and indignation manifefted against it: Now, where can we behold this fo well as in this ordinance, which repreTents the dreadful agonies and fufferings of Christ our furety? Here we may fee Chrift facrificed to justice, 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 still a root of bitterness in us, always fprouting up; but frequent approaches to this ordinance do contribute to curb and crop it. Sins and lufte of themselves are apt to revive and gather ftrength, but the facramental cup is poison 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 frequently celebrated. It was upon this account, that fo great joy and gladness did attend the keeping of the paffover of old, 2 Chron. xxx. 21 26. It was the frequent breaking of bread, that made the primitive Christians to continue in their gladness 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 disturb 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 fecuring 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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clouds) is a sign of God's 'fecuring the believing world against the overflowing flood of God's wrath.

VIII. "We need frequently the influences of the holy Spirit," and therefore fhould come frequently to this ordinance. For, in this facrament it is moft likely that the Spirit will work and exert himfelf; when the office of the Spirit, and end of the inftitutions, do meet and agree in one. The office of the Spirit is to bring things to our remembrance, and the chief defigns of this ordinance is to bring a crucified Jesus, and his love and fufferings, to remembrance; now, furely it is the most likely time for the holy Spirit to come and exercise his blef fed function, and join in with the end of the facrament. Hither, then, fhould becalmed fouls frequently repair, and wait for the Spirit's gales.

I might add many other arguments, but furely, if we had a due fenfe of our fouls neceffities, we fhould need no more to convince us of the neceflity of frequent communicating. Do not we feel our needs frequently recurring, our graces languifhing, faith weakening, love cooling, affections turning dead? Are we not apt frequently to grow cold and formal in hearing and praying, yea, dull and lukewarm in all our performances? And, have we not frequent need of this reviving and enlivening ordinance, to recruit us with new ftrength and quickening? But, alas! we have little fenfe of our fouls wants, and litle fenfe of our Saviour's love; otherwife we would not be fo unwilling frequently to remember fuch an incomparable Friend and Benefactor, who took our fins upon himself, and caft upon us the robe of his righteoufnefs. Did primitive Chriftians think once a week little enough to commemorate his love; and fhall modern Chriftians reckon once a-year fufficient? Is this our kindnefs to the always lovely and loving Jefus ? O will we not remember him frequently, who remembers believers perpetually?

Objections answered.

Object. I. "But (fay fome) the zeal and devotion of the apoftolic age is now gone; and Chriftians are be

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come more careless and formal in religious duties, than in those days, and fo are unfit for frequent partaking of this folemn ordinance.

Anf. ft, I grant, indeed, the firft Chriftians were a nimated with more life and love, and were habitually in a better frame for this love-feaft, than, alas! the moft of us are: Yet, I am perfuaded, you will not deny but we are under the fame obligations of love and gratitude to our dying Redeemer that they were, and have as much need of the frequent application of his blood, and of a confirmed intereft in his meritorious death, as they had. And, feeing our obligations and exigencies are the fame, our differing fo widely from their practice cannot be justified.

- 2dly, The ancient church did follow the example of the Apoftolie age, in communicating generally every Lord's day, for feveral hundreds of years after the Apoftles days; as might be made appear, by many quotations (if it were needful) out of the hiftories and writings of Eufebius, Socrates, Cyprian, Chryfoftom, Ambrose, Augufline, and many others of the ancient fathers. As the blood of Chrift is as fresh and efficacious in the prefent, as the first centuries of the church; fo it fhould be as dear and precious to Chriftians in this as any former age.

3dly, It is most fad that Chriftians fhould be fo eafy under the decay of piety and love to a crucified Jefus, that is fo vifible in thefe latter days Should not the confideration hereof be matter of bitter lamentation and complaint to all the lovers of Chrift, and put us inceffantly to cry to heaven, "Wilt thou not receive us again? Renew our days as of old."

4thly, Is there not ground to think, that the decay of piety and Chriftian love, in our days, is much owing to the neglect and unfrequent use of this fou quickening ordinance? No wonder that our hearts turn hard, when we fo feldom have recourfe to Chrift's blood for foftening them, that our graces grow weak and withered, when we fo little ufe Chrift's appointed means for cherithing and ftrengthening them; and that we have but little of the fmiles of his face, when we fo little regard his dying words. Frequent

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Frequent communicating in Chrift's own way and method, night he a mean, through his bleffing, to revive decayed religion, to keep fin under conftant rebukes and difgrace, and Chrift in continual esteem and refpect among us. This might contribute to cure and prevent that formality in duty, carelefinefs of fpirit, and forgetfulness of Chrift, which fo wofully prevails in our land.

Object. II. "If we communicate as often as you urge us, we are afraid frequency will breed formality in this duty.

Anf. 1ft, The Aroftles and primitive Chriftians found no fuch bad effect of their frequent partaking; but were farther from formality, and far more ferious, fervent, and fpiritual in this duty, than thofe Chriftians who now partake but once a year.

2dly, Our formality in attending this ordinance is nowife chargeable upon the inftitution of Chrift, or its frequent adminiftration; but upon the corruption and careleffness of our hearts, which all Chriftians fhould carefully watch and wrestle againft, and labour in the ftrength of Chrift, so oft as they partake, to prepare for it with all ferioufnefs and folemnity.

3dly, Were this a good reafon against frequency in this duty, it might be pleaded against frequency in other duties alfo; and fo we should seldom read or hear the word, seldom meditate on God, pray, or fing pfalms, left frequency fhould beget formality therein. But it is a bad way of arguing, to fay, because frequency in prayer, hearing, or communicating, may occafion formality and heart-wanderings, therefore I will feldom pray, &c. No; the inference fhould rather be, Therefore I will watch over my heart more carefully, I will look for the renewed influences of the Spirit, and strive to be more fincere and fervent in duty.

4thly, Though frequency in partaking should have a bad effect on fome, yet it hath and will have a good effect upon others, who make confcience of preparing for the duty. Instead of breeding formality, it doth beget the greater liveliness and fpirituality in them, and raise their appetite the more after the heavenly manna. It

is certain, the oftener we carefully and believingly communicate, the better difpofed we fhall be for new approaches.

Object. III. "The Jews did partake of the paffover only once in the year."

Anf. God fixed the paffover to a certain day of the year, to mind them of their temporal deliverance from Egypt, as well as of their future redemption by the Meffiah's death at that time; and therefore it was annual. But, befides that, they had their daily facrifices of flain beasts in the temple, which were lively types of Christ, and a remembrance to them of his death; so that the Jews did not need fuch a frequent celebration of the paffover for that end. But in the new-teftament church Chrift hath fettled only his fupper as the great ordinance of commemoration of his death and fufferings; and therefore we ought not to confine ourselves to the Jews annual cuftom: Nay, on the contrary, Chriftians now, to whom Chrift hath made fuch bright difcoveries of his love, in facrificing himself upon a crofs for their salvation, should far exceed the Jews (who lived in fuch dark times) in expreffing love to their Saviour, and in celebrating the memorials of his love to them. The love of the primitive Chriftians was fo warm this way, that they thought themselves bound to celebrate their Gofpel-paffover in remembrance of a crucified Chrift once a week, which the Jews did but once a year.

Object. IV. "But," faith one," my business and calling in the world is such, that I have not liberty for frequent communicating, neither have I occafions near me for doing it."

Anf. ft, I grant that all men cannot communicate a like often, seeing the worldly calling and affairs of one man do adminifter more distraction than those of another! And fome cannot command their time so much as others.

2dly, People fhould do what lies in them to order their affairs fo beforehand, that they may have freedom for frequent communicating. But if perfons have bu

finefe