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"this church are chargeable with, and for which "the Lord may plead a controversy with us. "How can we expect but he will depart from 66 us, when we ftand at fuch a diftance from "him, and come fo feldom near him in the me"thod he hath appointed? Can we look for the "fmiles of Chrift's countenance, when we live "fo much in the neglect of his dying words? Is "it any wonder our hearts are fo hard, when "we are fo feldom applying the blood of Christ "for foftening them; or that our graces be fo "weak and withered, when we fo little use the "means for ftrengthening and cherishing them? "Is not the frequent ufe of this ordinance, in "the way Chrift hath appointed, an excellent "help to foften our hearts, renew our repent"ance, ftrengthen our faith, inflame our love, "increase our thankfulness, animate our refolu

tions against fin, and encourage us to holy "duties; and fhall we willingly neglect it? It "is no wonder that we complain we miss what "we aim at and expect in this ordinance, when "we are fo little fenfible of former neglects. It " is a fad fign our receiving of the facrament is "not right, when it leaves not in us earnest "breathings for the like opportunity. It is im"poffible for us to meet with Chrift, and tafte "of his fweetnefs and fulness in this ordinance,

and not long for another meeting." Thus far Mr. Willifon. Many excellent reflections to the fame purpose may be found in Charnock's Works, vol. II. p. 758,-768, which thofe who have the book would do well to perufe.

§ 4. The two preceding paragraphs abundantly prove, that if frequent communicating cannot be urged as abfolutely neceffary, it may

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fafely

fafely be recommended as highly expedient and beneficial. But, perhaps, upon inquiry we shall find in Scripture an exprefs injunction of frequency; nay, of a precife degree of frequency. in partaking of the Lord's Supper. For, that a prince fhould require a tribute to be paid him by every one of his fubjects, and yet never exprefs what fum fhould be paid, and at what time, is incredible. In like manner, I cannot easily bring myself to believe, that our Lord fhould require his church, to the end of the world, to eat bread, and drink wine in commemoration of his death, without specifying how often he would have it done. The Jews, though they understood not the utmoft fignification of the Pafchal rite, yet had full directions how often, and in what day they were to facrifice and eat the Lamb. If then the word of God has affigned no precife time for partaking of the Lord's Supper, will it not follow, that the gospel is more obfcure than the law; and that our Lord, when he took the vail from off Mofes's face, covered with a thicker vail his own?

be come.

I Cor. xi. 26. bids fair for containing fuch a fpecial direction. As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do fhew forth the Lord's death till Dr. Bury obferves (e), that the words, this bread, and this cup, muft refer to fome particular bread and cup, well known among the Jews, of which, as often as they eat and drank, they were bound to remember the fufferings of Chrift: That accordingly (if we may credit Buxtorf and Leo Modena) it was ufual at their feafts, for the mafter of the houfe, to take a loaf of bread, and

(e) Constant Communicant, p. 31.
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blefe

blefs and break it, and give to each perfon about the bigness of an olive; and if there were three or more eating together, to take a glass from off the table, and blefs it alfo, and give to each of the guests a little of the wine in the glafs.-If thefe remarks be well founded, it will follow, that if the Jews knew how often they had fuch feftivals, that was direction fufficient how often to partake of the Lord's Supper.

But I mention this, rather as a subject of inquiry, than an hypothefis with which I am fully fatisfied. There are many natural and obvious objections against it, which I do not think that ingenious writer has removed.

Dr. Wettenhall has offered another conjecture (f), that a certain determinate frequency in communicating is enjoined in these words, 1 Cor. xi. 25. This do ye, as oft as ye drink, in remem brance of me. He obferves, that the particle it is not in the original, and is not fupplied in the vulgar Latin, the Syriac, or any of the old verfions. He then goes on to argue thus: "If "with our own, and most modern translations, "we fupply the particle it, and thereby under"ftand the cup in the facrament, this makes the

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command to fignify just nothing. For, what "fense is there in this form of speech, Drink this "cup, as oft as ye drink it? Or, if we repeat the noun, instead of using the pronoun, Drink this "cup in remembrance of me, as often as ye drink this "cup in remembrance of me. We must therefore "conclude, that the verb TITE, ftands here And probably it is "ufed in the Hellenistical sense of the word for

"abfolutely, or by itfelf.

(f) Due Frequency, &c. p. 6,-13.

"feafting

"feafting or banqueting, and fo the text will

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run thus, Do this in remembrance of me, as often " as you feaft, or, on all your holy feafts. Now, "for as much as every Lord's Day was, even "when this epiftle was writ, already among the "Chriftians a holy feaft, therefore the com"mand will come to thus much, Do this, or ce"lebrate my fupper every Lord's Day at leaft. At "leaft, I faid, for other holy feasts they might "have befides the Lord's Day, but this moft

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furely they all had. See 2 Pet. ii. 13. Jude ❝ ver. 12. compared with 1 Cor. xi. 20, 21. "The plain meaning then of the command, This "do, as oft as ye drink, in remembrance of me, is, "I know that you, my difciples, will keep every "first day of the week as a holy feaft, with joy "and gladness, in memory of my refurrection; "and I intend fo to order it. Now, fee that "every fuch day you remember my fufferings too, as well as my refurrection.'

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Thefe are the only paffages that look like an injunction of any precife degree of frequency in partaking of the Lord's Supper. Mr. Charnock has indeed cited one from the Old Testament for the fame purpose. "The practice, fays he (g), "of weekly communicating perhaps was ground"ed on Ezek. xliii. 27. And it shall be upon the "eighth day, and fo forward, the priest fhall make "your burnt-offerings upon the altar, and your peace

offerings, and I will accept you, faith the Lord. "A prophecy of gofpel times, and the ceffation "of the ceremonial law of daily facrifices: By "burnt-offerings being meant the Lord's Sup

(g) Charnock's Works, vol. II. p. 756.

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"per, the remembrance of the great burnt-offer"ing whereby our peace was made: And by "peace-offerings, prayer and thanksgiving, which "are called facrifices, Heb. xiii. 15. And on "the Lord's Day, being the eighth day, fol"lowing upon the feventh, the Jewish Sabbath." But I much doubt if the primitive Chriftians, fond as fome of them were of allegorizing and myftical interpretations, ever carried their regard for these to the ridiculous height of building upon them a practice of fuch importance as weekly communicating. It is more probable their practice was founded on a New Teftament precept, plain to them, tho' to us dark and obfcure.

5. But that obfcurity will be no plea for our feldom communicating. For whatever difficulty there may be in finding an exprefs precept, the Apoftolical Example, which is as binding as a precept, is fo clear and obvious, that he who runs may read it. And to me it feems something ftrange, that those who suppose the apoftolical practice fufficient to change the Sabbath from that day on which God, in the fourth Commandment, had enjoined it to be kept, fhould pay so small regard to it in this inftance, where it alters no command moral or pofitive, but ferves to clear up a material circumstance in observing a precept which otherwise might feem indeterminate.-Let us therefore take a furvey of fuch paffages of Scripture as throw any light on this important fubject.

6. The facrament was inftituted by our Lord that night in which he was betrayed. From this circumftance, allow me to remark, that it may lawfully be dispensed on other days, as well as the Sabbath.

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