A47542:663
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. Life and Salvation is by Grace only, or the free Gift of God, in opposition to the Law: The Law could not give Life, that could not save us: For had there been a Law given that could have given 1Life, verily Righteousness should have been by the Law. The Law requires perfect Obedience, and lays every one under the Curse, that continues not in all things that is written therein to do them. 2Therefore no Life by the Law; that being weak through the Flesh, Man could not perfectly fulfil it, and so could have no Life by it.3
4. Life and Salvation is the free Gift of God, in opposition to any acceptable Service done for it, by us; as some times great Gifts are bestowed on Persons for the sake of some small Service performed for them: But it is not so here, though Salvation be a Reward of Grace, yet it is not given for the sake of any acceptable Service done by us; we know that a small Matter sometimes purchases that which is of great Value; but nothing we do, or can do, can purchase Life and Salvation for our Souls. True, Eternal Life is a Purchase, it is a Reward of Merit; but O mistake me not, it is not of our purchasing, it is no Reward for any Work done by us, but it is the Purchase of Jesus Christ, the Reward of his Work, by his fulfilling of the Righteousness of the Law for us in our Nature, in his holy and spotless Life, and by his satisfying the Justice of God for our breaking and violating of his Holy Law, which he did by the painful and cursed Death of his Cross: For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the Flesh, 1God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh, and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh; that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, that is, in our Head, Surety, and Representative; for though we in our Persons were utterly unable to do it, yet Christ having done it in our ⟨p. 149⟩Behalf, and Nature, it is accepted, as if we had done it our selves, Christ's Righteousness and Obedience being imputed to us who do believe: so that what he did and suffered, is accounted unto us as if we had done and suffered it; yet it was Christ that purchased Life, not we; he purchased, and we possess; he is the Redeemer, 2we are the Redeemed; he merited all, and we have all freely of Grace through his Merits, or through that Redemption that is in his Blood.
5. Life and Salvation is a free Gift, or of Grace only, doth appear yet further, because the Foundation thereof laid from before all Worlds, in God's eternal Election, was the Spring of it; and this was alone of God's own free Grace: There is a Remnant according 1to the Election of Grace. And if it be of Grace, then it is no more of Works, otherwise Grace is no more Grace. But if it be of Works, then it is no more of Grace, otherwise Works are no more Works.
This Opposition or Contrariety is not only between Grace and legal Works, but between Grace and all manner of Works whatsoever; because it lies betwixt the Nature of Grace and Works, they are repugnant or contrary the one to the other, they can no more be the Causes or Motive of any one Action, than one individual thing can be White and Black in the same part, as a worthy Writer notes. Men are not elected partly of Grace and partly of Works foreseen, but wholly of Grace; nothing but an Act of God's Sovereign Grace was the Cause and Motive of it.
6. Life and Salvation is a free Gift, or by Grace only, because the Glorious Covenant between the Father and the Son, made and entered into before the World began, was alone of God's Grace, of his infinite Grace and Favour: God was at liberty (who foreseeing Man's Fall and horrible Transgression, he having forfeited all those Blessings bestowed originally upon him) whether he would or would not afford him any Help or Relief, but might have justly and utterly rejected the whole Race of Mankind, as he rejected all the Angels that sinned, or kept not their first Estate.
6. Life and Salvation is a free Gift, or by Grace only, because the Glorious Covenant between the Father and the Son, made and entred into before the World began, was alone of God's Grace, of his infinite Grace and Favour: God was at liberty (who foreseeing Man's Fall and horrible Transgression, he having forfeited all those Blessings bestowed originally upon him) whether he would or would not afford him any Help or Relief, but might have justly and utterly rejected the whole Race of Mankind, as he rejected all the Angels that sinned, or kept not their first Estate.
Did Man, fallen Man, deserve this Love, this Favour, who was become an Enemy to God? Was there any thing in Man that could be a Motive to move the Almighty to enter into this Covenant, to save so vile a Creature, such a poor and despicable a Creature as Man became by his Sins, the Visage of his very Soul being now loathsome, deformed, and abominable in the sight of God, God's holy Image being utterly defaced, and all his Beauty gone, being besmeared and covered all over with noisome Filthiness ⟨p. 150⟩and Pollution, filled with Enmity and Hatred against God; dethroning his blessed Creator, and setting up the Devil in his Place; subjecting himself to that implacable Enemy of his, and casting off his most holy and gracious Sovereign from whence he received his Breath and Being.
Did Man, fallen Man, deserve this Love, this Favour, who was become an Enemy to God? Was there any thing in Man that could be a Motive to move the Almighty to enter into this Covenant, to save so vile a Creature, such a poor and despicable a Creature as Man became by his Sins, the Visage of his very Soul being now loathsom, deformed, and abominable in the sight of God, God's holy Image being utterly defaced, and all his Beauty gone, being besmeared and covered all over with noisom Filthiness ⟨p. 150⟩and Pollution, filled with Enmity and Hatred against God; dethroning his blessed Creator, and setting up the Devil in his Place; subjecting himself to that implacable Enemy of his, and casting off his most holy and gracious Sovereign from whence he received his Breath and Being.
Nay, and in respect of God himself, it must needs appear to be wholly of Grace; could Redemption of Man add any thing to the essential Glory of God? Did he stand in need of Man to make him more happy or glorious in himself, who being an independent Being, had been eternally happy in the Enjoyment of himself, had Man never been made, or had he left him under Wrath and Misery? Or was he obliged to save us, and that he might do it, to send his own Son to die, and be made a Curse for us? Or could he not have created other Creatures to have showed forth his glorious Perfections? Or why might he not have sent his Son to have taken hold of the Nature of Angels to have redeemed them, (who were his Creatures as well as fallen Man, and more glorious too than Man before they fell) and let Man have perished for ever, and not have entered into such a Covenant of Grace with his own Son on his Behalf?
Nay, and in respect of God himself, it must needs appear to be wholly of Grace; could Redemption of Man add any thing to the essential Glory of God? Did he stand in need of Man to make him more happy or glorious in himself, who being an independent Being, had been eternally happy in the Injoyment of himself, had Man never been made, or had he left him under Wrath and Misery? Or was he obliged to save us, and that he might do it, to send his own Son to die, and be made a Curse for us? Or could he not have created other Creatures to have shewed forth his glorious Perfections? Or why might he not have sent his Son to have taken hold of the Nature of Angels to have redeemed them, (who were his Creatures as well as fallen Man, and more glorious too than Man before they fell) and let Man have perished for ever, and not have entred into such a Covenant of Grace with his own Son on his Behalf?
7. Life and Salvation therefore is a free Gift; it is wholly of Grace, because we could not have obtained it unless God sent his Son out of his own Bosom to effect it. The giving of Christ, and the Father's sending of him into the World, is nothing but an Act of his own free Grace: God so loved the World, that he gave his only 1begotten Son, &c.
8. Because Everlasting Life is by Christ alone, nor could we have had it, except he died: I am […] the Truth, and the Life; no Man 1can come unto the Father but by […] is by Faith, that it might be by Grace. But after that the […] and Love of God our Saviour 2appeared: Not by Works of Righteousness that we have done, but according to his Mercy he saved us, by the washing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost: Which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ; That being justified by his Grace, we should be made Heirs, according to the Hope of Eternal Life.
8. Because Everlasting Life is by Christ alone, nor could we have had it, except he died: I am 〈…〉 the Truth, and the Life; no Man 1can come unto the Father but by 〈…〉 is by Faith, that it might be by Grace. But after that the 〈…〉 and Love of God our Saviour 2appeared: Not by Works of Righteousness that we have done, but according to his Mercy he saved us, by the washing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost: Which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ; That being justified by his Grace, we should be made Heirs, according to the Hope of Eternal Life.
Thus if we consider the Rise, the Spring, the Motive, and the Author of Everlasting Life, all appears fully to be of God's Grace alone; but should we proceed a little further as to the Means and Application of the Remedy, in order to interest in this Salvation, that is all of Free Grace also.
1. We are called and quickened by God's special Grace, according to his Eternal Purpose in Jesus Christ: No Man could quicken himself. All rational Arguments, without Divine Influence, or an Almighty Power, will not bring our Souls into a State of Life. See how Paul ascribes his Conversion and special Vocation 1to God's Grace; But when it pleased God who separated me from the Womb, and called me by his Grace, to reveal his Son in me, &c. Special Vocation is of God's Free Grace, who hath saved us, and 2called us with an Holy Calling; not according to our Works, but according to his own Purpose and Grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the World begun. We are quickened, renewed, or regenerated by Grace, through the Operations of the Holy Ghost.
2. Adoption is of Grace; Having predestinated us unto the Adoption 1of Children, to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace. As the Purpose was free, so is the Execution free also: That the Purpose of 2God, according to election might stand; not of Works, but of him that calleth. To them gave he Power to become the Sons of God, &c. The Privilege 3of being Sons and Daughters of God, is freely given to us, through Jesus Christ: 'Tis through Christ, for that we might become Sons he became a Servant, and died the cursed Death of the Cross for us, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might 4receive the Adoption of Sons.
3. Justification is wholly of Grace: Being justified freely by his 1Grace, through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ, without Works. Now to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the Ungodly, 2his Faith is counted for Righteousness: 'Tis not because we are righteous in our selves, therefore we are justified; no but being justified by the Righteousness of Christ, we are declared righteous in him; and this is wholly by God's free Grace.
3. Justification is wholly of Grace: Being justified freely by his 1Grace, through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ, without Works. Now to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the Vngodly, 2his Faith is counted for Righteousness: 'Tis not because we are righteous in our selves, therefore we are justified; no but being justified by the Righteousness of Christ, we are declared righteous in him; and this is wholly by God's free Grace.
4. Faith is a Grace, or a Gift freely given to all that believe: To you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but to 1suffer for his sake. For by Grace ye are saved through Faith, and that not of your selves, it is the Gift of God.
5. Repentance is of Grace: Him hath God exalted with his right 1Hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, &c. God in the New Covenant promises to take away the Heart of Stone, and to give a Heart of Flesh; that is, a broken, tender, and 2a repenting Heart. If God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging the Truth. If God will give them a Power and an Heart to repent, it is his own free and gracious Gift to poor Sinners.
6. Forgiveness of Sin is also freely given of God; it is of Grace, through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ.1
