4
continued. Thirdly, as they continued daily in the Temple at the hours of prayer, to perform their solemn devotions there, so they daily received the Holy Sacrament, and ate this spiritual food "with gladness and singleness of heart." This being indeed the chief part of their devotions, whensoever they could meet together to perform them. Especially upon the Lord's Day, as the Holy Ghost Himself informs us, saying, "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, being ready to depart on the morrow," (Acts xx. 7.); where we see, they did not only break bread, or administer the Sacrament of our Lord's Supper upon the first day of the week, which we, from St. John, call the Lord's Day; but upon that day they came together for that end and purpose. It is true, St. Paul being to go away next day, he took that opportunity when they were met together for that end, to give them a Sermon. But that was not the end of their meeting together at that time. They did not come to hear a Sermon, though St. Paul himself was to preach, but they came together to administer and receive Christ's Mystical Body and Blood; which plainly shews, that this was the great work they did every Lord's Day: and that they came together then on purpose to meet with Christ, and to partake of Him at His own table. And seeing that the Law itself required, "that none should appear before the Lord empty, (Exod. xxiii. 15.); therefore St. Paul requires, that upon the first day of the week, when Christians thus met together to receive the Sacrament, "every one should lay by him in store, as God prospered him, for pious and charitable uses," (1 Cor. xvi. 2.) And hence proceeded that custom which is still continued in our Church, and ought to be so in all. That whensoever we appear before the Lord at His own table, we, every one, according to his ability, offer up something to Him, of what He had bestowed upon us, as our acknowledgment of His bounty to us, in giving us whatsoever we have, and of His infinite mercy in giving Himself for us.
Now seeing the Apostles themselves, and such as they first converted and instructed in the faith of Christ, usually received this Holy Sacrament every day in the week, and constantly upon the Lord's Day; it cannot be doubted, but that they looked upon themselves as obliged by Christ's command to do so: and that when He said, "Do this, as often as ye do it, in remembrance of
