A47542:147
A golden mine opened, or, The glory of God's rich grace displayed in the…
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. A dreadful fire when it breaks out, turns all joy into sorrow, and makes a day of mirth a day of Mourning: So the consuming wrath of God, whether it seizes on the consciences of Men only whilst alive in the body, or on Body and ⟨p. 33⟩Soul both here, or on the Soul at Death, it turns all joy into sorrow. O what extremity of misery do such feel! ask Judas or Spira, they could tell you.
8. Fire is a most cruel and dreadful tormentor; if a man be cast into a fire, what intolerable pain and anguish doth it put him to! but alas, alas, that's nothing to the Wrath of God, when God kindles it in the Consciences of men, nor to Hell fire. You will say, O 'tis a fearful thing to fall into a furious fire, into a burning Furnace, but O Sirs, how much more dreadful is it to fall under the Wrath of God! It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God: For our God is a consuming fire. 1If it be terrible to have a finger, a foot, or a hand to be burned off, or to have the whole body cast into a Furnace of boiling Oil, (as some of the holy Martyrs were) how then can sinners, who are as chaff, bear the Thoughts of Gods wrath and vindictive Vengeance, which is far more intolerable than any fire into which any Mortal was ever cast? For 1. Other fire burns only the external part, or temporal, or corporal matter, but the fire of Gods wrath burns and torments the Spirit, the Soul, the invisible part. 2. Elementary fire is seen, but internal Wrath is only felt inwardly, it cannot be seen. 3. The fiercest fire that ever was kindled hath been overcome, and by Engines or Instruments put out, but the fire of Gods Wrath when kindled, and the Soul thrown into Hell, cannot be put out, nor be extinguished, 'tis unquenchable fire. Tho' the burning of Mount Aetna, and other burning Mountains, are impossible for man to extinguish, yet doubtless they shall not burn always, they will be put out, but wrath shall burn for ever. So much as to the Explanation of our Text. From hence we may observe divers Propositions or Points of Doctrine.