GEORGE GILLESPIE

On Infant Baptism.
1 Corinthians 10:1-5

1. They were first brought out of Egypt before they were brought through the sea, so we are first redeemed by Christ, and find grace and favour in his eyes, before we receive the seals of the covenant of grace. Baptism is intended only for the redeemed of the Lord.
2. They were baptised unto Moses, that is, Moses was the leader and commander of the people, and he the captain of their salvation, or rather Moses was a typical mediator, typifying Christ; or they were baptised unto Moses, that is, they were by baptism dedicated and consecrated to that covenant, promise of life, faith and obedience, which God revealed by the hand of Moses; so are we baptised unto Christ, or unto his death, and the benefits and fruits thereof. The same covenant of grace, for substance, was sealed by their baptism and ours.
3. That baptism of theirs did visibly separate between them and the Egyptians, for the cloud divided them from the Egyptians, and the sea drowned the Egyptians; so our baptism, which is unto us a token of salvation, is unto aliens, and those without, a token of perdition, and distinguisheth between the church and the rest of the world.
4. Their baptism was by water, both in the sea and cloud (it being also probably conceived that they were sprinkled with drops both of the sea and cloud); so is ours by water.
5. The sea resembleth the water, the cloud resembleth the Spirit, in our baptism; that is, beside the water in baptism, the Spirit is also poured out from on high, and there is an influence of grace from above, according to the good pleasure of God's will, upon so many as are ordained to eternal life.
6. They passed but once through the Red Sea, but the cloud continued always with them in the wilderness. So the external baptism is a transient action, and but once used to one person, not reiterated; but the Spirit and gracious presence of God continueth ever with them in this world.
7. They passed through the sea, and were under the cloud, and so baptised, before they did eat of the manna, or drink of water out of the rock; so must we be baptised before we are fit to receive the Lord's supper. 8. All that were baptised in the sea and cloud were not acceptable to God, for with many of them God was not well pleased, and he sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest; so of those that are now baptised many are excluded from the heavenly Canaan.

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