A47542:482
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.
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 1and disposing to that which is good and well-pleasing to God: there is a Divine Light in the Understanding, by which the Soul ⟨p. 114⟩sees God to be its chief Good, and owns and looks upon him as such. There is a Change in the Will, that consents and chooses God as such; there is a Change in the Affections. There is no true Draught of the Image of God in us, unless there be a Rectitude of Affection and Disposition: There is therefore a conformity of Affections to God, they love God, and love as God loves, and hate as God hateth; they hate Evil, because of that inward Filthiness that is in it, and love Grace and Virtue, because of its pure and native Beauty and Excellency: therefore it is from hence the Soul comes to take delight in God.