A86524:39
The covenant of grace opened
The covenant of grace opened: wherein these particulars are handled; viz. 1. What the covenant of grace is, 2. what the seals of the covenant are, 3. who are the parties and subjects fit to receive these seals. From all which particulars infants baptism is fully proved and vindicated. Being several sermons preached at Hartford in New-England. / By that reverend and faithful minister of the gospel, Mr Thomas Hooker.The covenant of grace opened: wherein these particulars are handled; viz. 1. What the covenant of grace is, 2. what the seales of the covenant are, 3. who are the parties and subjects fit to receive these seales. From all which particulars infants baptisme is fully proved and vindicated. Being severall sermons preached at Hartford in New-England. / By that reverend and faithfull minister of the gospel, Mr Thomas Hooker.
London: printed by G. Dawson, 1649
THE Covenant of Grace opened in several Sermons.THE Covenant of Grace opened in severall Sermons.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
In 1 Cor. 10.1, 2, 3, 4. I would not have you ignorant, that all our fathers were under the Cloud, and all passed through the Sea, &c. I will show you the scope of the Apostle; His aim is to pull a way the carnal confidence which they placed in their privileges, which they thought would preserve them from plagues: They could say, we have Baptism and the Supper of the Lord, we eat the flesh of Christ, and drink his blood, and are advanced, so that we shall be preserved from such plagues. No (saith the Apostle) these will not do it; for I can show you a people had these as well as you, which were overthrown and destroyed in the wilderness; they were as eminent as you, and yet they were destroyed, they had the Cloud and the Sea, as well as you have Baptism; and they had Manna, and the water out of the Rock, as well as you have bread and wine in the Supper of the Lord; yet their privileges would not preserve them; no more will yours preserve you. This is the meaning of God in the words; so as it is a folly for us to think, if we sin as they did, that we should not be plagued as they were. They that are truly said to be truly baptized in the right use of their Sacraments, their Sacraments are the like with ours: but so they are said to be by the Spirit of God: They were baptized, are the words of the Text, and therefore if we should deny it, we deny the words of the Spirit of God, which is blasphemy to do. The reason lies in the phrase: not because the signs are the same, though the same thing be signified: instead of Baptism is the Cloud and Sea; the red Sea held forth the like good to them, as ours to us, the force is the same; there is the like virtue in the one, as in the other: They are the flesh of Christ, and drank the blood of Christ, as we do: The Manna, and the Water out of the Rock, was the same with our Supper of the Lord; for the good of the Supper is Christ, he is there, and our spirits feast; His flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed; the whole does signify and exhibit CHRIST it is like ours, the elements are not the same, but there is the same spiritual food, and they seal up the ⟨p. 10⟩same Christ to them as to us, Christ is presented as spiritual refreshing to them and us. It is a dream of Bellarmine, they were not the same with ours; for though theirs were extraordinary: yet that hinders not the Argument;