A47542:1357
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.
1. It is in a Way of Holiness: And from fainting, or being weary in well-doing, he stirs us up by his Spirit to wait upon him, and promises, That they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their Strength; they shall mount up with Wings as Eagles, they shall run and not be 1weary, walk and not faint; or grow stronger and stronger, both in Faith and Patience.
2. Christ preserves us in a Way of Perseverance in well-doing, by showing us our own Weakness, and that without him we can do nothing, but that we must wholly rely upon him in the Way of our Duties for all things we need.
2. Christ preserves us in a Way of Perseverance in well-doing, by shewing us our own Weakness, and that without him we can do nothing, but that we must wholly rely upon him in the Way of our Duties for all things we need.
3. By increasing Grace in us: He by his Word shows, that the Grace we have already received, is not sufficient to keep us from falling; therefore he stirs us up to seek to him for more Grace, more Faith, more Patience, more Humility, more Wisdom, &c.
3. By increasing Grace in us: He by his Word shews, that the Grace we have already received, is not sufficient to keep us from falling; therefore he stirs us up to seek to him for more Grace, more Faith, more Patience, more Humility, more Wisdom, &c.
4. By succouring us under all Temptations: For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is also able to succour them that are 1tempted. He has purchased Help and Succour for tempted Saints; His Bowels move him to help us against Sin, and against Satan: He hath a soft and tender Heart, and hath a fellow-feeling of our Infirmities, which is a Spring of great Comfort to tempted Christians.
5. By warning and forewarning us of the Danger we are in by our spiritual Enemies, and charging us by his Word always to be upon our watch, and not to sleep as others do.
6. By putting his Fear into our Hearts, that we may not depart from him; that is, not finally to depart; which he doth when at first he infuseth Holy Habits in us.
7. By his putting upon us that Holy and Spiritual Armour, Ephes. 6. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Do these Men think Christ's Soldiers can expect the Victory, and not fight? or overcome their Enemy, though they throw away their Sword, which is the Word of God? The Preaching of the Gospel is of wonderful use, to them it is the Word of Command, their Captain speaks to them thereby, and shows what they are, and are not to do, and how they should keep their Ranks, and maintain true Order and Discipline in themselves, Church and Families.
7. By his putting upon us that Holy and Spiritual Armour, Ephes. 6. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Do these Men think Christ's Soldiers can expect the Victory, and not fight? or overcome their Enemy, though they throw away their Sword, which is the Word of God? The Preaching of the Gospel is of wonderful use, to them it is the Word of Command, their Captain speaks to them thereby, and shews what they are, and are not to do, and how they should keep their Ranks, and maintain true Order and Discipline in themselves, Church and Families.
8. By his continual Intercession for them, he prays for us that we may be kept in the World from the Evil of it, that we may not be finally overcome thereby.
These things being considered, pray, Brethren, remember that as the Saints cannot perish as Hypocrites and Unbelievers may, so they cannot sin, live in Sin, and in neglect of Holy Duties continually, as unsound Persons may do.
And now, Brethren, I having answered all the grand Objections that are usually brought against the Saints final Perseverance, I shall show you some of those Absurdities which do attend the contrary Doctrine, viz. That Christ died to save all and every individual ⟨p. 311⟩Person in the World, and that the Elect may fall totally and finally away, and perish for ever.
And now, Brethren, I having answered all the grand Objections that are usually brought against the Saints final Perseverance, I shall shew you some of those Absurdities which do attend the contrary Doctrine, viz. That Christ died to save all and every individual ⟨p. 311⟩Person in the World, and that the Elect may fall totally and finally away, and perish for ever.
1. It renders the Death of Christ as to its Effects, and the Success thereof, uncertain, as to the Salvation of any one Person.1
2. It doth imply a Deficiency in God, or want of good Will in him to prosecute his Design to perfection in Man's Salvation, they affirming that Christ died for all, even every individual Traitor, who lies in strong Chains and Fetters under the Power of Sin and Satan; but he will not break off the cursed Irons, and bring out of the Prison-house but a very few of them only.
3. It would also follow then, that the Purpose of God, yea his Eternal Counsel in Christ Jesus, may be disappointed, and Eternity be subjected to Time, the Will of the Creator to the Will of the Creature, the first Cause to the Second; and all or many of God's Absolute Acts to be suspended unto the actings of sorry Man, and so the Lord submit to the Servant: Yea, as saith a Reverend Minister,1 "It sets God at an uncertainty, because it doth subject the Grace of God to the Will of Man: it hangs the Glory of his Grace in all the Motions of it, and the Efficacy of the Promises upon the slipperiness of Man's Will and Affections. It makes the Omnipotent Grace of God follow, not precede the Motions of Man's Will; to be the Lackey, not the Leader, either in converting or preserving, which is at best to make the Glory of God's Grace as volatile as a Feather; at the best, sometimes up, sometimes down; the Soul is this Moment embraced by the Lord with the dearest Affections, the next cast out as a Vessel wherein is no Pleasure, and the succeeding Moment admitted to fresh Communications; this Hour the Temple of the Holy Ghost, the next an Habitation for Dragons and Satyrs: The Will of Man giving one Time the Key to the Spirit, the next Time to the Devil."
3. It would also follow then, that the Purpose of God, yea his Eternal Counsel in Christ Jesus, may be disappointed, and Eternity be subjected to Time, the Will of the Creator to the Will of the Creature, the first Cause to the Second; and all or many of God's Absolute Acts to be suspended unto the actings of sorry Man, and so the Lord submit to the Servant: Yea, as saith a Reverend Minister,1 "It sets God at an uncertainty, because it doth subject the Grace of God to the Will of Man: it hangs the Glory of his Grace in all the Motions of it, and the Efficacy of the Promises upon the slipperiness of Man's Will and Affections. It makes the Omnipotent Grace of God follow, not precede the Motions of Man's Will; to be the Lacquey, not the Leader, either in converting or preserving, which is at best to make the Glory of God's Grace as volatile as a Feather; at the best, sometimes up, sometimes down; the Soul is this Moment embraced by the Lord with the dearest Affections, the next cast out as a Vessel wherein is no Pleasure, and the succeeding Moment admitted to fresh Communications; this Hour the Temple of the Holy Ghost, the next an Habitation for Dragons and Satyrs: The Will of Man giving one Time the Key to the Spirit, the next Time to the Devil."
4. It gives occasion to Man to boast, and so contradicts the whole Design of God in the Gospel of his own Free Grace, which is to take away for ever any Cause for the Creature in himself to glory.
5. It brings in that great Absurdity of the Repetition of Regeneration, whereof there is no mention made in all the Scripture; unless they do believe all that fall away so as to lose the Seed of Grace, or from being in a State of Grace, are lost for ever, or fall irrecoverably: but a Repetition of Regeneration seems to be maintained by one of the chief of them, from Heb. 6. 6. If they ⟨p. 312⟩fall away, to renew them again, &c. *'Tis impossible, he denies, to renew some to Repentance; but others he would infer from thence may be renewed. Now a renewing again to Repentance, may be where the Seed of Grace was never lost, but the Strength and Exercise of it, as in David's and Peter's Case; therefore 'tis not a total falling which Believers are liable to, but a partial only. But to suppose that such who are regenerated may fall totally, and be renewed again to Repentance, doth presuppose a Repetition of a former Birth, or a second Regeneration. To prove which, these Men mention that Text, twice dead, plucked up by the Roots. Now evident it is, that if true Believers may fall totally from Grace, and none of them can be renewed again, then all such that so fall, sin against the Holy Ghost. But if they may be renewed again, then there is a repetition of Regeneration. When I come to speak to that Text in the 6th of the Hebrews, I hope I shall sufficiently prove, by the Assistance of God, that those there mentioned, were not true Believers; as I have proved no true Believer can so fall as to need another Regeneration, though they may fall as to need a gracious Restoration, or to be healed of their backsliding: Restore unto me the Joy of thy Salvation.2
5. It brings in that great Absurdity of the Repetition of Regeneration, whereof there is no mention made in all the Scripture; unless they do believe all that fall away so as to lose the Seed of Grace, or from being in a State of Grace, are lost for ever, or fall irrecoverably: but a Repetition of Regeneration seems to be maintained by one of the chief of them, from Heb. 6. 6. If they ⟨p. 312⟩
6. It tends to frustrate the absolute Design of Christ, and his Promise made to his Saints, or makes it of none Effect; who hath said, I give them Eternal Life, and they shall not perish, [Greek or Hebrew]; not, not perish, as some read it.
6. It tends to frustrate the absolute Design of Christ, and his Promise made to his Saints, or makes it of none Effect; who hath said, I give them Eternal Life, and they shall not perish, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉; not, not perish, as some read it.
