The Covenant Sealed, Title page 1 – To the reader 1
THE Covenant Sealed OR, A TREATISE OF THE SACRAMENTS of both COVENANTS, POLEMICALL and PRACTICALL.
ESPECIALLY Of the Sacraments of the Covenant of Grace.
IN WHICH,
The nature of them is laid open,
The adaequate ſubject is largely inquired into, reſpective
to right and proper intereſt.
to fitneſſe for admiſſion to actual participation.
Their neceſſity is made known.
Their whole Ʋſe and Efficacy is ſet forth.
Their number in Old and New Teſtament-times is determined.
With ſeveral neceſſary and uſeful Corollaries.
Together with a brief Anſwer to Reverend Mr. Baxter's Apology, in defence of the Treatiſe of the Covenant.
By Thomas Blake, M. A. Paſtor of Tamworth, in the Counties of Stafford and Warwick.
Davenant. de morte Chriſti, pag. 1.
Neque tam pugnam meditor, aut dimicationem; quam planam & pacatam totius rei explicationem, ad conflictum cum nullo hoſte ventures, niſi ita ſe nobis obviam dederit; ut non poſſumus aliter, quam pugnando, viam ad veritatem aperire.
London, Printed for Abel Roper, at the Sun againſt Danſtans Church in Fleet-ſtreet, 1655.
To the Right Worſhipfull, Sir FRANCIS NETHERSOLE of Netherſole in the County of Kent, Knight.
THe great engagements in which I ſtand by many favours received, to much Honoured friends of yours, put me on, to ſend forth a former Treatiſe into publick view under their names. This being of ſo near affinity, I thought it meet that it ſhould come abroad under the Patronage of one of ſo near alliance. I need not mention my particular engagements, which you do not deſire I know to hear. Since the time, that after your great imployments hath at home and abroad, in affaires of State God hath been pleaſed to ſeat you in theſe parts; your ſingular candour towards all thoſe that labour in the Work, to which through grace I am called is eminently ſeen. You were tenderly conſciencious, without great caution put, to adventure on the purchaſe of a Mannor to which an Impropriation was annext, which yet for many reaſons you could not without great inconvenience avoid. And notwithſtanding a Vicarage there endowed, which others (though not you) would have judged a competency, your great care was as ſoon as you were fully poſſeſſed, finding an Incumbent there, whom you had no reaſon to encourage, nor power to remove, to ſuperinduce others, one after other, in a more happy, and edifying way; to carry on that work. It was no ſooner void, but you took care to ſettle one of eminent gifts and graces, with that liberal munificence, that a free School for poor children, built at your proper coſt, being provided for, little remains yours, of that part of your purchaſe. Your ſollicitous care is ſtill, no leſſe (whereof there are many knowing witneſſes) how to ſettle it with all poſsible ſpeed upon poſterity, in ſuch a way, that God may be moſt honoured, and piety advanced by it. Which alſo (as I have heard from your own mouth) your much honoured and pious Lady deceaſed, did often perſwade to haſten; although ſhe well knew, that out of your love to her, you had by your laſt Will and Teſtament deviſed to her, that whole Lordſhip of Polesworth (to a fourth part whereof ſhe was heir) and all the reſt of your Eſtate in theſe parts, for an increaſe of her Joynture. If the Lord Chriſt tells us, that the coſt which that Pious woman ſpent on him, ſhould be told for a memorial of her, whereſoever in the world the Goſpel ſhould be preacht; I ſuppoſe that this which you have done, may be mentioned for your honour, with hers, that reſts in the Lord: whereſoever this ſmall piece by Providence ſhall come to be read. I may well look upon you, as one of the moſt acute of my Readers: If therefore this may gain your favour, I ſhall have leſſe cauſe to fear others cenſure; Though in ſo great variety of things, as are here toucht upon, and ſo much controverſal, I cannot expect that any one ſhould ſubſcribe to every piece. The whole may be ſerviceable, though ſome part remain under diſpute. As it fares with me in reading the Labours of many others, ſo I may well expect that it will be with others, in reading any thing of mine. Your great zeal, as to the whole of the worſhip of God, ſo to this part here treated of, where you are known, cannot be hid. Your complaint hath often been, of the ſad neglect of the Lords Supper; and it lyes as a ſad burden on the ſpirits of many eminently Pious ſervants of Jeſus Chriſt, that they ſee not a door opened for their comfortable, and orderly adminiſtration and participation of it. If any thing be here ſaid to give any further light in theſe ſacred myſteries, and to facilitate the way of adminiſtration to pious diſpenſers, ſo, as the honour of the Ordinance may be preſerved, and the edification of ſoules promoted, I have that which I deſire, and have made my endeavour. The Lord honour your hoare hairs with everlaſting dayes, and give you the comfort of all that you have done, in, and for his Name: Sir, I am
From my Study in Tamworth, Jun. 5. 1655. Your Servant in any Chriſtian Office, Thomas Blake.
Worthy Reader,
THe holy Scripture puts an eminent character, Acts 18.24, 25, &c. upon Apollos, then but an alphabetarian in the Goſpel-doctrine, That he was an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures of the Old Teſtament. And if I would cut by this pattern, and that either the Reverend Author, whoſe learned Works have already ſpoken him to the Church: Or this Judicious Treatiſe which now fitly followes its elder brother under the name of the Covenant ſealed, ſtood in need of an Epiſtle Commendatory, I ſhould not be aſhamed, both to teſtifie my honour of the man, and my valuation of his Work; and yet neither I, nor any other man in this caſe ought to be interpreted, as foreign, a propugnatour of every opinion in the book by him commended to the Preſſe; no more than the Midwife is accountable for every imperfection of the child by her brought forth to light.
I confeſſe I had the liberty and honour afforded me to peruſe this Treatiſe before it ſaw the Preſſe; but my indiſpoſition of body prohibited me of making a full ſurvey: onelyonly my greedy eye led me ſo far as that I could make obſervation of two things: 1. The predominant ſcope of the Authour in this work. 2. The purſuance thereof as to the main. The ſcope is rare, viz. An Eſſay to find a way of regular admiſſion unto, and holy adminiſtration of the Lords Supper, between thoſe extreams of promiſcuous intruſion on the one hand, and the total forbearance of it on the other, both which do afflict the ſpirits of the godly that are caſt into broken Congregations all the Land over without Card or Compaſſe to ſteer by to their comfort; and ſo it is very likely to be a word ſpoken upon his wheeles to many Miniſters, who may find here a thred to direct them out of thoſe labyrinths and perplexities out of which they find it hard to extricate themſelves.
And then in purſuance of this main ſcope, and indeed in all the parts of the Treatiſe that I have read: Scriptures are balanced and pondered ſo Judiciouſly, and there is ſo much demonſtration of acuteneſſe of judgement, ſolidity of reaſon, ſweetneſſe and candour of ſpirit, that if thou in reading diſlodge prejudice, and hold the ſcale even, I hope thou ſhalt not write upon thy pains, Labour in vain. Vale, fruere.
Laurence-Jury, London, June 12. 1655. Thine in the Lord, Ri. Vines.