and life, ftrength and growth, riches and wisdom, joy and hope, perfeverance in grace, comfort in affliction, conduct in life, through-bearing at death, refurrection from the grave, abfolution at the tribunal, happiness through eternity, and all things coming to us with and by a crucified Jefus. So that in this noble fubject there is a perpetual plenty and variety of fuitable matter for facramental occafions.

Object. VI. To administer the Lord's Supper fo frequently would occafion very much labour and toil to the adminiftrators.

Anf. ft. Did we difpenfe this facrament more frequently, probably the labour and toil would be leffened we might come to find our people habitually in a better cafe for that folemn ordinance than at prefent generally they are: So that lefs pains, in exciting, inftructing and preparing them for it, might be more fuccessful than greater is now.

2dly, We have no cause to distruft our faithful and kind Lord, who doth not fail to give ftrength and furniture to his fervants as their needs require, according to his gracious promife, Deut. xxxiii. 25. "As thy days fo fhall thy ftrength be." We have experience hitherto of his pitying our weaknefs, fupplying our wants, and helping us in time of need: So that we may affure ourfelves that he will fend none to warfare upon their own charges.

3dly, If we put the glory of our mafter, the advanttage of our people, and the increase of our reward, in the balance with our labour; I hope we will not think it deferveth once to be mentioned. Though we had no more to expect, it is a great reward in itself, to be honoured, to bring glory to our Redeemer, and to advance the falvation of immortal fouls: And feeing the season of our capacity for either is fo very fhort, with what chearfulness should we beftir ourselves to ply that bleffed work? What a pleasure would it be to fee Christ in efteem, fin in difgrace, the world in contempt, and religion in profperity amongst men? Well, then, would we contribute thereto in our station; would we have a lively remembrance of God, and Chrift, and heaven,

kept

kept up in the world; would we have our people clofely and conftantly to bear in mind the evil of fin, the preciousness of immortal fouls, the love of God to mankind-finners, the death and sufferings of the fon of God in our room :-Let us frequently adminifter the Lord's fupper in our congregations.

Would we help the carlefsnefs of our peoples minds, and the weakness of their memories; would we give our hearers a compendious and affecting view of the Christian religion; would we bring them to have fresh and lafting impreffions of its truths and doctrines ;-I know no more effectual means for it: For. in this folemn ordinance, we have man's fall and disease, together with his recovery and remedy, fet forth to the life; and that in fuch a way as makes impreffion on the outward fenfes, fo that the eye may aff &t the heart.

Would we have fin and vice kept under conftant rebukes among our people, let us keep their eyes always fixed upon the bleeding wounds of a crucified Jefus : Would we have them carefully to maintain family-religion, fecret duties, and a holy tender walk; let us conftrain them to it, by the love of a dying Jefus frequently fet before their eyes in this ordinance. This, through the divine bleffing, would be an excellent means and help to carry about with us always the dying of the Lord Jefus, and to make the print of his wounds deep and lafting on our hearts.

If we duly ponder these things, I hope it will appear, that the advantage of the frequent celebration of the Lord's fupper will abundantly recompense our small toil and pains.

Object. VII. The unworthiness of the people is a great difcouragement to the frequent celebration of the Lord's fupper amongst them: We have but few that are in any measure fit to be admitted to it.

Anf. ft, If this reafon were valid, it would conclude as ftrongly against the difpenfing of this ordinance at all, as against the frequency of it: And we know, an argument that would prove too much proves nothing.

2dly, I know many are unworthy, but all are not alike; and the unfitnefs of many cannot excufe us from adminiftrating

adminiftrating to thofe that are in fome measure fit. As it is a fin for parents to keep back from their children their due and neceffary food, because of fome unworthy perfons that are in the family: So it is a fin to withold the foul-nourishing meal from thofe of their people that have a right to it: For, though not a few do flight and abuse it, yet there are others hungry and needful of it: And these ought not to be denied the advantage of frequent partaking, for the fault of their neighbours.

It is the faying of one, That we find fault upon good ground with the Papifts for denying one of the elements to the people; And how can we juftify thofe that deny both elements to their people, at least for a long time?

3dly, Though the number of our communicants be fmall, that fhould not difcourage us from our duty; for the divine bleffing is not tyed to numbers. God did own the inftitution of the paffover, tho' there were but few that eat it together; and our bleffed Saviour had but a fmall number that did partake with him at the first communion: But, for our encouragement in that cafe, he graciously promifeth, that, "where two or three are met together in his name, he will own them with his prefence and bleffing."

Object. VIII. To adminiftrate this facrament fo fre quently as before mentioned, would require confiderable expences to furnish communion-elements, and otherwife; and we have no fufficient fund for that charge.

Anf. ft, Tho' we fhould be put to more charge this way than formerly, I hope no faithful minifter will fay, that this confideration fhould be laid in balance with the glory of God, and good of fouls; we fhould all be willing to fpend and be fpent for Chrift: And whatever we expend of our private good this way, is furely lent to the Lord, who will repay it.

adly, The law provides a fund in every parish for fuch expences; and, where it is not fettled, our judges are very favourable to the church, and give a liberal allowance to fuch minifters as do apply for it: And, no doubt, if the facrament were more frequently celebrated, they would not grudge to augment the fund, when it is not fufficient.

VOL. I.

Tt

3dly,

3dly, Ifa fufficient fund cannot be had otherwife, let collections be made in parishes for defraying this charge, as Eufebius tells us was done by the primitive Chriftians in this cafe: and furely there is no honest hearted Chriftian or communicant but would contribute liberally for that effect, rather than the Lord's work fhould be hindered.

Laftly, We may fee, from the old acts of Affembly, that the General Affembly 1638 had this very objection under their confideration, and declareth, that the charges fhould rather be paid out of that day's collection, than that the congregation want the more frequent use of the facrament. But I hope the General Affemblies of this church will in due time take this and other objections under further confideration, provide effectual anfwers and remedies thereunto; fo that this folemn ordinance shall be more frequently celebrated amongst us than it is at prefent: And I with all may pray fervently, that, together with the forefaid laudable practice, fomething of the warm love and zeal of the ancient Chriftians may be happily revived in our land.

Before I conclude this preface, there is another thing I would advertise the reader, that in the following treatife I have endeavoured to keep by the form of found 'words in ufe amongst us, avoiding both the extremes of Antinomianifm and Legalism, feeing the principles of this church do guide us equally to evite both the one and the other. And it must be acknowledged, that it is not eafy to fhun these extremes; for people commonly, when their zeal is excited against one extreme, are in great hazard of fliding infenfibly into the other, according to the old proverb, Dum vitant ftulti vitia, in contraria currunt. And indeed, not only fools, but fome of the greatest and wifeft of men, have erred in this refpect: It was Mr Baxter's zeal and great keennefs against Antinomianifm, that drove him to fome rash and dangerous affertions on the other fide. And this fhould be a warning to us, always to take heed to ourfelves, and be careful to guard on all fides; for we are ftill in hazard this way, and efpecially when things come to warm difputations with us.

It is poffible that fome who preach the gospel, may pick out fome of the glorious truths thereof; fuch as, "The freedom of grace in the falvation of finners, our juftification by the righteousness of Jefus Chrift, as our furety, the excellency of faith in Chrift, the privileges of the covenant, and bleffings of Christ's purchafe, and may make these truths almoft the only fubject of their preaching; and yet perhaps manage them fo unhappily, as not to lead people to ftudy regeneration of heart, holiness of life, abhorrence of fin, tendernefs of walk, and the confcientious practice of all commanded duties. And furely in this way of doing they in a great measure mifs the defign of our Saviour's incarnation, and the end of the doctrine of grace, which is, "to deftroy the works of the devil, and to teach men to live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent world."

On the other hand, it is as poffible that others may infift very much in enforcing morality, and make very fine rational harangues of its excellency; and yet make little ufe of gofpel-motives to prefs it, and be at little pains to fhew the gofpel-principles from whence it must proceed. Likewife they may preach much against vice and immorality, and warn people of the evil of it; and yet take up but little time to teach them concerning the root and fpring of vice, (viz. our fall in Adam, and the corruption of our natures) and the neceflity of an inward change by a work of regeneration, for healing of the inward disease and plague of the heart. they may prefs holy duties very much, and yet make little mention of the true fountain and fource of holinefs, (viz. our union with Chrift by faith, and the renewing of the Holy Ghoft,) and fpeak little of the neceflity of Chrift's blood to wath our performances. Now both thefe extremes, in the way of preaching, are equally to be avoided.

Allo

It is a prevailing conceit among many, that there is no more requifite to make a man a Chriftian than morality, or a blamelefs walk before men. Morality indeed is a very comely thing, and moft neceffary both to beautify and preferve human focieties; and therefore it is to be withed there were much more of it in Tt 2