CHAP. I.

1. I Begin with the first, the frequency of Communicating in this great Service, which (I hope to make appear) is implyed plainly in [the as often] As often as ye Eat this Bread and Drink this Cup.

I confess, consider the words barely as they lie, no such thing is colligible from them; for the expression seems only indefinite and sup­positive, and perhaps in strict speaking a­mounts to no more than only this, When you Eat and Drink, supposing you to Eat and Drink, or at most, if you do often Eat and Drink, then so often you do so and so, i. e. shew forth the Lords Death.

But when we consider the matter a little closer, we shall clearly perceive that fre­quency in Eating and Drinking is here sup­posed, and taken for granted (as it is certain, it was so indeed, as I shall shew you hereaf­ter) and the prime design of the words is only to rectifie a mistake, and reform an error in that common frequent practise, by acquaint­ing them what was the end of that great Service.

It is certain the Corinthians did often Eat that Bread and Drink that Cup, i. e. a morsel of Bread, and a glass of Wine at the end of their Love Feasts, which our Saviour had Transcri­bed from the Jews manner of Feasting (as the Learned well know) and had heightened them into a great Sacrament. But it is very pro­bable that they were not yet sufficiently instructed in the reasons and purpose of that Custom, nor did know that this was a Solemn Sacramental action. And this is that which the Apostle informs them in, as a most power­ful Argument, against that abuse in these things, that was so common then among them.

So that his Design was not to enjoyn them to do this often, for that they did already, and there was no need of his doing it, but he takes that for granted and supposeth it. Only he designs to direct them how to do it, and to reform that Error that was in the doing of it.

It is just like some passages in our Saviours [Page 7]great Sermon in the Mount, which may give great light to the meaning of this Speech. those I mean are Mat. 6.2, 3.5.6. When thou doest thine Alms, and when thou Prayest, &c. where we must not think that our Savi­our relaxeth the Obligation to Alms, or Prayer, or leaves Men at liberty to do these when they please. No such thing; but he supposeth Men sensible of the Obligation to these, and he finds their practice of them to be consonant thereto. Only he gives them direction how to do them acceptably, and as they should.

And we may take liberty to paraphrase his Words thus; you often Fast and give Alms, and Pray, and you do well. And I give no command as to this, go on, continue the practice of these excellent things, only let me caution you as to the manner of doing them, and direct you how they ought to be done.

Just thus we ought to understand, the A­postle in these words in the Text. His pur­pose is not to enjoyn frequency in this Service, because there was no need of it, but only to di­rect them in a thing that would be of great ad­vantage for them to know, and of effect to preserve them from that abuse in it, that was so Scandalous and Common among them, q. d. you often Eat this Bread and Drink this Cup, and you do this as if it were an ordina­ry and customary thing only, and therefore it is, that you are so careless about it, and therefore I must tell you that which I received [Page 8]of the Lord Jesus, namely, how he hath Con­secrated this into a great and Holy Sacra­ment. And therefore what abuse you are guilty of in this, is a Dishonour to the very Institution of Christ, an injury to his very Body and Blood, of which these things are Sacred Symbols. I do not therefore go to discourage your frequency in these things; God forbid: Only I inform you of the end and purpose of them, that you may your selves presently Judge, how Scandalous and Hei­nous, and very unbecoming these abuses in them are to you.

But I shall proceed yet further to add to the reasonableness of this Collection, from three plain Topicks or, Heads of Arguments.

1. The consideration of what the Corinthi­ans here practised, to which this whole Speech relates.

2. The Service it self, and its Institution.

3. The Nature, Ends, and Purposes of it. All which will combine in shewing us, that frequency in this service is really a Christian Duty.

CHAP. II.

1. I Consider the practice of these Corinthi­ans, to which it is evident this Speech relates, and to the frequency of which this [as often] must Answer, and Correspond.

Now if we may judge by this, and if we may conclude that they did as often Eat and Drink Sacramentally, as they did Eat that Bread and Drink that Cup: Then we may certainly conclude, that they did it constant­ly, and every day that they met in Publick, at least every Lord's day certainly.

For our clearer understanding of which, I shall a little enlarge, or at least explain what I hinted before. And that I may be as distinct and plain as may be, I consider these two things, and the frequency of them 1. That which they used. 2. That which they abused in the close of these conventions.

1. The thing that they used and practised was the [...], as they called it, i. e. the Love [Page 10]Feast. Of which I think it enough to give you this short account.

The Primitive Christians met every first day of the Week to break Bread, i. e. to Cele­brate the Holy Sacrament. The Bread and Wine was taken out of the common Offertories of Christians, who that day also used to make their contributions to the Poor, and to bring every Man as God had blessed him, as the A­postle speaks, 1 Cor. 16.1. Out of all this a select portion was taken for the Sacrament, and probably some laid up for the Poor. The surplusage was spent in a Common Feast, in which the Poor were Refreshed, and Feast­ed with the Rich, and all Confederated toge­ther as Friends and Brethren, and received and saluted each other with a fervent Kiss of Love. From whence they were called [...], Jude. 12. Love-Feasts, or Feasts of Charity.

These were continued in the Church for a considerable time, and always closed their Publick Services and Worship, especially those on the Lords day. And in the Primitive Con­ventions of the Apostles and their Converts, every day, as you read clearly in the Acts of the Apostles. Afterwards when Sensuality began to sully the Glory of Christianity, and to abuse the most Innocent Constitutions, they grew into disesteem and disuse, and at last came to be laid quite aside.

That I mention them for, is this: To shew that they were at this time used by the Co­rinthians, [Page 11]as is plain they were, by what is said of their bringing their own Supper (i. e. these Offertories) in this Chap. And were used as in other Churches, i. e. constantly in the close of their Lord's day Service.

2. And from this we may the easier ap­prehend what it was they abused in these So­lemnities for which the Apostle here reproveth them.

The abuse was plainly this: Every Man took his own Offertory, and the Portion that he brought, and so perverted this Feast from the end of it. From whence followed these two very ill effects beside some others.

1. That some Men were intemperate and plainly drunk as the Apostle speaks, and others were hungry and tempted to impa­tience and censuring the rest. Things mighty unbecoming Christians, and Scandalous to their Holy Profession.

2. And which was something worse (if worse could be) the subsequent Sacrament was sure to be greatly profaned, and they wholly in­disposed for that Devotion and Reverence, that it was very needful it should be perfor­med with. But they would Eat it as Com­mon Bread, and not discern it to be the Sym­bol of the Lord's Body i.e. they would as irreve­rently and regardlesly Eat that piece of Bread that was Consecrated, and drink that Cup that was blessed (therefore called [...], the Cup of blessing, at the close of this Feast, and[Page 12]so became Sacramental,) as they did eat or drink before in the precedent Feast, and very likely would think it no more Holy, or Sacra­mental than they did the other portions; which error he doth in the words of this Text di­rectly seek to rectify among them.

By the Consideration of all which, we may gain thus much, that if the Celebration of the Sacrament among them, was as fre­quent as this other Custom was, if they did Sacramentally eat and drink, as often as they did eat that bread, and drink that Cup, in the close of their Love-Feasts. Then this was a stated constant part of their Lords day Service and Devotion. For those Feasts were always observed on the Lords day, and some­times every day, but always on many o­ther solemn Festival days beside.

It is possible we might gain yet some more strength to our present purpose by consider­ing that Custom of such a piece of Bread, and such a Cup in the close of all the Jewish Feasts, and observing the Correspondency between this and that, in this instance. For the Antitype should answer to the Type, and by considering how it was with the one, we may know how it ought to be with the other.

It is sufficiently notorious, and observed by all Learned Men, how most (if not all) the Chri­stian Institutions were traduced from some Cu­stoms and Practices among the Jews. For our [Page 13]Saviour, being their Messiah, in the first place, was mighty desirous, as much as might be, to endear himself to them, and by all means to give them as little offence in his Constitutions as was possible, and therefore hath retained some of their great Customs, and adopted them into his own Law, and heightned them into the most Solemn and Holy Sacraments.

This is clear in Baptism, which was derived from the Jewish Practice of admitting Prose­lites. And it is no less clear and evident in this other Holy Sacrament.

It was a constant Custom in all the Jewish Feasts for one (called therefore the Master of the Feast) in the beginning of the Feast to Bless and Consecrate a Loaf of Bread, saying a Benediction over it, and after to give to each one a small Morsel of it, and then every Man feeds as he pleaseth. And in the close of the Feast to take a Glass of Wine, saying, Sirs, let us bless his Name, with whose blessings we have been filled, then to bless the Cup, and pray for Peace, then to drink of it himself, and give to all the rest to drink after him.

Now it is plain, this Custom our blessed Lord retained and sublimated it into a Holy Mystery, and made it the Symbol of Feasting upon that great Sacrifice of his Body and Blood. In every other Circumstance the A­nalogy stands exact. And therefore should [Page 14]do so in this too, and anciently was always practised accordingly.

Now if the Celebration of this Sacrament must answer its Type in this: Then it must be at least as often as any Feast is Celebrated in the Christian Church, for this Custom al­ways attended all the Jewish Feasts. And therefore the Antitype to it should be so too in all Christian Feasts.

And it will not prejudice this Truth to say, that now this Christian Feast is ceased, and therefore this can be no measure, to us in this thing now: For the Christian Church hath its Festivalls still. And the Reasons of them continue the same still, the blessings Com­memorated in them are as truly great and valuable, and as fit cause of rejoycing be­fore the Lord, and offering Solemn Praise to him, as ever they were.

And accordingly the Church recommends the Observation of them, and calls them some­times Festival days, and sometimes Holydays, and enjoyns the Communion Service upon them all, and therefore doubtless would gladly have the thing it self to attend its own Service.

Among these, the Lord's day is worthily counted chief, and perhaps it may be no very wide Conjecture to think this one Reason of that Denomination, and that it might be called the Lord's day from its respect to this Symbol, and Solemn Commemorating of him, which anciently was a constant part of this days [Page 15]Service, as well as from the Resurrection, in Memory of which, this was Consecrated into the Christian Sabbath.

However if we let this pass only for a Conjecture, yet the other will yield us some steddy Advantage to our purpose. And if there must be a just Analogy between this and that Custom among the Jews, from whence it derived, it must be very frequent, and so frequent at least, as the Christian Church ob­serves any solemn Festival. Which will not only be every Lord's day, but very many times in the year beside.

This is the first Argument; and if it seem a little more abstracted, and the force of it not so very plain to every common Under­standing, I shall be a great deal more plain and easily Understood in those that follow.

CHAP. III.

THe Second Argument for our purpose is to consider the Service it self and its Institution; and the Argument that I intend from this, I shall endeavour to draw to its issue, by a Complication of some dependent Observations, which I beg the serious Con­sideration of. And they are these that follow▪

1. I observe that this Duty is as plainly commanded, as any positive Institution can.

2. I consider that this is no temporary Insti­titution, but to last while the Christian Religi­on continueth.

3. That it is no more limited and confined to particular times, than other Duties are.

4. That accordingly it was understood and observed by the Apostles and Primitive Christians. All which taken together, will I suppos [...] be another mighty Argument for the frequency of Communicating in this Service.

1. I begin with the first. Which is to Con­sider that this Duty is plainly and expresly Commanded by our Saviour. And this I am certain will be plain enough to any that Considers two places in the N. T. which are all I shall appeal to in this matter. One is in St. Lukes Gospel, the other is in this Chapter.

That of St. Luke is Chapter 22.19. And he took Bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, [...]nd gave unto them, saying, This is my Body which is given for you, this do in Remembrance of me. That these Words relate to the Institution of this Holy Sacrament, was never yet (that I know of) questioned by any, and in Truth, the thing is so plain that there needs no Con­tending about it.

And if they do this, then they contain an express Command for the Celebration of it [Do This] i. e. which you now see me do, do you take bread and bless it, and break it, and give it to others to Eat in Remembrance of me. I do not well see how the sense of any Command, can be more obvious and plain than this is.

And I cannot imagine what can be thought of to defeat the effect of this command, or be pretended why it should not perpetually ob­lige all Christians. But one or both of these two things. 1. That this precept was only [Page 18]given to the Apostles, and so may not con­cern Private Christians. Or 2. that it was given only to Jews, and so perhaps may only concern them.

Both which things I confess are very true, but the deductions from them wholly ground­less and false. For if they were given only to the Apostles, as indeed they are, then they are a plain command to them to Admini­ster this Sacrament, and therefore an Obliga­tion upon others to receive it. And we might as well say the Apostles only were Obliged to be Baptised, because it is only said to them, Baptise, as we can say they only were con­cerned to Communicate, because it is said to them only do this in remembrance of me.

It rather concludes quite the other way, that because the Apostles are commanded to Administer, Christians are obliged to Commu­nicate, and to be Administred unto. And I do not know why we may not as safely inferr this, as we may that Christians are Obliged to hear the Word Preached, and to be Baptised, because the Apostles and their Successors are to Baptise and Preach.

And then, that it should not concern the generality of Christians because it was first Administred only to the Jews, is a wild way of Arguing, that may (for ought I know) [Page 19]defeat all the Precepts and Institutions of the Gospel, it being certain all of them were first delivered only to that People. But I think no Man is so extravagant as to urge it in all o­ther things. And yet I see not why he may not as well do it in them, as in this.

But to take off all manner of pretence up­on either of these grounds, I proceed to con­sider the other place of Scripture that I men­tioned. And that is, 1 Cor. 11.23, 24, 25. For I have Received of the Lord that which I also de­livered unto you, that the Lord Jesus in the same night that he was betrayed, took Bread;

And when he had given Thanks he Brake it, and said, Take Eat, this is my Body which is Broken for you, this do in Remembrance of me.

After the same manner also he took the Cup, when he had Supped, saying, This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood; this do ye, as oft as ye Drink it in Remembrance of me.

From which Words, together with the pur­pose to which St. Paul useth them, these two things are abundantly plain: 1. That Chri­stians in common were concerned in this Institution, as well as the Apostles. And 2. That Gentile Christians were obliged unto it as well as the Jewish. For he speaks these things to the whole Church of Corinth, who were neither Apostles nor Jews only.

It is most evident that our Lord designed him especially, for the Apostle of the Gentiles, to propagate that Faith among them, which St. Peter first Preached to the First-fruits of them, and to Build up that Church among them, which St. Peter laid the first Stone of in his Ministry to Cornelius and his House. And he tells us plainly, that among other things, which he received of the Lord Jesus in order to this great Work, this was one: That this Sacrament should be observed by all Christi­ans, as a Solemn, Commemorative Rite of the Death of Christ, and of the great benefits which we receive thereby, as our Church speaks in this very case.

This is plain, if any thing can be so. This he had in Charge from the Lord Jesus, and it was one of the great Instructions he re­ceived from him, when he made him his A­postle to the Gentiles, and directed him what to Teach and Institute among them.

CHAP. IV.

SEcondly, I consider, that this is no Tem­porary Institution, but to last while the Christian Religion endureth in the World. In speaking to this Argument, and clearing the Force and Strength of it to the meanest Understanding, I shall do these two things.

1. Explain fully what I mean by a Tem­porary Precept or Institution.

2. Shew that this is not so, but quite the contrary.

1. I begin with the first, and I call that a Temporary Institution, which is but appoin­ted for a certain Period of Time only, and when that time is expired the obligation of it expires too. There are many such things ap­pointed by the Laws of Men, the obligation to which Laws is limited, and confined to such and such a time, as the prudence of Men think fit, or their reason inclines them to think, the reason of the thing may continue so long.

And so there may be some Institutions in a Religion which rely upon reasons that may vary and change, or wholly expire in tract of time; and then no Man doubts but the obligation to them ceaseth, and Men are free from farther respect unto them.

Such, for Instance, were some Institutions of our Saviour to his Apostles, which particu­ticularly concerned them as Apostles, and were directions to them in the Discharge of their Apostolical Office, only during the Mi­nority of the Church: Or their Travail and Pains in founding of it: But no Man thinks they were intended as standing Rules to ob­lige their Successors for ever, yea or to oblige them, when the reason and temper of things changed with them. Such as that, Luke 10.4. Carry neither Purse, nor Scrip, nor Shoos; and, Salute no Man by the way. And that Luke 12.11. When you are carried before Rulers take no thought before hand, what you shall say. And some others may be met with of the like nature, which it is certain did only oblige the Apostles, and continue in force when that present State of affairs lasted, but did cease to oblige, when the reasons of them ceased also.

And such are a great many that you may meet with in St. Paul's Epistles, and others, which are given only to the Jews, with re­spect to the Gentiles, or the Gentiles with respect to the Jews, and were Directions what to do in some Instances, while that distincti­on [Page 23]among Christians lasted, and while Men were not sufficiently instructed in the obligati­on, or the Nulling of it. And such doubtless were those Constitutions of the Apostolical Council, Acts 15. which were called necessa­ry, and so indeed were while things stood in that Posture that they did then.— But af­ter a Century or two began to grow into neglect, when the reasons of them ceased, and all Men were sufficiently Instructed in the Na­ture of such things. And no Men doubt now, but that they may Eat Blood, and things strangled, without Sin, unless it be a few Rabbinical Men, and some others tinctured with Judaism, in other Instances as well as this.

Now if we would know how to judge rightly, when an Institution is thus Tempo­rary, and distinguish it from things of Per­petual Obligation; the best way that I know of is this: To consider well of what Nature the reasons of those Institutions are. If the reasons annexed to the Precept, be of Moral and Perpetual Equity, then the Obligation is so too: But if it be not, but the Equity and Reasonableness of it limited only to such and such conditions, and can be thought to be fit and becoming only, while the Circumstances of Things continue the same as they are now, then we may certainly conclude, that the In­stitution is not designed to be perpetually ob­liging, but only during such a Period, and [Page 24]till the reasons of Things shall change. As for Instance, to make this more plain, if God shall Command a Man to abstain from Blood out of respect to a Jew, who may be offen­ded by it, as being not sufficiently instructed in the Gospel Liberty; I am sure that Com­mand obligeth me only while that reason continueth with me; but when there is no Jew to be offended, nor any but what are as well instructed as my self, in the Nature of the thing, I doubt not but the Obligation of that Precept ceaseth.

But when God Commands me at the same time to abstain from Fornication, and lets me know the inconvenience and mischief of it to human Society, I am able then to assure my self that this Command is of perpetual Ob­ligation, because the same reason upon which it is forbidden now, will continue still, while Men live in this World; and therefore what makes it needful now, will make it to be so for ever too. These things, I think, are enough to instruct us sufficiently in the Nature of Tem­porary Institutions, and things of perpetual Obligation, and teach us how to know, when Precepts are of one kind, and when of the other. And by a due consideration of them we shall be able to inform our selves in the 2. Second thing, That the Institution of this Holy Sacrament is not Temporary, I mean, Temporary with respect to Christian Religi­on, but to last and oblige Christians as long [Page 25]as this Religion lasteth, and obligeth them to any thing.

And this I shall prove from two things said of the reason of it in this Text. 1. That it is to sh [...]w forth the Lord's Death. 2. To doe this till he come; As often as ye Eat this Bread, &c. ye do shew forth the Lord's Death till he come. I have proposed (if you do remem­ber) to speak to these in the third general I have observed in the Text, and therefore shall not anticipate here what will be more proper then, with any large Explication of the Sense and Purport of them. I only here urge them in general, as an Argument for what I am proving, That this is not any Temporary Institution.

For, First, The reason of its Institution will always continue the same, and whatever Gratitude, and Joy, and Praise, is fir and due from Christians now in to God Almighty, for the Death of his Son, will be equally so to the End of all things, yea to Eternity too. And whatever Obligation lyeth upon Christians now, to Commemorate the Death of the Ble [...]d Jesus, and to tell Men the Wonders and Blessings that accrue to Mankind by it, the same will continue, and be incumbent on them all the while they are Christians, and converse with Men in this World.

Nay, perhaps this reason will encrease and strengthen upon their hands. For, as now, at the End of Sixteen Hundred Years, [Page 26]there is more need to Commemorate, and Imprint upon our own and other Mens thoughts, the remembrance of the same, then there could reasonably be thought to be in the first Century, when it was but lately past, and yet fresh and warm in Mens thoughts. So this reason will be stronger a Thousand Years hence than now, if the World last so long, and so proportionably to the final Con­flagration. The further that Men are remo­ved from the time of this Death, and all the surprizing Accidents of it, the more danger is there, that the thoughts of it may wear off, and the Memory of it slip away, and conse­quently the reason of this Institution will be so far from ceasing, that it still grows stronger by Tract of Time, and in every succeeding Period gains more strength, and makes the Duty the more needful.

Especially Secondly, When it is expressly said this should be done till our Lord come, i. e. till he come again to Judge the World, and to put an end to the present Frame and Systeme of things, and to give up the Govern­ment of his Church to his Father, from whom he received it.

For, That this is the sense and meaning of the [...], Till he come, here, I have the joynt surfrage of all the Expositors I have yet seen, yea, of the Socinians too, whom I did not expect to find so very frank in this thing.

There is a Sect of Enthusiastical Men sprung up among us, in the late time of Unhappi­ness and Confusion, who make quite another Interpretation of this expression, referring it to I do not know what kind of Christs com­ing into Mens Hearts, after which they say there is no need of this, and such like Childish and mean Ordinances. Till this indeed they will grant some need of such things, i. e. while Men are Children, then they may act like such, but when Christ comes to be revealed in them, then they commence Men, and must put away Childish things, and be above such low and beggarly Institutions, i. e. in plain terms, when they come to attain to the Per­fection of Quakers.

But I think it too great an honour to such a dotage to stay upon the Confutation of it. That which the Apostles themselves, and the best Christians then, that had the Spirit in great measures, and to whom Christ was made known in so Eminent a degree, did observe, and counted a Duty incumbent on them, I will believe a Duty upon all, and upon these high pretenders too, unless I could see some reason to induce me to think, that the Apostles, and best Men yet in the Chri­stian World, have been but Punies and Petties to these Opinionated Perfectionists.

But I stay too long to remark such dota­ges. It is certain and plain then, from these words in the Institution, that this Duty is to [Page 28]be incumbent upon Men to the end of the World, and to the Final Expiration of Chri­stianity in it, till Christ come to turn Faith into Vision, and Hope into Fruition, and to reward the Pious Services of all his Saints, with Eternal weights of inconceivable Glory.

Then indeed the reason of the Duty will cease. We shall not need Symbols, to put us in mind of that which we shall then see. We shall need no Art to impress our Me­mories with the Idea of that, which our sen­ses shall continually represent to us.

We shall not need to eat Material Bread, as a Symbolical Representation of the Heavenly, we shall then taste the living Bread from Heaven, and seed at the Supper of the Lamb, and eternally solace and refresh our selves with that great Love-Feast, between Saints and Angels, and their Blessed Head.

We shall no longer have occasion for Types and Symbols, and be fain to take up with Husks and Figures, for we shall enjoy the sustance, we shall see as we are now seen, and we shall po [...]ess what we now enjoy but by Hope, and the excellent Arts of Faith, by which we bring things near us, that are really at a distance, and by Imagination make those things present, which are only future and in reversion.

Then (as I said but now) the reason of this Service will cease, and consequently the Service it self too. But till then it will con­tinue [Page 29]the same, or rather in every more di­stant period of the World, grow stronger, and therefore so long the Obligation to the same will continue also.

I shall cast in one thing ex abundanti on this Argument, to shew that this is intended to be a fixed, standing Service in Christianity, name­ly because it is almost the only thing, that is peculiar to this Religion. For there are but three things that can properly be said to be Institutions of Christianity; Baptism, the Sup­per of the Lord, and calling upon God in Christs name.

These are the peculiar Signatures and Cog­nisances of a Christian, and things by which he is distinguished from all the World. The rest of our Religion is but in common with o­thers, and is little else but the old Na­tural Patriarchal Religion, more Refined and Sublimated than it was. But these Servi­ces are peculiarly instituted by Christ Jesus, and are practised by no other Mode or De­nomination of Religion in the World.

From whence we may safely draw an Ar­gument for the assuring the Truth of our pre­sent Proposition, that it is no temporary Institu­tion, but design'd to be a standing Service, as long as Christian Religion lasts in the World.

CHAP. V.

3. BUt to advance yet nearer to our purpose, I observe in the third place, That this Duty is no more limited to this or that Particular Time, than any other positive Institution in Christianity is. But for any thing we see in the Institution, is intended to be made a standing part of Christian Worship.

There seem to me to be two Circumstan­ces in the Command pertinent to be observed by us as to this matter.

1. The proposing of it without any designa­tion of Time for it.

2. The Phrase that it is expressed by.

1. It is plain, That no one particular Time is designed or marked out for the Celebra­tion of this Service, only it is said, Do this in remembrance of me. And if any Men [Page 31]therefore conclude, That our Saviour hath left this to every Mans discretion, to observe it when, or how often he pleaseth; and that it is a sufficient satisfying the Command, if he now and then only, once or twice in his whole Life do communicate; he may be told that he plainly prevaricates the sense of the Pre­cept in it.

It is more than probable, That if our Sa­viour had intended that this Service should be observed in the Christian Synaxes and Con­ventions only at some particular Times and Seasons, he would have told us so, and some way or other have marked out those times, that we might have known them; but we are sure he hath not done the least of this; which is a very good Argument to prove, that he did intend this to be a standing part of the Christian Publick Worship to the end of the World.

And upon the same reason that Men take a liberty to do this but seldom, when they please, because Christ hath not expresly told them when and how often they should do it, they may take the liberty to pray, and meet together in Publick to Worship him, only when they please too. For it is certain he hath no more stated the times for these Services than he hath done for this. He saith only when you pray, and the Apostle saith when you come together. But we do not conclude from either of these, that we may [Page 32]therefore pray, or worship God in public [...] as seldom as we please. And yet we may as rationally do both these, as conclude because we are not expresly told how often we are to do this, that therefore we are at liberty, and it is indifferent when we do it.

It is a known Rule in Law, In omnibus ob­ligationibus ubi dies non ponitur praesenti debetur All Obligations are solvent and payable at present, where a particular time for pay­ment is not mentioned. And I think it may be as true a Rule in Divinity, That all Re­ligious Duties, and parts of Publick Worship, that have not their particular seasons marked out by God himself, should be observed and practised frequently at least, and as often as opportunity of doing them offers it self to Men.

Natural Light and Reason alone will tell Men that they ought to be constant in their Devotions to Almighty God, upon whom their dependance, and from whom their re­ceipts of favours are constant, and that no day should pass without the Morning and Evening Sacrifice.

And Revelation hath told Men that one day at least in every seven is very fit to be dedi­cated to Gods Publick Worship. And both these will tell us, that whatever God hath appointed as a part of his Publick Worship, ought constantly to be observed by Men when they meet together for that pvrpose, unless [Page 33]he himself, or the reason of the thing tell them otherwise.

We ought not to suffer one part of Publick Worship to turn ingrosser and steal our regards from the rest. We ought not to set up one in opposition to another, nor think that the ob­servation of one may be commuted, or attone for the neglect of the other. Some Men set up Preaching in Opposition to Prayer, and some would have Prayers to supersede Preaching, but almost both sorts make these to supersede Communicating.

I do not know for my part, how to distin­guish between the Error and Guilt of these Men: I think all equally Prevaricate the Di­vine Institutions, and rob God of that which he hath most expressly required of them.

2. The second thing observable in this In­stitution pertinent to our present purpose, is the Symbol under which the great benefit of this Duty is represented, and that is by Eat­ing and Drinking; As often as ye Eat this Bread and Drink this Cup. In allusion to which it is called the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The Church tells you what is the real signifi­cation of this Allegory, and what the intend­ment of this Service is, viz. the strengthning and refreshing of our Souls by the Body and Blood of Christ, as our Bodies are by the Bread and Wine: i.e. God Almighty intended that our Souls should be advantaged and strengthned [Page 34]by the Graces in this Service, as really as our Bodies are by the Symbols of them.

Now hence we may draw another excel­lent Argument for our present purpose. For if this be part of that Provision that our great Lord hath made for the Souls of his Servants, be that Food which he hath provided for his Family the Church, and hath charged his Stewards to give to them; we may strongly infer; that as the one ought to make constant Provision: So the other ought as constantly to partake of it.

The necessites of the Soul are as real and pressing as those of the Body are, or can be: And they can no more subsist without frequent and constant supplies of Grace, than our Bo­dys can without daily Food. As long as we live in this state here below, we shall have con­tinual need to grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: To renew our strength to do our Duty, and to master all Temptations that would hinder us from doing so: To strengthen our pious purposes, and heighten the sense of our manifold Obligations to our God: To im­pregnate our Souls with a lively sense of his goodness and Love, and to heighten our Joy and Praise unto him, and since this Holy Sa­crament is a most excellent Expedient and help to all these great purposes, one would think, it might supersede all need of any o­ther Arguments, to oblige us to a frequent par­taking [Page 35]of the same. Our necessities here a­lone might sufficiently instruct us, and shew us, that our Spiritual repasts should be as constant as our Bodily.

4. And that this was the purpose and in­tendment of this Precept, the Practice of those that best understood it shews plainly. Which is the fourth thing I proposed to observe in this Institution; viz. that it was thus Understood and Practised by the Apostles and Primitive Christians: Who always accounted it a con­stant principal Part of Divine Worship, and accordingly observed it.

What the Sense and Practice of the Apostles was as to this, appears clearly from what St. Luke tells us, Acts 2.46. They continued daily in the Temple with one accord, and break­ing Bread from house to house, did Eat their Meat with gladness and singleness of Heart, Praising God and having favour with the Peo­ple; i. e. (as one among our selves paraphra­seth these Words) after they had daily per­formed their Devotion with the Jews in the Temple Service, they went to their own Houses (i. e. those [...], that they had in them, places for Divine Service and Prayer) there to tender a more particular Service to their Saviour as they were Christians; i. e. to celebrate the Holy Sacrament (which is usually called Breaking of Bread) and to give Solemn Praises and Thanks to him.

And that they did this constantly when they [Page 36]met together for Publick Worship, the fourth Verse of that Chapter shews plainly. They continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine (or hearing the Apostolical Instruction) and Fellowship (or Communicating one to ano­ther) and Breaking Bread, and in Prayer. Where you see this is joyned with the other Solemn parts of Divine Worship, and said al­ways when they met to accompany them.

These two Texts seem to intimate that this was a constant part in the daily Service, and truly I believe it was so. But that it was constantly a part of the Sunday or Lord's day Service; is plainly affirmed, Acts 20.7. And on the first day of the Week, when the Disciples were come together to break Bread; i. e. to cele­brate the Holy Sacrament, as all Expositors unanimously understand it.

And the same seems intimated by our A­postle in Verse 20. of this 11. Chapter of 1 Cor. When you come together therefore into one place (as always on the Lord's day to be sure they did) this is not to Eat the Lord's Supper (i. e. as you ought to Eat it.) The Syriack Version of these Words is plainer to our purpose; When you come together, this is not to Eat and Drink as becomes the Lord's day. But whe­ther it be [...], the Lord's day, or [...], the Lord's Body, it is much what the same to our present purpose, and shews us thus much, that to Eat the Lord's Body (i. e. to Cele­brate [Page 37]the Sacrament) was one standing Ser­vice in their Publick Conventions.

Thus it was while the Apostles lived, and that thus it was also in the Ages immediately succeeding we learn clearly from undoubted Records of the Practice of those times. I might easily heap together a multitude of Testimonies to this purpose: But I will con­tent my self to extract a few that are the more undoubted and remarkable, and com­monly cited by Learned Men to this purpose.

Justin Martyr, who lived about the middle of the second Century, describing the Pub­lick Service and Worship of Christians in his time, gives us this account of the Sunday Ser­vice: On that day there is a meeting of all that dwell in Town and Country, and the Reader having done his Office, the Presi­dent makes an Oration, wherein he exhor­teth People to imitate such goodly things. Then we all rise and Pray, and (as I said be­fore, i. e. before he had been speaking of the Celebration of the Sacrament) at the end of Prayer, Bread, Wine and Water, are brought forth, and the Priest with all his might poureth out Prayers and Praises and the People answereth aloud, Amen, and there is a distribution made of those things, over which Thanks have been given to every one that is present, and to the absent is sent by the Deacons.

There are many excellent uses may be [Page 38]made of this account, in order to the vindi­cating the Service of the Church of England, and shewing how exactly consonant it is to Primitive Antiquity and Practice. But that to our present purpose is plain, that the Ce­lebration of this Holy Sacrament was a con­stant part in the Sunday Service.

And that you may not imagine this Practice owed it self only to the extraordinary fer­vors of Primitive Zeal, but continued a stand­ing Practice in the Church, Socrates the Histori­an, that wrote about the middle of the fifth Century, shews plainly, telling us that all Churches all the World over in every Week on the Sabbath day, Celebrate the Commu­nion. And though he take notice of a contrary Custom that began then in the Church of Rome and Alexandria (for no rea­son that we know of) to the contrary, yet St. Hierom, who lived about the same time, tells us, that at Rome he found plain footsteps of daily Communion in that Church: But were it not so, it shews us whence the disuse of this Sacrament first arose, and that we may call it more truly a Piece of Popery, than we do many things at this day.

This Custom was thought so very reasona­ble, and so agreeable to Apostolick Practice, and the reasons of Christianity, that it pass'd into a Law, and was establisht as a Canon, in the Apostolical Canons, and in the Council of Antioch too; both which Decree, that the [Page 39]Faithful which enter the Church, and hear the Scriptures, but do not stay out the Prayers, nor receive the Holy Communion, ought to be Excommunicate, as disturbers of the Church and violaters of its constant Usage and Cu­stoms.

I will add but one Testimony more: But it is the more considerable, coming from an Enemy, though a very ingenious one: 'Tis that famous Epistle of Plinius Secundus to the Emperor Trajan, who being wearied with the persecutions of the Christians, and as it is thought to mitigate the rigor of the Imperi­al Edicts against them, gives this account of their Conventions: They are wont to as­semble before it is light, to Sing an Hymn to Christ as God, and to bind themselves with a Sa­crament, not to do any Wickedness, but that they would not commit Murders, nor Thefts, nor Adulteries, nor break their Words, nor deny any thing that was deposited in trust with them, when it was demanded of them — and when this was done to depart, and meet again together to partake of a common Meal. In which he alludes certainly to the Love-feasts which were at night, and the Communion was always the Close of them. So that it seems in those times of Persecution and Danger, the Sacrament was received twice every day. And so Tertullian tells us it was in their morning Conventions, as well as time of their Feast in Evening.

These are enough to shew us what Primi­tive Practice as to this was. I mention them to drive this Argument to a full Issue, and shew how strongly and unanswerably it con­cludes for the frequent and constant Celebra­tion of this Service. And I am so confident in saying it doth so, that I but beg Men only to consider it in order to a full Conviction. For I am sure it is not lyable to any just Excepti­on to weaken the Conclusiveness of it.

CHAP. VI.

3. I Proceed now to the third Argument for the frequency of Communica­ting in this Service, and the often Eating this Bread, and Drinking this Cup: Which I pro­posed from the Consideration of the Nature and Ends of the same. From whence we may draw so many mighty Arguments for the fre­quency of this Duty.

1. I shall consider the Nature of this Ser­vice. And he that doth so cannot but pre­sently consider that it is an act of Religious Worship: A Service which the Christian Reli­gion enjoyns, as a peculiar Instance of Wor­ship to God and Christ.

It is certain all sacrifices under the Law were accounted Mysterious Rites of Divine Worship, and were esteemed Solemn ways of paying Service and Homage unto God, and so to Sacrifice and to Worship, were not only in the Idiom of Scripture, but in other Lan­guages too, the same thing.

I do not say the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is formally an expiatory Sacri­fice, as the Papists do, nor Celebrating of it a real Offering up, or Sacrificing the very Body and Blood of Christ, as they contend, or a daily repeating that great Hilasterion, and Trespass Offering, that was Offered by Christ himself upon the Cross, to make the great Atonement for the Sins of the World. For that our Blessed Lord himself declared to be perfected, and consummated on the Cross, and that the Author to the Hebrews tells us was but once offered up, Heb. 9.28. and in many other places of that excellent Epistle, in which he undertakes to shew the excellency and ef­ficacy of that Sacrifice of Christ, above any that Aaron, or the Priests of his Order-offered. For whereas those Sacrifices were every day repeated, and the most Sacred and Expiatory [Page 42]once every year; this Sacrifice was to be of­fered up but once, and by that Solemn Obla­tion Christ hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified, Heb. 10.14. i. e. hath done all that by way of Expiation was to be done for them.

In which word, saith the Learned Capellus, there are two excellent Arguments for us. One against the Jews, to shew the excellency of this Sacrifice above all those of the Aaro­nical Priesthood, because it alone, and by be­ing once only offered too, did effect that great Expiation, which all those Sacrifices, though continually iterated, and renewed, were not able to do.

And against the Papists too. Because the Apostle is arguing the Perfection of that Sa­crifice above the others from this Medium, that whereas they needed to be offered daily, this was offered up but only once. Which Argu­ment the Papists wholly destroy, by pretend­ing a necessity, and a reality of their repeat­ing this Service daily.

And yet for all this, it may be called the Christian Sacrifice, i. e. a Commemorative Sa­crifice, as the Fathers generally speak; be­cause we do in this Service feed upon those things, which are the Symbols of this real Sacrifice, or we do (as the Jews after the Actual Oblation of their Sacrifices) feed up­on a Sacrifice, i. e. we feed upon that which we offer up unto God, as our Eucharistical [Page 43]or Peace-offering, our great Thanksgiving for Gods accepting this great Tresspass Of­fering of his Sons Blood, by which we are re­conciled now to God, and at Peace with him.

Answerable to which Notion we know the Christian Church hath usually and ancient­ly called this, the Eucharist, i. e. her great Sa­crifice of Praise and Thanksgiving to God for that Expiatory Sacrifice of his Son, but never, that I find, that very Sacrifice it self. According to which the Church of England, in her Col­lect after the Sacrament beggs God to accept this her Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving.

And it is further observable, that those Fa­thers and Learned Men of the Ancient Church, that make it to refer immediately to this Expia­tory Sacrifice of Christ, do when they speak plainly on this Subject, as Doctors and Di­vines, and not as Orators, &c. make it only the Symbol and Representation, or the Com­memorative Rite of the same. St. Chrysostom upon that Text in the Hebrews that I last quo­ted, viz. Chap. 9.14. proposeth this Scruple, What then, doe not we daily offer this Sacri­fice? Yes we doe, i. e. [...], We daily Sacrifice in Memory of it. And again, [...], We daily and constantly thus Sacrifice. Or rather (lest the Speech should be misunderstood) We Commemorate, or we doe (that which is a Solemn Sacrifical Re­membrance [Page 44]of it, or in the Words of the Text, we doe that which is a Solemn grateful shew­ing forth the Death of our Lord.

I shall have occasion hereafter to insist on these things, when I come to speak to the second General observed in this Text. In the mean time all I urge this for at present is to make good this Notion, that this is the great Christian Rite of Sacrificing, and so a Solemn Act of Publick Worship, as Sacrificing (we know) was amongst the Jews, and all Nati­ons too.

From whence alone we may Collect ano­ther very good Argument for the Constancy of this Service: Not only because this was always one constant Rite of Worship amongst the Jews, and all other Nations, but likewise because it is Instituted to be a means of Chri­stian Worship and Adoration, which certainly ought to be as constant as among any other sort of Men whatever.

But I shall Consider this Act of Worship a little more distinctly, and the references of it, to strengthen greatly this Argument. For we may Consider this Service or Worship, as it respects God, or as it respects our Saviour himself.

1. If we Consider this Service with re­spect to God, we shall find the Scripture in­timating these two great purposes of it; 1. As a Symbol of Praise and Thanksgiving to [Page 45]him, for the Mighty Mercy and Love in send­ [...]ng his Son to die for us. 2. As a Sacrament of Prayer, in Vertue and Merit of which we offer up our Prayers to him, to be made Actual Partakers of the benefits of that death, and hope to have them heard and accepted. Both which purposes will joyntly combine in telling of us how, frequent (or constant ra­ther) we ought to be in this Service.

1. As a Solemn Rite of Thanksgiving and Praise to Almighty God, for his Astonishing and even Infinite Love, in sending his own Son into the World, to die for us, and to make the great Expiation and Atonement for the Sins of Mankind.

There can be nothing more becoming and needful for Christians, than to have a mighty high sense of this goodness, and to think no Praise can be too great for it. The Truth is when a Man sits down and endeavours to af­fect his Soul with all the particular Circum­stances of it, he will soon find his thoughts pass into extasie and rapture, be so confoun­ded with a sense of Divine goodness in this wonderful dispensation, that he will soon see all mortal Comprehensions are too narrow for it, and all possible Praise infinitely short of the greatness of it. We may well cry out when we Consider it, with the Seraphical and rapturous St. John, 1 John 3.1. Behold what manner of Love the Father hath be­stowed [Page 46]upon us! We can admire, and w [...] can wonder at the thoughts of it, but w [...] have not Words to express the greatness o [...] it.

And if we observe it well, we cannot bu [...] take notice how very fit a Symbol of ou [...] Praise this is, and how proper this time is fo [...] the offering the same, both in respect of God [...] and our selves too.

Of God, to let him see that we keep b [...] us the remains and pledges of our Lord [...] dear Respects and Love to us: Lay up the Memorals of his Stupendious kindness, [...] and make it one part of our Solemn Service and Worship, to keep up a fresh sense and re­membrance of it, that no tract of time may wear it off our Minds, but that even now, a [...] the end of sixteen hundred years and more, our remembrance of it is as fresh and affect­ing, as that of the Disciples was when going to Emmaus.

Nothing doubtless can be more acceptable and well pleasing unto God, who as he tri­umphs in the reflections upon his own good­ness; So cannot but be well pleased to see it [...] ecchoed and rebounded in the grateful accla­mations and praises of Men.

It is certain the Divine goodness triumphed in this to a pitch incomparably above any thing, either in his Creation of the World, or his Providences towards it. And so he speaks in his own Revelations. And therefore it can­not [Page 47]but be grateful to him, to see us Poor Men retain a sense as sutable to it, as our nar­row Comprehensions will give us leave to doe. Our Incense cannot be more fragrant, nor the Odours of our Praises more pleasing, than when they are inflamed by a Coal from that Altar, upon which his own Son's Blood is Sacrificed in the Symbols of it.

And with respect to us, never could a fitter time be chosen for this Sacrifice: Never a season thought on more likely to raise our sense of Gods Love in the Death of his Son, to a higher Pitch, or more inflame our Praise and Gratitude for it, then when we see him even visibly set forth and Crucified before our Eyes: His Body broken, and his Blood poured out, in the Sacramental Actions about the Holy Symbols.

We find it true in experience, that abstract­ed thoughts and Meditations doe not so lively impress us, as things that are Palpable and strike our senses; with which Infirmity the Wisdom of God hath greatly complied in this Institution, in which we doe not hear only with our Ears, what great things Christ hath done for us, but have lively and visible re­presentations of his Death, the more strong­ly to affect us with his Love in it.

And certainly if we be not wholly stupid, and insensible to a degree equal to that of Stocks and Stones, these things must greatly affect us, cause a mighty sense of Divine Love [Page 48]in our Hearts, and fill our Mouths with Songs of Praise and Thanksgiving for the same.

This then being the Christian great Eucha­rist, and this a Rite of Solemn giving Thanks to God, for the Death of his Son Jesus Christ, and of the great benefits which we receive thereby (as the Church of England speaks) it will be improveable into an undenyable Argument, for the Obligation to a frequen [...] Celebrating of it: Since I am sure no Man can deny, but that this calls for continual Thanks, and makes the Tribute of a daily Sacrifice greatly due to God. And therefore lays an indispensable Obligation upon all Chri­stians, to joyn with others in paying that Tri­bute, and sending up that Holy Incense to Heaven, so often as the Church thinks fit to call us thereunto.

2. If we consider this act of Worship with respect to God, we may look upon it as a great Rite or Sacrament of Prayer, with which we unite our Prayers, and in the Merit of it may hope to have them accepted.

It is most certain, and all Learned Men agree in it, that Sacrificing was but a more Solemn way and manner of Prayer, and a thing practised in hopes to render Prayer more succesful. For all Men being conscious of their own Crimes, and sensible of their own Unworthiness to appear before God, what little reason they have to expect to be [Page 49]accepted, or to have ther Petitions granted by him, for their own sakes, have concluded it mighty fit and proper, to have something Substituted in their stead, which when they Prayed for Pardon of Sin might make some Compensation for them, and bear the Curse and Punishment of Death due to them. When they begged for any other Blessings, might be offered as some small Praemium, and Pur­chase for them: And when they offered Praise for Mercies received, or dangers escaped, &c. might be presented unto God as a visible Testimony of that inward gratitude that they then made profession of.

To all these purposes, Sacrifices excellent­ly served them, and were accounted a means by which they hoped to have their Confessi­ons of Sin, and deprecations of Punishment: Their Petitions for Blessings, and their Praise and Thanksgiving accepted by the Almighty.

And I doe not doubt but God himself de­signed them to this purpose amongst others, to teach Men to look from themselves, to something else to render them acceptable un­to God, and by the visible and apparent meaness of Sacrifices in themselves, to look beyond them to something else that was in­tended by them: Which was doubtless the great Sacrifice of his own Son; with which God is so well pleased, and for the sake of which he promiseth to accept the Services and Persons of Men.

And therefore it is certain that these two al­ways went together; I mean, Sacrificing and Praying. Of which we have so many clear Testimonies in the Old Testament, th [...] I think it needless to search into them, an [...] for which reasons the Hours for the Morning and Evening Sacrifice, are called the Hou [...] of Prayer in the New Testament, patticular­ly Acts 3.1. And we are so assured of th [...] Truth of this, that we not only have the con­current Testimony of all the Learned Me [...] among the Jews, and others too, that have writ of these things, but we have the very Forms of Prayer themselves that were made use of at these times; which were differen [...] according to the difference of the Sacrifice [...] that were offered, to the design and purpos [...] of which they were suted. — And this wa [...] so constantly the Practise in the then World, that Pliny lays it down as a Law, that Victi­ma caedi sine Precatione non debetur, No Sacrific [...] ought to be offered without Prayer; nor ought [...] we to consult God without it.

And to advance a little nearer to the purpose of this Argument, it is certain the Sacrifice of the Cross, i. e. of the Body and Blood o [...] Christ, was the great thing shadowed and pointed at by all the Legal Sacrifices of old; 'was in relation to this they were all Institu­ted, and in the Vertue of this that they were accepted: They being poor and mean things in themselves, and very unfit Compensations [Page 51]for Sin, it being imposible (saith the Author to the Heb. Chap. 10.4.) that the Blood of Bulls and Goats, &c. should by any Vertue of their own purge Sin.

This therefore hath now succeeded in the room of all those Sacrifices, and is now be­come the great Sacrifice of the Christian Church, in the Vertue of which She offers up all her Prayers to God, and in the Merits of which, She hopes to have them, her-self, and all her other Services accepted by God. Chri­stians go to God in the name of Christ, plead the Merits of his Blood, and expect a Gra­cious Answer to their Prayers only for his sake.

Now the Holy Sacrament being the Com­memoration of this Sacrament, as Chrysostom speaks, the shewing forth this Death of Christ, as St. Paul speaks, it is a very fit and proper rite of Prayer too, a most excellent expedi­ent to succeed with God, and to work in us also that Holy Confidence, and Faith in Prayer, which is always so pleasing and acceptable to God. For which cause the Christian Church hath always Celebrated this Service with de­vout and earnest Prayers as we learn from Act. 2.46. where Breaking of Bread and Prayers are joyned together. — And from those too that give us an account of the Christian Ser­vice and Worship. And it is so certain that they did thus Pray at that time, and had re­spect to this in all their Prayers at other times: [Page 52]That we know the Altar, or the Place where they Consecrated the Elements, and on which the Symbols of this great Sacrifice were pla­ced, was the place too, where they offered up all their Publick Prayers; to signify that they offered up their Prayers in Vertue of this, and that they hoped the remembrance of this Sacrifice, being Instituted by God himself, would render their Prayers prevalent and ac­ceptable to him.

And as I said but now, no time would be more proper, no means more successful, ei­ther to prevail with God, or to cause us to hope for that audience, than this is.

With respect to God, we may be assured, that as nothing pleaseth him better than the Obedience and Sacrifice of his own Son: So nothing can be more probable to prevail with him for Blessing, than the pleading humbly and heartily the Merit of the same. It is in the Merit, and continual remembrance of this, that Christ now interceeds for us in Heaven. And it is in the Merits of this, that the Pray­ers of good Men on Earth are now so accep­table to God. He that is so well pleased with his Son, and for our Comfort declared, himself to be so, with a Voice from Heaven, cannot be displeased with those Persons, that Adore and Worship this Son, and Honour him as their Lord and Saviour; nor with those Prayers, that they presume not to of­fer to him but by his Mediation, and all whose [Page 53]hopes and expectations of audience are foun­ded only on his Merits.

And certainly with respect to us, nothing can so Animate and Inspirit our Addresses to God with hope and humble confidence of accep­tance, as to consider that our Incense flames from this Golden Altar, and that God cannot deny those that come in his Sons name. That however our Prayers be poor despicable things in themselves, and we worse that make them, yet the Blood of Christ is able to put a value upon both; And though we have no­thing of our own to present to him: Nothing in us to use as Arguments for his Mercy (but only our Meanness and Misery) yet we have that Precious Sacrifice of his Son to present him with, that is of price indeed, and we have those Arguments drawn from thence, to plead for our selves, that are resistless, and can never be denyed by him.

We may (at such times especially) thus advantage our Prayers to him: Behold Lord here is the token of thy Love to us; here is thine own Son Bleeding and Dying for our Sins; here is thine own Christ, and our dear Jesus, in whom thy Soul is well pleased, Dy­ing upon the Cross, a Shameful, Painful, Bitter; and Accursed Death: Forsaken of God and Scorned by Men; here is our Blessed Redeem­er paying our Ransom, and Drinking up the Cup of thy Wrath and Vengance for our Sins. We present thee with the said, and yet grate­ful [Page 54]Memorials of thy Sons Passion. Here Lord is enough to move thy Compassion; here is that which thou wilt not, thou canst not re­fuse. Upon the Merit of this, we are humbly confident, and cannot doubt of acceptance, though we have nothing of our own to bring to thee.

This is just answerable to the Jewish Form of Prayer, at the offering the Trespass Offer­ing. I have Sinned, o Lord, but I beseech thee Pardon my Sins, and accept this Offering from me, and be Gracious to me for the sake of it. Only here we have a much more valuable Sacrifice to present to God, and that with which we are sure he is much better pleased.

Now this likewise will yield us an unde­nyable Argument for the frequency of this Service. For, that our Prayers to God ought to be constant, our own continual wants of Grace and Blessing will inform us, if the Scrip­tures did not. And since the Holy Sacrament is so excellent a means to render our Prayers successful, both to Inspirit us with Devotion and Hope, and so prevalent with God to move him to accept them: Certainly we should not look upon this as a Service, that it is sufficient to perform two or three times in a year, but rather make it a constant part in our publick Worship, at least, take care to observe it as often as we may. Nothing can more highly concern us, than to use all possible means [...]ereby our Prayers may succeed, and return [Page 55]with answers of Blessing; and then certainly it cannot but concern us to use this Service as frequently as we can, which we know is so effectual to that purpose.

CHAP. VII.

2. BUt Secondly, we may consider this Act of Worship with a respect to Christ also; and upon that account it will be Obligation to frequency in it, as well as upon the former.

It is most plain and certain upon Christian Principles, that Divine Worship is due to the Blessed Jesus: And it is warranted by our Sa­viours own Words 1 Joh. 5.23. That all Men should Honour the Son as they Honour the Father; i.e. the same Divine Honour and Worship that is due to God is to be given also to the Son, as the very Socinians themselves interpret this place.

Upon which Principle we may warrant­ably call the Holy Sacrament a Solemn Act of Divine Worship, and yet make it to have re­spect [Page 56]unto Christ; Doe this in remembrance of me, and as often as ye Eat this Bread, and Drink this Cup, ye doe shew the Lord's Death till he come. For which reason it is called the Supper of the Lord, i. e. of Christ, not only because it was instituted by him, but seems peculiarly to re­spect and relate to him, and to be instituted on purpose to be a Solemn Rite of Adoring and Worshiping of him. And it is indeed that peculiar Symbol, by which the Christian Church doth express and testifie that mighty Honour which it hath for the Saviour of the World.

And that the Christian Church did always look upon this Service, as an Act of Worship, and Adoration render'd to the Son of God, ap­pears not only from her making this, one stated part of her Publick Service on the Lord's day, but from those Forms of Prayer and Praise that were used with it, which were immediately directed to God the Son, as well as some were to the Father, and the whole Blessed Trinity, every Person of which hath a Gra­cious Interest in the Contrivance of Mans Re­demption.

Now this alone, before we pass further, will afford us a very good Argument for the frequency of this Service. For that we ought to pay all possble Honour and Worship to our Blessed Redeemer, his many great perform­ances for us, and his mighty Love to us in them all will loudly tell us. This is a thing [Page 57]acknowledged by all Christians, who should then (methinks) acknowledge too, that they ought never to omit any opportunity, nor any means of expressing the same, espe­cially not any that he himself hath Instituted to this purpose. Which seeing that the Holy Sacrament both is, and was intended to be, I doe not see how Men can pretend an Obliga­tion to Worship him, and a Care to doe it, yea in a measure above their Brethren, and yet, have no regard to this, in which they may so Solemnly, and so acceptably doe the same.

It is a shrewd sign that they doe not doe this so constantly as they pretend, that neg­lect such Solemn and Publick opportunities of doing it, and then their pretence is Hy­pocrisie; or that they make themselves Wiser than God, in choosing to doe this in their own way, but refusing to doe it in Gods; and then they will be guilty of a Monstrous Pride and impardonable Presumption.

But this Argument will be strengthened more, by a more distinct consideration of this thing; to which therefore I shall now pro­ceed. And I shall only on this head farther tell you, that this considered as an Act of Worship relating to our Saviour, may be con­sidered to a three fold purpose, every one of which will be Arguments to our present design, and all of them combine to make one almost unanswerable.

1. As a greatful Remembrance of the great Love of Christ to Mankind.

2. As a peculiar Acknowledgment of his Incarnation.

3. As a proper Commemoration of his Crucifixion.

1. As a grateful Remembrance of his great Love to Mankind, in undertaking the great Business of our Redemption.

It is most certain, if ever there were any thing done for Mankind which might challenge his utmost Praise and Thankfulness, his highest Adoration and Acknowledgment, this of the Love of Christ might doe it much more: A Subject on which Meditation will soon be lost, and run it self into Admiration and Extasie; there are no Comprehensions big enough for it, in this our Imperfect and Mortal Sate, and the most rapturous thoughts are too mean for it. Angels admire and wonder at it, and Blessed Souls feel continual transports of Joy upon the Solemnizing of it; it is the blessful entertainment of Saints in Heaven to Sing Hallelujahs of Joy and Praise, to Exalt and Magnifie the Love of Christ to them; and Angels joyn in consort with them, saying, Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain, to receive Power, and Riches, and Wisdom, and Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and Blessing, Rev. 5.12 This is a Subject that can never be exhausted, nor can Finite Comprehensions ever reach [Page 59]the utmost of it, the Blessed above, shall still [...]ring fresh Discoveries of Joy and Wonder in it, which will be their happy Entertain­ment and Pleasure for evermore.

What therefore the Saints and Angles in Heaven Adore and Worship, we ought cer­tainly to Adore on Earth; and to make that one part of our Religious Employment and Worship now, which we hope will be our happy Entertainment for ever hereafter. And we ought not in this case to content our selves only with an Outward sense of this Love, and with such a Worship as is transacted only be­tween God and us, with some Private or In­ternal Acknowledgments: But we ought to testifie our great sense of this, by some Exter­nal Signs and Expressions, as we doe all other Acts of our Devotion: Inflame our Souls with such a quick and vigorous sense of the Love of our Lord, as may not only warm our inward Affections, but flame out and break fourth into outward Expressions: Im­pregnate our Souls with Love, and Joy, and Wonder, till our Thoughts and Passions grow too big and vehement to be suppressed in our own Breasts, but break forth into Publick Songs and sensible demonstrations of Praise and Thanksgivings.

To this purpose Religious Festivals will excellently serve us, having been practised in all Ages, and in all Nations to this end, to be Publick and Solemn Testimonies of Praise [Page 60]and Joy, for great and eminent Blessings, and to perpetuate the Memory of such things, a [...] might probably wear off in Tract of time, were it not advantaged and refreshed with such visible and impressive Commemorati­ons.

This is a Custom which hath not only been warranted by the Religion, and Prudence of all Nations, but by Gods own immediate Institution, for so the seventh day was o­riginally Instituted as a Festival, in Memory and Honour of the Creation, which was fini­shed in six days, and from which God Al­mighty rested on the seventh. After which the first day of the Week succeeded, as the Christian Weekly Festival, in Honour and Me­mory of our Redemption, which was per­fected by our Saviours Resurrection that day from the Dead. — And thus the Passover was Instituted too, to be a Memorial of the Deliverance of the Jews out of Egypt, when God slew all the First-born of that Land, but mercifully spared, and passed over them and their Houses. And some such reasons you will find assigned for the other Publick Feasts of Weeks and Tabernacles, which were im­mediately Instituted by God, together with this of the Passover; and those other which in Tract of time the Jews added to these: Such as the Feast of Purim, and the Feast of the Dedication were to perpetuate the Me­mory of great Blessings, such as they accoun­ted [Page 61]their Deliverance from the Conspiracy of [...]daman, and the Purifing the Temple and Al­ [...]ar, after their Profanation by Antiochus.

And to bring the matter close to our pre­ [...]ent purpose, such was the Institution and Purpose of this great Feast in the Christian Church, to Commemorate the mighty Bless­ing of Mans Redemption, and the astonishing Love of the Blessed Jesus in it. And so the Words of the Institution declare, Doe this in re­membrance of me, Luke 22.19. to keep up the Sense and Memory of my great Love towards you, that you may not only think on me when I am gone, but remember me with those [...]ransports of Gratitude and Praise, that are [...]ustly due for my kindness to you.

As the Men of the World use to Institute Feasts in Memory of their great Friends and Benefactors: So doe you observe this Feast in Honour of me, and to perpetuate the Memory of what I have done for you. This will greatly affect you, and more deeply impress you with the sense of my Love, when you see the visible Pledges and Symbols of it. And the frequency of this will still keep the Memory of it fresh, and warm upon your [...]houghts.

Now this will afford a very good Argu­ment for the frequency of this Service, since nothing can more concern, or greatly ad­vantage us to all the great purposes of Re­ligion and goodness, than to impregnate our [Page 62]Souls with a great sense of our dear Lord Love to us, which so often as we lose, or le [...] flag and decay in us, we are unjust to ou [...] Saviour, and unkind to our selves too [...] Unjust to him, because we fail in that which is so mighty due for all his great kindness to­wards us: And unkind to our selves too, sinc [...] we loose that which is the greatest Incentive Incouragement and help to our Christian Du­ty, of any that our Religion furnisheth u [...] withal.

2. This Act of Worship with respect t [...] Christ may be considered as a peculiar Ac­knowledgment of his Incarnation.

There was never any thing that befel th [...] World, or came within the reach of Man [...] thoughts, that was more Mysterious and Wor­derful, than the Incarnation of the Son o [...] God. This is a Subject on which our thought will soon lose themselves, and our Admirati­on and Wonder soon be glutted; That th [...] Word should be made Flesh and dwell among us: The Eternal Son of God, the increate [...] Wisdom of the Father come down from Hea­ven: Cloath himself with Flesh and Blood and become a Man as we are, subject to the same Infirmities and Passions as we are, only without Sin.

And all this that he might dwell among [...] (saith St. John) and converse with Mea [...] without that astonishment and terror, that h [...] unvailed Glory would strike Men with, it be­ing [Page 63]too splended and dazling for Mortal Eyes to look upon. And that when he had con­versed with the Miseries and Infirmities of humane Nature, and lived a poor, abject, afflicted life, he might die as a Sacrifice for our Sins, and by his own death make attone­ment for transgressions.

Be astonished, O ye Heavens at this. What Heart can comprehend, what Tongue can ex­press the wonders of this Condescension and Love? The very Angels themselves (St. Peter tells us) doe with Wonder and Joy pry into the mighty astonishments of this Mystery. And sure we then ought much more affect our Souls with the biggest sense of this Condescen­tion, and with the mighty Love of our Savi­our in it: Consider what Honour is put upon our Nature by it, and how highly it is axalted, being taken into an Immediate Union with the Divinity.

If ever Honour and Worship were due to the Lamb of God, it must certainly be so upon this account: If ever we ought to Sing Glory and Praise to God in the highest, it was when this Humiliation appeared in the Earth. The Angles themselves have led us in this An­them, and sure we ought to follow, and Sing it after them.

You may Read how the Apostle descants upon it, Phil. 2. beg. And how just he thinks all Honour due to him for the same; He that was in the form of God, and thought it no Robbery [Page 64]to be equal with God, yet humbled himself, and was found in fashion as a Man, took upon him the form of a Servant, and was made in the like­ness of Men; therefore God hath highly exal­ted him too: Magnifie that Name, that hath so highly Magnified us, and Honour him that hath so highly dignified us: Resume the Virgin Mary's Magnificat, and Sing it after her, with the same Raptures of Joy, for the Honour he hath done our Nature, that she did, when she reflected on that Honour, that was con­ferred on her, when she was promised to be­come the Mother of God.

The Pious and Devout Fathers of the Church, when they come to touch this Sub­ject in their Meditations, seem to be charmed with the Wonders of it, and unable to get their thoughts off it. And certainly nothing can be more pleasing to a good Soul, than to loose it self in the contemplation of such kind­ness as this: To find an object too big for its highest Raptures and Extasies of Devotion, to pass beyond the Sphere of words or thoughts, and to be swallowed up in silence and amaze­ment.

Now to this purpose will this Service of the Sacrament excellently serve us, and to this purpose among others was it Instituted, to be a Symbol of Devotion, by which we Adore a God Incarnate, and pay Homage and Worship to him that became Man for us. The Bread that we Eat in this Holy Feast can scarce but mind [Page 65]us of that Bread that came down from Hea­ven: And when we feed on the Symbols of his Body and Blood, they will naturally bring [...]s to remember his taking humane Nature upon him, and strongly heighten our Devo­tion and Praise to him, by prompting to our thoughts those Wonders of Love and Good­ness and Wisdom that appear so visibly in the Incarnation.

And doe we need now to be told, what a mighty Argument this is for the frequency of this Service? Certainly Honour, and Glo­ry, and Worship, and all the most profound Adoration possible, are Eternally due to the Son of God for this. And therefore that which is the Symbol and Medium of all this, should be thought as greatly, and constantly oblig­ing us, as any other instance of Christian Wor­ship. And we are as unjust to our Saviour, and as regardless of our own advantage in neglecting any opportunities for this, as we can be in neglecting the opportunities and seasons of any other.

3. This Act of Worship, as it relates to Christ, may be considered as a proper Com­memoration of his Crucifixion. If any thing can be more amazing and strange than the Incarnation, or a more surprizing instance of Christs great Love to Mankind, it must needs be his Death and Passion.

This was certainly the height and utmost Complement of every thing that can be de­monstration [Page 66]of Love, and that which render­ed it like himself truly Infinite. There can be no greater demonstration of Love, than to die for a Mans Friend; and yet this Love of God is recommended to us with this prefer­ence, that when we were Sinners and Enemies Christ died for us.

This renders it a Love to which every thing else that hath been ever shewn in the World, is but a shadow, and to which no Fiction or Ro­mance could ever yet reach. The Apostle when he is studiously running up the Love of Christ to the highest pitch, stopes here, that he became obedient unto Death, even the Death of the Cross, in the forementioned place, Phil. 2.8. And it is most certain he could not run it higher, or say any thing of it beyond this.

Blessed Jesus! Was it enough for thee to debase thy self so low, to stoop to all the In­firmities and Weaknesses of Humane Nature? Had it not been low enough to undergo Po­verty and Meanness, Reproach and Wants for our sakes? Was not such an Act of Con­descension enough to appease Divine Justice for the Sins of a Thousand Worlds? Might not the Revilings and Affronts, the Scorns and Buffetings, the Thorns, and Whips with which thou wast torn, be enough to reconcile us unto God? And could we not Read thy Infinite Love clearly enough, in those Bloody Characters that it was written by these upon [Page 67]thy Back and Temples. But after all these must thou actually tread the Wine Press and suffer Death, and that a Cruel, Bloody, Tor­menting, Cursed Death too, as that of the Cross was! Lord, What can we say, or what can we think of this Love? We want Words, yea, we want thoughts big enough to compre­hend this Wonder. Silence and Amazement, Raptures and Tears of Joy are the best things we have to entertain it with.

Come now and tell me, what Honour, what Worship, what Adoration doe we owe for this Love? Nay what is it that we should not owe, were we able to pay it? The high­est Flames of Cherubims were too mean an Incense, and yet alas we cannot reach them neither. There is but one only way left us to repair this Infirmity, to supply in length of time what we want in measure, and to be doing that always, which we can never doe fully: To let those Praises be infinite in Du­ration, which are so finite in themselves, and let them be extended to Eternity, which cannot be intended to due Proportions by our narrow Capacities.

While we are here, this Service will excel­lently serve us to this purpose, and when we go hence, we doe not know what Capacities we shall have, nor what higher Notes we shall learn from that Seraphical Quire above, that will become our Instructors and Consorts too in these Anthems. It doth not yet appear [Page 68]what we shall be, nor what returns we shall be able to make.

But it doth greatly concern us to consider, what now we should be, and to practise all those things that may be helpful to us, in rais­ing our Thoughts, and winging our Devoti­on, and heightning our Praise for such a kind­ness. To all which purposes the Holy Sacra­ment will greatly help us, in which we feed on the Sacrifice of the Cross; have our Lord visibly Crucified before our Eyes; see a live­ly representation of the Breaking of his Body, and the pouring out of his Blood, and have our Souls and Senses mightily affected with the Tragical Solemnities of his bitter Pas­sion.

And in which too we are called upon to offer Sacrifices of Praise and Thanksgiving for the same. Which can never be supposed to be more real and hearty, than when our thoughts are raised up by such a clear Sym­bolical representation of it.

And surely we need not be told now, what an Argument this is for the frequency of this Service, unless we can think the Love of Christ in dying for us, to be so mean, that it will be enough now and then only to remember the same. I am sure in this we are greatly injurious, and basely ungrateful to our dear Lord. And we are mighty Enemies to our selves too, in losing those mighty advantages to the purposes of Religion, and our Souls good, [Page 69]that the prospect of the Cross would certain­ly yield us.

Thus I have finished the first part of this third great Argument for the frequency of this Service, and the Obligation to it, taken from the Nature of this Institution and Ser­vice. It is a Solemn Symbol and Act of Worship to God and Christ too, in the ver­tue of which we offer up our Praises and Prayers, and pay our Homage to our Dear Lord for the Wonders of his Incarnati­on and Passion. Which if you have consider­ed well, you will find an unanswerable Argu­ment for the Obligation upon all Christians often to Eat this Bread, and Drink this Cup. And I doe not see why it will not hold thus far, even that this Service should be as fre­quent as our Publick Service and Worship of God and Christ is; of which (seeing) it is so Solemn a part, that must needs be lame and imperfect without it.

CHAP. VIII.

2. I Proceed now to the second part of this Argument, which is taken from the ends and purposes of this Institution. I shall mention some of the chief and most con­siderable of them: Every one of which will become Argument for the frequency of this Service, and in the Words of the Text, for the often Eating this Bread, and Drinking this Cup. I shall choose to insist upon these Five.

1. It is Instituted to be a Rite of Comme­morating or shewing forth Christs Death.

2. To be a Federal Rite between God and us.

3. To be a Means of our Actual partaking the Effect and Benefit of all his Performan­ces for us.

4. To be a Means of our Union unto Christ.

5. To be a Means of our being United a­mong our selves.

I doe not intend to explain all these ends largely and fully, but only so far as may be foundation for our present Argument, and affords us ground to superstruct the necessity of frequency in this Service upon.

1. I begin with the First, which is the end and Reason of this Service mentioned in this Text, and in our Lord's own Institution, viz. the Commemorating or Shewing forth our Lord's Death, As often as ye Eat this Bread and Drink this Cup, ye shew the Lord's Death till he come. And the same is mentioned in the In­stitution, Doe this in remembrance of me. I have said something of this already, and therefore shall need to say the less now: Especially be­cause this I have proposed as the third gene­ral thing to be discussed from this Text. And therefore I shall not anticipate here, what will be more fittly spoken on that head.

I only mention it here as an Argument for the often Eating this Bread and Drinking this Cup. And the Truth is, the Inference is so clear, that no considering Person can well miss it.

Whatever Commemorating or shewing forth the Death of Christ can signifie, whether it respect God, our selves or others: Whe­ther [Page 72]it intend Praise or Joy, or Hope in be­lieving, in every sense it will yield us a good Argument, and becomes Obligation to this purpose.

1. For First, if it respect God, then it in­tends the putting him in mind of the precious Death of his Son, and of the full Expiation made by it: The Pleading before him the Merits of his Son's bitter Passion, that we may prevail with him for Mercy, and the Pardon of our Sins, which thereby he hath so fully atoned and satisfied for.

And I dare trust any one that can consider, now to say, whether this be not a mighty Argument to frequency in this Service. God knows our failings are daily, and our wants of Mercy and Pardon constant: And so will they be with the best while they continue in this State of Mortality and Imperfection, and can it then be any thing less than necessary, that we frequently implore Mercy from God, by that Argument that we know is most pre­valent with him? All our hopes of Pardon must be founded only on the Merits of our Saviours Death, or else they are Presumpti­on, and we have nothing else to move God to Compassion towards us. We can never therefore be too frequently pleading this with God, and begging him to remember what hath been done for us there.

And since this is instituted by our Lord [Page 73]himself to be the Solemn way of doing this, we must think it the most effectual, and there­fore our Interest will combine with our Duty [...]n calling for this fromus.

2. But it may perhaps respect our selves, and then it denotes that mighty care we ought to take to impress our Souls with the Serious and Solemn Memory, of what Christ in his Death hath done for us, and of the mighty Benefits that we receive thereby.

To this purpose it is most certain, the Ho­ly Sacrament was Instituted to be a Solemn Re­presentation of the Death of Christ, and by the visible Breaking of Bread, and Pouring out of the Wine, even sensibly to represent Christ Crucified before us, and to impress us the more with a deep sense of his Sufferings for us, by these plain Expressions and Sym­bols thereof.

Now this will become another Argument for what we are contending for. It is most certain a Christian should endeavour to live in a contiunal sense of his Crucified Saviour, and there can be nothing more universally conducive to all the great purposes of Reli­gion than to doe so: And therefore it will greatly concern him to refresh his Memo­ry, and to Impregnate his Thoughts afresh with these Ideas, and Notions as often as he can.

Alas we find by too sad experience how de­sultory and unconstant our own Minds, and [Page 74]how fluid and uncertain our Memories are, how soon the Entertainments of Sense, and Pleasures of the Body, and the hurries of Worldly Business wear off all the Impressions of Religion and the Notions of God. And therefore ought to take all opportunities of refreshing and repairing these, that God af­fords us; and especially this which is so very proper and very affecting, and is Instituted by a Wise God to this purpose.

3. And Thirdly, this shewing forth the Lord's Death may have reference to others also, and then it denotes the declaring and publishing our Faith and Joy in the Death of Christ: That he is the Saviour of Mankind, the Lamb of God that was Slain to take away the Sins of the World. And this is the exact Import of the Greek Word [...], which is used by our Apostle here in this Text, and signifies to shew forth, to publish and declare abroad, as Men use to doe good Tidings, and Joyful News, and speak of things that are mighty pleasing and acceptable to them. To this purpose this Sacrament is instituted too, and it serves directly this end. It is a Solemn Rite by which the Church declares to the World, its Faith in a Crucified Saviour, that it is not ashamed of the Cross of its Dear Lord, but can Triumph and Glory in it though the World account it its reproach, and object it to its Shame.

In the Sacrament of Baptism it signs every Baptized Person with this sign of the Cross, and it tells you the reason of it, that he may not be ashamed to confess the Belief of a Crucified Jesus. And in this Holy Sacrament it repeats that acknowledgment and Faith, with Joy, and Courage, and great Comfort, and calls upon Men and Angels to take notice, that it Celebrates this Feast in Memory of its Lord's Death, and upon its own Members too, to tell it out among Men, and to warm one anothers affections, with the gladsome Tidings of what great things Christ hath done for them.

And certainly this also will become Argu­ment for the frequency of this great Service, in which we doe so much right to our Lord, and so much benefit to our Brethren too; Proclaim the Kindness of the Dying Jesus, and approve our selves to be Men, that have a mighty sense of it, and encourage our Bre­thren, and inspire them with resolutions of Duty and Service to so Loving a Saviour, by setting before them the amazing Instances of his Kindness in Dying for them.

But then we must remember that it is not a bare Representation, or Remembrance that is intended by this Expression and Action, but it is a Remembrance that is to be attend­ed with Joy and Praise, and great Cheerful­ness in our resolutions of Duty and Service to God, as I hinted before; and every one of [Page 76]these will be Argumentative for our often Eating and Drinking, as we are contend­ing.

1. It is a Remembrance of our Lord's Death and Passion with a great and trium­phant Joy, at the unspeakable Love mani­fested in it, and mighty Blessings intended by it to poor Man. Thus it is said of the Apostles, Acts 2.46. They did Eat their Bread (which we are to understand as all Learned Men doe, of this Sacramental Eating) [...], with gladness and leaping of their Heart: [...], saith St. Chrysostom, wondring and being a­stonished at this unspeakable gift, and the amazing Love of God in it. And consonant­ly to this it hath been always accounted a Christian Feasting before the Lord, and to have been in the Christian Church much what the same that the Passover was in the Jewish, a Feast Instituted to this great pur­pose among others, viz. of rejoicing before the Lord for his great Mercy in delivering them and their Fathers out of Egypt. And indeed all Feasts are Instituted to this pur­pose, to be Symbols and Expressions of Joy and Gladness, and therefore the Command to the Jews was, Deut. 16.14. thou shalt rejoice in thy Feasts.

And yet there is one Notion common a­mongst Learned Men, from whence the rea­sonableness [Page 77]of this will be yet more clear if any thing can make it so; and that is, that this is Feasting upon the great Sacrifice of Christs Body and Blood, and so is just answerable to the Jews Feasting upon their Peace Offerings under the Law, which was always attended with great Expressions of Joy and Gladness, upon hopes that God had accepted their Sacrifice, and was now at Peace with them. And certainly, if any thing in the World can be thought worthy the Joy of Christians, this may, to consider that their great Peace-Offering is accepted, and they are admitted to feed on it, in token of Gods acceptance and reconciliation with them.

And can there then be a clearer Argument for the frequency of this Service? Or any thing greater Obligation to it? A due Sense of this Love cannot but fill our Hearts brim full of Joy and Gladness, and cause that Joy to run over, and gladly to break out into open expressions, and sensible demonstrati­ons, whenever we have opportunity of do­ing it; and therefore most gladly to embrace all seasons of doing this in, especially such as himself hath Instituted to this purpose. We should rejoice in the Lord always, (and it is so reasonable to doe so) that the Apostle adds, again I say, rejoice, that we may know it is really a Christian Duty to doe it, and therefore most certainly to doe this, when he himself more especially calls us to it, and [Page 78]hath Instituted Services and Symbols to doe so in. To which purpose since this Feast is ap­pointed, and so aptly serves, certainly we should not need be told, how frequent it ought to be in the Christian Church, and how careful and forward we should be, to observe all the Seasons of it whenever they come.

2. It is a Remembrance of the Lord's Death with Thankfulness and Praise to God for the Love and Blessings of it. It is most certain that all Festivals among all Nations have ever been reputed of Sacred and Religious Institu­tion, in Honour of God, not only to Com­memorate some great Blessing, but to offer and return Solemn and Publick Praise for the same. And indeed in the reason of the thing, one of these follows from the other, viz. that whenever Men have cause given them for Publick Joy, they should remember that great Providence that orders all these things, and not forget to return Praise and Thanksgiving to that God, who filleth their Hearts with Joy and their Mouths with Laughter.

According to which, Festivals among the Jews, and the Heathen Nations too, were al­ways Celebrated with Sacrifices and Religi­ous Rites of Praise, and among Christians with Publick Praises and Thanksgivings, (these more Spiritual Sacrifices) to this day.

And thus we shall find our Saviour Institu­ted this Solemn Feast upon his own Body and Blood. For so St. Matthew, reporting the In­stitution, [Page 79]tell us, Mat. 26.26. While they were Eating, he took Bread, [...], Blessing and Praising; and v. 27. Taking the Cup, [...], giving Thanks. And so St. Paul relates the matter too, 1 Cor. 11.24. For I delivered that which I also received of the Lord, how the Lord Jesus in the same Night that he was betrayed, took Bread, [...], When he had given Thanks he brake it; which doth not refer to the Bread, as if it intended the Blessing that only, and Consecrating it, for the Words of Consecration follow, and it was not as a Grace before Meat, for St. Matthew tells us, it was after they sate down and had Eaten. — But all Learned Men refer it to those Praises that he offered up then to God, for his Kindness to the World in sending him, &c. just as the Jews also al­ways Celebrated the Passover with Publick Doxologies and Praises to God, for his Mercy in the Egyptian Deliverance. And to make this further plain, St. Matthew tells us, Mat. 26.30. that they Sung a Hymn before they departed, and perhaps it was part of that Psalm 118. which was so well known to the Disciples, it being that Psalm which the Jews always Sung at the Passover; part of which Providence ordered to be Sung by the Mul­titude, when this great Paschal Lamb came in­to Jerusalem to be Sacrificed.

I doe not think it needful to add on this, what just matter and cause this is for the [Page 80]most rapturous Praise and Thankfulness to God. The thing speaks it self, and exalts Gods Kindness to the highest pitch possible, and when considered by Men, cannot but cause raptures, and also astonishment in them.

I only urge it as an Argument to my pre­sent purpose; and certainly it is a strong one: If this be appointed to be a Symbol of Praise if this be the Christians great Eucharist (as Antiquity hath always called it) their great Sacrifice of Praise to God for the Mercy, and Benefits of his Son's Death. One would think no more need be said, to shew Men how they are obliged unto it, and that as often too as they may perform it, since it is a giving Thanks for that Mercy, which makes the Praise and utmost Service of our Lives, yea of Eternity, due to God for it.

3. But Thirdly, there is one other end yet intended by this Remembrance, and that is, to make us all cheerful in our Resolutions of Service and Duty to our Good God. For as this Service is a Solemn Covenanting with God, and obliging our selves to his Service (as I shall have occasion to shew hereafter) so the Joyful and Thankful Commemorating of this mighty Kindness, and astonishing Love, what sure hopes it gives us of Divine accep­tance, and favour, how kind and full an Atone­ment it is for our Sins, how certainly and surely it Seals to us Gods Covenant of Grace; [Page 81]wherein he promiseth to accept and reward our imperfect Service and Labour of Love, and to assist us also with his Grace to perform the same: I say, all these considerations may justly fill us with Joy in believing, and invi­gorate and inspire our Souls with a great and mighty cheerfulness, in our Resolutions and Purposes of Obedience to God.

And good Men can tell you how they find this Effect of this Service: Feel how it warms their Hearts, and invigorates their Resoluti­ons, and with what a sweet and inexpressible cheerfulness, they rise from this Holy repast and refreshment.

And few Things can be more justly Argu­ments to frequency in it than this is. For, alas! Many are the discouragements that the World wars against good Men with: Our little Fires and Flames of Love are too apt to expire and die of themselves, but much more so, when they are surrounded with so many Fogs and Vapours, and accidents to extinguish them. Our Tempers are desul­tory and uncertain, and our Pious purposes very apt to disband of themselves, and much more so by reason of the Temptations and Entertainments of sense, and strength of Passi­ons, and Hurries of Worldly Business, &c. and our Joys are often damped, and he that now thinks he can run the way of Gods Commandments, in a little while begins to lag and tire, and move as heavily as the [Page 82] Egyptian Charets did in the deep sands of the Red Sea.

And therefore it can be no less than high­ly and absolutely needful to refresh our Spi­rits, and relieve our languishments, and add new Fewel to our Flames, and fresh Vigour to our Purposes, that we may walk and not be weary, and run and not faint, till we come to sit down at our Fathers House, in our Lord's Glory: To which excellent and needful purposes since the Holy Sacrament is Instituted, and may happily Minister, it will be Argument with all that are wise, all that value these things, often to Eat this Bread, and Drink this Cup.

CHAP. IX.

2. ANother end of this Institution is to be a Federal Rite between God and us; an External signification and Symbol of a Covenant struck between God and us; a Solemn Action, wherein both Parties give Testimony of their being in League together, and doe something which is declarative of their assent to their own respective parts of it. God entertaining us at his own Table, and letting us feed upon the Symbols of his Sons Body and Blood, declares openly his being reconcil­ed with us, and stipulates and Seals to his part of the Covenant, and we by feeding at his Table, and Worshipping in the Memory and Merit of that Blood declare our Thank­ful acceptance of this Blessing, and Stipulate and Solemnly oblige our selves to the return of that Duty and Service, that he requires as [Page 84]the condition of our receiving actually the Effect of it.

This Institution seems clearly to respect the way of striking Covenants between Men in those Eastern Countries, and to which God evidently had respect in the Mosaical Dispen­sation.

The Eastern way of striking Covenants you have a specimen of in Jacob's Covenanting with Laban, the Story of which you have Recorded, Gen. 31. v. 46. you have these Words: And Jacob said unto his Brethren, ga­ther Stones; and they took Stones, and made an heap, and they did Eat there upon the heap; i. e. they did Eat upon the Flesh of those Beasts, whose Blood Jacob had shed, and offered up in Sacrifice, in Testimony of the League, and Cove [...]ant, that was there made between them. For so the following Context tells us, v. 54 Then Jacob offered Sacrifice upon the Mount, and called his Brethren to Eat Bread, and they did Eat Bread, and tarried all night on the Mount.

The like to which you may read observed by Isaac, in his Covenanting with Abimelech, Chap. 26.30. saving that the Offering Sacri­fice is not mentioned, but the feeding toge­ther is, for it is said Isaac made them a Feast, and they did Eat and Drink, i. e. they did Eat together in token of the Peace that was then Covenanted between them.

This is a Subject that Learned Men have Adorned, and made clear by their Learned Labours, and by it explained many passages of Scripture in V. T. in several places of which Eating together is spoken of as a Fede­ral Rite, and a Symbol of Peace and Friend­ship between the Covenanting parties. And David expresseth a Man's being at Peace, or in a Covenant of Friendship with him by Eat­ing at his Table, Ps. 41.9.

And the same you shall find observed also in Covenanting with God. Thus the Apostle tells us Heb. 9. the first Testament was dedi­cated by Blood, i. e. the First Covenant was struck and confirmed by Blood. For so you may read, Exod. 24. to the ninth, when Moses struck the Covenant between God and the People, he offered Burnt Offerings and Peace Offerings, and poured on part of the Blood upon the Altar of God, and the one part he sprinkled on the People, and called it the Blood of the Covenant.

In which you have an Account of Cove­nanting with God exactly answerable to what I have been observing before; for the Altar was called Gods Table, and he said to feed on that part which was offered upon it, as part of the Peace Offering allways was, the other part the People were permitted to Eat of, and in doing so were said to Feast before the Lord, or, in the Apostles Phrase, 1 Cor. 10.18. to partake of the Altar, to Eate with [Page 86]God of the same Sacrifice, by which, and the Sprinkling both the Altar, and the People, with the Blood of these Sacrifices, Moses confirms the Covenant between God and them.

And Ps. 50.5. you shall find this spoken of as a constant Rite of Covenanting with God: Gather my Saints together, those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice, which you are to understand of the Peace Offerings wherein the Sacrificers Communicated with God, and Eat at his Table, as was said before.

Now to this Ancient way of Covenanting together doth this great Sacrament of the Holy Supper answer exactly, in which we feed at the Lord's Table (as the Apostle ex­presly calls it, 1 Cor. 10.21.) upon the Sym­bols of that great Sacrifice, viz. of the Body and Blood of our Lord, that great Ilasterion and Peace Offering, by which we are Reconciled unto, and Confederated with our God. And therefore you shall find the Blood of our Savi­our called the Blood of the Covenant, Heb. 10.29. And the Cup, which is the Symbol of it is called by our Saviour himself, the New Te­stament in his Blood, Luke 22.10. which St. Matthew expresseth something more clear­ly, Chap. 26.28. This is my Blood of th [...] New Testament; i. e. the New Covenant i [...] confirmed by my Blood, and this Cup is th [...] Symbol and Sacrament of it; and by you [...] Eating and Drinking these Symbols, yo [...] [Page 87]strike Covenant with God, you and God actually confederate together.

This is sufficient to let you understand this matter clearly enough; and I doe not know whether there be any great need of adding more. However that our Understanding of it may be distinct and clear I shall add some sew things consonant to the sense of the Gospel, by which we may fully apprehend it. I shall but only name them.

1. We ought to know that this Gracious Covenant of Acceptance and Mercy to Peni­tent Sinners, was founded upon the Merit of what our Saviour undertook and performed for us. He it was that undertook the great Work of Mediation between God and Man­kind, that he might compose the difference that was between them and bring them into terms of Amity and Peace.

2. This Covenant was ratifyed and con­firmed by the Blood of our Saviour. Upon which account (as I said before) it is called by the Apostle the Blood of the Covenant; i. e. it was so transcendently a Meritorious Act, that God was reconciled and appeased by it, and immediately entered into a Cove­nant of Grace and Mercy to Mankind for the sake of it.

3. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is the Solemn Symbol of this Death and Passi­on, wherein this Blood was shed, and this [Page 88]Gracious Covenant confirmed thereby. This Our Saviour himself expressly tells us, This is my Blood of the New Testament; i. e. a Solemn Representation of that Blood of mine, by which the New Covenant with Sinners is confirmed.

4. And therefore Fourthly, Our partaking of this Sacrament, is a feeding on the Memo­rials and Symbols of this Death and Passion, in which we Solemnly declare our Joyful ac­ceptance of this Covenant, and our Joyning with God in it, and Solemnly oblige our selves to the Conditions and terms of it. In a Word it is feeding upon the Memorials of that Sacrifice, by which our Covenant was made with God, and in which we Solemnly oblige our selves to the Conditions of it.

I think there is no more needful for us to consider on this, but only to be put in mind what the Terms and Conditions of this Cove­nant are and [...] you may find often ex­pressed in the [...]eral and comprehensive Phrases; I will be their God and they shall be my People: which are very extensive Phrases indeed, and compr [...]ed all the Blessings that a God can conf [...]r [...] the Instan­ces of Subjecti [...] [...] that we owe to [...].

[...] view the places wherein this Co­ [...] of it is more particularly [...] two especial [...] Stipulated unto on Gods part. 1. [Page 89]The Pardoning of Sin, and 2. the the Writing of his Law in our Hearts, i. e. in plain Terms, the forgiving of Sin upon Repentance and Faith in Christ, and the giving Grace to [...]n­able us to doe our Duty, as be commands us; i. e. the assisting us to be, and behave our selves as his People, which is the thing Stipulated unto on our Parts.

This I think is enough to give us the under­standing of this matter, how the Holy Sacra­ment is a Federal Rite between God and us: A Service in which we confirm that Covenant, which others entred into for us at our Baptism, and renew our Covenant our selves too, af­ter our careless breaches and violations of it.

So that I may now proceed to improve this into an Argument, for what I am all a­long in this Discourse contending for.

Were I to speak to those that never yet re­ceived this Sacrament, and to those that live in a constant Neglect and Disregard of it, as I am afraid too many doe. I might from hence take good occasion to shew the absolute necessity of Receiving this Sacrament where there is any possibility of having it, and the most dangerous and deplorable Condition of those that neglect the same.

It is absolutely necessary to Salvation that we be in Covenant with God, and it is as necessary that we enter into this Covenant by those means that he hath appointed us. — [Page 90]Baptism it is true is the first means appointed to this purpose, and I hope I need not doubt whether we are all Baptized or no: But, a­las! This was done for us by others, and though the Effect of it should have been re­ceived by us, had we died before we were able to Covenant with God our selves, yet I doe not see any reason to expect it, now that we refuse to doe this when we may.

Baptism no doubt is sufficient for an In­fant state, but there are other Provisions made for us when we come to an adult State of Reason, and then there are other Measures for us to observe; we are then to set up for our selves, and then to stand or fall by our own deeds, and if we doe not actually confirm that Vow, and undertake the Conditions of that Covenant that was made and entred into by others, I doe not see any reason we have to expect the Benefits of it, or to reckon our Baptism available to any purposes of Salva­tion.

Nay, I doe not see how we can account our selves so much as Christians, that have never actually undertaken the Covenant and Conditions of Christianity. We may renounce our Baptism for any thing yet appears, and we in effect doe so if we doe not confirm and ratifie it in this Service.

Besides, we have every one of us broken that Baptismal Vow and Promise that was then made for us, and so put our selves [Page 91]from under God's Covenant, and forseited all Title and Interest to any of those mighty Bles­sings that we might expect or claim from it. We none of us need be told this; the consi­deration of our Lives and Actions will tell it us fast enough, how we have broken this Co­venant, and failed in those conditions of it, that were then Stipulated unto for us. — And therefore cannot now expect, that God should own us to be in Covenant with him, nor make good his part of it unto us, who have so shamefully failed in those conditions that were incumbent on us.

Which makes it highly necessary for all such Persons, to renew this Covenant, and actual­ly enter into it themselves, which they can only doe by this Service, unless they would live without God and without Hope, and be cast off as those that have neither part nor portion in the Covenant of Grace, nor any Right or Title to any of the great Blessings of it.

These are things mighty necessary for all those to consider, that have never yet re­ceived this Holy Sacrament, too many of whom I am afraid, are in this audience; for God's sake consider, what your condition is, how you are Aliens to the Hope of Israel, Strangers to the Covenant of Promise; you have not yet entered into Covenant with God, nor can lay claim to any of those Mercies that are promised in it.

But the direct end and purpose of this Dis­course is not to these Persons, but to those that do receive this Holy Sacrament, but alas, but very seldom, once or twice in a year per­haps, and that while the Apostle adviseth of­ten to Eat this Bread and Drink this Cup, think it too much to doe this once in a Mo­neth. My Brethren I cannot but be greatly concerned to see this so unchristian Indifferen­cy, and neglect of this so Solemn, so Useful, and so greatly advantageous a Service. This is indeed a Fault among you, and that which this Discourse is designed to the Cure of. It is not an Indifferent thing, which you may re­ceive or neglect when you please; but God hath Instituted it to be a standing Necessary Service in Christianity, and if we had either that due regard to his Institution, or that re­spect to our own advantage, which we ought to have, we would not turn our Backs upon it so often as we doe.

What God's Command is, I have shewed you before; what our own Advantage and Gain by it may be, I am shewing now, from the nature and ends of this Institution. And this end that I have been explaining and mak­ing good at present, will combine with o­thers to shew us our gain by it, and become good Argument therefore for our often Eat­ing this Bread, and Drinking this Cup.

This Holy Sacrament is Instituted and de­signed to be a Federal Rite between God and [Page 93]us: A Symbol by which we renew our Cove­nant with God and put him in mind of it, and plead the gracious purposes and conditions of it. And for God's sake tell me, can any thing more greatly concern us, than often to doe this: I beg you to consider with me these Four things, which I shall little more than name at this time.

1. What a mighty Honour and Glory this is, that the Almighty God should receive us into Covenant with himself, and Institute a way in which we may even visibly confede­rate with him: I doe not well see how God can put greater Honour upon the Sons of poor Man in any thing.

And what now, can we turn away from such an Honour as this is, and lightly re­gard the Love of the most high? In other In­stances we are not so shy nor backward, nor often fail in any thing that may add to our Reputation and Glory: And why we should doe it in this so often, is because we doe not so much covet or regard the Honour that com­eth from God, as we doe a Vain and Fictiti­ous, a False and Fugitive Reputation among Men.

2. I Beseech you; Consider the mighty Priviledge of this, that we have free Liberty so often to repeat our Promises, and renew our Covenant with our God. We cannot but sadly observe how false and treacherous [Page 94]we are to our Vows: How often we falsifie and break our Covenant with God; and therefore cannot well but observe also, what a miserable condition we were certainly in, should God take every Forfeiture, and null his Covenant upon every of our Shameful Violations of it.

And consequently, what a Mercy it is in God to admit us to a renewing our Covenant with him, to be ready to accept us to new Terms of Peace, and what a mighty Privi­ledge it is to have free access to him for this purpose as often as we please.

This is not the manner of Men, but a Pa­tience and Kindness that truly bespeaks a God: And we shall mightily undervalue his Kindness, if we doe not so esteem it, and gladly accept and improve all the Seasons of it.

3. I Pray consider what a mighty advan­tage this is to us, and that in these two re­spects.

1. To oblige us the more carefully to doe our Duty, and to fasten our Purposes and Re­solutions of it, by renewing frequently our Vows and Promises unto God, and consider­ing under what mighty Obligations we are to serve him.

God knows we have all of us great need of all the Arts and Arguments we can use, to engage our selves in this thing; for our [Page 95]Hearts are uncertain and traiterous and apt to give back, and our tempers are desultory and fleeting, and mighty apt to alter and start aside; and therefore the more need to fix and settle them as well as we possibly can; and since our Minds are so dull and resty, to add a spur, and what Life and Vigor to them we can, by repeating our Promises, and renewing afresh our Vows and Cove­nants, and affrighting our Souls with that Dreadful Guilt of Perjury and Treachery, if we doe not continue stedfast in our Resoluti­ons and good purposes.

2. To render us the more brisk and cheer­ful in our Course of Duty, for so often as we observe this Sacrament, we cannot but have a great sense of the Love of God, and Christ, in vouchsafing to admit us into a Co­venant of Grace and Mercy, and obliging himself by visible Seals and Pledges, to make good his Conditions of it to us. And our Souls cannot but be mightily enlivened with a sense of the one, and our Faith confirmed and re­freshed by the other: Both which things will fill us with Joy in Believing and Cheerful­ness in Obeying, render us Joyful in Hope, and Stedfast in Faith, and carry us with Cheer­fulness and Delight through all the difficulties in Duty, and enable us to bear down all the discouragements and temptations we can meet with in our Christian Course.

We cannot but too sadly observe how sub­ject to doubts and fears, our Hopes are; how often our Spiritual Joys are interrupted and damped, and how listless we are to the Ser­vice of our God, and therefore have great need to assure our Hopes, and relieve our Fears, and Impregnate our Spirits with new Life and Vigour, as much as we can, to keep up a continual sense of the Love and Faithfulness of our God, and to live as much as we may in a continual remembrance of it; which will fan our Spirits, and fill our Sails, and carry us with safety and comfort to our great Port. To which God of his In­finite Mercy bring us all for Christs sake. Amen.

CHAP. X.

3. ANother end of this Service and In­stitution is, to make us actual par­takers of the Effect and Benefit of all our Savi­ours great performances for us; I mean, the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is in­stituted to be a means of our actually partak­ing the Benefit of that Redemption that Christ hath wrought for us.

This is a very considerable Notion, and therefore I shall first endeavour to explain the Sense, and confirm the Truth of it; and then secondly improve it to the purpose that hath been all along aimed at in this Discourse.

1. As for the Explication of what I mean, a little may suffice, because I put it in Words that are intelligible and plain; for we may easily understand what it is actually to par­take in the Effect and Benefit of what Christ hath done for us; and what I mean by this being Instituted to be a means of our doing this.

But yet for our distinct apprehension of this matter, I shall propose the sense of what I say in these plain following notices.

1. It is not enough presently to the actual Salvation of all Men that Christ hath wrought such a Redemption for them: All Men are not actually saved because they have a Savi­our; all Mens Sins are not actually Pardoned, because Christ hath made the great Expiati­on and Atonement for them; nor all Men presently in the actual Love and Favour of God, because Christ hath reconciled his Father to Mankind. For the Scripture plainly tells us, that notwithstanding all this, multitudes of Men shall finally perish.

2. That therefore, over and beside what Christ hath done, there must be some way of applying to us, or instating us in the Effect thereof. For as a thirsty, starving Man is not bettered only by the being of such liquors and refreshments in the World, but by actual­ly tasting of them: So Men are finally saved, not because there is a Saviour, but because [Page 99]they are interested in what that Saviour hath d [...]e for Men.

And at the same time that we believe that Christ Jesus is the Saviour of Mankind, and [...] done such and such great things to that [...] is highly reasonable to believe, [...] some way and means by which [...] interested in, and partake the effect o [...] what he hath so done.

3. T [...]s can only be rationally expected in such a way, and upon the performance of such conditions, as God himself hath been pleased [...]o appoint.

It is highly reasonable that God himself, who provided this great Sacrifice for our Redemption, should appoint what conditions he pleased, to be observed by Men in order to their partaking the Effect of it. This is that which is allowed to all Masters of Prizes, and great Benefactors in the World: And no Man, saith St. Paul, is Crowned, unless he strive Lawfully; i. e. no Man expects to enjoy the reward proposed, unless he labour and contend for it in that way that he is appointed to doe.

4. Among these conditions you shall find the Gospel mentioning this for one, and such an one, as without which the others may be looked upon as insufficient.

That this may appear clear to you, I shall consider what the especial conditions of Sal­vation in the Gospel are, and those you shall [Page 100]find to be these three: Faith in Christ, a su­table Life and Conversation, and an obser­vation of the Christian Sacraments. To these three, whatever is required as a Condition of Salvation in the Gospel, may be reduced. — Now to let you see the Truth I am contend­ing for, you need but observe only these two things:

1. That these things are only effectual to Salvation, while they are conjoyned together, and none of them is sufficient of it self alone. I speak here of Salvation upon Christian Princi­ples, for what God may doe with Heathens, we are not now considering. I say then, ac­cording to the Gospel, none of these are of themselves alone available to Salvation; which you will presently perceive by considering them singly.

1. To believe in Christ, i. e. as it primely signifieth believing him to be the Son of God, the Saviour of the World, believing his Gos­pel, assenting to his Doctrine as true and Di­vine; nay, further than this, expecting Sal­vation only upon his account and Merit. This is not enough to save a Man. For after all this there is required a sutable Life and Con­versation; a Life becoming the Gospel of Christ, without which, the forenamed Faith shall only aggravate a Mans Guilt, and ex­pose him to the severer Condemnation.

2. In like manner in the second place, to lead a vertuous good Life, i. e. the best that is consistent with Humane Imperfection, is not enough to save a Man neither, without Faith in Christ, and the Application of his Merits, which alone renders any thing that Man can doe, of any account with, or acceptable unto God. For, the best Man living is an un­profitable Servant, and all that he doth is not only what he ought, but much less than what he ought to doe. And all the expectation of any acceptance or reward from God, that he can expect, is vain, unless it be founded upon the Merits of Christ, and that Covenant that God hath entred into with Man for his sake.

3. And thirdly, The receiving the Sacra­ments, the being admitted into the Commu­nion of Christ's Church, and the Profession of his Religion, the ratifying and owning the Ob­ligation of Christianity our selves, the Com­municating with the Church in its most Sacred Mysteries, the Eating the Flesh and Drinking the Blood of Christ, in the Holy Supper, is not available to Salvation when it is disjoyned from the two former: For Judas and the worst Men have done all this, and yet fell short of Salvation.

From all which it will appear clearly, that to separate these one from another, is to take away the Effect of all: It is to divide those things which God hath joyned together, [Page 102]and foolishly to expect the blessing from one, which God hath promised only to all. — Nay, which is yet more, it is to destroy the very Nature of each of them. For,

2. One of these doth virtually include in it the other; they are not only united and link­ed together in the Precepts of Christianity, but one of them supposeth, and compre­hends in it the other, according to the true Doctrines thereof. — As for example, to instance again in them,

True Christian Faith is that which worketh by Love, and engageth to the keeping the Commandments of Christ; true Faith in Christ is believing and accepting him in all the ca­pacities that God offers him; the attending to him as a Prophet to instruct and teach us, the submitting to him as a King to Rule and Govern us, as well as a Priest to expiate our Guilts, and to give us a Blessing. The right Christian expecting and looking for Sal­vation from him, is expecting it upon those conditions that he hath promised it; i. e. the sincere endeavour to doe what he Com­mands us in the Gospel.

And so true Christian Obedience always supposeth Faith as its Root and Cause, and equally respects and makes Conscience of all Christ's Commandments: And consequently must respect those things, which above all o­thers, are Christian Institutions; for such the Sacraments of the New Testament are, as [Page 103]hinted before in this Discourse. These are the Peculiar Precepts of Christianity, and the only things which Christ may be said to have Instituted, over and above what was before.

And truly, for my own part, I doe not see why Christian Obedience may not baulk other Precepts of Christ as well as this. Nay, in­deed, why it may not much rather doe so to others, than to this; since most of the other Commands seem to be the Dictates of Natu­ral Religion, or Religion considered at large; but this the peculiar Institution of that Religi­on which is called Christian.

And so likewise (to finish this reflection) the true Christian Observation of the Sacraments of our L [...]d, is it self an Act of Christian Obe­dient [...] and supposeth Faith in Christ, and a true Conscience of his Commands: Or else our Baptism i [...] no more than a common wash­ing, and our seeding upon the Symbols of his Body and Blood, but as an ordinary repast or meal.

By this short view of these things you may perceive, how all these are linked together in the Methods to Salvation, how each of them doe include and suppose the other, and con­sequently what little reason Men have to make Separations and Distinctions between them, or to say one is not necessary to Salvation as well as the other. For my part, I doe not well see, how Men can give greater instance [Page 104]of their Presumption, and stepping into the room of God, than to distinguish and make differences between things, where he hath made none: To presume to say what is necessary to Salvation, and what is not, of things that are equally required to that end by him: To dare to determine which Command is neces­sary to be obeyed, and which is not, when God hath equally enjoyned both. If God have Commanded this Service, I think it as necessary to be done, as any other that he hath required; and if he have commanded it to the purpose of Salvation, I dare not but think it necessary to that purpose, and doe not yet understand, why Men may not as well say, that Faith in Christ, or a Holy Life, are not necessary to this end, upon the same reason that they say the Sacraments are not, for they can be no more expresly com­manded than these are.

CHAP. XI.

4. I Proceed now to a Fourth end of this Institution, which will afford us a­nother very good Argument, for the often Eating this Bread, and Drinking this Cup; [Page 123]and that is this, That it was Instituted to be a means of our actual and close Union unto Jesus Christ.

This is a subject that might afford matter enough for a large Discourse. But I shall en­deavour to contract all that I shall say on it to these three heads.

1. A little to explain to you this Union.

2. To shew how this Holy Service is ef­fective of it.

3. To improve it to that end of frequent observing it, which this Discourse is contend­ing for.

1. I begin with the first, which is to ex­plain the Nature of this Union unto Christ, and shew wherein it consists.

My Brethren, I doe not know whether any one Doctrine in Christian Religion hath been more abused and perplexed by the whimsical Discourses of Men in our Age, than this hath been, nor any one thing that hath afforded larger matter for Fancifu l, Enthusiastical Men, to Cant and make a Noise with, and Minister some occasion to those high pretences they have made above their Brethren. This hath been reputed one of the Secrets of the Gospel, and a great Mystery in Christianity. And truly so it is, and must for ever continue so, if we had nothing to guide us into the Know­ledge of it, but the Discourses of some Men who pretend mostly to understand it.

It will not be needful for me to give you an account of these Mens Discourses about this thing. It will be much more conducing both to my purpose, and the end of this Discourse, to acquaint you plainly and honestly what you are to conceive concerning this matter.

And that I suppose you may sufficiently doe by considering that it consists in these three things.

1. In Church-Membership.

2. In Intimate Love and Affection.

3. In partaking in the Influences, and re­ceiving the Communications of Christs Spirit. All that the Scripture speaks of this matter, I think, may be reduced to these three heads.

1. In Church-Membership; i. e. in being a True Member of the Christian Church. This you shall find in no less than twelve several places in the New Testament, called the Body of Christ, and he said to be the head of it. And the Union of particular Christians to Christ results from their being Members of this Body, and is effected by it. We truly say every Member in the Body is united to the Head, and yet we know every Member is not immediately joyned to it: Some are nearer, and some placed farther off, and yet all truly United to him.

This the Apostle sets forth most plainly and clearly, 1 Cor. 12.27. Now you are the Body [Page 125]of Christ, and Members in particular. The Church is Christs Body, and you in particular, by being Members of the one, are so of the other also. And the same you shall find represented under many similitudes in Holy Scripture; as to instance in a few: The Church is Christs Temple, and every True Member of it is a lively stone in this Temple, as the Apostle speaks plainly, 1 Pet. 2.5. the Church is the Flock of Christ, who is there­fore called the great Shepherd, and every True Member of this Church is one of Christs Sheep. And the same is intimated in some other Emblems also, which it is not now need­ful to repeat.

This is the plain Truth in this matter, and 'tis easily understood, the Union of particular Christians unto Christ consists in their being True Members of that Body whereof he is the Head.

Secondly, This Union doth also imply a dear and close Affection between Christ and Good Men. For Love is of an Uniting Nature, and we say of dear Friends and Lovers, that they are United, and adhere one to the other, as we use to say of Enemies, that they are at a great distance from each other.

And if you observe it, you shall find the same manner of speaking retained in the Holy Scripture. The Soul of Jonathan was knit unto the Soul of David, i. e. they were dear and passionate Lovers one of the other.

This is all that the Scripture means in many of those high similitudes that it useth to this purpose, and that Men have strained to such idle purposes, as some have done: As for Example, that of Christ's being the Husband, and the Church his Spouse which the Apostle makes use of, Eph 5. and upon the account of which he seems to call Christ and his Church one Flesh: The reason and purpose to which it is used, is to represent what a mighty re­spect and Love there is betwixt these two, after the Example of which Married Persons are there exhorted to Love one another, and this is all that there is in it.

And the same also is intended in calling Christ the Head of his Church, and Good Men his Members in particular, viz. to inti­mate that there is as great a respect, and as concerning a regard and care between Christ and these, as there is between the Head and Members of the same Natural Body.

And Christ is called the Shepherd of the Church, because he loves it, and takes as tender a care of it, as a Shepherd doth, or can doe of his Flock.

3. This Union doth likewise consist in the Influences and Communications likewise of Christs Spirit unto Good Men. For, as this is the great Cement and Band of Union among the Members of the Natural Body, which are said to be United not so much because they are joyned one to another, and United together in [Page 127]the same common Mass, but that they are ani­mated and actuated, influenced and governed by the same Spirit. So truly the best account I can give of this Union of Christians to Christ, results from this, that they are acted and in­fluenced by the same Spirit. For so Christ you know himself promised, that he would send his Holy Spirit to guide, govern and di­rect his Holy Apostles. And we must not think it was intended to be their Sole and only Prerogative, but to be enjoyed by all Good Men after them in their proportions, and in those measures that were needful for them.

And you find frequent mention of the same thing in many places in the New Testament, where Christians are called the House of God, the Temple of his Spirit, with a respect to his presence with them, and assistance of them in all needful Instances. The places are too many to name in which this is expressed.

This is all the Account I can find the Scrip­tures give of this Mystery of our Union unto Christ; and if you please to consider it in these notions, it is a plain and intelligible thing, your minds will not be puzzled nor perplexed how to understand and conceive of it. It consists in our being true Members of his Church, entitled to his dearest Love, and assisted and acted by the gracious Influences of his Spirit.

CHAP. XII.

5. AND now I proceed to the fifth and last End of this Service, and that is, to be a Means and Symbol of our close Union one to another. Which will become another good Argument for the frequency of this Service. In speaking to which I shall ob­serve the same method that I did in the former.

1. Explain this Notion, and shew you, how, and in what respects the Holy Sacra­ment is effective of Love and Charity among Men.

2. Emprove it to our present purpose, and [Page 171]shew what an Obligation and Argument this is to often eating this Bread, and drinking this Cup.

1. For the Explication I shall need only to shew you, that by Union here I mean no­thing but true Love and Affection among Christians. This is the truest and strongest Union, a Union of Hearts, a Combination of strong and cordial Affections.

We commonly say of true Lovers, they have but one Soul, and are as really united by that one Soul, as the Members of the Body are, that are animated and acted by one Spirit, really united each to other though they do not touch immediately, but may have distant Sites in the Body.

Christians may be properly enough said to be united, by other bands and ligatures, and in the same sense that Members of a Society are said to be incorporated, and Brethren and near Relations may be said to be united in the same Blood, and Members of a Family, and Servants to the same Master may be said to be joyned in the same Family and Service.

They have one and the same Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, the same God and Father, the same Mother, the same Hope, the same Inheritance. They worship the same God, profess the same Faith, receive the same Bap­tism, the same God is their Father, the same [Page 172]Church their Mother, the same Christ their elder Brother, they have the same glorious Hope, and expect to share in the same Inhe­ritance; and which is more, the same Spirit worketh all in all.

So that every thing in Christianity speaks Union, and is contrived, not only to be Ar­gument, but Advantage and Help to it. But the great Complement of all is a real Love and Charity one to another, sutable to these near Relations that are between them, i. e. when they not only are, but (as St. Peter speaks) love as Brethren.

For we sadly see that all the other bands without this cannot hold them from break­ing out into Schisms, and scandalous Sepa­rations from one another. For the Divisions of Reuben there were of Old, and now more justly than ever may be great searchings of Heart.

We may see Men, whom neither Natural nor Spiritual Consanguinity can keep toge­ther, but Brother rises up against, and sepa­rates from Brother, and those whom Religion hath connected in the closest Relations, are ready to sheath the Sword in one anothers Bowels. And perhaps there are not more bitter Envyings, more uncharitable Railings, and fiercer contests in all the World, than among them whose Relation and Profession enjoins the greatest Peace and Charity one to another.

For this reason the great precept of the Gospel is Love, and its great End was to perfect whatever was defective in the rules and mea­sures of Charity in former Dispensations. A new Commandment, saith our Saviour, I give unto you, that ye love one another, Joh. 13.31. and v. 32. By this shall all Men know that you are my Disciples, if you love one another. For this is the Badge and Signature of Christianity.

And it is certain the Apostles so understood it, and accordingly recommended it undermore earnest and passionate Arguments than any one Grace besides. And St. Hierome tells us, when St. John was asked why he so frequently ur­ged that Exhortation, Little Children love one another, he answered, because this was the great Commandement of Christ, and if Men did this truly, they would do every thing else.

But I shall divert too far from my purpose. This is that Union among Christians, that I urge the practice of this Service upon, viz. a real, fervent Love and Charity one to an­other.