partaking of one bread. This clearly fhews us, that the church fhould all communicate at the fame time, and not at different times, as is the custom with many in Scotland. This ordinance is much calculated to promote mutual love, and to reprefent the complete feparation which the gospel makes between Chriftians and the world. It is a fign or witness to those who look for him, that the Lord will come again without fin unto falvation, and is thus intended to ftrengthen their faith and hope. It No ordinance has been more generally or grofsly perverted and misunderstood than this. was changed at Corinth into a common entertainment; afterwards the elements came to be worshipped; and still fuperftition and a spirit of bondage in regard to it, which have no foundation in Scripture, too much prevail. Some will not partake, they are fo unworthy: "are not these feeking juftification, as it were, by the works of the law? Does Chrift receive only the worthy? In fuch words and thoughts there wanteth not fin, although attired in the garb of humility. Is not their language exactly that of the slothful fervant, "I knew thee that thou art an hard man?" He was too humble, too diffident of his abilities to make use of his talent, and some are too diffident of themselves to fit down at the table of the Lord; but they are not aware that this arifes in fact from diftruft in Chrift, froin pride and felf-righ the righteousness of God, and to receive mercy as guilty finners, totally independent of their own worthiness. It is a fimilar error which has produced the objection that weekly communion will deftroy all folemnity. Does frequency in prayer make us lefs folemn in the duty? Does the weekly return of the Lord's day destroy its folemnity? Should we be more folemn at family-worship, if we only attended to the duty once a-month? But the Lord's fupper, it is faid, is more folemn than any other duty. Where do we learn this? Not in Scripture *. We must not believe every spirit, but try the spirits by the testimony of God. It may feem as if we argued against folemnity; but we only argue against attaching fuch a degree of folemnity to one ordinance, as tends to make us tremble to obferve it with due frequency, and diminishes our reverence for others appointed by the fame authority. We do not argue against the folemnity of this ordinance, we argue for the due folemnity of every ordinance t. * Some think that this is implied in the precept to examine ourselves in connection with this ordinance, 1 Cor. xi. 29. But this caution was rendered neceffary by the abuse of the ordi nance. For a more particular account of this ordinance, fee Randal and Erskine on Frequent Communion. Alfo a Letter, by the Author, to the church of Chrift affembling in the Tabernacle, Edinburgh, with Miscellaneous Observations. partaking of one bread. This clearly fhews us, that the church fhould all communicate at the fame time, and not at different times, as is the custom with many in Scotland. This ordinance is much calculated to promote mutual love, and to reprefent the complete feparation which the gofpel makes between Chriftians and the world. It is a fign or witness to those who look for him, that the Lord will come again without fin unto falvation, and is thus intended to strengthen their faith and hope. * No ordinance has been more generally or grofsly perverted and misunderstood than this. It was changed at Corinth into a common entertainment; afterwards the elements came to be worfhipped; and ftill fuperftition and a spirit of bondage in regard to it, which have no foundation in Scripture, too much prevail. Some will not partake, they are fo unworthy: are not these feeking juftification, as it were, by the works of the law? Does Chrift receive only the worthy? In fuch words and thoughts there wanteth not fin, although attired in the garb of humility. Is not their language exactly that of the flothful fervant, "I knew thee that thou art an hard man?" He was too humble, too diffident of his abilities to make use of his talent, and fome are too diffident of themselves to fit down at the table of the Lord; but they are not aware that this arifes in fact from diftruft in Chrift, from pride and self-righ the righteousness of God, and to receive mercy as guilty finners, totally independent of their own worthiness. It is a fimilar error which has produced the objection that weekly communion will destroy all folemnity. Does frequency in prayer make us lefs folemn in the duty? Does the weekly return of the Lord's day destroy its folemnity? Should we be more folemn at family-worship, if we only attended to the duty once a-month? But the Lord's fupper, it is said, is more folemn than any other duty. Where do we learn this? Not in Scripture *. We must not believe every fpirit, but try the spirits by the teftimony of God. It may seem as if we argued against folemnity; but we only argue against attaching such a degree of folemnity to one ordinance, as tends to make us tremble to observe it with due frequency, and diminishes our reverence for others appointed by the same authority. We do not argue against the folemnity of this ordinance, we argue for the due folemnity of every ordinance t. * Some think that this is implied in the precept to examine ourselves in connection with this ordinance, 1 Cor. xi. 29. But this caution was rendered neceffary by the abuse of the ordi nance. + For a more particular account of this ordinance, fee Randal and Erskine on Frequent Communion. Alfo a Letter, by the Author, to the church of Chrift affembling in the Tabernacle, Edinburgh, with Miscellaneous Observations. name. SECTION IV. Of Prayer and Praife. We have taken notice of the gracious promife which the Lord has made to his difciples, to be in the midft of two or three affembled in his This not only implies that it is his will that they should affemble together, it also teaches the affemblies of his people to expect his fuperintendance and bleffing. Yet for all the bleffings he bestows, he will be enquired of by them. Prayer is an expreflion of our dependence on God. It implies a fense of our own infufficiency, and confidence in God as the giver of every good and perfect gift. It is therefore an important duty in members of the fame church, to bear one another on their hearts before God. But we now speak of prayer as an ordinance of God for his people when affembled. He has faid, that where two agree on earth touching what they fhall afk, he will do it for them, Matt. xviii. 19. Whenever any emergency occurs in a church, any difficulty, for instance, or cafe of difcipline, it is the duty of a church to be earnest in prayer. In their ordinary and stated meetings, this ought also to form an impor tant part of their exercifes. In proportion as religion profpers in a church, will a fpirit of grace and fupplication make this manifest. |