A47542:481
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.
2. And this is common to all the Sheep of Jesus Christ; in this respect they are all alike, having all obtained the same precious Faith, as to the Quality of it: As all Wolves have the Nature of Wolves, and all Swine the Nature of Swine, and all Sheep have the Nature of Sheep; so all the Saints and Children of God have the Nature of Saints; all Believers and Sheep of Jesus Christ have one holy Nature.
3. It is a Nature and Disposition quite contrary to that which was in them formerly: 'Tis a mighty Change, as when a Wolf is made a Lamb, the "Wolfish Nature (as one observes) is lost, and the Lamb-like Nature is introduced. By Corruption Man was Carnal and Brutish, but by the new Creation he is Spiritual and Divine; by Corruption he hath the Image of the Devil, by this he is restored to the Image of God; by that he had the Seeds of all Villainies, by this the Seed of all Graces." He was an Enemy to God, nay, had Enmity in his Heart against God; but now he loves God, loves Christ, loves Holiness, loves the Ways of God, and People of God.
3. It is a Nature and Disposition quite contrary to that which was in them formerly: 'Tis a mighty Change, as when a Wolf is made a Lamb, the "Wolfish Nature (as one observes) is lost, and the Lamb-like Nature is introduced. By Corruption Man was Carnal and Brutish, but by the new Creation he is Spiritual and Divine; by Corruption he hath the Image of the Devil, by this he is restored to the Image of God; by that he had the Seeds of all Villanies, by this the Seed of all Graces." He was an Enemy to God, nay, had Enmity in his Heart against God; but now he loves God, loves Christ, loves Holiness, loves the Ways of God, and People of God.
4. It is an universal Change, a Change of the whole Heart; as when a Child is formed in the Womb, it hath all the Parts, Nature doth not fashion one Part and leave another imperfect: So the Holy Spirit forms every Part of the new Creature in the Soul of the Regenerate. This Habit is but one, 'tis an entire Rectitude in all the Faculties, and an universal Principle of inclining