A47542:1373
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.
7. It renders the Death of Christ in the Effects of it uncertain to any; Unless they are such who have found out another way of Salvation for some than for others, for some affirm, that there is an Election of a certain Number, and they shall infallibly be saved; and there is a way for others to be saved too: some the King sends his Chariot of Free Grace for, to bring them home to himself; and others must trudge home on their own Feet, which they may do if they will: which idle Notion deserves no Breath nor Paper to confute.
7. It renders the Death of Christ in the Effects of it uncertain to any; Unless they are such who have found out another way of Salvation for some than for others, for some affirm, that there is an Election of a certain Number, and they shall infallibly be saved; and there is a way for others to be saved too: some the King sends his Chariot of Free Grace for, to bring them home to himself; and others must trudg home on their own Feet, which they may do if they will: which idle Notion deserves no Breath nor Paper to confute.
8. That a Man may be in God's special Love to Day, and his dear Child, having his Image stamped upon his Soul, and to morrow be hated by him, and be the Child of the Devil, and have his Likeness and Image upon him. And from hence it renders God's Love mutable, and as if he did not foresee all Emergencies from Eternity. Can these Men fancy infinite Bowels and Affections so unconcerned, as to let the Apple of his Eye be plucked out, or he be as a careless Spectator, whilst he is robbed of his ⟨p. 313⟩precious Jewels by the Powers of Hell; to have the Delight of his Soul (as reverend Charnock notes) lost like a Tennis Ball between himself and the Devil.
8. That a Man may be in God's special Love to Day, and his dear Child, having his Image stamp'd upon his Soul, and to morrow be hated by him, and be the Child of the Devil, and have his Likeness and Image upon him. And from hence it renders God's Love mutable, and as if he did not foresee all Emergencies from Eternity. Can these Men fancy infinite Bowels and Affections so unconcerned, as to let the Apple of his Eye be pluck'd out, or he be as a careless Spectator, whilst he is robbed of his ⟨p. 313⟩precious Jewels by the Powers of Hell; to have the Delight of his Soul (as reverend Charnock notes) lost like a Tennis Ball between himself and the Devil.
9. It doth cast a Disgrace upon the Wisdom of God, in contriving no better a way for the Restoration of Man, and his Establishment, but that which dependeth wholly upon the voluble and inconstant Temper of the Creatures corrupt Will to perfect in them.
10. Such who assert that those may eternally perish whom Christ died for, or in the stead of, seem to charge God with Injustice, as not to acquit those whose Transgressions are answered for by their Surety; or else that the Sufferings of Christ were not sufficient to effect a Discharge due to them: Or doth it not insinuate (as one notes) a Deficiency of Power, or want of good 1Will in Christ to prosecute his design to Perfection?
11. It suspends the Virtue and Success of all that Christ hath done for Men, upon some thing to be done by themselves, which Christ is not the doer of; and consequently, that Men are Principals in procuring their own Salvation: And so Christ shall have his Thousands, (in truth saith he his Nothings) whilst freedom of Will (or he might have said Free-Will) shall have his Ten thousands. Is this to exalt the Lord alone, or to raise and sing the Praises of our Beloved David? And further,
12. It would also follow, as he observes, that those who are gone to Heaven, have nothing more of Christ's to glory in, and to praise him for, than those who are perished and gone to Hell: For, according to the Principle of General Redemption, Christ did and doth for all alike, and not a Jot more for one Party than for another. Also, as he notes, it tends to make Men presumptuous and carnally secure. How many have soothed up themselves in their Impenitency and hardness of their Hearts, and fenced themselves against the Word, upon this very Supposition, that Christ died for all, and therefore for them, and why should not they look to be saved as well as others? To which I might add, their Notion of that Power which they say is in the Creature to believe, leads Men out to defer looking out for Salvation: for why may they not delay to do that to Day, which is in their Power to do to Morrow, and may be perhaps some Years hence as well as now? But let them and all others know, Christ's Death will have its Effect on their Hearts, if he died for them, and they ⟨p. 314⟩must look to him when he calls, and wait upon him for the moving of his Spirit, in the use of that Means which he hath ordained in order to Faith and Regeneration, and in the season of it, who says, To day if you will hear his Voice, harden not your Hearts, &c. but the Will, the Deed; they must wait upon the Lord to give unto them, and work by his Spirit in them.
12. It would also follow, as he observes, that those who are gone to Heaven, have nothing more of Christ's to glory in, and to praise him for, than those who are perished and gone to Hell: For, according to the Principle of General Redemption, Christ did and doth for all alike, and not a Jot more for one Party than for another. Also, as he notes, it tends to make Men presumptuous and carnally secure. How many have sooth'd up themselves in their Impenitency and hardness of their Hearts, and fenced themselves against the Word, upon this very Supposition, that Christ died for all, and therefore for them, and why should not they look to be saved as well as others? To which I might add, their Notion of that Power which they say is in the Creature to believe, leads Men out to defer looking out for Salvation: for why may they not delay to do that to Day, which is in their Power to do to Morrow, and may be perhaps some Years hence as well as now? But let them and all others know, Christ's Death will have its Effect on their Hearts, if he died for them, and they
APPLICATION.
I shall in the lost place make a little Improvement of what I have said, and so finish with this Text.
1. Inform. This may serve to inform and convince all Persons concerning the absolute Sovereignty of God. He may save Man if he please, and not Angels; or may send a Saviour for some of the lost Sons of Adam, and not for all; Who shall say to him, What dost thou? If he had vouchsafed a Saviour for none of Adam's Posterity, had he been unjust, any more than he is in casting off for ever all the fallen Angels?
1. Inform. This may serve to inform and convince all Persons concerning the absolute Soveraignty of God. He may save Man if he please, and not Angels; or may send a Saviour for some of the lost Sons of Adam, and not for all; Who shall say to him, What dost thou? If he had vouchsafed a Saviour for none of Adam's Posterity, had he been unjust, any more than he is in casting off for ever all the fallen Angels?
He called Abraham out of his own Country, and revealed himself to him, and let others remain then under the Power of Sin, Ignorance and Idolatry, calling them not.
And in the Gospel-Days Christ chose a few poor Fisher-Men, and refused the Learned and Wise Men after the Flesh: nay, and hid the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven from the Wise and 1Prudent; and all this as an Act alone of his Sovereignty.
And in the Gospel-Days Christ chose a few poor Fisher-Men, and refused the Learned and Wise Men after the Flesh: nay, and hid the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven from the Wise and 1Prudent; and all this as an Act alone of his Soveraignty.
And in these days, what Reason can be alleged, why we, and a few Nations more, have the Knowledge of the Gospel, when the greatest part of the Earth lie in Popish, Mahometan, and Pagan Darkness, but that it is his good pleasure so to do? He hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.1
And in these days, what Reason can be alledged, why we, and a few Nations more, have the Knowledg of the Gospel, when the greatest part of the Earth lie in Popish, Mahometan, and Pagan Darkness, but that it is his good pleasure so to do? He hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.1
2. Praise God for the Knowledge you have of the Mysteries of Christ, and the Gospel of Free-Grace: Brethren next unto the Grace of God in my Conversion, I have often said, I do look upon my self bound to admire the Riches of God's Love and Goodness to me, in opening my Eyes to see those Arminian Errors, ⟨p. 315⟩which when I was Young, I had from some Men of corrupt Principles sucked in; nay, and when I was about 23 Years Old, I wrote a little Book for Children, in which some of those Errors were vindicated; which after, my Eyes were enlightened, and the Book with Alterations being again Reprinted, I left out, and now do declare my dislike of the first Impressions, and do disown what I there asserted: When I was a Child, I thought as a Child, I understood as a Child, as the Apostle speaks. And let me entreat you to study the Nature of the Covenant of Grace; for until I had that opened unto me, I was ignorant of the Mysteries of the Gospel.
2. Praise God for the Knowledg you have of the Mysteries of Christ, and the Gospel of Free-Grace: Brethren next unto the Grace of God in my Conversion, I have often said, I do look upon my self bound to admire the Riches of God's Love and Goodness to me, in opening my Eyes to see those Arminian Errors, ⟨p. 315⟩which when I was Young, I had from some Men of corrupt Principles sucked in; nay, and when I was about 23 Years Old, I wrote a little Book for Children, in which some of those Errors were vindicated; which after, my Eyes were inlightned, and the Book with Alterations being again Reprinted, I left out, and now do declare my dislike of the first Impressions, and do disown what I there asserted: When I was a Child, I thought as a Child, I understood as a Child, as the Apostle speaks. And let me intreat you to study the Nature of the Covenant of Grace; for until I had that opened unto me, I was ignorant of the Mysteries of the Gospel.
3. O do not forget, that the Design of God in contriving our Salvation in his Eternal Wisdom by Jesus Christ, was wholly to advance his own Glory, and the Freeness and Riches of his Grace, and to abase and humble Man unto the Dust; therefore be sure never err on that Hand: And I think it is not easy for Men well to err on the other, I mean, in exalting God alone, Christ alone, though I deny not but that some good Men, who in seeking to advance Free-Grace, perhaps have erred, and taken up some unsound Notions, as that of Actual or Personal Justification, before Faith and Actual Union with Jesus Christ. O what need have we to ponder well the Paths of our Feet, and not with Pride to magnify our selves, or strive to promote any corrupt Notion, under any Pretence whatsoever! Our Days are Evil, many dangerous Errors abound, and it is cause of greatest Grief to see what a Generation of Men are risen up of late, who strive to mix God's pure Gold with their Dross, and his Wine with their Water. Though on the other Hand, let us bless and praise the Lord for raising up so many brave Champions in the mean time, of our Brethren of the Congregational Way, to defend the Gospel of God's Grace, and the Truth as it is in Jesus: Yet I could wish there was not so much Gall in some of them against us their Brethren, who in all the great Truths of Christianity are of one Mind and Judgment, and yet are exposed to Reproach for witnessing to a Truth of Christ that lies as plain in the Gospel as any one Truth or positive Precept of Christ whatsoever; I mean, that of Believers Baptism. Why should we be censured for maintaining that Truth which the Holy Ghost so fully bears witness unto? I long to see more of the Spirit of Love and Charity; would to God that Chapter, 1 Cor. 13. was more read and considered.
4. This may also serve to reprehend such who strive to cast Reproach upon this Holy Doctrine, and such that maintain it as if it tended to encourage People in Sin, or open a Door to Licentiousness: Let all for ever forbear such Reflections; Is not this the Purport of that Doctrine which we vindicate?
4. This may also serve to reprehend such who strive to cast Reproach upon this Holy Doctrine, and such that maintain it as if it tended to incourage People in Sin, or open a Door to Licentiousness: Let all for ever forbear such Reflections; Is not this the Purport of that Doctrine which we vindicate?
