupper for a memorial of what he hath done and suffered, limiting us to no time, but injoining frequency in the use of it; I fay, feeing the cafe is fo with us, we are under many ftrong ties to be more zealous and frequent in celebrating the memorials of Chrift's love to us in the Lord's fupper, than the Jews were to do it in the paffover. The apostles and primitive Chriftians were fo fenfible of this, that they thought themselves bound to remember Chrift crucified once a-week in their gofpel-paffover, which the Jews did but once a-year in theirs. From all which, we fee no argument can be brought, from the Jews annual custom in celebrating the paffover, to justify annual communion. Obj. II. To adminiftrate the Lord's fupper frequently, would tend to diminish the refpect and reverence which is due to it, and at length bring it into contempt among the people. Anf. ft, If we make confcience of our duty, our Lord will fee to the credit of his own ordinance. 2dly, Will any fay, that the apoftles and primitive paftors brought this ordinance into contempt by celebrating of it every Lord's day? Did they not esteem and prize it much higher than we who celebrate it but once a-year? And why fhould we think, that the adminiftrating of the Lord's fupper twice, thrice, or four times in the year, would at all derogate from the credit of it! 3dly, Were this reafon valid against the frequent difpenfing of this ordinance, why not against other ordinauces alfo? And fo we should but feldom preach, or read the fcriptures in the audience of the people; we should feldom pray or fing pfalms with our flocks, left we contribute to leffen the esteem and reverence due to these ordinances, by the frequent ufe of them. 4thly, Are not there many ferious exercifed Chriftians, who communicate almoft every Sabbath during the fummer feafon, when they can have the occafion, in neighbouring congregations, who can tell us, that they reap reap fpiritual advantage by fo doing; that their esteem of the ordinance is much increased, and that they do not at all find that their frequent partaking tends to bring this awful inftitution into contempt with them? And why fhould it be thought that their communicating twice, or even four times a-year, in their own congregations, at a convenient diftance, would produce that bad effect? No: I am perfuaded it would not; for the oftner that this Sacrament is worthily received, instead of diminishing our respect, it increaseth our reverence of God, and our affection to our Saviour. I am fure, a confcientious owning of God's authority is a greater fign of holy reverence, than the neglect of his inftitutions. 5thly, We may perhaps think to keep up the credit of this folemn ordinance among thofe who are not the better fort, by seldom difpenfing it; but it should be minded, that it is not true esteem which ariseth merely from the rarity of a thing, but that which springeth from knowledge of its intrinfic worth, and experience of its usefulness: And those people who have no heartacquaintance with precious Chrift, and the ends, uses and fuccefs of his ordinances, will never have a due refpect unto them. Let us by all means recommend to fuch perfons the worth and excellency of Chrift, fhew them their daily need of him, and his daily usefulness to them, and prefs their making fuitable preparation, by fearching themselves and clofing with him, before they be admitted to partake; and then we needed not much fear that frequency would detract from the reputation of this ordinance: For frequent experience of its usefulness would beget the highest esteem of it, and fharpen the appetites of people for it. As he prayeth beft,,and with most delight, that prayeth ofteneft; fo a worthy-communicant increaseth in the love of God and of religion, the oftner he receives: The more acquaintance and communion he attains to with Jefus Christ in this ordinance, he values it ftill the more. I cannot think this bleffed facrament will be undervalued by frequent repetitions, but by perfons moft unworthy, who ought not much to be regarded; for no true-hearted Ifraelite Ifraelite would loathe this heavenly Manna, because it is common, and afforded us in plenty. Laftly, And, with all due fubmiffion to others, I do ftrongly incline to have a great regard to the judgment of the famous Mr Calvin, and many learned and godly divines, who are fo far from thinking that annual-communicating is a mean to preferve the efteem of this ordinance, and prevent peoples carelessness and formality in receiving, that they rather judge it a device of Satan, to cherish floth and fecurity in fin, to stifle true : Chriftian love, to difcourage endeavours after ferious godlinefs, and to obftruct very much the life and continued exercife of religion. Object. III. We fee how much the other facrament baptifm, is contemned, because of its frequent repetition, and fo might it also fare with this. Anf. ft, If the peoples contempt of facraments be a good argument against the frequency of one facrament, it is as good againft the frequency of another; and fo we ought to fet up for the adminiftration of baptifm but once in the year, to preferve the efteem and folemnity of it, as much as we do for that of the other facrament. Are they not both precious inftitutions of the fame Lord? Both feals of the fame covenant? Why then should we put the one at fo great distance from the other, and seek to raise its honour fo much above the other? adly. Though baptifm be frequently administrate, yet the Lord doth ftill keep up the reputation of his ordinance, so that no man is eafy to be excluded from it : Yea, people generally have ftronger impreflions of the neceffity of this facrament than of the other, notwithftanding of all our endeavours to maintain the credit of the other more than this; which may teach us, that we ought ftill to go on in the way of our duty, and leave it to God to fee to the credit of his own inftitutions. 3dly, It is not fo much because of the frequent adminiftration of baptifm, that people do flight it, as becaufe they, not being to partake of it themfelves, do commonly apprehend they are no more but fpectators (though indeed, there is much more incumbent on them :) But were were they bound to partake frequently of this facrament, as of the Lord's fupper, and that under the pain of Chrift's highest displeasure, if they either did neglect it, or perform it flightly; all fober people would reckon themfelves obliged to attend it when they had the opportunity of doing it, and that with fome awe and fear too. Obj. IV. There is more flightnefs and formality amongst the communicants in thofe churches where the Lord's fupper is frequently difpenfed, than where it is feldom. Anf ft, This is not generally true; for as there may be much lightness and formality in fome places where it is but feldom difpenfed, fo there is much devotion. and seriousness in other places where it is frequently adminiftred. 2dly, The peoples flightness in receiving may proceed very much from the paftor's flightness in administrating. Were due pains taken to keep back the unworthy, to inform people of the greatnefs of the work, to warn them of the danger of unworthy receiving; to obferve faft, preparation and thanksgiving days; to chufe fuitable texts, preach awakening doctrine, make particular application, and to fence the Lord's table with awful, folemnity: Perhaps there would not be fuch flightness amongst the people in receiving. Object. V. It will not be eafy to get different texts and fubjects fuitable to fuch frequent communions. Anf. A crucified Jefus is a fubject moft suitable, and one fo large and copious as catr.ot be exhaufted. The Apoftle, while he preached at Corinth, determined to know nothing among that people, "but Chrift and him. crucified," I Cor. ii. 2. He refolved to make this the great and conftant subject of his fern:ons; and can any think it too much to preach upon this theme, twice, thrice, or four times a year? Certainly a crucified Jefus is the fpring and fcope, the matter and end, of ali goípel preaching. Every thing we fay is reducible to him; and the defign of all is to exalt him, who is the great founder of our religion, and the foundation of all our hopes: When we dehort from fins and vices, we do it mainly because they were were the cause of Chrift's fufferings, and do tend to crucify him afresh: When we exhort to duty, we do it chiefly from this topic, that we fhould live to him that died for us and that the love of Chrift should conftrain us to follow his pattern, and obey his precepts. We prefs duties as a neceffary fruit of faith in Chrift, and of love to him; and we teach, that they are only to be performed by his ftrength, and accepted through his merits. Nay, Chrift crucified is the fcope and subftance of the whole bible; " for to him give all the prophets witnefs," Acts x. 43. A crucified Chrift is a fubject fo pleasant and fo fertile, that we cannot be ftraitned to preach directly thereupon many times a year, if we take a view of these things in him, viz. the infinite dignity and glory of his perfon; the perfections of God that thine in him; the freenefs and greatnefs of his love; his eternal undertaking; his glorious furetifhip; his wonderful incarnation; his threefold office; fignificant metaphors and types whereby Chrift and his benefits are reprefented; his manifold fweet relations to his people; his mediatory fulness; his deep humiliation; his innocent life; his holy example; his heavenly doctrine; his unparalleled fufferings; his meritorious death; his victorious refurrection; his triumphant afcenfion; his prevalent interceffion; his glorious coming again: The excellency of that covenant he hath confirmed; the fufficiency of the facrifice he hath offered; the neceffity and completenefs of the righteoufnefs he hath wrought; the innumerable benefits of his death; the unfearchable riches of his grace; his exceeding great and precious promifes; the incomparable virtue of his blood; our union with him by faith; our adoption by relation to him; our juftification by his merit; our fanctification by his fpirit; our fighting and conquering under his banner; our protection under his fhadow; our bearing burdens by his grace; our performing duties by his ftrength; our holy walk in obedience to his injunctions; the thankfulness we owe to him in heart and life; and the fweet communion believers have with him in duties and ordinances. Yea, we have bleffings unfpeakable, grace and glory, peace and pardon, light and |