A47542:666
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.
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
So that it appears Eternal Life, from the first to the last, is wholly of Grace, both the Author of it, the Means of it, and the End thereof, all is of Grace: Heaven it self is the Gift of Grace; Fear not, little Flock; it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you the 1Kingdom. The Crown of Glory is the Gift of Christ: Be thou faithful unto Death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life. Take the Water of Life freely; buy Wine and Milk, without Money, and without Price. Salvation was contrived by Infinite Grace, and all 2things that do concur or accompany it are freely given: Bread of Life, and Water of Life, is freely given; A new Heart will I give them, and a new Spirit will I put into them. To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, &c.
Thirdly, To proceed to the Grounds of the Point, I shall give 1you the Reasons why Eternal Life is the Gift of Christ, or of the free Grace of God.
1. It is because Sin and Death cannot be removed out of the Way to Life, but only by Jesus Christ, and so by Grace only. The Law of God is broke, and Justice calls for Wrath and Vengeance to be executed upon the Transgressor. Justice must be satisfied, but Man cannot make a Compensation for the Violation of God's Holy Law, nor will God acquit the Sinner unless that be done; the Law is but an Impression of God's Holy Nature, it resulted not from a bare Act of his Sovereignty, but from his Holiness and perfect Rectitude of his blessed Nature. If Man could have attained to Life by any Works of Obedience done by him, Christ died in vain; and if it had consisted with the Wisdom and Holiness of God to have accepted of imperfect Obedience, provided it had been sincere, he could at first have given Man such a Law, and so have saved the Life of his Son. For any therefore to affirm that God accepteth sinful Man for the sake of his imperfect (though sincere) Obedience, it is to assert, in effect, that he accepted of some sinful and polluted Acts as a Recompense and Satisfaction for other sinful Acts and Deeds of Darkness; for all our best Services are unclean in themselves. Paul accounted all his own Righteousness but Dung, &c. Besides, the Obedience under the Gospel which God requires, is to be performed in the highest perfection imaginable; Be ye Perfect, as your Father in Heaven is Perfect. 1The Law of the Gospel is the same in Nature with the Moral ⟨p. 153⟩Law, therefore (if it may be called a Law) it is a perfect Law; we are still commanded to love the Lord our God with all our Hearts, with all our Souls, and with all our Strength; yea, and to live and sin not. Little Children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. Our Faith, 2Love, and Patience, &c. ought to be perfect; the Law or Commands of the Gospel know no Bounds nor Limits; Until we all 3come in the Unity of the Faith, and of the Knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect Man, unto the measure of the stature of the Fullness of Christ. It would therefore be a Work becoming the New-Lawyers to show where the Commands lie in the Gospel, that God's Law only requires sincere Obedience unto; the Law certainly loses no part of its Sanction by the Gospel, that is as Holy, Just and Good as ever, and a perpetual Rule of Life and Obedience:
1. It is because Sin and Death cannot be removed out of the Way to Life, but only by Jesus Christ, and so by Grace only. The Law of God is broke, and Justice calls for Wrath and Vengeance to be executed upon the Transgressor. Justice must be satisfied, but Man cannot make a Compensation for the Violation of God's Holy Law, nor will God acquit the Sinner unless that be done; the Law is but an Impression of God's Holy Nature, it resulted not from a bare Act of his Sovereignty, but from his Holiness and perfect Rectitude of his blessed Nature. If Man could have attained to Life by any Works of Obedience done by him, Christ died in vain; and if it had consisted with the Wisdom and Holiness of God to have accepted of imperfect Obedience, provided it had been sincere, he could at first have given Man such a Law, and so have saved the Life of his Son. For any therefore to affirm that God accepteth sinful Man for the sake of his imperfect (though sincere) Obedience, it is to assert, in effect, that he accepted of some sinful and polluted Acts as a Recompence and Satisfaction for other sinful Acts and Deeds of Darkness; for all our best Services are unclean in themselves. Paul accounted all his own Righteousness but Dung, &c. Besides, the Obedience under the Gospel which God requires, is to be performed in the highest perfection imaginable; Be ye Perfect, as your Father in Heaven is Perfect. 1The Law of the Gospel is the same in Nature with the Moral ⟨p. 153⟩Law, therefore (if it may be called a Law) it is a perfect Law; we are still commanded to love the Lord our God with all our Hearts, with all our Souls, and with all our Strength; yea, and to live and sin not. Little Children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. Our Faith, 2Love, and Patience, &c. ought to be perfect; the Law or Commands of the Gospel know no Bounds nor Limits; Vntil we all 3come in the Vnity of the Faith, and of the Knowledg of the Son of God, unto a perfect Man, unto the measure of the stature of the Fulness of Christ. It would therefore be a Work becoming the New-Lawyers to shew where the Commands lie in the Gospel, that God's Law only requires sincere Obedience unto; the Law certainly loses no part of its Sanction by the Gospel, that is as Holy, Just and Good as ever, and a perpetual Rule of Life and Obedience:
