to be administered by none but those who were qualified, called, and lawfully set apart to that work, as the apostle says, No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron, Heb. v. 4. And we may conclude, that the moral reason of the thing extends itself to the administration of the seals of the covenant, under the gospel-dispensation. It is certain, that some must be appointed, or set apart to this work, otherwise it would belong to every body, and consequently there would be no determinate administrators of these ordinances, who might be said to have a special call thereunto, from God and man. It may also be inferred from those scriptures that speak of pastors after God's own heart, who are to feed his people with knowledge and understanding, as being his special gift, Jer. iii. 15. and from what the apostle says, concerning gospel-ministers, whether extraordinary or ordinary, as being Christ's gift, when he ascended up on high, Eph. iv. 8, 11.

4. It is farther observed, that these two ordinances agree, in that they are both to be continued in the church, until Christ's second coming. Though we look and hope for more of the presence of God therein, and a greater effusion of his Spirit, to make them more effectual, and render the church more bright and glorious, as being favoured with greater degrees of the communications of divine grace; yet we have no ground to expect new ordinances, or a new dispensation to succeed this we are under, till Christ's second and most glorious coming; therefore this is called, The last time, 1 John ii. 18. Upon which account the apostle says, that the ends of the world are come upon us, 1 Cor. x. 11. by which we are to understand, that the present dispensation of the gospel that we are under, is the last we are to expect till Christ's second coming.

And this also appears, from the promise which Christ has given of his presence with his ministers and churches, when faithfully engaging in these ordinances, as he says, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, Matt. xxviii. 20. And, as his death, as was before observed, is to be shewed forth till he come, 1 Cor. xi. 26. this proves that the Lord's supper is also to be continued in the church till then. This I would the rather observe, inasmuch as it is contrary to what some maintain, who, while they hope for a greater effusion of the Spirit, and a more glorious state of the church in the latter day, are ready to extend their thoughts too far, they conclude that it will be a new dispensation, as the ordinances which the church is favoured with, at present, shall cease, particularly baptism and the Lord's Supper; which we can by no means. approve of.

II. We are now to consider wherein the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper differ.

1. It is observed that they differ, in that baptism is to be administered but once; whereas, the Lord's supper is to be administered often. This appears from two different circumstances contained in them. As for baptism, it signifies our first ingrafting into, or putting on Christ; and when denominated from the thing signified thereby, it is called, the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, Titus iii. 5. which is hoped for in this ordinance; accordingly it is considered as our first solemn dedication to Christ; and, as this is signified thereby, it is called an initiating ordinance, in which we are bound to be the Lord's; which bond holds good as long as we live, and therefore needs not to be signified, sealed, or confirmed by our being baptized a second time: But, on the other hand, the Lord's supper signifies our feeding or living upon Christ, and receiving daily supplies of grace from him, as our necessities require: Therefore this ordinance differs from baptism as it is often to be engaged in.

2. They differ, in that the former as has been before proved, is not only to be applied to the adult, if they have not been baptized before, but to the infants of believing parents, which the Lord's supper is not. In baptism, the person dedicated may be considered as being passive, and so devoted to God by the faith of another, who has a right to do this: But none are to partake of the Lord's supper but those who have such a degree of knowledge, that they are able to discern the Lord's body, and capable of performing that duty which the apostle recommends as necessary thereunto, when he says, Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup, 1 Cor. xi. 28.

I am sensible that some of the ancient church, and particularly Cyprian, in the third century, have pleaded for, and pracised the administration of the Lord's supper to infants, being led into this mistake, by supposing what does not sufficiently appear, viz. that infants among the Jews ate the passover, because whole families are said to eat it. But this does not appear to include infants; for whom another sort of food was designed: neither could they reap any advantage by it, not being capable of discerning the thing signified, or feeding on Christ, the true Paschal Lamb; which could be done no otherwise than by faith.

Others were led into this mistake from the wrong sense they gave of that scripture, in which Christ says, Except ye eat the Resh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have na life in you, John vi. 53. thinking that our Saviour meant hereby, the bread and wine in the Lord's supper. Therefore this ordi

nance was absolutely necessary to salvation; upon which account they thought that it ought to be extended to infants, as a means of their obtaining it. But it is certain this cannot be the meaning of that scripture, since the Lord's supper was not instituted, or known in the church, when our Saviour spake these words: Therefore, he intends nothing else thereby but the fiducial application of Christ's death, as an expedient for our obtaining eternal life.

QUEST. CLXXVIII. Which is Prayer?

ANSW. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.

AVING considered the things that are to be believed and done; what remains is, to enquire concerning those things that are to be prayed for, and how this great duty of prayer is to be performed. This is necessary to be insisted on, inasmuch as we are obliged to yield obedience to the revealed will of God; nevertheless, by reason of our depravity and weakness, we can do nothing that is good without his assistance, which is not to be expected, unless it be humbly desired of him; and this is what we generally call prayer; which being performed by creatures who are not only indigent, but unworthy, this is to be acknowledged, and accordingly we are, in prayer, te confess sin as the principal ground and reason of this unworthiness. And, inasmuch as God has been pleased to encourage us to hope, that we shall not seek his face in vain, who, in many instances is pleased to grant returns of prayer; this obliges us to draw nigh to him with thanksgiving. These things are particularly contained in the answer we are explaining; and the method in which we shall endeavour to speak to it, is to consider,

I. What, prayer supposes; and that is,

1. That we are dependent and indigent creatures, have many wants to be supplied, sins to be forgiven, miseries, under which we need pity and relief, and weaknesses, under which we want to be strengthened and assisted in the performance of the duties that are incumbent on us. From hence it may be inferred, that though our Lord Jesus Christ is often represented as praying to God, this is an action performed by him in his human nature; in which alone he could be said to be indigent, who, in his divine nature, is all-sufficient.

2. It supposes that God, who is the object of prayer, is regarded by us, not only as able, but willing to help us; and

that he has encouraged us to draw nigh to him for relief: And therefore it is a duty that more especially belongs to those who are favoured with the hope of the gospel.

II. We shall now shew how prayer is to be considered, as to the various kinds hereof; and accordingly we are represented as drawing nigh to God, with an humble sense of our secret sins and wants, which none but God and our own consciences are privy to. This kind of prayer our Saviour intends, when he says, Thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly, Mat. vi. 6. and we have an instance hereof in himself; inasmuch, as it is said, that when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray, chap. xiv. 23. also, Peter went up upon the house-top to pray, Acts x. 9. in which, being retired from the world, he had a greater liberty to pour forth his soul unto God.

Moreover, we are to join with others in performing this duty, in which we confess those sins, and implore a supply of those wants that are common to all who are engaged therein: This our Saviour encourages us to do, when he says, If two of you shall agree on earth, as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them, Mat. xviii. 19, 20. This is a branch of social worship, and is to be performed by every family apart, whereof we have an example in Cornelius, concerning whom it is said, that he was a devout man, and feared God with all his house, and prayed to him always; and that he did this, at certain times, in his house, Acts x. 2. compared with ver. 30. Moreover, this duty is to be performed publicly in the church, or any worshipping assembly met together for that purpose: Of this we have an instance in the apostle Paul, who, when he had called for the elders of the church at Ephesus, designing to take his leave of them, after an affectionate discourse, and suitable advice given to them, he kneeled down and prayed with them all, chap. xx. 36.

Again, prayer may be considered as that for which a stated time is set apart by us, either alone, or with others; or, that which is occasional, short, and ejaculatory, consisting in a secret lifting up of our hearts to God, and may be done when we are engaged in other business of a different nature, without being a let or hindrance to it: Thus it is said that Nehemiah prayed, when he has going to deliver the cup into the king's hand, between the king's asking him a question, and his returning him an answer to it; which seems to be the meaning of what is said in Neh. ii. 4, 5. Then the king said unto me; for

what dost thou make request? so I prayed to the God of heaven, and I said unto the king, &c. These ejaculatory prayers are either such as we put up to God while engaged in worldly business for direction, assistance, or success therein; or when attending on the word read or preached, or any other holy duties, in which we lift up our hearts to him for his presence therein.

III. The next thing to be considered, is, the various parts of prayer; and these are three, viz. Confession of sin; petition for a supply of our wants; and thanksgiving for mercies received. Confession of sin supposes that we are guilty, and deserve punishment from God; petition supposes, that we are miserable and helpless; and thanksgiving implies, a disposition to own God, the author of all the good we enjoy or hope for, and includes in it a due sense of those undeserved favours we have received from him.

From this general account of the duty of prayer, and the parts thereof, we may infer,

1. That the two former of them, namely, confession of sin, and petition for relief, under the various miseries and distresses which we are liable to, is only applicable to those who are in a sinful and imperfect state, as believers are in this world. As for glorified saints in heaven, they have no sins to be confessed, nor any miseries under which they need help and pity. As for that part of prayer which consists of thanksgiving for mercies already received, that, indeed, is agreeable to a perfect state, and is represented as the constant work of glorified saints: Thus the Psalmist says, The heavens, that is, the inhabitants thereof, shall praise thy wonders, O Lord, thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints, Psal. lxxxix. 5.

2. Sinners, who have lost their day of grace, against whom the door of hope and mercy is shut, who are enduring the punishment of sin in hell, these are not properly the subjects of prayer; concerning whom it may be said, not only that they cannot pray, being destitute of those graces that are necessary thereunto; but having no interest in a Mediator, or in the promises of the covenant of grace, which are a warrant and encouragement for the performance of this duty.

3. In this world, wherein we enjoy the means of grace, none are the subjects of prayer but man. The Psalmist, indeed, speaks of God's giving to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry, Psal. cxlvii. 9. and elsewhere it is said, He provideth for the raven his food, when his young ones cry unto God, Job. xxxviii. 41. The meaning of which is, not that brute creatures formally address themselves to God for a supply of their wants, having no idea of a divine being; but, that, when they complain for want of food, the providence of God