A47542:1203
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.
3. And let it be considered, that Jesus Christ became not our Surety to pay our Debts, or to satisfy for our Sins which we stood charged with before our Conversion, but also for all our Sins after ⟨p. 277⟩we believe: his Blood was a plenary Satisfaction for all; so that Christ says (as it were) to the Father, as Judah to Jacob, I thy Servant am become Surety for these, and every one of these that thou hast given to me; and if I bring them not to thee, and set them not before thee in Heaven, then let me bear the blame for ever. Or he may say, as Paul speaketh concerning his Son Onesimus; If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on my Account. 1I Paul have written it with my own Hand, I will repay it, &c. Thus Christ may say, Father, charge the Sins, the Debts that my Saints have, and shall commit, to me, I will be accountable for them: And indeed he hath already done it, once for all; and not only so, but to bring them all to Heaven, and this in a most high and sublime Covenant and Holy Compact he made with the Father before the World began: therefore not one Soul of them can perish.
4. Consider also, that in pursuit of this Covenant and Suretyship, Jesus Christ hath suffered Death, spilt his own precious Blood, which the Father doth accept of as their full Discharge: and shall any once suppose that one Soul of his People for whom he thus struck Hands and died for, and took into his Care and Charge, shall eternally miscarry?
4. Consider also, that in pursuit of this Covenant and Suretiship, Jesus Christ hath suffered Death, spilt his own precious Blood, which the Father doth accept of as their full Discharge: and shall any once suppose that one Soul of his People for whom he thus struck Hands and died for, and took into his Care and Charge, shall eternally miscarry?
5. Consider, that as they are in Christ's Hands, and he hath suffered Death for them, and in their stead, so also, that the Merits of his Blood might become effectual to them, he is every ways fitted, endowed and qualified with all things whatsoever that is necessary, in order to his actual Discharge of this great Trust he hath taken upon him. (1.) He hath received the Spirit without measure, to the end he might have that and all Grace that is needful, to communicate to every one of his Saints as he sees necessary for them; and it is laid up in his Hand, not given all at once to them; but they shall have all their Wants supplied according to his Riches in Glory. (2.) He hath Wisdom enough also, for he is Wisdom it self.1 (3.) He is clothed with Power also; he is a Saviour, a great One: Pray hear what he himself saith; I that speak in Righteousness, 2mighty to save. All Power is given to me in Heaven and Earth, 3&c. He cannot fail for want of Power as Mediator, let the States or Straits of any Soul of his, be what they will, or of any that rely upon him or come unto him; Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost, all that come to God by him. Nay, and this Power is 4given to him to this very end, namely, not only to quicken and renew them, but also to perfect Holiness in them, and to bring ⟨p. 278⟩them to Heaven at last: As thou hast given him Power over all Flesh, that he should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him.5
5. Consider, that as they are in Christ's Hands, and he hath suffered Death for them, and in their stead, so also, that the Merits of his Blood might become effectual to them, he is every ways fitted, endowed and qualified with all things whatsoever that is necessary, in order to his actual Discharge of this great Trust he hath taken upon him. (1.) He hath received the Spirit without measure, to the end he might have that and all Grace that is needful, to communicate to every one of his Saints as he sees necessary for them; and it is laid up in his Hand, not given all at once to them; but they shall have all their Wants supplied according to his Riches in Glory. (2.) He hath Wisdom enough also, for he is Wisdom it self.
6. Consider the strict Charge the Father hath given to Christ, as he hath put all Believers into his Hand. (1.) A Charge to redeem them; he laid down his Life as the Father commanded him. (2.) See that in Isa. 49. 9. That thou mayst say to the Prisoners, Go forth; and to them that are in Darkness, Show your selves. He had a Charge to call his Elect out of the Grave of Sin, and to knock off their Fetters, to open their Eyes, and to heal their Wounds. (3.) He hath a Charge to lead them: For he that hath Mercy on them shall lead them, even by the Spring of the Waters shall he guide 1them. Christ hath the Conduct of these redeemed Captives, which we have fully proved by his being called a Shepherd. (4.) He hath received a Charge to receive all the Father hath given him; and those that come unto him, he saith, he will in no 2wise cast out. And this he doth not only out of his own Affections and B. wells to all such poor Sinners, but also as in discharge of his Office as all are put into his Hand. (5.) He hath received also a Charge to perfect that good Work that he hath begun in them: The bruised Reed shall he not break, 3and the smoking Flax shall he not quench, till he hath brought forth Judgment unto Victory. He will carry on that Work in the Soul till it i completed; He shall do this, saith the Father, this is part of his Work and Office which he hath accepted of: And our Saviour takes notice of this thing as his Father's Will and Charge given unto him; And this is the Father's Will that sent me, that of 4all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last Day. My Father sent me to cherish and take care of the poorest and weakest Soul that he hath given me, and to see that none of them be lost; I must, as if he should say, strengthen their Faith, subdue their Corruptions, and never leave them till I present them all before my Father, without Spot, at the last Day. (6) He must give an Account of them also at the last Day, and he will present them all without Blame before the Father, in Love, and say, Behold, here am I, and the Children which thou gavest me, none of them are lost.
7. Consider in what Relation all Believers stand unto him in, as well as he hath them in his Hand, they are his Brethren, nay ⟨p. 279⟩more, his Seed, his Off-spring, his own Children begotten, and born of his own Spirit; they are the Members of his own mystical Body, his own Spouse, yea, of his Body, of his Flesh, and of his Bone: and will not this, think you, greatly move him, excite and stir up his tender Heart to hold them fast in his Hand, and keep them from perishing?
8. Consider his Faithfulness; is it looked upon as one of the worst Blots any Mortal can have upon him, to betray his Trust, or not to discharge it with all care and faithfulness, especially where the Life of a Person is concerned? And shall not our Lord Jesus faithfully discharge his Trust? Will he fail any poor Believer under Temptation, or leave him to the Power of Sin and Satan, when the Life of the Soul is concerned? O what is the Natural Life of the Body, to the Eternal Life of the Soul? Now are all the Godly put into Christ's Hand, and hath he accepted of this Trust, viz. to keep all the Father hath given him unto Everlasting Life, and not suffer the Soul of any one to be lost, and will he not be faithful? O how faithful hath he been to the Father in all things, and to the Souls of those that are already safely landed on the other side of the Grace; and will he not be as faithful to all that yet remain in this lower World? Alas, he knows how weak and frail we are, and that without him we can do nothing: He is faithful, and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able; and will also with the Temptation make way for our 1escape, that we may be able to bear it. For in that himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted: He has 2a Fellow-feeling of our Infirmities, and hath Compassion of the 3Ignorant, and such that are out of the Way.
8. Consider his Faithfulness; is it look'd upon as one of the worst Blots any Mortal can have upon him, to betray his Trust, or not to discharge it with all care and faithfulness, especially where the Life of a Person is concerned? And shall not our Lord Jesus faithfully discharge his Trust? Will he fail any poor Believer under Temptation, or leave him to the Power of Sin and Satan, when the Life of the Soul is concerned? O what is the Natural Life of the Body, to the Eternal Life of the Soul? Now are all the Godly put into Christ's Hand, and hath he accepted of this Trust, viz. to keep all the Father hath given him unto Everlasting Life, and not suffer the Soul of any one to be lost, and will he not be faithful? O how faithful hath he been to the Father in all things, and to the Souls of those that are already safely landed on the other side of the Grace; and will he not be as faithful to all that yet remain in this lower World? Alas, he knows how weak and frail we are, and that without him we can do nothing: He is faithful, and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able; and will also with the Temptation make way for our
9. Consider of the Greatness of that Love he hath to all that are in his Hand, or are committed to his Charge, which I have already spoken unto.
10. Consider what he says in my Text, take notice of his Resolution, and Purpose of his Soul; Neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand.
Quest. What is meant by any?
Answ. The World shall not, the Devil shall not, the Flesh shall not, Sin shall not, Temptation shall not, Prosperity shall not, Adversity shall not, Death shall not; no Enemy whatsoever shall be able to pluck them out of my Hand, viz.
1. They shall not break that Union there is between me and them, but it shall abide indissoluble for ever.
1. They shall not break that Union there is between me and them, but it shall abide indissolvable for ever.
2. None shall be able to remove my Love from them; I will love them still, love them to the end.
3. None shall cause me to cast them off, or throw them out of the Covenant into which I have brought them.
4. Neither shall any be able to do it; they shall not be able by Force to do it, nor by Flattery to do it, I will keep them, and safely protect them: The Enemy will attempt to do it, (as if our Saviour should say) they will strive, they will pluck and pull, and do what they can to get them out of my Hand; but, says he, they shall not do it: Reproaches, Persecution, Poverty, Hunger, Nakedness, Peril nor Sword, these, nor any of these, shall ever be able to pluck them out of my Hand.
Thirdly, I shall now show you in what respect, the Saints may 1be said to be in the Hand of Christ, or under what considerations.
Thirdly, I shall now shew you in what respect, the Saints may 1be said to be in the Hand of Christ, or under what considerations.
I showed you at first, in opening our Text, that he hath a sevenfold hold of them, which is held forth in part in the Sacred Scripture, by several Tropical Allusions.
I shewed you at first, in opening our Text, that he hath a sevenfold hold of them, which is held forth in part in the Sacred Scripture, by several Tropical Allusions.
6. Consider the strict Charge the Father hath given to Christ, as he hath put all Believers into his Hand. (1.) A Charge to redeem them; he laid down his Life as the Father commanded him. (2.) See that in Isa. 49. 9. That thou mayst say to the Prisoners, Go forth; and to them that are in Darkness, Shew your selves. He had a Charge to call his Elect out of the Grave of Sin, and to knock off their Fetters, to open their Eyes, and to heal their Wounds. (3.) He hath a Charge to lead them: For he that hath Mercy on them shall lead them, even by the Spring of the Waters shall he guide 1them. Christ hath the Conduct of these redeemed Captives, which we have fully proved by his being called a Shepherd. (4.) He hath received a Charge to receive all the Father hath given him; and those that come unto him, he saith, he will in no 2wise cast out. And this he doth not only out of his own Affections and B. wels to all such poor Sinners, but also as in discharge of his Office as all are put into his Hand. (5.) He hath received also a Charge to perfect that good Work that he hath begun in them: The bruised Reea shall he not break, 3and the smoaking Flax shall he not quench, till he hath brought forth Judgment unto Victory. He will carry on that Work in the Soul till it i compleated; He shall do this, saith the Father, this is part of his Work and Office which he hath accepted of: And our Saviour takes notice of this thing as his Father's Will and Charge given unto him; And this is the Father's Will that sent me, that of 4all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last Day. My Father sent me to cherish and take care of the poorest and weakest Soul that he hath given me, and to see that none of them be lost; I must, as if he should say, strengthen their Faith, subdue their Corruptions, and never leave them till I present them all before my Father, without Spot, at the last Day. (6) He must give an Account of them also at the last Day, and he will present them all without Blame before the Father, in Love, and say, Behold, here am I, and the Children which thou gavest me, none of them are lost.
