AN EXHORTATION To Frequent Receiving the Holy Sacrament OF THE LORD's SUPPER. OR, A Plain and Practical DISCOURSE upon part of 1 Cor. 11.26.  
BEING The Substance of several SERMONS Preached in St. Hellens Church, London.  
By Hen. Hesketh, Vicar of St. Hellens, and Chaplain to his Majesty.  
LONDON, Printed for W. Kettilby at the Bishops-head in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1684.   

To the Gentlemen and others my very good Friends the Parishioners of St. Hellens, London.  
SIRS,  
WHat you were pleased to give a favourable and kind acceptance unto at the hearing, I do now( according to your desires) present you with, that you may have a more leisurely perusal of it. And if it do not in some poor measure answer your expectations, and its own design, I shall be the more Sorry. Only your Charity( which interprets every thing to the best) will extenuate your own disappointment, and your kind acceptance supply in some good measure its Imperfections: And if you will please to comply with the purpose of it, your advantage, and its own End will be effected; and then no great matter, how mean the Methods were that were used to those purposes.  
I cannot but bewail the present state of Religion among us, to see it broken into so many Factions, and lost among the Quarrels about itself. One might reasonably expect to find the thing, where such a noise and bustle is made about it, and that the Controversies and Disputes of the Age, might be taken for Indications of its great( though Luxuriant and Wanton) Knowledge.  
And it is certainly a sad reflection, and that which may cause the poor Guides of Souls to sit down in sorrow and silence, to find themselves put to the necessity of making good the Foundations again, and to the irksome trouble of converting Christians to the Christian Religion.  
I would to God I could not say that this were now our unhappy time. But he converseth little with Men that doth not know it is. Instead of stating the unhappy Controversies about Religion, we have too much reason to instruct Men in the very reason and nature of it; and there are too many Men, who amid their boastings of knowledge in the Mysteries of the Gospel and the Depths of Christianity, are scandalously ignorant in the first Elements and Constitution of it, and those that would be thought to be able to teach others, have need themselves to learn which be the very first Principles of the Oracles of God.  
The Apostle expressly calls the Doctrine of Baptism one of the Foundations of Christian Religion; and I think I may safely join the Doctrine of the Lords Supper with it; since these are indeed the prime,( if not only) positive Institutions of it, and those which distinguish it from former Dispensations: For in all other things I take it to differ from the old Patriarchal and mosaic Religion, but as a rare piece of Painting, when it hath received the last hand of its great Master doth from what it was, when the first great lines of it were little more than described.  
And if knowledge in the true nature and reason of these be one good Criterion, by which to judge the knowledge or Ignorance of Christians, I fear too many of our high flyers, must be content to perch lower, and not think themselves reproached, when they are plainly  told of their Ignorance.  
I would to God Men were not generally to seek in these things; but when we observe, that some oppose the practise of them, and so many slight and undervalue them, that some make it the badge of Purity, and a greater measure of Reformation to dispute against them, and decry them; and so very many others can be content to live and die in the neglect of them( especially that which is my present Subject) we may safely pronounce them ignorant in the nature and reasons of them: For none that knows what they are, and to what mighty good purposes Christ hath appointed them, can content himself in a disregard and neglect of them.  
I am very sensible that many excellent Books have been writ, to instruct Men fully in all these by which their minds may be informed in the Nature, and their Devotion guided and directed in the Observation of this holy Sacrament that I am going to discourse of. And I am none of those that think any thing can be added to them by the labours of so mean a Scribe: Nor is any thing of this Nature the design of these Papers, any farther than was necessary to what I intended.  
The great and most scandalous defect now among us, from whatever cause it proceeds, is the neglect and disuse of this service, or( at least) a fancy that we are at liberty to observe it only now and then, as we please; a humour that hath prevailed so far among us, that we have need with those in the Parable, to be compelled to come unto our Lords Table.  
A Scandal than which perhaps a greater never befell a Christian Nation, nor any that was clearer and sadder Demonstration of the decay of the true, and ancient Spirit of Christianity among us. Time was when the rain was more needful than the Spur, and the Good Fathers of the Church were employed indeed to direct Mens Devotion aright, but were at no pains to excite it; there was no need to call upon them to come, all the care was only for their right coming. At that time a Man that needed Invitation to come to his Lords Table, would have been stared at, reputed an Apostate from his Religion, and a Betrayer of his Lord.  
It is to revive something of this ancient Spirit and practise that is the design of these Discourses, which hath not been so immediately driven at by many that I know of, though the Foundations I proceed upon have been laid by all.  
And if in your reading other Books, you find how much I have been beholden to other Men, especially some great Men now living, yea so far as sometimes to transcribe passages, and speak their sense in their own words, I do not stick openly and readily to confess it. But I do not judge this any injury to those Men, nor disparagement to myself, nor disreputation to these Papers.  
Good Men writ to instruct the World, and are not dishonoured by being quoted whilst living, any more than others count them wronged when they are mentioned being dead. And I am not ashamed to learn of my betters, nor to borrow their words when I have not apt of my own. I red Books to inform myself, and to enable me to instruct others. And if no Discourses must be entertained, but what Men spin only out of their own unassisted heads, perhaps the greatest Mens must be rejected, and the most Learned Books miserable castrated.  
You will find the same things sometimes repeated, and in several places insisted on to much what the same purpose. Which I have permitted to be so rather than change the first Method; for in considerations so nearly allied, as some of these are, it cannot be thought but the same Matter may come to be touched. And as to what concerns Church Communion, and Christian Unity, I am so far from thinking it a Crime to repeat the Arguments and considerations proper for it, that I think the Temper of the Time, and the Humours of Men make it little less than necessary.  
I have taken no care to alter the homely dress in which these things were at first delivered: Or to make them so fit for a Book as perhaps some would expect. For to speak the truth, I have not had Time; and any that blame this neglect, I must beg them to consider what a daily task lies upon his hands, that is, to make constant provisions for two Sermons a Week at the same place, besides other business, that I think few London Ministers are free from.  
Such as it is I present to you, being not very solicitous what the event is as to my own reputation, If it be serviceable to you, or any others, it will turn to my account in the great day, and I shall rejoice and bless God, that honours me so far as to make me an Instrument of doing any Service, and any good in my Generàtion.  
I pray God Almighty led you into all truth, and make you obedient unto it, and grant you to feel the blessed and sweet effects of true Devotion, and to pass at last into the ravishments of it above. So prayeth  
Your Obliged Friend, and Servant in the Gospel, H. Hesketh.   

A Serious and Seasonable EXHORTATION TO Frequent Communion, &c.  
THere hath scarce been an Age since the first commencing of Christianity in the world, in which a plain Discourse about the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper hath been more needful and seasonable.  
We follow an unhappy time of Disorder and Confusion, wherein the Constitutions of Religion were not only Profaned, but all her Hedges broken down, her sacred Offices were invaded and polluted by Sacrilegious and Unhallowed hands, all her great Services and good Orders were neglected and contemned, and her self destroyed by those that professed the greatest kindness to her.  
The great Reformers of Christianity were its plain Murtherers, and those that pretended to refine it, the professed debauchers of it; who when they had resolved to set up a new Heir were in prudence obliged( they thought) to slay the old; and having erected a new Form of Worship, must in honour to themselves wholly throw down the old, lest the Glory of it should disparaged and shane their Novel Constitutions.  
It fared no better with this great Ministry, and Service in Religion, than with the rest. From being the Livery of a Christian, it came to be the Badge of a party: From being thought a Duty incumbent upon all, it became a privilege empaled and granted only to some, and the Priest instead of Inviting all to this Heavenly Feast, made it his business to scar the most from it, under fear of poison. By which Artifice Men came in time to have lost the Sense of its being a Duty, and to have forgotten wholly the design and purport of it. And so a Church was set up without the use of Sacraments, and Salvation hoped for without the Commemorating of a Saviour; and this disuse so far prevailed, that you may meet with it in the Confession of one of the great rabbis of that time, yet living, That he had not administered this Sacrament for eighteen years together.  
When the great and merciful Providence of Heaven was pleased to put a stop to this sad period of Disorder and Irreligion, and to turn the Captivity of this poor Church, as the Rivers in the South. Then the Primitive Constitutions of it began to revive again, and by the favour of a good Prince, and excellent Laws, to show themselves, and obtain a respect again among us.  
But it fared with them as with Wounded and Sick Persons it commonly doth, the Wound though healed leaves a Scar, and the Sickness weakens the Constitution ever afterward; so alas! it is yet with the Constitutions of our Church, and the Ancient Sanctions of Religion, they look Pale and Wan to this day, and the Glory of the second House is short of the first. And God only knows whether the Ancient good crasis, and beautiful complexion will ever be recovered again or not.  
But I think I may say it safely, there is no great Office of Religion that retains more marks of the late Distemper, nor feels more of the sad effects of it, than this of the Holy Sacrament. It will not be easy( nor at this time needful) to number up all these. It may be( if God spare Life and Time in this place) you may in the process of my Ministry have them all remarked.  
At present I have proposed to take notice only of three very great and capital ones.  
The first discovers itself in the great disregard and neglect of it, that is visible in many, and the very seldom observing it in those, that yet have some veneration for it.  
The second appears in the Tenet of Transubstantiation, about which the Doctrines of Christianity have been so fiercely divided, and that which was intended as a cement and band of Union among Christians, is become the greatest make-bate, and ston of contention.  
The third discovers itself in that mean esteem that some Men have of it, who look upon it only as a bare Symbol and Sign, and only a little bigger Ceremony of Christian Religion, upon which it comes to be disparaged and undervalued, to the no little scandal of Christian Religion, and the great dishonour of him that so solemnly Instituted the same.  
Against all these things we may be furnished with some matter of Discourse from those Words of the Apostle in 1 Cor. 11.26. in which I shall observe three great things in contradistinction to them.  
1. The frequency of Communicating, Intimated in these words [ As often] as ye Eat and Drink.  
2. The matter that is Communicated in; this Bread, this Cup.  
3. The great end and purpose of this Service; it is to show forth the Lords Death till he come.  
You will easily see what Influence these things have upon the forenamed Errors, and how Subservient and Conducing they are to the rectifying of them. I pray God we may not defeat their effect, but experiment the benefit of them to these purposes.  

CHAP. I.  
Clearing the Sense of the Words, and the reasonableness of the present Collection from them, and proposing three Arguments for the truth of it.  
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 lye, 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. show 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 show you hereafter) and the prime design of the words is only to rectify 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 enjoin 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 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 dost 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 practise 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 practise 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 enjoin 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 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 yourselves 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 topics or, Heads of Arguments.  
1. The consideration of what the Corinthians here practised, to which this whole Speech relates.  
2. The Service itself, and its Institution.  
3. The Nature, Ends, and Purposes of it. All which will combine in showing us, that frequency in this service is really a Christian Duty.   

CHAP. II.  
The first Argument from what the Corinthians then did, to which this Speech relates, and wherein that great Abuse of theirs then consisted. Where something of the Love-Feast, and the Consequent Service is explained.  
1. I Consider the practise 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 public, 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 {αβγδ}, as they called it, i.e. the Love 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 {αβγδ}, judas. 12. Love-Feasts, or Feasts of Charity.  
These were continued in the Church for a considerable time, and always closed their public Services and Worship, especially those on the Lords day. And in the Primitive Conventions of the Apostles and their Converts, every day, as you red 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 quiter aside.  
That I mention them for, is this: To show that they were at this time used by the Corinthians, 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 apprehended 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 {αβγδ}, the Cup of blessing, at the close of this Feast, and 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 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 heightened them into the most Solemn and Holy Sacraments.  
This is clear in Baptism, which was derived from the Jewish practise of admitting proselytes. 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 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 festivals 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 rejoicing 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 holidays, and enjoins the Communion Service upon them all, and therefore doubtless would gladly have the thing itself 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 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 steady 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 third Argument urged and driven to its full force by four Propositions. The first Proposition explained. And this Service shewed to be plainly and expressly Commanded and Instituted by our Saviour.  
THe Second Argument for our purpose is to consider the Service itself and its Institution; and the Argument that I intend from this, I shall endeavour to draw to its issue, by a Complication of some dependant 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 expressly 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 broke 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 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 baptized, because it is only said to them, baptize, 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 quiter the other way, that because the Apostles are commanded to Administer, Christians are obliged to Communicate, and to be administered unto. And I do not know why we may not as safely infer this, as we may that Christians are Obliged to hear the Word Preached, and to be baptized, because the Apostles and their Successors are to baptize and Preach.  
And then, that it should not concern the generality of Christians because it was first administered only to the Jews, is a wild way of Arguing, that may( for ought I know) 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 broke 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 gentle 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 ston 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.  
The Second Proposition. The nature of Temporary Institutions considered; how to judge when any Institution is so: And the Sacrament shewed not to be any such.  
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. show that this is not so, but quiter 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 shoes; 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 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 judaisme, 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 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 myself, 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 myself 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 ourselves 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 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 do this till he come; As often as ye Eat this Bread, &c. ye do show 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 lieth 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 increase and strengthen upon their hands. For, as now, at the End of Sixteen Hundred Years, 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 surprising 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 system 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 {αβγδ}, Till he come, here, I have the joint 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 quiter 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 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 ourselves 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 itself too. But till then it will continue 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 show 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 designed to be a standing Service, as long as Christian Religion lasts in the World.   

CHAP. V.  
The Third and Fourth Propositions. Wherein is shewed that this Service is no more limited to any Particular Time than any other Service in Christianity; And that it was accordingly understood and practised by the Apostles and Primitive Christians, as a standing part of their public Service and Worship.  
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 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 public 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 expressly  told them when and how often they should do it, they may take the liberty to pray, and meet together in public 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 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 expressly  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 public 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 itself 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 dependence, 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 public Worship. And both these will tell us, that whatever God hath appointed as a part of his public Worship, ought constantly to be observed by Men when they meet together for that pvrpose, unless he himself, or the reason of the thing tell them otherwise.  
We ought not to suffer one part of public Worship to turn engrosser 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 atone 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 strengthening 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 strengthened 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 of the same. Our necessities here alone might sufficiently instruct us, and show 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 practise of those that best understood it shows 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 practise 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 ourselves 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 {αβγδ}, 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 met together for public Worship, the fourth Verse of that Chapter shows plainly. They continued steadfastly 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 joined 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 {αβγδ}, the Lord's day, or {αβγδ}, the Lord's Body, it is much what the same to our present purpose, and shows us thus much, that to Eat the Lord's Body( i.e. to Celebrate the Sacrament) was one standing Service in their public 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 practise of those times. I might easily heap together a multitude of Testimonies to this purpose: But I will content myself 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 public 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 made of this account, in order to the vindicating the Service of the Church of England, and showing how exactly consonant it is to Primitive Antiquity and practise. 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 practise owed itself only to the extraordinary authors of Primitive Zeal, but continued a standing practise in the Church, Socrates the Historian, that wrote about the middle of the fifth Century, shows 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 shows 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 apostolic practise, and the reasons of Christianity, that it passed into a Law, and was established as a Canon, in the Apostolical Canons, and in the Council of Antioch too; both which Decree, that the 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 show us what Primitive practise as to this was. I mention them to drive this Argument to a full Issue, and show 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 liable to any just Exception to weaken the Conclusiveness of it.   

CHAP. VI.  
The third head of Arguments propounded; wherein the Nature of this Service is shewed; and it is considered as an Act of Worship to God; in what respects it is so, and the Argument improved from that Consideration.  
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 enjoins, 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 across, 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 across, 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 show 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 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 show 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 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 itself. According to which the Church of England, in her Collect after the Sacrament begs 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, do not we daily offer this Sacrifice? Yes we do, i.e. {αβγδ}, We daily Sacrifice in Memory of it. And again, {αβγδ}, We daily and constantly thus Sacrifice. Or rather( lest the Speech should be misunderstood) We Commemorate, or we do( that which is a Solemn sacrificial Remembrance of it, or in the Words of the Text, we do that which is a Solemn grateful showing 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 public 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 him, for the Mighty Mercy and Love in send●… ng his Son to die for us. 2. As a Sacrament of Prayer, in virtue 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 jointly 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 ecstasy 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 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 ourselves 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●… echoed 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 but be grateful to him, to see us Poor Men retain a sense as suitable to it, as our narrow Comprehensions will give us leave to do. 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 do 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 do 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 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 favourable into an undeniable Argument, for the Obligation to a frequent 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 indispensible Obligation upon all Christians, to join 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 successful. 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 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 do 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 meanness 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 suited.— 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 across, 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 virtue of this that they were accepted: They being poor and mean things in themselves, and very unfit Compensations for Sin, it being impossible( saith the Author to the Heb. Chap. 10.4.) that the Blood of Bulls and Goats, &c. should by any virtue 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 virtue 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, pled 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 showing 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 joined 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: 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 public Prayers; to signify that they offered up their Prayers in virtue 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 hearty the Merit of the same. It is in the Merit, and continual remembrance of this, that Christ now intercedes 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 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 pled for ourselves, that are resistless, and can never be denied 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 across, 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 vengeance for our Sins. We present thee with the said, and yet grateful 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 undeniable 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 public 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 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.  
This Service is considered as a Solemn Act of Adoration, and Worship of Christ. In what respects it is so, and the Arguments improved from each of them.  
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 unto Christ; do this in remembrance of me, and as often as ye Eat this Bread, and Drink this Cup, ye do show 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 worshipping of him. And it is indeed that peculiar Symbol, by which the Christian Church doth express and testify 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 rendered to the Son of God, appears not only from her making this, one stated part of her public 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 acknowledged by all Christians, who should then( methinks) aclowledge 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 do not see how Men can pretend an Obligation to Worship him, and a Care to do it, yea in a measure above their Brethren, and yet, have no regard to this, in which they may so Solemnly, and so acceptably do the same.  
It is a shrewd sign that they do not do this so constantly as they pretend, that neglect such Solemn and public opportunities of doing it, and then their pretence is hypocrisy; or that they make themselves Wiser than God, in choosing to do this in their own way, but refusing to do 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 acknowledgement 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 acknowledgement, this of the Love of Christ might do it much more: A Subject on which Meditation will soon be lost, and run itself into Admiration and ecstasy; 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 magnify the Love of Christ to them; and Angels join 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 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 ourselves 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 acknowledgements: But we ought to testify our great sense of this, by some External Signs and Expressions, as we do 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 flamme 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 public 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 public and Solemn Testimonies of Praise 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 restend 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 slay 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 public 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 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, do 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 do 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 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 ourselves too 〈…〉 Unjust to him, because we fail in that which is so mighty due for all his great kindness towards us: And unkind to ourselves too, sinc●… we loose that which is the greatest Incentive encouragement 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 acknowledgement of his Incarnation.  
There was never any thing that befell 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●… unveiled Glory would strike Men with, it being too splended and dazzling for Mortal Eyes to look upon. And that when he had conversed with the Miseries and Infirmities of human Nature, and lived a poor, abject, afflicted life, he might die as a Sacrifice for our Sins, and by his own death make atonement 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) do with Wonder and Joy prie into the mighty astonishments of this Mystery. And sure we then ought much more affect our Souls with the biggest sense of this condescension, 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 lead us in this Anthem, and sure we ought to follow, and Sing it after them.  
You may red 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 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: magnify 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 itself in the contemplation of such kindness as this: To find an object too big for its highest Raptures and ecstasies 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 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 human 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 do 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 surprising instance of Christs great Love to Mankind, it must needs be his Death and Passion.  
This was certainly the height and utmost compliment of every thing that can be demonstration 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 pference, 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 shown 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 across, 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 thyself so low, to stoop to all the Infirmities and Weaknesses of human 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 red thy Infinite Love clearly enough, in those Bloody Characters that it was written by these upon 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 across 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 do 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 do 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 do not know what Capacities we shall have, nor what higher Notes we shall learn from that Seraphical choir above, that will become our Instructors and Consorts too in these Anthems. It doth not yet appear 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 heightening 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 across; 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 affencted 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 ourselves too, in losing those mighty advantages to the purposes of Religion, and our Souls good, that the prospect of the across 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 virtue 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 do not see why it will not hold thus far, even that this Service should be as frequent as our public 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.  
The Seeond Part of this Third Argument; where the ends of this Service are considered; Five of these proposed to be insisted on. The First this in the Text; to what end this remembering Christs Death is Instituted; and what an Argument each of these ends affords to the present purpose.  
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 showing 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 ourselves.  
I do 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 showing forth our Lord's Death, As often as ye Eat this Bread and Drink this Cup, ye show the Lord's Death till he come. And the same is mentioned in the Institution, do 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 fitly 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 showing forth the Death of Christ can signify, whether it respect God, ourselves or others: Whether 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 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 ourselves, 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 do 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 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 showing 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 {αβγδ}, which is used by our Apostle here in this Text, and signifies to show forth, to publish and declare abroad, as Men use to do 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 across of its Dear Lord, but can Triumph and Glory in it though the World account it its reproach, and object it to its shane.  
In the Sacrament of Baptism it signs every Baptized Person with this sign of the across, 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 acknowledgement 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 do so much right to our Lord, and so much benefit to our Brethren too; Proclaim the Kindness of the Dying Jesus, and approve ourselves 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 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 do, of this Sacramental Eating) {αβγδ}, with gladness and leaping of their Heart: {αβγδ}, saith St. Chrysostom, wondering 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 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 do so) that the Apostle adds, again I say, rejoice, that we may know it is really a Christian Duty to do it, and therefore most certainly to do this, when he himself more especially calls us to it, and hath Instituted Services and Symbols to do 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 public 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 public 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 public 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, tell us, Mat. 26.26. While they were Eating, he took Bread, {αβγδ}, Blessing and Praising; and v. 27. Taking the Cup, {αβγδ}, 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, {αβγδ}, When he had given Thanks he broke 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 public 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 do not think it needful to add on this, what just matter and cause this is for the most rapturous Praise and Thankfulness to God. The thing speaks itself, 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 show 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 ourselves to his Service( as I shall have occasion to show 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; 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 tyre, and move as heavily as the Egyptian Charets did in the deep sands of the read Sea.  
And therefore it can be no less than highly and absolutely needful to refresh our Spirits, and relieve our languishments, and add new fuel 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.  
A Second end of this Service insisted on; Wherein the Ancient Eastern way of striking Covenants is a little explained. The same shewed to be accommodated by our Saviour, to his purpose in the Sacrament; and the Argument improved from this also.  
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 do 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 ourselves to the return of that Duty and Service, that he requires as 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 covenant, 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 red 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 red, 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 always 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 eat with 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 expressly 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●… strike Covenant with God, you and God actually confederate together.  
This is sufficient to let you understand this matter clearly enough; and I do 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 apprehended 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 ratified 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 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 joining with God in it, and Solemnly oblige ourselves 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 ourselves 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. 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 do our Duty, as be commands us; i.e. the assisting us to be, and behave ourselves 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 ourselves 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 do. I might from hence take good occasion to show 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.— 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 ourselves, yet I do not see any reason to expect it, now that we refuse to do 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 ourselves, and then to stand or fall by our own deeds, and if we do not actually confirm that Vow, and undertake the Conditions of that Covenant that was made and entred into by others, I do 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 do not see how we can account ourselves 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 do so if we do not confirm and ratify 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 ourselves 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 do 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 do this once in a month. 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 do.  
What God's Command is, I have shewed you before; what our own Advantage and Gain by it may be, I am showing 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 show 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 us: A Symbol by which we renew our Covenant with God and put him in mind of it, and pled the gracious purposes and conditions of it. And for God's sake tell me, can any thing more greatly concern us, than often to do 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 do 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 do it in this so often, is because we do not so much covet or regard the Honour that cometh from God, as we do a Vain and Fictitious, a False and Fugitive Reputation among Men.  
2. I Beseech you; Consider the mighty privilege 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 we are to our Vows: How often we falsify 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 privilege 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 do 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 do 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 ourselves in this thing; for our Hearts are uncertain and traitorous 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 vigour 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 do not continue steadfast 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 steadfast 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.  
Divided into four Sections. In the First the third end of this Service is mentioned and explained, and the Truth of it confirmed by some peculiar and concerning considerations. In the Second another Argument from Analogy is considered, and some places of Scripture produced. In the Third that place of St. John, Chap. 6. Ver. 53. is vindicated from an Objection against the sense of it. In the Fourth the Argument from this consideration is largely Improved.  
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 pardonned, 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 liquours and refreshments in the World, but by actually tasting of them: So Men are finally saved, not because there is a Saviour, but because 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 crwoned, 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 do.  
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 find to be these three: Faith in Christ, a suitable 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 conjoined together, and none of them is sufficient of itself alone. I speak here of Salvation upon Christian Principles, for what God may do 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 suitable 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 led a virtuous good Life, i.e. the best that is consistent with human 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 do, 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 do. 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 ourselves, 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 disjoined 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 joined together, 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 do 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 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 do not see why Christian Obedience may not balk other Precepts of Christ as well as this. Nay, indeed, why it may not much rather do 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 itself 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 do 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 do not well see, how Men can give greater instance 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 obeied, and which is not, when God hath equally enjoined 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 do 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 expressly commanded than these are.  

SECT. 2.  
BUt I shall yet proceed further to show you the Efficacy of this Holy Sacrament, in order to giving us an actual Interest in what Christ hath done for us, and instating us into the virtue and effect of all his performances.— And this I shall do, 1. By an Argument founded on Analogy. 2. By considering what the New Testament expressly saith as to this case.  
1. The Analogy I mean, is between this Service, and the Jews feeding upon the Sacrifices under the Law. For this( as I have hinted before) Learned Men make to be the true Notion of the Lord's Supper, that it is feeding upon the great Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ, which was offered for the Redemption of Mankind. And therefore it must be with Christians in this Service, as it was with the Jews in that Service of theirs.  
Now it is most certain, the feeding upon the Sacrifice, was that which gave the Jews an Interest in the virtue of it, and in all the Blessings purchased by it: And no Man did think himself concerned in it, but he that did thus actually partake and eat of it. This was plainly the Truth of the case in all their Peace Offerings.  
And particularly in the Passover, to which this Christian Service seems, and is generally understood, more especially to relate, it was absolutely necessary, that every Person should Eat of the Paschal Lamb; and he that did not so, was so far from being benefited by it, that he was threatened to be cut off from Israel, as one that disregarded God's Institution, and undervalued the means too, of his Grace and Blessing.  
Now we may argue by a good and warrantable Analogy from hence, that in like manner, it is necessary to feed upon this great Sacrifice, to Eat the Flesh, and Drink the Blood of Christ in the Sacrament, in order to our actual partaking in the virtue and benefit of it.  
2. And to this purpose you shall find many passages in the New Testament speaking very intelligibly and plainly. I shall choose two or three to instance in; as 1. That memorable Speech of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 10.16. The Cup of Blessing, which we Bless, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ? The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ? The meaning is very plain, and without looking after Interpreters, our own Translators in the margin point us to the true sense: This is a participation of Christ; i.e. by this we actually partake in the Effect and Benefit of Christs Passion.  
Another place I shall mention is that Speech of our Saviour, Joh. 6.54, 55, 56. Whoso Eateth my Flesh and Drinketh my Blood, hath Eternal Life, and I will raise him up at the last day; for my Flesh is Meat indeed, and my Blood is Drink indeed.— He that Eateth my Flesh and Drinketh my Blood, dwelleth in me and I in him. In which place, the having Eternal Life, and dwelling in Christ, are plain expressions, to denote the actual partaking in the Benefits of Christs Death and Sufferings, which were to atone Sin, and give Men a Right and Title to Eternal happiness. And these are said to be certainly consequential to Eating his Flesh and Drinking his Blood, which can signify nothing so naturally as this Service of the Sacrament.  
The last place I shall commend to your consideration is the saying of Christ in v. 53. immediately before these last words name; Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye Eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and Drink his Blood, ye have no Life in you. No Right nor Title to that Life which he comes to effect for you. Which is plain to our present purpose, and needs no Comment.   

SECT. 3.  
THere is only one thing that needs to be cleared for the full conviction of this matter from this place; and that is, that this place speaks of this Sacramental action of Eating and Drinking the Symbols of our Lord's Body and Blood. In order to the clearing of which, it were enough to consider, 1. How naturally the Expressions seem to look to this, and how strained and forced they appear, when interpnted to another sense. 2. To consider what a multitude of Learned Men, especially the Ancients, have understood them thus. 3. How those very Men that labour to interpret them to another purpose, do yet confess that they are fairly applicable to this, among whom Calvin himself is one. But 4. The most convictive way is to consider and answer the Objection that is made against this Interpretaion. A Learned Man hath lately done it to my hand, and therefore I need say the less on it. Only it will be necessary to consider it, and show what little of weight there is in it, to sway a considering person against the Interpretation of it, that we are contending for.  
The Objection is briefly this, That the Eating in the Sacrament could not be meant in that Speech of our Saviour, because that Feast was not then Instituted, and that neither his own Apostles, nor the Jews could possibly understand him, if that were the meaning of what he said. This is the Sum of the Objection, which truly I think no way formidable, but capable of a very easy solution.  
1. For First, As to the Pretence of the Sacrament being not yet Instituted, and therefore that these words cannot relate to it, it signifieth just nothing: Since it is most plain that our Saviour spoken of many things, in his Discourses, before they actually came to pass, and gave directions about many things, which could take no place till after his Death and Resurrection. And we might( for any thing I see) as well say, that Faith in Christ which he so often declares to be so necessary to Salvation, and speaks himself so much of, hath no respect at all to his Death, and Suffering, and rising again, because when Christ spake those things, his Passion and Resurrection were not come to pass, no, nor understood, nor thought on by good Men.  
Secondly, as to what is objected that the Jews, or Apostles themselves, could not understand then the meaning of these Words, if this were Christs sense of them, it may as easily be answered, that no more they did understand a great many of other things, which he spake of in his Discourses and Sermons to them.  
Such for Instance was the notice of his Passion, which St. Luke tells us plainly they understood not, but it was hide from them, Luke 9.45. Yea when he  told them of it very plainly and( to our Apprehension now) so intelligibly, that they could not but understand his meaning, yet the same St. Luke tells us, Chap. 18.34. they understood none of those things, and this saying was hide from them, neither understood they the things that were spoken.  
The Truth is, if we red the Gospel, we shall find, they understood very little of our Saviours Divinity, or the reasons of his coming into the World, and that Spiritual Kingdom that he came to erect in it. The Jewish conceit of a Temporal Messiah, of an external Deliverance and Glory, that he was to effect for them, and rest them in, so ran in their heads, that they understood nothing almost of that Spiritual Redemption from Sin, that he so often spake of his effecting for Mankind, and of the Methods by which he designed to conduct Men to Salvation. Yea this notion stuck so fast in their minds, that his Death, which was the great Act of Redemption, yet quiter destroyed all their hopes of being redeemed by him: We hoped that this was he that should have redeemed Israel, Luke 24.21. Nay after his Resurrection, and Instructing of them in things pertaining to his Religion and Kingdom; yet even then you shall find them in the same expectation still; Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel? Acts 1.6.  
It is true, when the Holy Ghost was given them, and enlightened their understandings, then things came to their Remembrance, and then they understood things plainly, and then felt the happy Effect of his former Instructions and Discourses to them. And no doubt but the meaning of this great saying was plain to them, as well as others, that before were equally unintelligible.  
For Thirdly, If we should compare this Discourse with some others that we find in the Gospel, we shall find reason to say, that they were really as difficult to be understood as this. And we may safely challenge any Me●… to say, why they might not as easily understand this, as a great many other sayings that were spoken to them.  
A great many of such Discourses might easily be instanced in, but I shall choose to instance in one immediately preceding this. 'tis v. 51. of that Sixth of St. John, I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven, if any Man Eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever, and the Bread that I will give is my Flesh, which I will give for the Life of the World. It cannot be denied, but these words are as intricate and hard to be understood, as these in v. 53. that we are discoursing of, and the 52. verse tells us, the Jews as little understood the meaning of it; and yet it is most certain that in these words he did respect this Sacramental Eating of his Flesh. For his giving his Flesh for the Life of the World, must have respect to his Death and Passion, by which the great Atonement was made. And we have no other way of Eating his Flesh, as the Bread of Life, or the Living Bread, which came down from Heaven, but only our feeding on it in this Sacrament, in which we do Feast on the Memorials of his Death and Passion, and as St. Paul here speaks, show forth the Lord's Death till he come.  
This Instance will wholly take off the force of the Objection; and not only so, but be advantage to us; for if these Words do plainly refer to the Sacrament, although they be so unintelligible, then nothing hinders, but that the other may so too, although they were so intricate, and could not well be understood when they were spoken. And it will be a good Argument that our Saviour hath respect to the same thing, in both Verses, since the Phrase in both is evidently the same also.  
4. But Fourthly, to issue this contest fully, It is certain this Objection will equally lie against the sense of these words that some contend for, as against this of ours. For if nothing else were intended here, but only believing in Christ, and believing his Doctrine, and feeding on it by Faith, as some expound them: Yet it is plain the Words are as unintelligible in that sense, as ours. And it is full as hard to understand, how Eating the Flesh, and Drinking the Blood of the Son of God, should signify bare believing on him, as that it should mean the Sacramental feeding on the Memorials and Symbols of his Body and Blood, and I think, a great deal more.  
I dare trust any considering Person to determine between these two, and to say which of the Senses and Interpretations appears the more forced. There is a fair Propriety of speaking in the one, and the whole Christian Church, and the best and most Learned Fathers of it, have retained and used it to this day. But to express bare believing, by Eating the Flesh of the Son of God, and Drinking his Blood, is a mighty strained way of speaking, and such as can hardly be paralleled in any Language, and of which the asserters are hard put to it to give any tolerable reason, or any plain Instance; though I know some very Learned Men contend for that Exposition.  
By these things I think this Objection fully satisfied, and that we may safely understand those words to intend an absolute necessity of this Sacrament in order to Salvation.  
But that I may not be mistaken, I must have leave a little further to explain the sense of this assertion. When I speak therefore of a necessity of this in order to Salvation, I would be understood to put in these two Explications.  
1. That we speak of Salvation upon Christian Principles. I have nothing to do to judge them that are without( as the Apostle speaks) nor to determine upon what conditions their Salvation is attainable. It concerns not us to inquire by what Rules and Measures God will judge them, but only to know by what Laws we shall be dealt with, and in what method we can hope for Salvation.  
2. That when I speak of this being necessary to Salvation, I mean it necessary to all that can, and all that may receive it. I know but two things that can be thought Dispensations from this Duty; an absolute incapacity, and an absolute impossibility.  
The first can only take place in Infants, and those that are distracted, or grossly ignorant. I think Antiquity strained this necessity too far, when it made it necessary for Infants to Communicate, as well as others. And the case is the same with distracted persons, and those that are grossly and invincibly ignorant: There are such things necessary to attend this Duty, that such persons are altogether uncapable of, as Faith in Christ Jesus, a mighty Thankfulness to God for sending him into the World, and a joyful Commemorating the benefits of his Death and Passion. These things Infants, &c. are utterly uncapable of performing, and therefore to them this Service cannot be thought necessary. For this is most certain, and the Notion of Gods goodness and justice will secure the Truth of it, That God will never require that of Men, nor condemn them for the not doing that, which they were utterly uncapable of doing.  
2. The other, which I call an Impossibility of doing this service, can never concern us, or any Christians that live in Church-Communion, where the Ordinances of Religion are observed, and the Sacraments constantly administered.  
But I put it down, because it is possible, that a Christian may live in places where these are not to be had, and where there is not a Christian Church, that he can Communicate with; in this case I do not doubt, but God will have Mercy instead of Sacrifice, and accept the will, and the Man's hearty desire to Communicate if he could, instead of the dead. For it is as certain upon the Reasons of Divine Goodness, and Justice too, that a Man shall never be condemned for the not doing of that, which it was absolutely impossible for him to do.  
But, as I said but now, this concerns us very little, or not at all, who may Communicate if we please, and whom Providence hath caused to live in the Communion of a Church, which not only requires all her Children to be frequent in this Service, but Administers it in a way, that is truly Christian and Primitive, and against which its greatest Enemies we see have no exception, but such as( when Interest calls on them) they can easily surmount. For any of us therefore wilfully to ne●●ect and turn our backs upon this Sacrament( as too many of us do) is not only to want, but to contemn and neglect it. And it hath been ever taught as a Truth in the Christian Church, that though the want of the Sacraments in some few Cases might not be damning, yet the contempt of them most certainly was so.   

SECT. 4.  
ANd now I think I have said enough in confirmation of this Truth, That one great end of this Institution is to make us actual partakers of the Benefit of what Christ hath done for us, and that it is really necessary in order thereto.  
2. I proceed therefore to what I promised in the second place, i.e. to improve this to the present purpose of often Eating this Bread, and Drinking this Cup. And this I shall do by naming only to you some of the Benefits that were intended to us by Christs Death, and are confined to us by this Christian Symbol of it; I shall at present mention only these three: The Pardon of our Sins: The assistances of Gods Grace and Spirit to do our Duty: And the assuring us of a Resurrection, and a blessed Immortality.  
1. The Pardon of our Sins. For this was the design and purpose of Christs Death, to offer up himself as the great Trespass Offering to God, and by shedding his Blood, to make the great Atonement for the Sins o●… Mankind. And so we know the Scripture speak plainly of it.  
Now in this Sacrament we Eat the Flesh o●… this great Expiatory Sacrifice, and Drink th●… Blood of the atonement, on purpose to convey to us, and assure us of the effect of both, i.e. the full Remission and Pardon of all our Sins.  
Were it needful, I might show you, how much more God doth for us, and for our Comfort and Satisfaction in this, than he ever did for the Jews. For it is certain, they were never permitted to Eat the Flesh of the great Trespass Offering; for that, saith the Apostle, Heb. 13.11. was burnt without the Camp: Nor to taste the Blood of that atonement, For that the High Priest carried into the Holy of Holies, and he himself was never suffered to taste of it.— But in this God affords greater favour to us, and permits us to partake of both these, on purpose to give us the fuller assurance of the actual Pardon of our Sins, in and by the Blood of Christ.  
Now let me beg you to consider if this be not a good Argument for our frequency in this Service. do we know what the Guilt of Sin is, and what will be its Punishment? do we know how blessed he is whose Sins are forgiven, and whose Transgressions are covered? do we know how daily we contract fresh Guilts and what need therefore we have of daily Pardon? do not we find what interruptions our Sins give every day to our Hopes and Joys, and what constant necessity there is of repairing our Languishments? If we know these things: we know what a Complication of Arguments there is for our frequent Communicating in this Service, in which we receive fresh Testimonies of Gods Favour towards us, and new assurances of his Grace, and sue out our Pardon anew, and have it ratified, and confirmed, under the visible Seals of the Almighty God.  
2. The second great effect of Christs Death, in which we partake in this Service, is the assistance of his Grace and Spirit to do our Duty, as is becoming pardonned Persons, and necessary to the purposes of Salvation.  
The purchasing this for Good Men was one great end of the Passion and Death of the Son of God, without which all the Expiations and Pardons possible had been unavailable to Salvation; because the bare Remission of Sin, without actual Obedience and Holiness, is not sufficient to instate Men into Glory.  
Now the Communicating in the Holy Sacrament is Communicating in this happy effect of Christs Death, and other Performances; and therefore is excellently Styled by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 12.13. The being made to Drink into one Spirit; i.e. to be interested and entitled to the Influences and Communication of that Blessed Spirit of God, which our Saviour, Joh. 17.38. calls a Fountain of Living Water, which should not only quench th●… thirsts of Good Men, but convey Spirit and vigour to them, to support them against all faintings, and to enable them to pass through all the difficulties in the way of Duty: Or, in the phrase of the Prophet, To run and not be weary, to walk and not faint.  
Now I beg but any Good Man to consult his own condition, consider what his Weaknesses and Decays are, how often his Spirits lag and tyre, how frequently he either sits down in the Wilderness, or retires in his thoughts towards Egypt again: And then tell me if his Spiritual Repasts and Refreshments be not as daily needful as his Natural: If he feel not constant necessity of fresh and new supplies from this great Fountain of strength: And whether his Experience doth not teach him, that as it is the Grace of God that inclines him to will and purpose, and do something; so whether less then daily Communications from the same Grace can enable him to persevere and continue in the same to the end: And if so, whether not only Prudence, but a necessary respect to his own good, and supply in these cases, do not call on him to partake daily( I mean as frequently as he can) in that which is appointed as the means, and conveyance of these so necessary Influences, and supplies of Gods Spirit.  
3. The last effect of these things I shall mention at present, is, the assuring of all Good Men of a Resurrection, and a future Immortality. What Christ hath done for Mankind was to this purpose among others, to assure them of a future state, and those blessed Rewards and Joys that Good Men should be made Partakers of in it. And his Resurrection and Ascension assure this so fully, that doubting of it is for ever unreasonable after them.  
And Communicating in the Sacrament is even a visible Pledge and Assurance of this to us. And so our Saviour speaks plainly in this, Joh. 6.54, 57, 58. Whoso Eateth my Flesh and Drinketh my Blood hath Eternal Life, and I will raise him up at the last day. As the Living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that Eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that Bread which came down from Heaven; not as your Fathers did Eat Manna, and are dead; he that Eateth of this Bread shall live for ever. Which words are plain to this purpose, and need no Comment or Paraphrase to make them plainer. I only add, that Antiquity always taught, and spake accordingly. And Ignatius calls the Sacrament {αβγδ}, i. e. the medicine of immortality, on that three of Life that grows in the midst of the Church: Which is the present Paradise of God, and doth as certainly assure the immortality of all Good Men, as that Primitive Sacrament at the first was created to do.  
Now I beg Men to consider what an Argument this also is for the frequency of this Service. He that considers what an Argument and Motive to all Christian Obedience, the sense of Immortality, and the Glories of a future state are, and withal considers how oft Good Men lose the sight and sense of it, how the present Entertainments of sense fill our minds, and justle out the Objects of Faith, and wear off the Impressions that these leave upon our Souls: How absolutely needful it is for a Good Man to live by Faith, and to cheer, and keep up his Resolutions and Endeavours with future Expectations, finds so many great Reasons for his frequent Repetition of this Service, in which his Faith is strengthened, his Hopes confirmed, and his Endeavours animated and refreshed with the sense of that Crown that attends him, and the surprising Glories that are prepared for all those that continue faithful unto Death. Which God of his Infinite Mercy enable every one of us to do.    

CHAP. XI.  
Divided into five Sections. The Fourth end of this Service is mentioned, and shewed wherein our Union to Christ consisteth. In the Second it is shewed how the Holy Sacrament is effective of this Union. In the Third the Argument is improved from the First thing in which this Union consisteth, in which the necessity of Church-Communion, and the danger of Schism is a little largely considered. In the Fourth the Argument is improved from the second Instance in which this Union consists, viz. an intimate Love between Christ and Good Men, and how much it concerns Men to keep up a strong sense of it. In the Fifth the Argument is improved from the Third thing in which this Union consisteth: Being acted by the Divine Spirit: How much it concerns us to secure this, and what the Blessings and advantages of it are.  
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; 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 show 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 show wherein it consists.  
My Brethren, I do 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 do 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 joined 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 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 ston 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 do 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 joined one to another, and United together in 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 sand 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.  

SECT. 2.  
2. I Proceed now to show you how Effective the Holy Sacrament is upon all these, in which this Union consists, upon which Account it is commonly said by Divines to be a means of our closer Union unto Christ.  
1. Then it is the highest and truest expression of our Communion with the Christian Church; and truly for my part I do not understand, upon what reason any adult Person can be reputed a Member of this Church that doth not join in this Service.  
It is not coming to Church and hearing our Sermons and Service, that presently makes Men Members of it: For the Apostle himself supposes a Heathen, and an Unbeliever, may do all this.  
Nay it is not the joining in Prayer with us, falling down upon their Knees, and Worshipping the same God: For I am sure the Penitents of old did this, and yet were not admitted to full Communion with the Church; nor taken to be of it, according to the sense of Primitive Christianity.  
Nay, further yet, I do not see that Men should be reputed Members of the Church, only upon the Account of Baptism; I grant this is the Door by which we enter the Church; and so great is the Love and Mercy of God to Mankind, that it is sufficient for an Infant State, and entitles Children to all the great Blessings of Gods Covenant of Mercy and Grace.  
But there is more required from adult Persons, and Antiquity never did repute those perfectly in the Communion of the Church, who did not join in this great Service of it; nay, it did threaten Excommunication to all those, that being in Peace with the Church, i.e. under no Censures of it, did absent themselves from it.  
There is an Expression Ps. 50.5. worthy, methinks, of consideration in this matter, Gather my Saints together, those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice. And if you look into the Constitution of the Passover, you shall find that he that observed it not, was so far from being reputed an Israelite, that he was to be cut off from his People, and the least that that Expression can denote, was, that he was to be Excommunicate, and no more taken to be a Member of Gods House.  
I think these things may well be applied in our present case, and will warrant the Analogy, that none are perfect and true Members of the Church, that do not join ●… n all the Services of it, and particularly in ●… his, which for this reason perhaps is so often called {αβγδ}, by the Apostle, which form of speaking we also retain, calling it the Communion, as if it were that Service especially, in which Christian Communion doth consist.  
2. It is the best Expedient Christian Religion hath to entitle us visibly and sensibly to the Love of Christ.  
There is nothing that can be supposed to be of equal effect with this to inflame our Hearts with the Love of Christ; I mean on our parts; nothing so likely to affect our Souls with Wonders and Transports of Joy and Love; as to taste the Visible Pledges of his dying Love, and feed upon the Sacred Symbols of his Body and Blood, which were broke●… and  shed for our sakes. And I am sure the Experiences of all Good Men can testify the Truth of what I say.  
And then we may reasonably think, tha●… nothing can more secure us of Christs Lov●… to us: We were dear to our Saviour, we ma●… well think, when he hung upon the across fo●… our sakes, and laid down his Life, and Praye●… for us.  
But what do we think we are, when h●… sees us affencted with a sense of this Love Weeping for Joy and Wonder, at the grea●… ness of it, and giving it that effect upon 〈…〉 that was intended by it? When we feed 〈…〉 the Sacrifice of his Body and Blood, a●… handle the Sacred Symbols of it, with equ●… surprises of Reverence and Joy; when 〈…〉 make him both the Joy and Food of our Souls, and think no adhesions of Faith and Love close enough, unless we convert him even into our own Substance, and be transformed into his likeness, and become even one Nature with our dear Lord.  
Good Men are always dear, and joined in Unions of Love to him, but they are never more truly and sensibly so, than in this Service.  
3. This is the most visible, firm assurance of the Influences of Christs Spirit. There is no doubt but Good Men are always acted and assisted with this good Spirit, according to the promise of our Saviour, Joh. 4.14. The Water that I shall give, shall be a Well of Water springing up in him to Eternal Life; i.e. the Spirit that I bestow on Good Men shall be a Fountain of Life, and Aid, still bubbling up, and supplying his Necessities.  
But there is no doubt but there are some times, in which this Holy Spirit takes stronger seizures upon Good Men, and gives them more sensible touches of his presence, descends more visibly, and lets them feel the Vital Influences of his Grace in greater Experiences.  
And certainly no time can be thought more likely for these things, than when we celebrate this Holy Sacrament, in which we feed upon that Spiritual Food of Christs Body and Blood, which is therefore called Spiritual and Living Bread, {αβγδ}, as he calls it, Joh. 6.55. Meat indeed, and Drink indeed, because it is the Vehicle of this Blessed Spirit, and the means in which he is conveyed to the Souls of Good Men.  
And therefore this is called by the Apostle, 1. Cor. 12.13. a being made to drink into one Spirit, and in another place a being partaker of the Table of the Lord, in opposition to the Pagan Rite of Feasting with Devils, by which they hoped for the Afflatus of the Evil Spirit, and a more than ordinary Agitation of the same. The plain meaning is this, that in this Service larger measures of the Spirit are given, and greater Influences of it imparted by these Sacred Symbols and Vehicles of it: There can be no time more fit and probable, for Christ to do thus to Good Men. And I am persuaded the Experiences of Good Men can attest the certainty, as according to the Probability.   

SECT. 3.  
3. ANd now I dare trust any Man to to say, if this be not a great Argument for the frequency of this Service, and whether a very little art will not serve to improve it to that purpose. Who doth not see that our happiness and our safety depends upon our Union with Christ? And that our Comfort results chiefly from a sense of our being so? And therefore if to be happy, and to know that we are so, be things worth desiring, they become Arguments for the frequency of this Service; and as much as we value, and as we hope for either of these, we should make Conscience of that, which is so serviceable, and conducive unto both.  
But I shall not content myself to represent the strength of the Argument thus in the gross, but shall consider what each of the forenamed particulars can contribute to the enforcement of it; and then of what mighty effect they must needs be, when we unite them together in our Meditations.  
1. Then, The first thing in which this Union consists, and of which the Holy Sacrament is very effective, is Communion with the Christian Church, of which Christ Jesus is the Head.  
I must not now repeat, that we are united to Christ, by being Members of this, nor stay to show how we hold Communion with this, by being Members of that National Church, that is really a true branch of it. I must not stay to show, how truly this Church of England may lay claim to being this, and upon what grounds, and how weak all the Romanists Arguments, by which they would argue her Guilty of Schism, are; nor now stand to prove what a high Act of Communion partaking in this Service is: All that I have now incumbent upon me is to improve its being this, into an Argument for the often Eating this Bread, and Drinking this Cup.  
And that I shall do upon these three Accounts.  
1. By Considering how much our Hopes of Salvation depend upon our keeping in the Communion of the Church.  
2. How frequent the Temptations in this Age are to desert or undervalue it.  
3. How much therefore it must concern us to be frequent in that Service, that will more securely fix us in this Communion.  
These three considerations will drive the Argument from this consideration to a considerable Issue; and therefore I must beg a serious consideration from all that hear me.  
1. I beg it may be considered, how much our Hopes of Salvation depend upon our keeping in the Communion of the Church 〈…〉 I speak now of our rational Hopes, and no●… of those extravagant, groundless ones, tha●… Multitudes of Men entertain, and perish with, and of Salvation too in an Ordinary way, &c.  
He that will be pleased to govern his Hope by the plain declarations and measures 〈…〉 Scripture, or by the thoughts and Judgmen●… of those Good Men in Primitive times, that best understood the sense and purport of it, will presently find how vain the Hopes of those Men are, that expect Salvation out of the pale of the Church.  
The Scriptures, when they come to state the intendment of Christs great Performances for the Redemption of Mankind, seem to confine it only to the Church; thus, Acts 10.28. he is said to have purchased the Church with his own Blood. And Eph. 5.25. As Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, &c. And in v. 23. of the same Chapter, he is called the Head of the Church, and the Saviour of the Body. From all which places and many more, that speak consonantly to the same purpose, it is clear, that the Blessed effects of Christs Redemption, are intended only for the Church, i.e. for those who believing his Holy Doctrine, combine themselves with that Body of Christians, that being united together by the same bands of Faith and Love, and regulated by those Orders that he hath prescribed, combine together in the public Service and Worship of him.  
For it is most plain and evident from Holy Scripture, that Christ did never intend to create Christians at large, or purpose, that it should be enough for a Man to take up the bare Belief of the Gospel, but he did over and besides this, design to incorporate Christians into a firm and close Communion, to consociate and range them into a regular, well ordered Body, of which he himself designed to be Head; to which they all being united by the Bands of Faith, and a visible Profession, and to one another by the Ligatures of Love and Charity, and Christian Communion, should receive Life and Motion, supplies of Spirits and Food, just as the Parts and Members in the Natural Body do, by their being United to the head, and one another.  
And that this is no wanton Speculation, nor a Notion only invented to serve a purpose, appears clearly from this one consideration among many others; that there are more Precepts given to Christians, and more Instances of Duty required from them in this Capacity than in any others. There are but a few Duties and Precepts that concern them in their single and personal Capacities, in comparison of those that relate to them as they are consociated together, and Members of the same Church. Temperance Chastity and Purity go near to comprehend all the one, but those that enjoin Love and Charity, Peace and Unity, Concord and Unanimity, speaking the same thing, and being of the same mind, eschewing Factions, and every thing that tended to introduce differences among them, &c. are indeed almost innumerable.  
And then if from hence we proceed to consider what the thoughts and Doctrines of the first and best Christians were in this matter, we shall find that they always spoken and taught consonantly to this sense of these Scriptures. They unanimously declared, that Extra Exclesiam non est Salus; and to that purpose commonly compared the Church of Christ to Noah's Ark, out of which there was no escaping for any, but all perished in a terrible Abyss and Inundation. The Learned know that I speak Truth in this, and the Unlearned that have red any of our own Books relating to this matter, can scarcely have missed quotations enough to this purpose.  
And upon this Belief have all the mighty Outcries against Schism, and the terrible denunciations against it, so very common among the Ancient Fathers, been founded. They looked upon no Sin to be more certainly damning, nor thought any Sinners of any denomination to be in a more inevitably desperate condition, than schismatics are.  
Nay, which is much more, they thought the guilt of this Sin could preponderate, and weigh down the worth of all other, even the most heroic acts of Christian virtue, and render them all unacceptable unto God. I shall give you but two Instances of this, but they are remarkable ones, and of Men whose Authority and Names are as venerable in the Christian Church, as any others you can easily name; I mean St. Cyprian and St. Augustine.  
The former saith most plainly, that even Martyrdom itself is not able to atone the guilt of Schism, and that therefore dying to attest the Truth of Christian Faith, and sealing it with a Man's Blood, was of no acceptance with God, if a Man at the same time were without Charity, and had separated himself from the Communion of the Christian Church; and he as well as many others quote those Passages of St. Paul, 1 Cor. 13. at the beginning, for the Authority of what they say: Though I give my Body to be burned, and have not Charity, it profiteth me nothing.  
St. Augustine is more full and positive to the same purpose, Constituamus ergo, &c. Let us suppose a Man who is Chast, Continent, voided of Covetousness, who is no Idolater, Hospitable, and Bountiful to those in want, Enemy to no Man, not Contentious but Patient, Quiet, without Emulation or Envy, Sober, Frugal, but a heretic( i.e. a schismatic, for so he means in that place) nulli dubium est, no Man doubts, but for that very reason, because he is a schismatic▪ he shall not inherit the Kingdom of God●…▪ Where it is observable( as my Author remarks upon this Passage) that St. Augustin doth not declare it only as his own single Opinion, but as the catholic Doctrine in hi●… days: Nulli dubium est, no Man doubts o●… questions it.  
And the great reason upon which the●… sayings supported themselves, was this, n●… only because the Apostle had declared Schism to be a Sin, a Damning Sin, and a Work of the Flesh, and declared schismatics to be carnal Men, whatever Pretences of Purity and Sanctity they might make above other Men( as schismatics in all Ages ever have done:) No, nor yet because it disturbed the Peace and Unity of Christs Church, and was of all other things the most fatally destructive to it, considered as a Society.  
But chiefly, because it actually cuts Men off from the Communion of the Church, which is the Body of Christ, to which all the blessed effects of his Redemption, and the Communications of his Spirit are appropriate, and by Union to which any single Man can hope to partake of the same.— Upon this they declared there were more hopes of the most profligate Sinner in the Church, than of a schismatic who was out of it: Just as there may be some hope of the most distempered and ulcerated Member, while it is united to the Body, and may by receiving Blood and Spirits from it, and the help of some external Applications, be healed again; but there can be no manner of hope for that Member, that is actually separated and cut off from the Body. For this cause was Excommunication so dreaded of old, &c.  
I would to God Men would be pleased in this Age, to call to mind these things, and not to think themselves wiser than those Good Men of old, in whom the true Spirit of Christianity Flourished, and who transmitted the Truth of it to us, Sealed with the Testimony of their own Blood. Were this Spirit once retrieved among us again, we should not need to contend so much for these things. Which brings me to  
2. The second thing for the deducing our present Argument; and that is to consider how common and frequent the Temptations in this Age are to desert this Communion, or to make it an Indifferent thing whether we keep to it, or not.  
The Truth is, my Brethren, we are cast to live in an Age, that though it pretend mightily to Christianity, and the Knowledge and Love of it, above almost any that hath preceded, yet hath almost lost two Articles of the Apostolical Creed, The catholic Church, and the Communion of Saints. Some Men take no care to remember these Articles, perhaps are yet to learn there are such; but abundance take no care to understand, and consider what is the import and meaning of them. And there are many differing Sects of Men among us, that not only designedly defeat the Effect and Purport of them, but pled stoutly and contend earnestly for the Innocency of doing so.  
Men that look upon Schism but as a Spiritual scarecrow to affright Birds and Fools, and deride Excommunication as a tool only to affect Children; that ridicule the name of Church, and the Discourses about Communion with it, as Instances only of Priest or State Craft, but not any such Momentous things in Christianity, as that the Salvation of Men can be any way concerned in them.  
Abundance of Men are yet to learn that there is such a Sin as Schism, and that it is not a Word of our own making, and by the way I cannot but remark it, as a considerable slip in our last Translation, to Translate the Greek Word by Sects, Differences, dissensions, Divisions, and not Schisms, which, it is most certain, was most consonant to the Apostles design, and most expressive of the Word itself. Some Men have complained of a Party and a Design in these Translators, but I am not willing to charge it so far; though I am able( if need were) to instance in some other things, that have given too just ground for such a censure.  
But to return, As there are many that are yet to learn there is such a Sin, there are more to seek what it is, and no more able to give any tolerable account of it, than a Child is to solve the Problems of euclid. And the Truth is, the wonder is the less, and the People the more Pardonable, who have lived in an Age of purposed confusion, and been under the Instruction and Teaching of Men, who have endeavoured more to make Parties, than to compose them, to proselyte Men to Faction, and not to Religion, and to propagate Schism under the Notion of Reformation, and setting up purer Communions among Men.  
And I would to God this were the guilt only of the preceding Age, or the Avowed Factors for dissensions in this: But, alas 〈…〉 We have some Good Men, and of our own Communion too, to complain of as Accessories to this Unhappiness.  
Who by laying so much stress, and talking only of a Necessity of Faith in Christ, and Repentance, and a good Life, and so rarely or almost never pressing the necessity of ancient Belief, and the Obligations to Church Communion, &c. have given People to●… much cause to think, that the one was sufficient without the other, and so they took som●… tolerable care about that, they needed th●… less to regard the other.  
Christianity( to borrow the Words of 〈…〉 late Author) they look upon to be just lik●… a system of Philosophy, and that to believ●… the chief Articles or Principles of it is enoug●… to denominate a Christian, and to entitle hi●… to all the Promises of the Gospel, and Sa●… vation, though he never have any regard 〈…〉 a Church State, and the Communion of 〈…〉 nor concern himself at all what Church 〈…〉 is of.  
This is too common a Belief in this Age, a●… too much favoured by some Men among u●… from whence we may safely infer what great care we ought to take of that, which is both false and pernicious in itself, and also what danger we are in of it, when both our Enemies and our Friends are apt to entrap us into it  
These two considerations will be good foundations for.  
The Third and last thing, i.e. the driving this present Argument to an Issue; and no Conclusion, can be more regularly deduced from any Principles.  
For if keeping in the Communion of the Church be a thing so very necessary in itself, that no hopes of Salvation belong to him, that wilfully violates and withdraws himself from the same: And if this be an Age in which both the Doctrines and Practices of Men are so rife to the contrary, wherein the Church is rent and torn into so many Factions, wherein some Men pled for Separation, and most Men think it so harmless and indifferent a thing:  
Then if we also would not be lead away with the Error of these Men; if we would defeat the effect of these Temptations to us, we should certainly make a great Conscience, and keep up the constant practise of that, which is so high an Act of Communion, as I have shewed the Holy Sacrament is.  
There are two things that I would beg Liberty to speak a little unto at present, without Offence to any in this Congregation; the time is now very proper for them.  
The first is the practise of Occasional Communion in our Church; for our worst and sharpest Adversaries, it seems, will allow this to be Lawful, and Men that have no great sense of our Service and Worship, yet can afford sometimes, when their opportunities and circumstances of affairs require it, to Communicate with us in the same.  
To these Men, first premising, that I am really glad that Men will come thus far, and that I am far enough from discouraging any that do thus, the Arms of the Church are open, and she is ready to embrace all, and to cherish even the least beginnings and degrees of good in them.  
But I would beg them to consider most seriously, and as they love their own Souls, these two or three short things.  
1. That if Occasional Communion with us be Lawful, then constant Communion is. If they can without Sin join in our Service, and Worship some times, they may upon the same reason do so always. For nothing here can vary the Nature of our Worship, nor make that a Sin at one time, which is not so at another.  
2. That to Communicate with the Church upon External, Prudential Motives and Reasons only is very unbecoming those Principles upon which Good Men always act, and the way in time to expose Religion to the Scorn and Drollery of Atheists, and confirm them in their Wicked and bold opinion, that Religion is but a Trick and an Art of Craft and Policy.  
3. That this Occasional Communion only, can never take off the Guilt of Schism; nor the going to a Church sometimes atone the Schism of joining with Separate Congregations at others. Remember what the Apostle saith to those Corinthians, that are at the Table of Christ, and yet sometimes were present, and ate of the Sacrifices to Idols too, 1 Cor. from 15. to 23. We may as well hope to make a Compremisal between virtue and 'vice, between Serving God and an Idol, as between Church-Communion and Schism, and upon as good grounds expect, that Worshipping God one time will excuse our Worshipping an Idol at another, as that we do live in the Communion of the Church, because we sometimes go to that, when at other times we go as freely to Separate and Schismatical Conventions.  
2. The second thing I would beg a few words for, is Partial Communion. Some Men can hear our Sermons, but not join in our Prayers, and many can do both these, that will not join with us in our Sacraments.  
I have  told you in the beginning of my Discourse upon this Period, what a necessary Act of Communion this is, and how imperfect all others without it are.  
I tell you now but only these two things more.  
1. That this Act of Communion is as plainly and as absolutely commanded as any other Service of Religion, and I cannot tell upon what better grounds they can call themselves Christians, that wilfully neglect it, though they perform some others: Then those Men may call themselves Good Men, that pick out some commands of God to obey, but scruple not to live in the open and wilful neglect and violation of others.  
2. That this thing was utterly unknown to Antiquity, and is against the constan●… practise of it. Penitents indeed and Catechumens, they did not permit to Communicate in this Service, but all that were in the Peace of the Church they not only permitted, but commanded to do so, and by the express Canons of some Councils, they di●… threaten Excommunication to all in the Peac●… of the Church, that after Prayers and Se●… mon went away, and stayed not to join i●… the participation of the Sacrament.  
And for Men to do so now is both Scandalous to the Institutions of Christ, and the settin●… up a new Sect of Christians, which pure an●… honest Antiquity knew nothing of, but was quiter contrary unto, and severely condemned. If the other parts of our Service and Worship be Lawful, so is this too: And if it be granted needful to Communicate in them, I will undertake to prove, that it as much, or more concerns us all to Communicate in this.   

SECT. 4.  
2. THe Second thing in which this Union with Christ consisteth, and of which the Holy Sacrament is very Effective, is Intimate Love and Affection betwixt Christ and Good Men.  
For as there can never be any time more likely to inflame our hearts with the love of our Saviour, than when we behold the visible and astonishing Pledges of his great and wonderful Love to us, in Suffering and Dying for us: So there is none neither, in which we may be more certain of his dear respects to us, than when he sees us with Joy and Transport Commemorating his Love, and feeding upon the Sacred Symbols of it. But this have shewed before.  
It is now incumbent on me to show what an Argument this also is to our frequency in ●his Service, our often Eating this Bread and Drinking this Cup, and that I shall do in these three considerations.  
1. It is one of the strongest encouragements in our way of Duty.  
2. It is that which is very subject to languish and decay in us.  
3. It is that which the best Men are often apt to call into Question, and to lose the lively sense of it.  
1. It is one of the strongest encouragements and supports in the way of Duty.  
Our hearty Love to Christ will make every Duty we owe to him light and easy, and enable us to surmount all the difficulties or discouragements that can encounter us in it●… There is no one Passion of our Souls that act more vigorously than Love, nor any Argument that can be of greater effect with us. I●… is the strongest and most vigorous principle o●… human action, and it is not easy to say wha●… great things it can readily undertake an●… bring to pass.  
Solus Amor est qui nomen difficultatis erubesci●… saith the devout St. Augustine, Love alone blushy at the name of any difficulty, and scorns to thin●… that any thing should be accounted too ha●… for it. And this is that which is expressed b●… Solomon, Cant. 8.7. Love is strong as Deat●… Zeal is hard as the Grave, the Coals thereof a●… Coals of Fire, which hath a most vehement hea●… Many Waters cannot quench Love, neither can t●… Floods drown it. By all which Metaphoric●… Expressions is represented very livelily t●… great Efficacy of Divine Love, and how all the greatest Difficulties and Oppositions hinder ●… t not, nor discourage it in the way of Duty and Service to its God. For which reason Christ requires it of the Church, as that Powerful and Pregnant Principle that would assure and produce every thing else that he required of them.  
And it is most certain he that is possessed of our Love, may command every thing else easily from us; and when our Hearts are really warmed with Love to God and Christ, ●… is commands will not be grievous, but every ●… king he calls for from us will be light and plea●… ant. We shall serve him as cheerfully as Jacob ●… d Laban for the beautiful Rachel, to whom a se●… en years Service seemed but as some few days.  
And on the other hand a quick and lively ●… nse of Christs Love to us, will be of the ●… ery same effect too. It is a mighty deadning ●… scouragement to Love, and not be Loved a●… ain, and though I can do much for the Per●… n I really Love, whether he return me a ●… table respect, or not; yet when I have as●… rance that our Affection is reciprocal, I have ●… en all the encouragement I can desire, and ●… ch an Argument as nothing can resist.  
It is just thus in our present case, when I con●… er that I Love but a Saviour who first Loved ●… e, and am assured that I can never Love ●… m so much, but that he Loves me infinitely ●… ore, I am then all in a flamme, my resolutions are brisk and airy, I fly upon the Wings of Love, and I can despise and contemn every thing, that would encumber my way of Duty and Service to my Lord, or hinder and stop my proceeding in it.  
And this is that which St. Paul speaks, 2 Cor. 5.14. the Love of Christ constraineth us( i.e. to be so Vigorous and Zealous in serving of him, and promoting his Interest and Honour in the World, as the Context shows) because we thus judge, that if one dyed for all, then were all dead, &c. The plain English of which is this, When we seriously reflect upon the great Love of Christ in dying for Mankind, which was in a dead and lost condition, and posses●… our Souls with a due sense of it, we find it o●… mighty great Efficacy and Power; a Divine Breath that fans up our Souls into a bright flamme, and kindles such Pious resolutions i●… us, as nothing, no not death itself can discourage.  
In a word, to a heart thus inflamed with 〈…〉 sense of Christs Love to it, there are no Ob●… jections against Holiness, which it cannot eas●… ly solve, no temptations that it cannot baffle●… no discouragements which it cannot answe●… no difficulties which it cannot surmount; an●… there is nothing of Support and Argument t●… engage to it, which this will not readily su●… gest and prompt to its thoughts.  
Now what an Argument this is to freque●… cy in that Service, which is so mighty co●… ducive to this purpose, no Man needs be  told, but he only that is a stranger to himself: Every, even the best Man finds how slow and restive his temper is, how often his Resolutions flag, his Zeal cools, his good purposes intermit, his endeavours tyre, and all the Charets of his Soul move heavily in the way of Duty, his Temptations are many, and his Discouragements multiply, and he is apt ever and anon to sit down and deliberate again, and too often hath thoughts of returning back to Egypt again.  
So that without continual supplies of fresh fuel to his Flames, they will expire and die, his warmth and vigour will be remitted, the ambient could will chill his Spirits, and the storms and reins abroad extinguish his Light.  
But by frequency in this Service he will be enabled to keep it alive, bring oil to feed his Fire of Love, keep it still burning with a bright flamme, and thereby preserve a constant vigour and cheerfulness of Spirit, in serving and doing Duty to his God.  
2. Especially if secondly, we consider that this Love of Christ is so very apt to languish and decay in us.  
The Temper and Humours of Men are naturally desultory and changeable, and very rarely continue long the same, yea although the Objects of our respects do not alter, nor our own Circumstances change. I need but appeal to common Experience for the Truth of this.  
And if it be thus in respect of all these things that are near us, and with which we daily converse, it will be the less Wonder if our Affections vary towards an Object that is so far distant from us, and out of our sight, with whom we converse but by Faith, and can enjoy but by an inward sense, and relish of the Spirit, which is immured here in Flesh, and tinctured by it, surrounded with sensual Passions, and easily affencted by corporeal Impressions.  
To which if we add the hurries and bustles of Worldly business, that summon our regards and care, the Temptations and Allurements of sense, that rival our better Love, and are continually courting our respects from him: Charms that are always present with us, and uncessantly soliciting of us. And which is more, are so very pleasing to a great part within us, that sides strongly with them, and naturally covets their Embraces.  
I say, if we lay all these things together, we shall no longer wonder, why this Love of Christ is so very apt to decay and expire in us: Nor need to be  told what great need we have of continual care, and all possible Endeavours to cherish the same in our Souls, to guard ourselves against the insinuations of whatever rivals our Lord, and by all the Arts that we can use, fortify our Love, and render it Impregnable against all the assaults and batteries of sense.  
To which purpose, since this Holy Service may stand us in such great stead, it is Argument enough to engage us to frequency in it.  
3. And yet this Argument may receive some additional strength from the third consideration yet behind; that this Love of Christ, that is so mighty a support and encouragement unto Duty, is a thing that the best Men living are apt to lose the sense of, and call into Question; upon which they are apt to be dull and heavy, and listless unto Duty.  
There is no Faith so strong in this World, but it is often subject to decays and doubts, nor any Man so assuredly joyful in the sense of Divine Love towards him, but that he many times grows doubtful and pensive, and is apt to call the same into Question.  
I believe there are some great mistakes among Men about desertions( as some call them) and the withdrawings of the Spirit, and that many have mistaken their own Melancholy, and the natural alterations of their own Tempers for the same.  
But notwithstanding this, I do not at all doubt, but every Good Man feels something like this, though it may be ascribed to another cause. For Men travail here in an uneven Road, they do not always walk upon an Hill in which the Sun is always in their view, but many times they descend into deep valleys, and lose the sight of it; or Fogs and Vapours arise, and thicken the Air, and they walk in doubted and uncertain Paths.  
I mean plainly this, the best Men have their surprises and times of Oscitany, wherein they let fall their Watch, they carry Flesh about them, which not only causeth them to omit some good, but betrays them often into many Sins; and when they have reviewed the actions of the best day, yet many things, even seven Sins, saith Solomon, will be to be repented of, and so many errors will appear in the most exact course of Living here, as may well cause the exactest Man to resume the Psalmists Prayer, Enter not into judgement with thy Servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified.  
Now when a Man comes seriously to reflect upon these, and to unravel the whole Course of his Life, and to observe what great and many deformities he may discover, when he looks upon himself in the Glass of the Divine Law, it is no wonder if his good thoughts change, but the wonder rather will be, that his Faith is able to bear up against such causes of doubting, and his Anchor of Hope able to pitch upon any firmness in such a false and muddy ground.  
To which, if we add these two things more, that God may many times let these thoughts loose upon Men, to correct their past errors, and punish them for their late miscarriages, and make them more watchful and careful for the time to come. And likewise that many Good Men are of very soft and tender Spirits, and naturally apt to be timorous and scrupulous, and so may really mistake their own state, and too much indulge the ill abodings of their own minds.  
I say, if we lay all these together, we shall not be at a loss for reasons of this thing, nor be forced to resolve the causes of it into Temptations and Spiritual desertions, as some are apt to do, but soon discover that this is even unavoidable, while Men travail in this Wilderness.  
But whether we mistake in assigning the causes of this or not, it is certain this is the condition of the best Men, sometimes their Faith fails them, and their Hopes are weak, and they are apt to call every thing into Question; they grow jealous of Gods respects, and think their beloved withdraws his favour, and looks with a frowning Eye upon them.  
Of this you may see the Psalmist a plain Instance, Ps. 30.6, 7. he that is now warbling forth his joyful sense of Divine Favour and Love to him, and in a sense of it triumphing as if he could never be moved, is in the very next verses complaining of Gods hiding his Face, and his Mourning under Fears of his displeasure.  
How highly must it then concern us all, and how much must this great Joy and comfort of Lives depend upon it, to be as frequent in this Service, wherein we refresh our Faith and Hope, and feed upon the visible Pledges of our dear Lords Love, and are as sensibly assured of his mighty kindness towards us, as if we had seen him Bleeding upon the across for us, with his Arms expanded, ready to embrace us, and his blessed Head hanging down in languishments of Love to us.  
These consolations are better known by sense and happy Experiences than described by words; all Good Men can tell great Stories of them, and in so doing recount so many great Arguments and Obligations( if they be wise for their own good) for often Eating this Bread, &c.   

SECT. 5.  
3. THe third thing in which this Union with Christ doth consist and which I am to improve unto an Argument for our often Eating this Bread, &c. is the being acted by the Spirit of Christ, and partaking in the blessed influences of the same.  
Upon which Account I  told you this is called a being made to drink into the same Spirit, 1 Cor. 12.13. and is certainly the most firm and visible Pledge that God now gives Men, of their being animated by that Holy Spirit( as the Learned Hammond speaks) and partaking in the Powerful Communications of it.  
And this receives confirmation from Christs own express promise, Joh. 4.14. Whosoever Drinketh of the Water that I shall give him, shall never thirst, And Chap. 6.50, 57, 58. He that Eateth this Bread shall not die. He that Eateth me, even he shall live by me. And again, He that Eateth this Bread shall live for ever.— The plain meaning of which( applied to the Sacramental Eating) is this: This is the Spiritual Food, living Nourishment, in which the Spirit of Christ is conveyed and imparted to Men, which shall be a continual Spring of Life, and vigour, and strength to Good Men, which shall ever be ready and sufficient for them, to all the purposes of Holiness and Duty.  
And this yet is more clear, if any thing can make it so, from what the Apostle saith answerable to this, that we are( by this means of Union) Members of his Body, of his Flesh, and of his Bone, Eph. 5.30. and if so, must needs be acted and animated by the same Spirit, which most certainly informs and influenceth, enliveneth and moveth every Member of this Mystical Body, as truly as the Soul of Man doth every Member in the Natural one.  
But I have made out the Truth of this Notion before, and need not now repeat what was said on it. My present business is to improve this into an Argument, for our frequent Eating this Bread, and often Drinking this Cup, which is the great thing I am pressing all along this Discourse.  
And certainly a little consideration would supersede all need of Art in this particular. If this be the great Ministration of the Spirit, and the most visible pledge and assurance of it, Men that consider what the advantages of having this Spirit, and to what excellent purposes it is granted to Good Men, need not be  told what an Argument and Encouragement this is, to be as frequent in this Ministration of it, as possibly may be.  
But I shall not venture this Argument only to Mens own consideration, but become their further remembrancer, and assist them in those Collections, which yet they might be able to make themselves, if they pleased.  
There are four Considerations( among many more that might be name) that will be sufficient to give this Argument its due force.  
1. How absolutely necessary it is, that we have the Aids and Supplies of this Spirit.  
2. How great and valuable the Advantages of having it are.  
3. How our needs of it will always continue, or rather multiply and increase upon our hands.  
4. What continual danger and hazard we are in, of losing and forfeiting the presence and assistances of the same.  
1. I desire it may be considered how greatly necessary it is to have the Supplies and Communications of this Spirit: Even so necessary that the Apostle declares plainly, that if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his, Rom. 8.9. i. e. he is neither a True Member, nor a True Disciple of Christ: Or( as others plainly interpret it) he is no Christian.  
There are two things that do so necessary depend upon the Spirit, that they are impossible without it; viz. Life and Motion. All the World is agreed upon this, and Experience confirms it daily, the Body separated from the Spirit, how curious soever its Composition and Structure is, yet lies as a dead lump and carcase, without any more Life or Motion, than a ston, or clod of Earth.  
And it is no less true of the New Man, than the Natural; there must another Spirit be put into us, otherwise we shall neither be able to live the Life of God, nor to move in that Sphere of Duty, that he hath placed us in.  
This Scheme of speaking you shall find constantly retained in the New Testament, and this Truth represented under Analogies, and Resemblances to the Natural State of Man.  
Thus Wicked Men are said to be dead in Trespasses and Sins, and when they are converted, to be born again, and born of the Spirit, as our Saviour phraseth it: That is, to receive a Principle of New Life from the Spirit, and Influences and Power to act, and behave themselves like Good Men from the same Spirit.  
The plain meaning of which Metaphorical allusions is this, that the Communications of Christs Spirit, are as necessary to the being, and exercise of Holiness, as the Rational Soul is necessary to the Life, and Motion of a Man.  
And in some places this is plainly spoken, and without any Figure; thus, Joh. 15.5. Without me ye can do nothing. Or, as the Margin reads it, severed from me ye can do nothing. Which he illustrates by an obvious plain similitude, taken from the Vine, and the Branches; for as these live, and bring forth fruit, only by being united to the Vine, and by partaking of that Vital Sap and Juice, which the Vegetative Spirit conveys to them; but are fruitless, and presently whither and die, when cut off from it, and when those Communications are intercepted: So Good Men live and produce the fruits of Grace and virtue, only by being united to Christ, and receiving the Communications and Influences of his Blessed Spirit.  
And St. Paul speaks the same thing, 2 Cor. 3.5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God; he speaks it there with respect to ability to do the work of an Apostle, and to those extraordinary gifts, that were then bestowed to that End. But it is as true also, of Power and Sufficiency to live like good Men, and exercise Grace, which is therefore, Gal. 5.22. ascribed to the Spirit, and theseveral instances of it, called Fruits of the Spirit; because this is the great principle of Sanctification and Holiness, and that whose aids and assistances Christ hath purchased for good Men.  
There are some disputes and differences in the Christian World about the Operations of this Spirit, and his manner of working upon the hearts of Men, but since the Pelagian heresy hath been exploded, there are none that I know of about the thing, but all Parties grant the aids and assistances of the Spirit toback all good Men, and to carry them through all difficulties, that the way of Duty is encumbered with, to be absolutely needful.  
Now if this Service be the Ministration of this Spirit, and if all that rightly partake in it be made to drink into the same, which is so absolutely necessary to all the Ends of Conversion and Holiness: Then certainly, it cannot be less than greatly needful, that we often partake in it; in which we have these sensible assurances hereof given to us.  
2. Especially if Secondly, we consider how mightily valuable and great the advantage of having this Spirit are.  
There are diversities of Gifts( saith the Apostle, 1. Cor. 12.4.) but the same Spirit, and different Administrations, and Operations, but the same Spirit worketh in all.  
It is as true of the common Graces, as the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, and there are as many advantages relating to one as to the other; and therefore there are so many names given to this Spirit, in the New Testament, to intimate what blessed Effects issue from it. I cannot give account of them all; but shall give a specimen of this, by ●n●●sting on some few.  
1. The Spirit of Grace and Holiness, because it is( as I said before) the great principle of Sanctification, and that which refineth and purgeth the Soul of Man from the silthiness of Sin and Lust.  
2. The Spirit of Strength and Power, that bears down the Opposition of the Flesh, and enables good Men to baffle all the Temptations, and to surmount all the Difficulties that they find in the way of Holiness. Upon this account good Men are said to be Victorious in Duty, and to overcome the World, because stronger is that Spirit that is in them, than that in the World, 1 Joh. 4.4.  
3. The Spirit of Truth, who was to led the Apostles into all Truth, that is, the knowledge of all those things that were needful to be taught and made known to the World. St. John calls this influence of the Spirit, the holy anointing from God, which instructs good Men in the Truth, and preserveth them from error, 1 Joh. 2.27.  
4. The Spirit of Consolation, or the Comforter, as our Saviour most commonly calls it in the Gospel of St. John, which is to cheer the hearts of good Men, sweeten their Lives, and enable them to bear up against all the Afflictions and Troubles of this Life.  
How, or in what manner, the Spirit effecteth these things in Man, is not needful curiously to inquire, and perhaps after all the disputes of Men, will remain a Secret; and our Saviour intimates so much in that known place, Joh. 3.8. where he compares it to the Wind, and the Operations of it, which is yet a Secret to the most inquisitive of Mankind, and which we do not certainly know after all our scrutiny, whence it cometh or whither it goeth.  
But all these things the Scripture declareth to be wrought by the Spirit, besides many other; and it is enough to content us that they are effected, though we do not know perhaps how they are so.  
Now let me beg you to consider, how great the advantages of having this Spirit must needs be, were there but only these Effects of it, that I have mentioned.  
If we have the Spirit of Grace and Power, to sanctify our Natures, and enable us to live like good Men, to carry us through all the Temptations of the World, the Flesh and the Devil, to vanquish all the Powers of Darkness that are set in our way to Heaven, and enableus to persevere and hold out unto the End.  
If we have the Spirit of Truth, to keep us steadfast and unmovable, against all the storms and shocks of error, and preserve us against all the Serpentine Insinuations of falsehood and heresy, which are so common in this Age.  
And if we have the Spirit of Consolation, to sweeten all the adverse accidents and sufferings of this Life, and to carry us with Joy and Comfort to our great Port.  
I say, If we have all these things, what want we yet? What can we desire beyond them? How happy and blessed are they that enjoy and feel these things? And how happy shall we be if we have them? And therefore I leave it to consideration, whether we should undervalue, and lightly esteem that which is the Ministration and Conveyance of all these: Or whether it becomes us by neglecting this Service, to show a disrespect unto, and to deprive ourselves of those things which we pretend so mightily to esteem, and which indeed are so greatly Beneficial to us.  
3. Especially if to this we add in the third place, That our needs of this Spirit will always continue, or rather multiply upon our hands.  
To receive the Spirit of God all at once, and not by measure, as the expression is, Joh. 3.34. was the privilege only of our great Lord; but with us it is not so: We do not jump immediately into perfection, and when we have once tasted of the Spirit have no need of more; but we have need of a constant supply of the Spirit, as the Apostles phrase is, Phil. 1.19.  
For as it is with the supports and supplies of our Natural Life, that which is sufficient to one state of Life is not so to another, nor do Men eat enough at one time, to serve to support them all their whole Life after: So it is with good Men, and their Spiritual condition.  
They do not commence perfect Men in Christ all on a sudden, but just after the measures, and proportions of their attaining to the full state of Men, in the course of Nature.  
When they are Babes in Christ, the Milk of the Spirit, and lower measures of it may suffice them; but as they are to grow from strength to strength, and to make advances in their Spiritual state, so they need stronger meat and larger portions, and their necessities are increased, in proportion to their Temptations, and to the Duties incumbent on them.  
In a word, and to be plain, it is certain, the Spiritual state of Man wants daily Food, and constant supports as well as his natural, and the new Man can no more subsist without constant communications from the Spirit of God, than the old Man can without continual supplies of Nourishment.  
Good Men are to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as it is said, 2. Pet. 3. ult. and to proceed from strength to strength, till they be fit to appear before God in Zion, Ps. 84.7. and therefore must have the righteousness of God, and the Influences of the Spirit revealed from faith to faith, and in proportions answerable to those higher measures of Grace, that they are to attain unto.  
And therefore as Men have their daily Bread, and seldom want their daily repasts, so they should take as much care that their Souls have their daily Food, and that they eat of that Bread which came down from Heaven, the Symbols of which are eaten in the Holy Sacrament, and the Souls of all those that duly partake of them, as really refreshed and nourished by the Spirit conveyed in them, as their Bodies are by the Bread and Wine.  
The same reasons that hold for the necessity of the one, will equally conclude for the other; and the same prudence that prompts Men to seek constant supplies for their Bodies, should engage them to do the same for their Souls, and the good of them; unless they think them not worthy of a regard and care considerable to the other.  
4. To all which we may add a fourth consideration to improve our Argument, and that is, to call to mind what continual danger we are in of forfeiting the presence and assistances of this Spirit.  
No Man needs be  told how often he remits his Industry and Care, and gives way to the entertainments and dalliances of sense and sin: His own mind will tell him, if he will but harken to it; and if he will but impartially survey the passages of the best day he spends, he will find too many instances of both these. By the one of which he discourageth and grieveth the Holy Spirit of God, and by the other provokes him to withdraw his good Influences from him.  
The Holy Spirit of God is given to us to be a Principle of good Life, to set us above the Vanities and Follies of the Flesh, and to wean us from them; and therefore when we indulge to these, and suffer ourselves to be charmed by their Insinuations, we remonstrate to the Spirit, and quench the flamme and Vigour of it, and receive this Grace of God in vain; we then pollute his Temple, and set up an abomination in the holy place; we drive away the holy Dove by the noisome stenches of Sin, and cause him to loathe the place of his usual residence; we drive away the Divine schechinal, and convert the holy place into a Den of unclean Thieves.  
Again Gods Holy Spirit is given to assist our weakness, and help our Infirmities, and to supply the deficiences of our own Endeavours; and the condition upon which he is promised is our own Industry and Faithfulness, and employing our common stock to the most advantage we can.  
This our Saviour hath taught us by the parable of the Talents, and explained the signification of it to be plainly this, that the further Influences of the Spirit depend upon our honest emproving of the present, and that he only that is faithful in a little, shall be entrusted with more, as may be seen Mat. 25. from 14. to 31.  
But now when we indulge to our Oscitancy Idleness, remit our own care and industry in striving against Sin, and resisting all Temptations to it, as( God knows) the best Man living too often doth, then we discourage the Holy Spirit, we damp the Influences thereof, and provoke him to neglect those who will neglect themselves, and not to assist those who will not be true to his Divine aids.  
The more need then certainly there must be, and the more highly it must concern us, to be constant in that holy Service and Feast, which we shall find both Meat and Medicine for our Souls, by which we may either greatly prevent, or quickly repair both these Evils, and secure to ourselves the happy presence of this good Spirit, under whose Wing and Conduct we shall both be safe, and happy too, guardied against all the ambushments and assaults of the Devil, secure against all the allurements and enticements of the World and the Flesh, strengthened with all power and might in the inner Man, enabled to run the ways of Gods commandments, have our path of Duty made plain and easy, and our Souls filled with that Joy in believing, that Peace and Comfort of mind, that will set us above the storms and troubles of this life, carry us joyful through them all, and at last expire into the unconceivable Joy and bless of Angels, and Blessed Souls in Heaven. To which God Almighty bring us in his due time for Jesus sake. Amen.    

CHAP. XII.  
Divided into seven Sections. In the First the last End of this is proposed, viz. the close Union of Christians one to another. In the Second, How this Service is Effective of it. In the Third the Argument is improved by showing the grand concernment of this to all Christians, by Scripture. In the Fourth some further considerations to show the Great Importance of this. And the first of these insisted on, viz. the consideration of them as a Church. In the Fifth the second consideration proposed, their Obligation to act according to the Principles of Christian Religion. In the Sixth the third and last consideration for the concernment of Christian Love and Charity proposed, viz. the Credit or Reproach of Christian Religion among others. In the Seventh these three Reasons are considered again with a particular respect to us, and our Circumstances at this day. The Conclusion, Recapitulating the whole discourse, and pressing the serious compliance with the purpose of it.  
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 show you, how, and in what respects the Holy Sacrament is effective of Love and Charity among Men.  
2. improve it to our present purpose, and show 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 show 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 cites 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 joined 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 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 compliment of all is a real Love and Charity one to another, suitable 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 sheathe 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. jerome 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 practise of this Service upon, viz. a real, fervent Love and Charity one to another.  

SECT. 2.  
2. NOw what Influence it hath upon this, is the second thing proposed to show to you. And that I shall do in these three particulars.  
1. It is a plain Symbol of it.  
2. It is a good Argument and Engagement to it.  
3. It is directly Effective of the same.  
It is a very plain and evident Sign and Symbol of Love among Christians; and that in many respects.  
1. For First, It is ● Feast; and here Christians eat and drink together in token of that Peace and Love that is between them.  
It is certain eating and feasting together, at the same Table, anciently was, and yet is a token of Love and Friendship. And one great End of Feasts among Fraternities, and Guilds of Men( a practise very common in this City) is to promote Love and Friendship among them.  
Upon this Account you shall find that phrase of eating Bread to denote Peace and Kindness, and friendly Intercourse between Men. When David would express the Treachery of his Friend, he saith, He that eat of my Bread lift up his Heel against me, Ps. 41.9. And the Strangeness or Enmity between the Egyptians and the Hebrews, is expressed by their not enduring to eat Bread together, Gen. 43.32.  
For this Reason also Salt, that is a constant Appendix to eating, being always accounted a necessary Condiment of all Meats, was still esteemed and looked upon as a Symbol of Friendship, among the Jews, and all Nations; and there is one place in Scripture, that expresseth the same, i.e. Ezra. 4.14. Because we have Maintenance from the Kings Palace, it is not meet for us to see the Kings dishonour. But the Chaldee( as a Learned Man observes) reads it, Because we have eaten of the Kings Salt, i.e. we are engaged in a Covenant of Friendship with him, and therefore it is not becoming us to suffer any dishonour to be done to him.  
And it is well known that {αβγδ}, to violate Salt and the Table, was a common phrase to signify the Breach of Friendship, And that Superstitious Custom among ourselves at this day, to count the overturning of the Salt upon the Table Ominous, and betiding anger to him that it falls towards, is founded upon this Opinion, because Salt was anciently esteemed a Symbol of Love and Friendship.  
2. This is not only a Feast, but a Feast purely of Love, and so the Passover was always esteemed, not only a Feast to remember Gods Love to them in the Egyptian Deliverance, but to promote Love also among themselves.  
For this cause they were all to come together to keep it in one place. For this cause also the Lamb that they were to eat, was to be whole and unbroken. And upon this account likewise it was to be eaten with unleavened Bread.  
To which it is plain the Apostle alludes 1 Cor. 5.7, 8. Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the Feast, not with the Leaven of Malice and Wickedness, but with the unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth.  
Whatever these things signified to them, it is most certain the Holy Sacrament is to us a Feast of Love we feed on Love, and the Symbols of the greatest Love that was ever shewed to Men. We confederate with our God, and we engage in Love and Respect to our Brethren; we are invited only to come upon the condition of our being in Love and Charity with our Brethren, and we testify the same by feeding lovingly with them at the same Table.  
And it is well known that the Primitve Christians were upon this Account said to be {αβγδ} of one Heart, and of one Soul, Acts 4.32. and to continue in {αβγδ}, in Communion and Fellowship, and Breaking of Bread, Acts 1.42.  
And not only so, but that their Communions were attended with such Rites and Symbols, as were on purpose to denote Love and Charity. I shall mention three or four which Learned Men give account of.  
First, The Holy Kiss, of which you have mention Rom. 16.16. and in other places. This always attended this Holy Feast, upon the account of which perhaps the Heathen raised that scandulous Report against them; and the gnostics it is most certain did pervert and abuse to the worst purposes. Which were perhaps the reasons that it came so soon to be disused and laid aside in the Church.  
2. The {αβγδ}, as they called the Love-Feast, which for a long time together closed always this Holy Service, and of which there is mention, 2 Pet. 2.13. and judas v. 14. in which because in process of time there came to be some irregularities, they were disused also, and changed into  
3. Collections for the Poor, which continue to this day, as a Symbol of that Love and Charity that we have to them, our Compassion of their Wants, and our Charity to relieve them; just as in Feasts of old among the Jews, not the Convivae only were entertained, but some Portions also were sent unto absent Friends, to testify Respect and Love to them.  
4. And in some places( as Learned Men observe) one Church used to sand a Loaf to another, as a token of their Consent in Faith and Affection too. And it was commonly consecrated by the Church that received it, and used at the Ministration of the Sacrament, to testify their Reciprocal Affection to them that sent it.  
By all which things was clearly signified what a close Union of Hearts and Affection there ought to be among Christians, that communicate together in this Holy Service.  
2. It is Argument and Obligation to it. The truth is Christian Religion in itself, is this, and it is so contrived that every Branch and Service of it is so too.  
But perhaps this more especially, and above some others, upon these three Accounts among many others.  
1. As in this Service we make particular show and profession of Love and Kindness one to another, all our Actions all along the whole Service are Symbolical, and Significant of Love.  
We come into the House of God as Friends, we feast together as Friends, we communicate in the same Cup, and eat of the one Bread, to testify our being united and confederated together, we call upon the same Lord in the same words, and we acknowledge ourselves Brethren to the same Jesus.  
And as by all these we make show of, so we declare and profess this Kindness and Love, and therefore are obliged greatly to the same; else we are Plagiaries and Hypocrites, and our own Profession shall be our Condemnation.  
2. This we know is one great Condition of our being admitted into this Service, and we accept it and submit to it.  
The Exhortations of our Church previous to this Service tell us this plainly: If any o●… you shall perceive his Offences not only to be against God, but also against your Neighbour, then you shall endeavour presently to reconcile yourselves to him, that he may be no more angry with you, than you with him.  
And again, We are exhorted to amend our Lives, and be in perfect Charity with all Men, so shall we be meet partakers of those Holy Mysteries.  
And when we are immediately called to the Holy Table, we are summoned in these words, Ye that do truly and earnestly repent you of your Sins and are in Love and Charity with your Neighbours.  
And we are cautioned by the fearful Example of Judas, that we do not come with any Enmity and Malice, and evil will or design against any Man, as he had against Christ, lest the Devil enter into us, as he did into him after the Sop, and fill us full of all Iniquity, and bring us to destruction both of Soul and Body.  
So that the Church deals plainly and fairly with us, and tells us upon what conditions we may acceptably come. The Minister hath Power to forbid any to come that live in open hatred and malice against others, and he is commanded to instruct all, that Love and Charity is absolutely necessary for all Communicants, and that without it, they cannot acceptably come to the Table of the Lord.  
Now this we all know, and we accept this Condition, and we offer ourselves as persons so qualified when we come, and therefore are under Obligation to be really such as we profess ourselves to be.  
3. Nay Thirdly, we expressly stipulate and engage ourselves to Love and Charity hereby, for by this we strike Covenant, and confederate together, as I shewed before.  
For this Sacrament is not only a Rite of confederating with God, but with one another also. We covenant to forget all our former Animosities, to forgive the injuries we have received, and to deposit the grudges we have had against any, and for the future to love them as Brethren, and live in perfect Peace and Charity with them.  
And therefore must needs acknowledge ourselves to lie under very great Obligations to do so, since if we fail, we are false and perjured, and violate that Covenant that we solemnly struck, in the presence of God and of his Holy Angels.  
3. But Thirdly, I add, that the Holy Sacrament is directly Effective of Love and Charity among Christians. It is not only a Symbol of it, and an Argument and Obligation to it, but it tends directly to the producing of the same.  
And this I shall show it doth, not only as a solemn Act of Worship, by which we conciliate the Love and Favour of God to us, nor only as it is an Instrument or Rite of Prayer, by which we obtain his Grace, nor only as it is the Ministration of the Spirit, and its assistances, by which we are enabled to this and every other thing that is good, though these things be very considerable Instances of its Efficacy to this purpose.  
But I shall represent it in these two further particulars.  
1. It worketh the Love of God and Christ in us.  
2. It directly influenceth our Love and Charity to Men.  
1. It tends mightily to the working in us a great Love to God and Christ, and can scarce fail of that effect in any that consider what they do, and what the End of this Service is.  
It is to show forth the Lords Death till he come, and is a solemn, grateful commemoration of the Sacrifice of the Death of Christ, and of the great Benefits that we receive there by, as our Church speaks.  
It is a calling to our minds, and impregnating our thoughts with the astonishing and surprising Love of God in sending his Son into the World, and of the amazing kindness of Christ in suffering and dying for us.  
A Meditation which can hardly miss of making us all wonder and all Love: A thing which rent the Temple, and the stony rock of Old, and must break our hearts into tenderness and tears, unless they be harder than they.  
Good Men can tell you from their own Experiences, what the Power and Efficacy of this is to this purpose. Though they be always {αβγδ}, as the Greeks speak, possessed and acted by the Love of God, yet they never feel their hearts more sensibly touched, nor this fire burning hotter in them, than when they behold the Symbols of his great Love, see him evidently crucified before them, and feed on the visible pledges and representations of his Body and Blood.  
Now this Love of Christ is naturally Effective of Love to Men: When our hearts are so full of this Divine Affection, it will burst out, and some of it will overflow, and fall down upon our Brethren. If we so love him whom we have not seen, and behold but in figure and shadow, we shall naturally love his Members whom we do see, and have the same respect for his Members, and those that bear on them his Impress and Image, with whom we converse daily, and( as St. John speaks) if we love God we shall love our Brother also.  
2. Yea Secondly, This naturally influenceth our Love and Charity to Men upon many accounts, which I but just name.  
It is the Ministration of the Spirit( as I have shewed you before) which naturally melts down the ruggedness of Mens Nature, and inclines them to Love and Peace, which is the especial Effect and Fruit of it.  
It sets the great Arguments of our Religion home, and causeth them to lie closer upon our Thoughts, and seldom fails of having some Effects on the worst Men. You shall hardly ever see a man so wicked, but will restrain himself, that day he receives the Sacrament. Now among all the Duties of Christian Religion, Charity is one of the greatest, and it engageth Men to be peaceable as well as pure.  
It is the strongest Engagement to Love and Charity, and above all other Instruments in Christian Religion to press us to it; it not only represents to us the Love of our Saviour, and the Blessed Effects and Benefits of it, but it calls upon us to imitate it, and gives us no reason to expect those Benefits but upon doing so. For our Loving and Pardoning others is made the condition of our being pardonned ourselves.  
And Lastly, There is some secret, unknown virtue in it, that strangely softens our Tempers, and sweetens our Natures, and strongly disposeth us to the Love of all Men, especially all that we see feed on our Saviour with us, and have the same honourable thoughts and esteem for him that we have, and are so closely confederated with us in the Worship of him, and in the Expectation of the same Blessings from him.  
These things are better felt than expressed, and better known by Experiences, than faint Discourses. All good Men feel them, and know these things that I say to be sober truths.  
Just as Moses his Face did shine, after his so intimate conversation with God in the Mount, so it is with good Men in this Service, their hearts are fired with the Love of God and Christ, the Holy Spirit takes strong seizures of them, and this kindles a love and respect to Men, and unites hearts into one frame, even as the particles of the Bread they eat are united into one Mass. They drink of the same Cup, and the same Spirit dwells in them, and makes them as one heart, and one soul.   

SECT. 3.  
3. AND now I proceed to improve this Argument to the purpose of frequent communicating, and see what strength there is in it to engage us often to eat this Bread, and drink this Cup.  
And that I shall do in the Improvement of this Proposition. There is no one thing more greatly concerning Christians, nor more universally conducing to all the great purposes of Christianity, than Love and Charity, and a close Union among them; and therefore whatsoever it is, that is directly Effective of this, is mighty worthy of their continual respects and regard. And this Holy Sacrament being so eminently the one, may reasonably expect and challenge the other from us.  
This Argument I shall endeavour to improve, 1. By considering how proper it is at any time, upon its own reasons. 2. By considering how very proper it is, and how affecting it ought to be upon us especially at this time.  
1. It is an Argument that is very proper at any time, and ought upon its own reasons always to be effective with Christians. For there is no one thing that they are more concerned to be careful of, than Love and Unity among themselves, nor can any thing be more worthy of their greatest regards, than that which tends to the conservation and increase of it among them.  
And the truth of this I shall endeavour to represent upon these two Accounts.  
1. The many Exhortations to this, yea more than to any other thing whatsoever in the New Testament.  
2. The great concernment of it to them above other things, both as a Church, and Society; as Christians, and as they stand with reference unto others.  
1. We may pretty well judge the Concernment of this, by the many reiterated Precepts and Injunctions of it, both by our Lord himself and by his Apostles, which we shall find to be both more frequent, more passionate and earnest, and by more endearing and affecting Arguments than any one thing that we meet with.  
Our Blessed Saviour himself recommended Peace and Mutual Love to his Disciples, as his last great and dying request to them, as you may see Joh. 15.17. These things I command you, that ye love one another. And Cap. 13.34. he calls it his new and peculiar Precept, A new Commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another. As if this were that only thing which he of himself recommended to them. And the next words seem to import something to that purpose; By this shall all Men know that you are my Disciples, if ye love one another. As if this were the peculiar Badge and Signature of Christianity, and that which above all other things it recommended to Men.  
And he contents not himself to recommend it thus to them, and make it his last dying request to them, but he puts it also into his last earnest Prayer for them, Joh. 17.21. That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they all may be one, that the World may know that thou hast sent me. As if this would be a reputation to himself, as well as to them, and an Argument of the Truth and Divinity of his Doctrine, as indeed it is, as perhaps you may hear more by and by.  
And the Apostles of our Lord have trodden exactly in his steps as to this, and recommended it with as much Passion and Earnestness, as their great Master recommended it to them. I shall need but to instance in St. John and St. Paul.  
The first of these was called the Beloved Disciple, and having himself experimented the Blessed Effects of Divine Love, is so desirous to kindle it in all others Breasts, that he breaths nothing else almost in his first Epistle, but, Little Children, love one another. There is nothing he so earnestly presseth, nothing that he recommends under more endearing Characters than Love. Love is of God, and God is Love, and to Love is to have Communion and Fellowship with him, and to be transformed into his blessed likeness. It is the only true Evidence of Religion and Goodness; and all pretences to these are vain, and a lie without it.  
And St. jerome tells us, that he was so constant in giving this Charge, that at last he was blamed and censured for it, and forced to make Apology for his doing of it.  
How earnest St. Paul was in this, may be clearly seen from several places in almost every of his Epistles.  
In his Epistle to the Romans, Chap. 12.15, 16. Rejoice with them that rejoice, and weep with them that weep; Be of the same mind one towards another. Chap. 15.5. Now the God of Patience and Consolation, grant you to be like minded one towards another, according to Christ Jesus.  
In his Epistle to the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 1.10. Now I beseech you, Brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgement. And one great reason of his writing that Epistle( as the next verse seems to intimate) was to compose and put a stop to those Schisms, that they were in danger of. As it was also of that to the Romans and Galatians, in which he so often recommends Love, Peace, Long-suffering, as the truest fruits and effects of a Divine Spirit, Gal. 5.22.  
In his Epistle to the Ephesians, Chap. 1. to 7. I therefore the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith you are called, with all lowliness and meekness forbearing one another in Love: Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace. And see what Arguments he further useth to this; There is one Body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.  
In the Epistle to the Philippians, Ch. 2.1, 2, 3. If therefore there be any consolation in Christ, if any Comfort of Love, if any Fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same Love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than himself.  
In the Epistle to the Colossians and Thessalonians the like, Col. 3.15. Let the Peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body. 1 Thes. 5.13. Be at Peace among yourselves. Chap. 4.9. As touching Brotherly Love, ye need not that I writ unto you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; and to know that this is absolutely necessary upon the principles of Christianity.  
To these many other places might be added. In which I beg you to consider, not only, that St. Paul recommends this, but with what zeal and earnestness, and upon what great and affecting reasons he doth so too. One while he conjures them by his own bonds, and another by the Love of God. One while chargeth them upon their Religion, and anon beseeches them by the Love they bore to it. Here he lays before them all the great motives of Religion, and then begs and beseeches them by the mercies of God, and as they have any bowels of Pity and Mercy to themselves, to be of one mind, and one heart, and to be connected by the Unions of Love and Charity one to another.  
And certainly all this ado, all this seriousness and condescension, all this wooing and begging, is not without some great reason, nor would be used, but that the matter is really great, and of the highest concernment unto Men. For the Spirit of God useth a decorum in things, and would never use this extraordinary pains and zeal, but in a very concerning, and extraordinary matter.   

SECT. 4.  
2. AND that this of Christian Charity and Unity is so, I go on now to represent, upon the three reasons I have already hinted.  
1. The First is the consideration of them, as a Church or Society.  
2. The Second is their Concernment to act and behave themselves according to the Principles of their Religion.  
3. The Third is the great Obligation that lies on them not to give scandal and cause of Offence to others.  
So that if Men have any regard and respect for the Church of Christ, any concern for Living up to their Religion, and any care for the honour and reputation of it before others, they must aclowledge Christian Love and Chariry, to be a thing of mighty great concernment to them.  
1. For First, it is greatly necessary to the conservation and happiness of the Church of Christ, and they are impossible without it. Every Man knows this in thesi, and not only can, but is very apt to talk greatly to the purposes of it. And the truth is, any portion of Reason or Consideration, will enable him to do it.  
For every Man knows that Societies, as well as Buildings, subsist by the firm Cohesion of their Members, and the strong Contignation of their parts. And that Maxim of our Saviour will be eternally true, that a Kingdom and a House divided against itself cannot stand.  
And the Experience of all the World, and of all Ages of it confirms this Truth, Intestine Factions and Divisions in a Church or kingdom are the certain Presages of its Desolation, and as infallibly crush it into ruin, as any Impressions of external Force or Violence can.  
Nay perhaps more certainly, and it hath often been seen so; the Church hath withstood all external force and powers, and often become the stronger for it, but hath soon sunk under the weight of its own Divisions, and crumbled into nothing by its own Factions.  
Now this gives a clear Instance of the necessity of Love and Unity among Christians; especially, if we add to it, how much they are concerned to consult the Conservation and Happiness of Christs Church.  
And that Concernment a riseth from many very considerable reasons, which I would to God the Men of this Generati on would take into serious thought. I shall at present mention only three.  
1. Their being members of this Church as they are Christians. And therefore greatly concerned to consult, and do all they can for the good of it, even as much as the Members in the Body natural, are to be solicitous for the health and good of it.  
It is one mighty great and dangerous Error of these times, that Men look upon Church Communion and Membership, only as an Arbitrary thing, and extrinsical to their being Christians, when as indeed, it is the same thing and of the same necessity. Men are not first Christians, and afterwards become Members of Christs Church by some Consequential and Arbitrary Consent, or Act of theirs. But they become both these at the same time, and upon the same reasons. Baptism which is the first great Rite of Proselytism, the prime badge and Signature of Christianity, is the Rite also of admission into Christs Church, and Communion of it, according to that saying of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 12.13. By one spirit we are all baptized into one Body; Not only into one Faith, but into one Body; i.e. the Church of Christ, which is familiarly called his Body in the New Testament.  
For our Blessed Lord did not design only to make Christians at large, but to incorporate and consociate them into one Communion under such Laws and Rules for the Government of them, in Obedience to which, a great part of their Christianity consists, as you shall hear more by and by.  
And every Man upon the same reasons that he becomes a Christian, becomes a Member of Christs Church, and is only so far a Christian as he is a Member of this Church and Body.  
From whence it follows plainly, that the same reasons that oblige a Christian to any duty upon the account of his Religion do also as necessary and strongly oblige him to all those duties that result from this his Relation to the Church: Which to be sure in the first place are to do his utmost for the Conservation and Prosperity of it, and never to do any thing by which the Peace and Order of it may be disturbed.  
For that would be as monstrous a Guilt, and as abhorrent from the Laws of Christianity, as it would be monstrous, and a horrid Violation of the Laws of Nature, for the Hand, or other Member of the Body Natural, to tear off the Flesh, and ripp up the Bowels of it.  
2. This Concernment for the good and Peace of the Church ariseth from this other consideration, that all the Blessings that we expect from Christian Religion, are expectable only upon our being Members of the Church, and in Communion with it. This is a great and mighty Consideration, and worthy of our greatest regard.  
And that it is certainly true will appear sufficiently from these two Considerations.  
1. That the great things that Christ hath done and suffered for the Salvation of Mankind( the Effects of which are the great Blessings of Christianity) are in Scripture said to be done for them, not as single Persons, but as they are incorporated into a Church.  
I shall mention a few places instead of many to this purpose; Thus, Eph. 5.25. Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it. Acts 20.28. Christ redeemed the Church with his own Blood. And Eph. 5.23. He is the Saviour of the Body; i.e. of the Church, as I shewed you that Word signifies.  
From which it is very plain, that the great things which Christ hath done and suffered, were done and suffered for his Church, and that the reason upon which single Individual Persons reap the benefit of them, is upon the account of their being Members of the Church; just as a Charter is granted not to single persons, but to a Corporation, and all the Immunities and privileges granted by it, are enjoyable by single Men, only as they are Members of that Corporation.  
Upon which that Maxim so common among the Fathers, Extra Ecclesiam non est salus is founded, There is no Salvation out of the Church; and their commonly comparing the Church to the Ark of Noah, out of which all were drowned( as was said formerly) doth rely upon the same reason too.  
2. That the great and blessed Influences of the Holy Spirit of God( that we have formerly shewed to be so absolutely necessary to the purposes of Holiness and Salvation) are in Scripture also said to be confined only to the Church, and to the Members of it.  
And this naturally follows upon that so common a Notion in the New Testament of calling the Church the Body of Christ; for all Men know that the parts of the Body are animated and influenced by the Spirit, only while they continue Members of it, and united as such: But these presently expire and die for want of Communications from the Spirit, when they are cut off, and separated from the Body. There must be a Union of the Parts and Members, in order to their b●ing influenced by the same Spirit.  
Now these two make up a material Consideration indeed, and render our Concern for the Peace and Welfare of the Church, to be a concern for our own good. For both these are bound up in the same Measures; and therefore as we value the Influences of Christs Spirit, and desire to share in the Effect of what he hath done and suffered for Mankind, we are obliged to keep in the Communion of the Church, and to consult the Peace and Happiness of the same.  
3. This Concernment for the good of the Church ariseth from a third Consideration also, That the greatest part of that duty that is required of them, concerns them in this respect only; i.e. in the Capacity of Persons consociated together in a Community, and united in the same Society.  
There are but a few things that concern them in their single Capacities, in Comparison of those that relate to them as Members of the Church. I shall only remit you to the Consideration of two places of Scripture for this. The one is Gal. 5.22, 23. where the Fruits of the Spirit are enumerated, and of them you will find the Consocial ones( if I may so call them) such as Love, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness and Meekness to be far the greatest part. The other is 2 Pet. 1.6, 7. where the most of the Links that integrate that Golden Chain of Graces, are Patience, and Brotherly Kindness, and Charity, &c. all which evidently concern Men as they stand related to others, and conjoined in Society with them.  
Which three things, if you will please now to unite them together, will give this first consideration, upon which I have chosen to represent the great concernment of Christian Love and Unity, its due and right.  
Christians are all, as they are Christians, Members of Christs Church, and they are only in a Capacity of partaking the Effect and Benefit of the great things done for Mans Redemption, as they are Members of that Church; and most of the great Commands of the Gospel concern them only as such. From all which the consequence is clear and certain, that therefore Christian Unity and Love is a matter of the greatest concernment to them.   

SECT. 5.  
2. THE Second Consideration from which I proposed to argue this great Concernment for Christian Love and Unity, is their Obligation to act according to the Principles of Christian Religion; which they can never do without this.  
That all of us are concerned to act and behave ourselves according to the great Prescriptions of our Religion, I take for granted among those who have any due Notions of Religion, and who understand any thing of the great end and purposes of it.  
Even as necessary as it is to consent to the Truth, and embrace the belief of it. And it is to no purpose but to enhance Mens guilt and aggravate their Condemnation, to do the one, without a competent care in the other.  
Now it is very plain, that Men can never come up in their practise to the Principles of Christian Religion, that are regardless of Love and Christian Unity, and broken into Factions, and Schisms, and unreasonable Separations from each others Communion.  
And this I do not say only, because Love and Unity is itself a great and chief Instance of Christian virtue, and no one thing is oftener recommended to Christians in the Precepts of the Gospel: But I assert it upon other reasons at present, and especially these two.  
1. That Love and Charity have so great an Interest in, and Influence upon every Christian Duty, that none of them can be performed without it.  
We can neither Worship God, nor be true to Men without Charity. Our Prayers will be rejected, if we be not in Charity with Men, and our hands are lift up in vain, if they be not without Wrath, as well as doubting. Our Blessed Lord hath  told us, if we bring our Gift to the Altar, and remember that our Brother hath ought against us, we must first go and be reconciled to our Brother, and then come and offer our Gift, Mat. 5.23, 24. Intimating plainly that God who hath made our forgiving our Brethren their Offences against us, the only condition upon which we can expect his forgiving ours against himself, will never accept a Service from that Man, whose hands are full of Blood, or his heart reeking with Envy and Malice against his Brother.  
And I need not waste time, to show you how impossible it is to discharge that duty that we owe one to another without Love and Unity.  
For this reason therefore is Love called by St. Paul the fulfilling of the Law, Rom. 13.10. And therefore is the Labour and Service of a good Man called the labour of Love, 1 Thes. 1.3. and Heb. 6.10. as if all a Mans duty and service were the Effect and Fruit only of Love; and the truth is, in a great measure it is so.  
For Love and Charity hath an Interest in all other Graces, and it were not very untrue to say, that they are but so many various Modifications of it. And whenever there is any duty to be performed by a good Man, there is some Service for his Charity, not only to engage, but to enable him to perform the same.  
2. And Secondly, The want of Love and Unity is certainly fatal to all the purposes of Christian Religion. And no one end of it can be answered without the same.  
It is a sure Indication of a wretched carnal Estate, and that Religion hath had no Effect upon such a Man. The Apostle tells the Corinthians plainly, that while there were jarrings and emulations among them, and but the little differences about their Ministers, they were certainly carnal, how confident soever they might be of their good state, 1 Cor. 3.3.  
It is that which naturally inclines Men to all manner of Evil. For as Love naturally prompts and inclines Men to every thing that is good; and he that wants it, wants one of the strongest Arguments and Assistances to goodness: So indeed variance and hatred naturally dispose Men to all manner of Evil: And as St. James tells us, where envying and strife is, there is Confusion, and every evil work, Jam: 3.16. i. e. there either actually is, or when occasion and opportunity is offered will certainly be, every thing that is evil.  
And we see it too true every day in our own Experience, when Men divide and separate each from other, they presently begin to grow strange, and envious, and open enemies. They seek to support the credit of their own Separations, by defamations, and slandering others, by bitter Invectives, and unjust Accusations. They are studying how to lessen and pull down each other, and whenever they get power and advantage, then to crush and destroy, and use all manner of violence against them.  
So that if Men would gain the reputation of good Men, and good Christians, if they would show themselves to be such as their Religion requires them to be, they must be strict and zealous preservers of Love and Unity among themselves; and it is in vain for them to pretend the one, without a due care in the other.   

SECT. 6.  
3. THE last consideration that I have proposed to urge Christians great concernment for Love and Unity among themselves upon, is the credit, or reproach of their Religion among others.  
I need not stay to tell you that Christians are obliged to do all they can, to adorn the Doctrine of God their Saviour; to gain all the credit and reputation to their Religion which they can. There are many express Precepts that call on them to endeavour this, and the truth is, should they be regardless in it, they were worse in this, than the Disciples of the rankest Follies, and Superstitions in the World.  
For there are no sort of Men, but are ready to assert and stand up for their Religion, and to do any thing they can to vindicate it from reproach, and to gain respect and credit to it; because they think it a matter of the greatest concernment to them, and that upon which their own Credit and Wisdom greatly depends. And sure of all Men, Christians should least fail of doing this, for many reasons.  
Now my Brethren there is nothing in which the Reputation and Credit of Religion is more concerned, than the strict accord and unity of its Professors: Nor any thing that renders it more high and venerable in the esteem of others.  
And nothing can reflect greater Ignominy and Reproach upon it, or more fatally prejudice others against the Belief of it, than to see its Professors divided, and at great variance among themselves.  
Of this the Histories of the Church and of Christian Religion, from the beginning, through all Ages of it even to this day, do largely and fully assure us.  
In the Apostolical times there was nothing that more care was taken for, than that there might be an exact Symphony, both in Faith and Affection among Christians; and that for this reason; because the Apostles very well saw, that nothing would gain more reputation to their Religion: And that nothing would more certainly expose it to contempt, and the scorn of others, than the clashing of its Teachers in their Doctrine, or the Oppositions and Enmities of its Votaries.  
And how truly they guessed in this, appears from the practise of their Enemies in succeeding times; for it is certain, they sought for nothing more industriously to reproach Christianity with, than differences and divisions among those that professed it, and Celsus, that bitter Enemy of the Christian Religion, that striven so much to improve that little difference between St. Peter and St. Paul at Antioch, would certainly have triumphed to some purpose indeed, could he have found out such differences, as these latter Ages have seen among Christians.  
And it is most certain that nothing did more amaze and confounded the great Enemies, and Persecutors of Christians in the Primitive Ages, than to see that exact agreement in all things of Doctrine, but especially, that strict and ardent Affection, that was so conspicuous then among them, when it was said ad stuporem Gentium( saith the Historian) Behold how these Christians love one another.  
And wise Men that have preached into the reasons, why the Jews and many other People so obstinately stand out against the embracing Christian Religion, for which there are so many clear and convincing Arguments of Divinity and Truth to be produced, that they want nothing but common consideration to make them Effective upon all Men.  
I say, inquiring into the reasons of this, they have always assigned this as one of the chief, namely, the sad and lamentable Divisions that they saw among Christians. And the Truth is, it is not to be expected the Christian Faith should make any large progress in the World, till they see the Professors of it more at Unity; nor can we hope to persuade others to believe as we do, till we are better agreed what to believe among ourselves: And till they see the embracing any Form of Christian Faith is not the certain way to engage them into endless Quarrels and Disputes against others.  
Then only can we hope to persuade them to Worship God with us, when they see us agreed upon our way of Worshipping him, and behold us with one Mouth and one consent giving Praise and Honour to him.  
These now are the three great Considerations, upon which I have chosen to represent the great Obligation, that lies upon all Christians, to endeavour after Love and Unity among themselves. They are all proper and seasonable at any time.   

SECT. 7.  
2. BUT it is most certain, they are extremely so at this time. There will never be any time when this Discourse will not be needful; but if ever there were any more than other, in which it was needful for the Guides of Souls to be Zealous, to cry aloud, and with all passion and earnestness to interpose in this matter, now is the time.  
For let us I beseech you, but recollect the forenamed Argument, and see if our present sad experiences do not attest the actual truth of them.  
1. Let us but consider and see to what our Factions and Separations have brought this poor Church, that was once like a City at Unity in itself, and when it was so, was terrible as an Army with Banners, and easily put to flight all the Armies of the Aliens.  
Alas, how is she now desolate and forsaken! Her hedges broken down, the wild Boar let in, who is busy to root up her Vines, and the subtle Foxes at great liberty to steal away her Grapes: Some busy to tear up her very Foundations, and others to poison her Sons with error, over-run her with Faction and Schism, and make her once again a Babel of Disorder and Confusion.  
There is little more than the Face only of a Church now left among us; and yet that Face too is defiled with many spots and blemishes. Our Governours are despised, and our Fathers have lost their Authority over us.  
That Discipline which of old was so revered, is now slighted and contemned, and those Censures, which were dreaded as the very anticipations of Hell, are now derided, or gloried in; and some Men are so far from counting themselves given up to Satan by them, that they glory in them, as the more sure Consignation of them to God.  
Nay, so wildly have some Men proceeded here, that Faction is counted a Mark of Saintship, and to be cast out of the Church, is to be enrolled presently in the diptychs of the Godly.  
Heretofore( to use the Psalmists words) a Man was famous as he had lifted up Axes upon the thick Trees, and been any way serviceable to the honour and welfare of the Church; but now Men break down the carved work thereof with Axes and Hammers, and think it an acceptable and holy Zeal to lay it in the dust.  
Lord how long shall the Adversary do thee this dishonour? And how long shall the foolish Man blaspheme thus thy Name, and own Institution? Arise, O God, and maintain thine own cause, restrain this fury of wild Men, and teach them at last to consider what they are doing, and what their mad Schisms and Factions must needs issue in: How they will defeat their own purposes, and utterly pull down and finally destroy that Church, which they are pretending so earnestly to repair and amend.  
2. And we cannot but sadly observe in the second place, that our differences have been as fatal to our holy Religion in general, as to our Church in particular.  
Alas, what is there remaining of it now among us, more than the mere Skeleton, and shadow of it? We have Forms and shows and appearances enough; but O God! Where is the power of Godliness to be found?  
Our Contests about Religion have razed out of our Minds the Notions of it, and we have disputed so long, that we have now forgotten what that is, we have been contesting about.  
That time and space which should have been spent in Justice and Mercy to Men, and walking humbly with our God, hath been spent in wrangling and opposing the one, and exalting ourselves against the Constitutions of the other. That Industry and Learning, those parts and abilities that should have been employed in true Substantial practical goodness, have been wasted in idle and unprofitable studies how to make good a Notion, and to defend our own silly Opinions: And that Zeal, which should have been exercised in doing good, and discouraging 'vice, and all manner of Profaneness, hath vented itself against all that have opposed our own party, and expired at last in useless and impertinent Contests.  
Our great Pretences for Purity and Reformation and the power of Godliness, have introduced all manner of Profaneness, and our Contests given that advantage to Atheism, and Irreligion, that perhaps some Ages will not be able to regain from them.  
And finally, instead of Peace and Charity, Justice and Honesty, Meekness and Humility, and a Kindness to all Men, which are the Life and only true Badges of a Christian, we have introduced by our Separations and Divisions, Envyings and bitter Railings, Strife and Confusion, and indeed every thing that deserves to be called Evil.  
3. And what a disrepute and shane, what a disgrace and odium it hath exposed our Religion unto, in the sight of all that have stood spectators of our Unchristian Heats and Factions, we cannot but with a great deal of Grief confess.  
How do the Nations shake their Heads at at us? And what a Hissing and a By-word are we grown to them? What a Scandal have we brought upon the Reformation? And how have we prejudiced Men against any respect to it? We have exposed our Religion to contempt and scorn, and they but laugh at us, when we would propagate the belief of it. All our Learning and Parts cannot do so much to defend our Religion, as our differences and divisions do to reproach it. God Almighty make us once wise, and to consider how heavy the guilt and condemnation of those will be, that give offence, and cause the Enemies of God to blaspheme.  
4. I add only one Consideration more, how hereby we gratify the malice and give Effect to the designs of those very Enemies against us, whom we are pretending by all these things to be opposing and securing ourselves against.  
O! what sport and pastime must this needs and to them, to hear us crying out so loud against Popery, and yet to see us do the work of it more effectually, than ever they were able to do; and to effect that destruction which all their endeavours and assaults essayed in vain.  
Sure this is a bleeding and most affecting consideration, that we should become such tools to our Enemies, and betray ourselves most certainly into their hands, by that very method that we thought to save ourselves from them.  
If therefore there be any Consolations in Christ, if any Bowels of Mercies to our Church, to our Religion or to our own either honour or safety, let us once at last be convinced of the necessity of Christian Love and Charity, and persuaded by all possible means to retrieve the same again amongst us.  
And consequently to have an Honour and Regard to, and to make Conscience of that service in our Religion, which will be so greatly influential upon this among us.  
To this purpose I have insisted so much on this Argument, and this is the End that I have been pursuing in so long discoursing to you from this Text. I pray God Almighty grant me to see some good Effect upon it.   

The Conclusion.  
AND now there is nothing remaining, but a Conclusion to what hath been said. Nor any business for that Conclusion, but to beg the serious consideration of what hath been offered upon this Subject.  
The truth is, it is a sad reflection to consider, that Men that profess a respect and concern for Christian Religion, should need to be contested with about the observation of one of the chiefest Services in it: But it is much worse to consider, that so many endeavours of this nature should prove unsuccessful.  
And for my part, I do not well know whether to impute it to the decay of the Spirit of Christianity among us, or to Mens neglect to exercise their own Reason: And therefore will charge it upon the malignant Conjunction of both.  
In the Primitive times, while the true servours of Christianity warmed the hearts of Men, they flocked into this repast, as freely without any Courtship, as Doves do to their Windows, where they find both food and safety. And all that the good Fathers were put upon then, was only to regulate the Communions, to instruct Men in what manner to come, not to persuade them to do so.  
There were no Servants then to tell their Master the said story of Mens excusing themselves from coming to this Feast, nor any reason to say, Lord, it is done as thou commandedst, and yet there is room; for Men scorned to be detained by any little excuses, and the Oratories needed rather to be enlarged, than complain of Emptiness.  
And that it is otherwise now, and all the Servants must be sent upon the same errand of inviting Guests, is either because Men have not so learned Christ, as those good Men did, or that they have forgotten what they had learned. Either the s●me Spirit that acted the one, doth not govern the other; or its vigour is in tract of time decayed, and enfeebled. Christianity( especially if we measure it by the actions of too many) is quiter another thing from what it was of old, and bears no more proportion to its Primitive state, than our small and dwarfish bodies do, to the bulky and large stature of those that have gone before us.  
Men are apt to look big, and value themselves above their Fathers, and we have learned arts to disparaged Antiquity, and to think we are the aged with whom Wisdom dwells; but for my part, I think the streams clearest that are nearest the Fountains, and I would to God we were only as our Fathers were.  
And that I fancy we might be( at least in this Instance) if we did but exercise our own reason. Our due considering things with Gods grace, would soon reduce us to a true temper, and brings us up to Primitive Presidents.  
All the Arguments that are fit to work upon Rational Beings, do concentre here, and combine in persuading us to this Service; and would Men but allow them a place where to fix, I am confident they would move the most prejudiced tempers.  
Take but a short review of what hath been offered in this poor discourse, and be yourselves Judges: There is a plain Institution of this Service, and an express Command for the Observation of it. The reasons upon which it is recommended are the same, and will continue so to the end of all things, or rather improve, and grow stronger in every succeeding period.  
The Apostles, and those that best understood the purpose of their Lord in it, did accordingly make conscience of it, and constantly practise it, and accordingly recommended it to the Observation of all Christians, to Christs second coming.  
The nature of the thing itself requires it, and the ends to which it is instituted do even enforce it.  
It is a solemn act of Adoration and Worship, both to our God, and our dear Lord; it is a peculiar and affecting expression of our Praise; for the miracles of our Redemption, and it is the most prevailing Argument to render our Prayers, successful. And since we all acknowledge that our Worship, our giving Thanks, our Prayers to God ought to be constant, let any Man tell me, why this, that is both all these, and so advantageous to the purposes of all, should not be so too.  
It is designed to the greatest purposes of Religion, and our own good, is conducive to, and greatly Effective of them. It is a remembering our dear Lord's Death, with those transports of Praise and Joy, that are as much our Happiness as our Duty. It is the Rite of our confederating with our Lord, and receiving the pledges of his Love and Blessing. It is the means of our actual partaking the Effect of what he hath done and suffered for our good. It is the means of uniting us to the Blessed Jesus, and incorporating us into that Body, of which himself is Head, and to whom the benefit of all his glorious achievements solely redounds. And it is the only probable and sure way of cementing our fractions, composing our differences, and uniting us in the Bands of Love and Charity, in this unhappy day of Divisions; in which our firm adhesion is so needful, yea so absolutely necessary both to our own honour and safety, and the continuance and credit of that Reformed Religion, which we all seem so solicitous for.  
These are Arguments that are suited to our Reason and our Interest too; and if there be any Love and Respect to our God, to our Redeemer, to our Religion, and to the best Reformed Church upon Earth. Or if there be any Bowels of Compassions to our own Souls, and all the great Interests of it, they cannot fail of effect upon us.  
For God's sake therefore consider, and show you selves Christians, yea show yourselves Men. show some respect to your Religion, and the Laws and Constitutions of it, and to him who is the great Founder thereof. Consider what arguments, either of Reason or Interest, are proper to affect Men, and then I will begin to hope this Discourse will not be in vain.  
I am not thus earnest with you all, I thank God I need not; some of you know what is your duty, and( I doubt not) feel the Comforts of doing it. But there are too many, to whom no addresses can be too earnest in this thing, and to whom I would use that of St. Paul to his Corinthians, in a case relating to this Service; In this I commend you not.  
But I hope that I shall, and beg that I may, and therefore offer these poor Meditations to you, by which if you, or any others after you be in any measure benefited. I shall have cause to rejoice in the day of the Lord Jesus, and you with me, and both of us, the happiness to sit down together at the Supper of the Lamb( of which this is a present Symbol and Parasceve) in which we shall fill our Souls with gladness, and rise up to sing eternal Hallelujahs to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Amen.     

THE CONTENTS.  

CHAP. I. CLearing the sense of the Words, and the reasonableness of the present Collection from them, and proposing three Arguments for the truth of it.  
CHAP. II. The first Argument from what the Corinthians then did, to which this Speech relates, and wherein that great Abuse of theirs then consisted. Where something of the Love-Feast, and the Consequent Service is explained.  
CHAP. III. The Second Argument urged and driven to its full force by four Propositions. The first Proposition explained. And this Service shewed to be plainly and expressly Commanded and Instituted by our Saviour.  
CHAP. IV. The Second Proposition. The nature of Temporary Institutions considered; how to judge when any Institution is so: And the Sacrament shewed not to be any such.  
CHAP. V. The Third and Fourth Propositions. Wherein is shewed that this Service is no more limited to any Particular Time then any other Service in Christianity, and that it was accordingly understood and practised by the Apostles and Primitive Christians, as a standing part of their public Service and Worship.  
CHAP. VI. The third head of Arguments propounded; wherein the Nature of this Service is shewed; and it is considered as an Act of Worship to God; in what respects it is so, and the Argument improved from that Consideration.  
CHAP. VII. This Service is considered as a Solemn Act of Adoration, and Worship of Christ. In what respects it is so, and the Argument improved from each of them.  
CHAP. VIII. The Second Part of this Third Argument; where the ends of this Service are considered; Five of these proposed to be insisted on. The First this in the Text; to what end this remembering Christs Death is Instituted; and what an Argument each of these ends affords to the present purpose.  
CHAP. IX. A Second end of this Service insisted on, Wherein the Ancient Eastern way of striking Covenants is a little explained. The same shewed to be accommodated by our Saviour, to his purpose in the Sacrament; and the Argument improved from this also.  
CHAP. X. Divided into four Sections. In the First the third end of this Service is mentioned and explained, and the Truth of it confirmed by some peculiar and concerning considerations. In the Second another Argument from Analogy is considered, and some places of Scripture produced. In the Third that place of St. John, Chap. 6. Ver. 53. is vindicated from an Objection against the sense of it. In the Fourth the Argument from this consideration is largely Improved.  
CHAP. XI. Divided into five Sections. The fourth end of this Service is mentioned, and shewed wherein our Union to Christ consisteth. In the Second it is shewed how the Holy Sacrament is effective of this Union In the Third the Argument is improved from the First thing in which this Union consisteth, in which the necessity of Church-Communion, and the danger of Schism is a little largely considered. In the Fourth the Argument is improved from the second Instance in which this Union consists, viz. an intimate Love between Christ and Good Men, and how much it concerns Men to keep up a strong sense of it. In the Fifth the Argument is improved from the Third thing in which this Union consisteth: Being acted by the Divine Spirit: How much it concerns us to secure this, and what the Blessings and advantages of it are.  
CHAP. XII. Divided into seven Sections. In the First the last End of this Service is proposed, viz. the close Union of Christians one to another. In the Second, How this Service is Effective of it. In the Third the Argument is improved by showing the grand concernment of this to all Christians, by Scripture. In the Fourth some further considerations to show the great Importance of this. And the first of these insisted on, viz. the consideration of them as a Church. In the Fifth the second consideration proposed, their Obligation to act according to the Principles of Christian Religion. In the Sixth the third and last consideration for the concernment of Christian Love and Charity proposed, viz. the Credit or Reproach of Christian Religion among others. In the Seventh these three Reasons are considered again with a particular respect to us, and our Circumstances at this day. The Conclusion, Recapitulating the whole discourse, and pressing the serious compliance with the purpose of it.   
FINIS.   

Piety the best Rule of Orthodoxy, &c. by the same Author. 8vo.