A47542:111
A golden mine opened, or, The glory of God's rich grace displayed in the mediator to believers, and his direful wrath against impenitent sinners containing the substance of near forty sermons upon several subjects / by Benjamin Keach.
London: printed by the author, 1694
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.
Secondly, By Chaff may also be meant, Sin, Filth and Corruption, 1which cleaveth to the Hearts and Lives of true believers, which Christ by the Fan of his Word, Spirit, and Afflictions, as you have heard, purges out: He shall purify the Sons of Levi, and purge them as Gold and Silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. This is spoken of Jesus Christ, 2whose Fan is in his hand: It shows his Work and Office, ⟨p. 27⟩namely, to refine and fan his People, not only Members, but Ministers also, signified by the Sons of Levi, that they all may offer acceptable Service unto God: Besides, our Lord Jesus sometimes makes use of wicked Men as a Fan in his hand to purge his People, and thus he did of old fan Israel by the Babylonians, and by the Assyrians; I will send unto Babylon Fanners, as I have sometime fanned and scattered my people by them; so will 3I fan them by the Medes and Persians, who shall empty the Land of them; After Christ hath fanned or purged away the Chaff and Filth of the Daughter of Zion, he will fan their Enemies, and they being all Chaff, the wind of his Indignation will drive them away. Let this be noted, that Christ hath many ways to fan and purge his People, yet still it is for their good, and they shall lose nothing but their chaff, their Sin and Corruptions thereby.
Secondly, By Chaff may also be meant, Sin, Filth and Corruption, 1which cleaveth to the Hearts and Lives of true believers, which Christ by the Fan of his Word, Spirit, and Afflictions, as you have heard, purges out: He shall purify the Sons of Levi, and purge them as Gold and Silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. This is spoken of Jesus Christ, 2whose Fan is in his hand: It shews his Work and Office, ⟨p. 27⟩namely, to refine and fan his People, not only Members, but Ministers also, signified by the Sons of Levi, that they all may offer acceptable Service unto God: Besides, our Lord Jesus sometimes makes use of wicked Men as a Fan in his hand to purge his People, and thus he did of old fan Israel by the Babylonians, and by the Assyrians; I will send unto Babylon Fanners, as I have sometime fanned and scattered my people by them; so will 3I fan them by the Medes and Persians, who shall empty the Land of them; After Christ hath fanned or purged away the Chaff and Filth of the Daughter of Zion, he will fan their Enemies, and they being all Chaff, the wind of his Indignation will drive them away. Let this be noted, that Christ hath many ways to fan and purge his People, yet still it is for their good, and they shall lose nothing but their chaff, their Sin and Corruptions thereby.
Quest. Fourthly, Why are the Saints compared to Wheat?
Answ. I answer, for many Reasons.
11. Wheat is a choice Grain, the best Grain, so true Believers are a choice People in Christ's sight: The righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour; they are called the excellent in all the Earth. God calls his People his Jewels, or choice Treasure; they are men of a high and heavenly Birth, of a high sublime and excellent Spirit, they are espoused by an excellent person, act and are influenced by excellent principles, and have glorious Ends and Aims in all they do; and from hence may be compared to Wheat.
2. Wheat hath much pains used with it, the ground must be made good, it must be well ploughed and manured before the Wheat is sown; so the hearts of poor sinners must be first made good, and by spiritual Convictions be ploughed up, before the seed of Grace is sown; for like as Believers are compared to Wheat, so is also the Grace of God.
2. Wheat hath much pains used with it, the ground must be made good, it must be well plow'd and manured before the Wheat is sown; so the hearts of poor sinners must be first made good, and by spirituall Convictions be plowed up, before the seed of Grace is sown; for like as Believers are compared to Wheat, so is also the Grace of God.
Wheat must be weeded as well as gathered into the Barn, and also Threshed, fanned, and well Purged.
Believers may be compared to Wheat upon this respect, Christ takes much pains (to speak after the manner of men) with his own Elect, not only by Ploughing, Manuring, but by sowing, watering, weeding, fanning and Purging them like Wheat.
Believers may be compared to Wheat upon this respect, Christ takes much pains (to speak after the manner of men) with his own Elect, not only by Plowing, Manuring, but by sowing, watering, weeding, fanning and Purging them like Wheat.
3. Wheat will endure cold Frosts and Snow, and all manner of bitter and sharp Weather, better than any other Grain. Sow Barley before Winter, and you will find but little of it will live, but Wheat will live in the sharpest Winter that can come; ⟨p. 28⟩what a good Harvest had we here in England after the last great Frost; alas, the Wheat was not destroyed thereby, but was made better, the Weeds and Worms being killed, which is found to hurt and annoy it oft-times.
3. Wheat will endure cold Frosts and Snow, and all manner of bitter and sharp Weather, better than any other Grain. Sow Barly before Winter, and you will find but little of it will live, but Wheat will live in the sharpest Winter that can come; ⟨p. 28⟩what a good Harvest had we here in England after the last great Frost; alas, the Wheat was not destroyed thereby, but was made better, the Weeds and Worms being killed, which is found to hurt and annoy it oft-times.
Even so sincere Christians, who are Christs Spiritual Wheat, abide faithful under the greatest Trials, Persecutions and Afflictions they can meet withal; they endure the Frosts and bitter North-Winds of Tribulation, and furious Storms of the Wrath of wicked men, which kills the false-hearted Professor, they die and wither away, they can't live, and maintain their seeming hope and Confidence, when true Believers can; a Hypocrite is but Summer Corn, or rather Weeds or Tares that spring up with the Wheat, tho' they look like it, yet are only the product of Natural Conscience, or the common Influences of the Sun, or Gospel of Jesus Christ.
4. An Ear of Wheat when it is near ripe doth hang down its head, the Corn being full and weighty, when light and empty Ears hold up theirs; commonly a light and chaffy Ear stands strait upright, in a lofty manner.
So a true gracious Christian is of an humble Spirit, he hangs down his head (as it were) and is ashamed of his best Duties and Services, seeing so great weaknesses and Infirmities to attend him; he abhors himself, yea, loathes himself; he knows he hath nothing to glory in, but in the Cross of Jesus Christ; he sees himself nothing; Unto me who am less than the least of all Saints, is 1this Grace given, (saith Paul:) what an humble Person was he, what a full and weighty Ear of choice Wheat was this Apostle: If you see a Man or Woman proud, or of an haughty and conceited Spirit, being lifted up, you may conclude they are but empty Ears, no true Grace being in their hearts.
So a true gracious Christian is of an humble Spirit, he hangs down his head (as it were) and is ashamed of his best Duties and Services, seeing so great weaknesses and Infirmities to attend him; he abhors himself, yea, loaths himself; he knows he hath nothing to glory in, but in the Cross of Jesus Christ; he sees himself nothing; Vnto me who am less than the least of all Saints, is 1this Grace given, (saith Paul:) what an humble Person was he, what a full and weighty Ear of choice Wheat was this Apostle: If you see a Man or Woman proud, or of an haughty and conceited Spirit, being lifted up, you may conclude they are but empty Ears, no true Grace being in their hearts.
5. Wheat hath its Chaff cleaving oft-times close to it, yea, it will stick and cleave so to it, that it is not easily separated.
So it is with Christs Spiritual Wheat, the filth or Chaff of internal Corruption is very subject to cleave to them, and hard it is for them to get rid of it. When I would do good, Sin is present with me, for the good I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not do, that do I.1
Oh! wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of Death! 1I am (as if he should say) even wearied with continual Combating, I cannot get rid of this dead Body, this inward Filth and Corruption, the remainders of Sin in my flesh; this Chaff cleaves to all Christs Wheat.
6. Wheat is of prime and chiefest use, of it excellent things are made, as Meat for Princes. So the Lords faithful People are of chief use in Gods hand of all others; the Lips of the Righteous feed many.
7. That Nation that abounds with the finest Wheat is esteemed a choice Land, a happy Nation: So likewise that Kingdom and Nation in which are abundance of godly Christians, it is a happy Kingdom, a blessed Nation, because such are the common Interest of the Land or Place where they dwell; they are called the Pillars of the Earth.
7. That Nation that abounds with the finest Wheat is esteemed a choice Land, a happy Nation: So likewise that Kingdom and Nation in which are abundance of godly Christians, it is a happy Kingdom, a blessed Nation, because such are the common Interest of the Land or Place where they dwell; they are called the Pillers of the Earth.
