A47542:436
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.
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.
2. Your Excuses, Pretences, about omission of Duties in your Families, Closets or Churches, are before his Eyes, and known to him.
3. Your Ways in trading, buying, selling, building, planting, eating, drinking and sleeping, all is known to Christ; what you do for his poor Saints and People, what you do to encourage and further his Interest in the World; when you give, and what you give, and how, or with what End and Aim, all is known to him.
4. He knows and takes notice of your Garbs and Dresses which you wear; whether such as he in his Word directeth you to put on, or not; whether modest or immodest, like the wanton Ones of the World, and according to the former Lusts in your Ignorance, and not as becoming Men or Women professing Godliness.
5. He knows your Behaviour in all Relations you stand in one to another, as Husbands to Wives, or Wives to Husbands; Parents to Children, or Children to Parents; Masters to Servants, or Servants to Masters: Whether Husbands love their Wives, and Wives love and obey their Husbands: Whether Parents bring up their Children in the Fear and Nurture of the Lord, and train them up in the Way in which they should go, praying for them, not provoking them to Wrath, by being harsh and bitter towards them, but setting a good Example before them in all things: As also how Children carry it to their Parents in honouring them, and obeying them in all things in the Lord; all is took notice of by Jesus Christ.
6. He knows how Ministers carry it to his People in the discharge of their Work and Office; whether they preach the Word 1in Season, and out of Season, giving themselves to Reading, to Exhortation, to Doctrine; and study to show themselves approved 2unto God, as Workmen that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
6. He knows how Ministers carry it to his People in the discharge of their Work and Office; whether they preach the Word 1in Season, and out of Season, giving themselves to Reading, to Exhortation, to Doctrine; and study to shew themselves approved 2unto God, as Workmen that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
He knows whether they took the Care of the Flock, of a ready Mind, or for filthy Lucre sake; and whether they preach Christ or themselves, seeking to exalt Jesus Christ alone, or but in part, and rendering him to be but an imperfect Saviour; whether they ascribe all to him, or not some things of Salvation to the Creature, and so open a Door for Men to sacrifice to their own Nets and Drags.
7. Sirs, remember that Christ is not a careless Spectator, he knows you that are Members, and takes notice how you behave your selves to his Ministers; whether you show due Respect to them, and honour them as Ambassadors of Christ, or as such who ⟨p. 104⟩personate their great Lord and Master; for if you dishonour, slight and despise them, Christ takes it as a Dishonour, a slighting and despising of him: He knows whether you obey them that are over you in the Lord, or not; but rather contemn, resist, or spurn at their Authority, and seek Occasion to quarrel with them, wounding, afflicting, and grieving their Spirits, and weakening their Hands and their Hearts: He knows whether you discharge your Duties to them, in administering and communicating all good things to them; providing a cheerful and comfortable Maintenance for them, and not leaving them to encounter with the perplexing Cares, Wants and Necessities of this Life.
7. Sirs, remember that Christ is not a careless Spectator, he knows you that are Members, and takes notice how you behave your selves to his Ministers; whether you shew due Respect to them, and honour them as Ambassadors of Christ, or as such who ⟨p. 104⟩personate their great Lord and Master; for if you dishonour, slight and despise them, Christ takes it as a Dishonour, a slighting and despising of him: He knows whether you obey them that are over you in the Lord, or not; but rather contemn, resist, or spurn at their Authority, and seek Occasion to quarrel with them, wounding, afflicting, and grieving their Spirits, and weakning their Hands and their Hearts: He knows whether you discharge your Duties to them, in administring and communicating all good things to them; providing a chearful and comfortable Maintenance for them, and not leaving them to encounter with the perplexing Cares, Wants and Necessities of this Life.
8. Christ knows his Sheep, so as to weigh their Actions, their Spirits, their Graces, and their Duties: He ponders every Step they take, and observes every Word of their Mouths, and Thought of their Hearts. The Lord is a God of Knowledge, and by him Actions are weighed.1
8. Christ knows his Sheep, so as to weigh their Actions, their Spirits, their Graces, and their Duties: He ponders every Step they take, and observes every Word of their Mouths, and Thought of their Hearts. The Lord is a God of Knowledg, and by him Actions are weighed.1
9. Christ knows whether you are sincere or not, upright or not, regenerate or not; whether you are the same at Home as Abroad, in the Closet as in the Church, or not.
10. Moreover consider the Effects of Christ's Knowledge; he knows such whose Hearts are sound, so as to approve, love, protect, feed, comfort, and refresh them; and such that are unsound, so as to disown, reject, and condemn them.
11. He knows the Humble, so as to exalt them; and the Proud, so as to abase them: He knows and beholds all of us, at all times, either to accuse, or to clear us; to condemn, or to justify us.
Exam. Examine your selves; in vain it is to go about to hide or cover any thing, seeing Christ knows all we do; there is no way to hide your Sin from him. O search and try your selves, your Hearts, your States and Conditions, lest you are deceived, and conclude, you are Rich, and increased with Goods, &c. this was Laodicea's Misery.
Terror. Tremble at the Thoughts of doing one unbecoming Thing, or speaking one unbecoming Word. O Lord, said David, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my down sitting, and my uprising; 1and art acquainted with all my Thoughts: For there is not a Word in my Tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
O what Terror is here for ungodly Men, that commit horrid Wickedness in secret, and say in their Hearts, No Eye seeth us! O let them know, that all their filthy and abominable Deeds of ⟨p. 105⟩Darkness, are done in the plain and open view, and sight of the great God, and Jesus Christ; and that he keeps a Record of all their cursed Works, Oaths, and ungodly Words, and will lay them all before them at the last Day: For he knoweth vain Men: he seeth Wickedness also; will he not then consider it? Men know but 1little of God, and therefore are very unfit Judges of all his Counsels, Decrees and Actions: yet God knows Man exactly, and all his Vanity, Falsehood and Folly; let him never so carefully strive to cover and hide his Wickedness under Deceit, or a Cloak of Religion, he seeth it, it is a Knowledge by sight, therefore most easily and clearly known. God doth not know Mens Sins by hear-say; No, no, he sees it, beholds it with open Face; he is by when they commit it: They can commit no Sin out of his sight, nor do that which he knoweth not; though they are ready to say, How doth God know? 2Thick Clouds are a Covering to him that he seeth it not. Carnal Men frame Conceptions of God like themselves; Thou thoughtest that I 3was altogether such an one as thy self: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine Eyes; that is, thy Sins, and secret Works of Darkness. He considers it, Will he not consider it?
O what Terror is here for ungodly Men, that commit horrid Wickedness in secret, and say in their Hearts, No Eye seeth us! O let them know, that all their filthy and abominable Deeds of ⟨p. 105⟩Darkness, are done in the plain and open view, and sight of the great God, and Jesus Christ; and that he keeps a Record of all their cursed Works, Oaths, and ungodly Words, and will lay them all before them at the last Day: For he knoweth vain Men: he seeth Wickedness also; will he not then consider it? Men know but 1
Many Men know much of their own Wickedness, and of the Wickedness of others; but they lay it not to Heart, they do not consider it: But God knoweth and seeth Wickedness after another rate; He considers, observes it, and weighs the Nature of the Crime, and the Aggravations of it, the vile Purposes, End and Intention of the Person doing it; and how it is done wilfully against Light, and the clear Convictions of his own Conscience: He weigheth the Nature of their Wickedness as in Balances; as it is said of Belshazzar, Thou art weighed in the Balance, and art found 1wanting; thy horrid Pride, filthy Lusts, Counsels, Policies, and all the Contrivances of thy Heart and Government are weighed. The Ways of Man are before the Lord; and he pondereth all his Paths; He puts them into a Balance, and doth not only see them, but consider them, ponder and weigh them.
Many Men know much of their own Wickedness, and of the Wickedness of others; but they lay it not to Heart, they do not consider it: But God knoweth and seeth Wickedness after another rate; He considers, observes it, and weighs the Nature of the Crime, and the Aggravations of it, the vile Purposes, End and Intention of the Person doing it; and how it is done wilfully against Light, and the clear Convictions of his own Conscience: He weigheth the Nature of their Wickedness as in Ballances; as it is said of Belshazzar, Thou art weighed in the Ballance, and art found 1wanting; thy horrid Pride, filthy Lusts, Counsels, Policies, and all the Contrivances of thy Heart and Government are weighed. The Ways of Man are before the Lord; and he pondereth all his Paths; He puts them into a Ballance, and doth not only see them, but consider them, ponder and weigh them.
Consol. Lastly, This may be also Matter of Comfort and Consolation to all the Sheep of Jesus Christ, or holy and sincere Children of God. Christ knows you; I know my Sheep. Job was glad that God knew him; Thou knowest I am not wicked. He doth not 1say, thou knowest I am not a Sinner, a Man of any Infirmities; No, but not an ungodly Sinner, an Hypocrite, one that lives in Sin, loves Sin, makes a Trade of Sin, as wicked Men do. 'Tis ⟨p. 106⟩no matter how Job or Paul are censured, reproached or condemned by Men, whilst they had the Testimony of their Consciences touching their Sincerity: My Integrity, saith Job, I hold fast, I will not let it go: mine own Heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. And 2saith holy Paul, Our rejoicing is this, the Testimony of our Consciences, 3that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity, not with fleshly Wisdom, but by the Grace of God, we have had our Conversation in the World. The consideration of this, that their own Hearts cleared and did acquit them of all those foul charges of Friends and false Brethren; and also that God knows that they are what they profess themselves to be; O this was matter of great Comfort to them, and may be so to all sincere and gracious Christians. Christ knows our Fears, our Straits, our Temptations, our Wants, and all the Wrongs and Injuries we have sustained: Is not this matter of Consolation? O poor drooping Saint, lift up thy dejected Spirit; All thy Wants are in Christ's sight, he sees the Place where every Sheep and Lamb of his dwells, and what their Wants are: And his Love, Bowels, Care and Compassion is infinite; he that laid down his Life for his Sheep, for this and that poor afflicted, tempted, and dejected Soul, will not he, think you, seeing he knows your Condition, supply, support, strengthen, heal, feed, and comfort you, whosoever you are, if one of his Sheep? He that spared not 4his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? He that hath given himself, shed his own precious Blood for us, will not deny us a little Bread to feed our Souls, nor Balm to heal them; nor any Comfort he sees good, will he deny or withhold from us: He that gave the greater, will not stick to give the less.
Consol. Lastly, This may be also Matter of Comfort and Consolation to all the Sheep of Jesus Christ, or holy and sincere Children of God. Christ knows you; I know my Sheep. Job was glad that God knew him; Thou knowest I am not wicked. He doth not 1say, thou knowest I am not a Sinner, a Man of any Infirmities; No, but not an ungodly Sinner, an Hypocrite, one that lives in Sin, loves Sin, makes a Trade of Sin, as wicked Men do. 'Tis ⟨p. 106⟩no matter how Job or Paul are censured, reproached or condemn'd by Men, whilst they had the Testimony of their Consciences touching their Sincerity: My Integrity, saith Job, I hold fast, I will not let it go: mine own Heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. And 2saith holy Paul, Our rejoicing is this, the Testimony of our Consciences, 3that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity, not with fleshly Wisdom, but by the Grace of God, we have had our Conversation in the World. The consideration of this, that their own Hearts cleared and did acquit them of all those foul charges of Friends and false Brethren; and also that God knows that they are what they profess themselves to be; O this was matter of great Comfort to them, and may be so to all sincere and gracious Christians. Christ knows our Fears, our Straits, our Temptations, our Wants, and all the Wrongs and Injuries we have sustained: Is not this matter of Consolation? O poor drooping Saint, lift up thy dejected Spirit; All thy Wants are in Christ's sight, he sees the Place where every Sheep and Lamb of his dwells, and what their Wants are: And his Love, Bowels, Care and Compassion is infinite; he that laid down his Life for his Sheep, for this and that poor afflicted, tempted, and dejected Soul, will not he, think you, seeing he knows your Condition, supply, support, strengthen, heal, feed, and comfort you, whosoever you are, if one of his Sheep? He that spared not 4his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? He that hath given himself, shed his own precious Blood for us, will not deny us a little Bread to feed our Souls, nor Balm to heal them; nor any Comfort he sees good, will he deny or withhold from us: He that gave the greater, will not stick to give the less.
