clouds) is a fign 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 should come frequently to this ordinance For, in this facrament it is most likely that the Spirit will work and exert himfelf; when the office of the Spirit, and end of the institutions, do meet and agree in one. The office of the Spirit is to bring things to our remembrance, and the chief designs of this ordinance is to bring a crucified Jefus, 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 surely, if we had a due sense of our fouls neceffities, we fhould need no more to convince us of the neceffity 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 sense 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 righteousness Did primitive Chriftians think once a week little enough to commemorate his love; and fhall modern Christians reckon once a-year fufficient? Is this our kindness to the always lovely and Joving Jefus? O will we not remember him frequent ly, who remembers believers perpetually?

Objections answered.

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

come

come more carelefs 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 animated with more life and love, and were habitually in a better frame for this love feft, 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 juftified.

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, Auguftine, 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; so it should bę as dear and precious to Chriftians in this as any former age.

3dly, It is moft fad that Christians fhould be fo eafy under the decay of piety and love to a crucified J fus, that is fo vifible in these 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 ufe of this fout quickening ordinance? No wonder that our hearts turn hard, when we fo feldom have recourse to Christ's blood for softening them, that our graces grow weak and withered, when we fo little ufe Chrift's appointed means for cherishing and ftrengthening them; and that we have but little of the fmiles of his face, when we fo little regard his dying words. 3 B 2 Frequent

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

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

Anf. ft, The Apostles and primitive Chriftians found no fuch bad effect of their frequent partaking; but were farther from formality, and far more ferious, fervent, and spiritual 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 administration; but upon the corruption and careleffnefs of our hearts, which all Chriftians should carefully watch and wrestle against, 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, feldom 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. Inftead 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 shall be for new approaches.

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

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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. Fut, befides that, they had their daily facrifices of flain beafts 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 passover 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 ourfelves to the Jews annual custom: Nay, on the contrary, Chriftians now, to whom Chrift hath made fuch bright discoveries of his love, in facrificing himself upon a crofs for their falvation, fhould 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 themfelves 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. ift, I grant that all men cannot communicate alike often, seeing the worldly calling and affairs of one man do adminifter more diftraction than thofe 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

finefs brought on them, not by themselves, but by the providence of God, they are excufe ble for their omiffion at one occafion; but then they fhould be carefu: to lay hold upon the next In keeping of the paffover, there was a difpenfation allowed to thofe that were under ceremonial uncleanness, or engaged in business on a journey, Numb. ix yet it was allowed, not for a year, but for a month's oiffion. For, when they could not keep it upon the 14th of the first month, they were ordered to keep it on the 14th of the next month, and not to ftay until the next annual revolution, Numb. ix 10, 1. As it would be agreeable to this injunction, fo it would be a defireable attainment in the church and an advanl tage to the members of it, if matters were fo ordered among us, that, when perfons are neceffarily hindered from partaking of the Lord's fupper in their own congregation, they might be fure of an occafion to do it next month, if not in their own, at least in the neighbouring congregation.

Object. V. "The laft time I was at the Lord's table 1 got no benefit by it; nay, I fear I communicated unworthily: Now, for me to come frequently in this man, ner, I fear to contract greater guilt, and do myfeif more hurt than good. Therefore I will not foon adventure upon another approach."

Anf. ft, There are fome good things implied in this objection, fuch as, a review of former actions, fʊme fense of fin and trouble for it, and a loathnefs to offend God; which are fome defireable tokens of repentance, and may yield fome comfort to an exercised foul.

2dly, In this cafe, long deferrings will do you more hurt than frequent communicating: For, as by too much fafting, we often lofe our ftomachs; fo, by long withdrawing from the Lord's table, you may come to iofe your defire after the food of your fouls, and i have a low efteem of Christ, and of his folemn ordinance.

3dly, The is no communicant, but, upon a review, may fpy many defects in his frame and preparation, for which he could not answer, if God did enter into judg ment with him: But he must not therefore abandon his duty, but Bee to Chrift's fountain for washing, and to the

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