A47542:722
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 such who are elected, are they who are redeemed and purchased by the Blood of Christ, or those whom he died for, or in the stead of.
3. By the Saints, I mean, those who are effectually called, regenerated, justified, sanctified, and adopted; these are the Sheep of Christ that shall never perish, but have Everlasting Life. They are not all such that are of his Fold or Church on Earth, not all the Members of the visible Church, but all the Members of the invisible Church, or mystical Body of Christ.
Secondly, I shall show you how far the Saints may fall.
Secondly, I shall shew you how far the Saints may fall.
1st. They may, if they take not heed, fall into great Evils, nay 1into most of the worst and abominable Sins any Mortals do commit and are overcome by.
Noah was a Saint of God, yet he fell grievously by drinking too much Wine: Noah began to be an Husbandman, and he planted a Vineyard, and he drank of the Wine and was drunken. Though it 1might be partly through Ignorance of the Nature of the Fruit of the Grape, yet no doubt, by the pleasantness of the Liquor, and Corruption and Infirmity of the Flesh he was overcome.
Lot was a Saint of God, a righteous and just Man, yet he fell worse; not only by Drunkenness, but also by committing Incest with his two Daughters. What are the best of Men, when God leaves them to themselves.
Jacob also, no doubt, greatly sinned and fell, when he told his Father he was Esau, his First-born.
How lamentably did David sin and fall, who was a Man after God's own Heart, save in the Case of Bathsheba the Wife of Uriah.
How lamentably did David sin and fall, who was a Man after God's own Heart, save in the Case of Bathsheba the Wife of Vriah.
Peter fell likewise, and that grievously too, not only in denying of his blessed Master, but also by Cursing and Swearing, that he did not know him.
Many more sad Instances I might add of this Nature, but that I love not to rake into the Sores of God's sincere Servants. No doubt the Falls and grievous Sins of the Holy Saints of God, are by the Spirit left on Record for blessed Ends and Purposes.
(1.) To show what need the best of Men and Women have to pray, and stand upon their Watch at all times. (2.) To discover the Strength of Indwelling Sin, or the natural Corruptions of the Hearts of such who are truly gracious; and the absolute Necessity there is for all to depend upon the Divine Help and Assistance of God under Temptations. (3.) That no true Christian that is suffered to fall into Sin, should despair of the pardoning Grace of God.
(1.) To shew what need the best of Men and Women have to pray, and stand upon their Watch at all times. (2.) To discover the Strength of Indwelling Sin, or the natural Corruptions of the Hearts of such who are truly gracious; and the absolute Necessity there is for all to depend upon the Divine Help and Assistance of God under Temptations. (3.) That no true Christian that is suffered to fall into Sin, should despair of the pardoning Grace of God.
2dly. The Saints of God, or true Believers, may fall from 1Grace, (as well as into great and immoral Evils, and Acts of Wickedness) I mean, they may fall from Degrees of Grace, or decay in Grace, lose the Strength and Power of Divine Grace, as to the Acts and Exercise thereof. They may decay in Faith, in Love, in Humility, Patience, Hope, &c. Yet nevertheless I have 2somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first Love. Love may ⟨p. 163⟩cool in the best of Saints, though it shall never be quite extinguished, for nothing can utterly quench it. How low was the Faith of Christ's Disciples, when they said, We trusted that it had 3been he that should have redeemed Israel. Job also intimates, that his Hope was cut off: He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone, 4and mine Hope hath he removed like a Tree. There are Weaknesses in the Strongest, and Imperfections may come upon those who are perfect, as Mr. Caryl notes; Ebbings after the greatest Flowings, and Declinings after the greatest Heights of Graces, and gracious Actings: My Days are spent without Hope. David also said, I shall 5one day fall by the Hand of Saul, so low was his Faith.
3dly. God's Saints may also fall from the true Doctrine of the 1Gospel, which is called a falling from Grace: Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the Law; ye are fallen from Grace: that is, such who seek or desire to be justified by a Law, any Law of Obedience, or by their own Righteousness, for the End of Christ's Death, and the Gospel, is to cast away Man's own Righteousness in point of Justification, and to supply us with the Suretyship-Righteousness of Jesus Christ: and such who seek to be justified any other way, are fallen from Grace, they renounce the Free Grace of God exhibited in the Gospel. The Apostle doth not here refer to a State of Grace, but to the Doctrine or Gospel of Grace, in which is manifest the free Love of God in offering Christ to Sinners for Righteousness and Life.
3dly. God's Saints may also fall from the true Doctrine of the 1Gospel, which is called a falling from Grace: Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the Law; ye are fallen from Grace: that is, such who seek or desire to be justified by a Law, any Law of Obedience, or by their own Righteousness, for the End of Christ's Death, and the Gospel, is to cast away Man's own Righteousness in point of Justification, and to supply us with the Suretiship-Righteousness of Jesus Christ: and such who seek to be justified any other way, are fallen from Grace, they renounce the Free Grace of God exhibited in the Gospel. The Apostle doth not here refer to a State of Grace, but to the Doctrine or Gospel of Grace, in which is manifest the free Love of God in offering Christ to Sinners for Righteousness and Life.
4thly. True Believers, or the Sheep of Jesus Christ, may fall 1from the public Profession of the Faith, from a visible owning and maintaining their Testimony to Christ and his Gospel, through slavish Fear. Thus not only Peter, but all the other Disciples fell also, they all forsook their Blessed Master, when he was apprehended and led away as a Sheep to the Slaughter; then all the Disciples forsook him. All these Disciples had promised him, that 2they would not forsake him; but when the Trial comes, not one of them stands, they shrunk from professing themselves to be his Disciples and Followers: But they recovered this Fall, and after Christ's Resurrection made a glorious profession of him and his Gospel unto the Death.
4thly. True Believers, or the Sheep of Jesus Christ, may fall 1from the publick Profession of the Faith, from a visible owning and maintaining their Testimony to Christ and his Gospel, through slavish Fear. Thus not only Peter, but all the other Disciples fell also, they all forsook their Blessed Master, when he was apprehended and led away as a Sheep to the Slaughter; then all the Disciples forsook him. All these Disciples had promised him, that 2they would not forsake him; but when the Trial comes, not one of them stands, they shrunk from professing themselves to be his Disciples and Followers: But they recovered this Fall, and after Christ's Resurrection made a glorious profession of him and his Gospel unto the Death.
5thly. The Saints of God may fall, so as to break all their Bones, and grievously to wound their own Consciences: O Lord, 1heal me, for my Bones are vexed. My Soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long? My Pain and Anguish is bitter by the Burden of my Sin and Sense of thy Anger. Again, he saith, My ⟨p. 164⟩Strength faileth, because of mine Iniquities; and my Bones are consumed. 2I am feeble and sore broken. Elsewhere he speaks, as if all his Bones were broken, all his Strength was gone: Bones, we know, are the Strength of the Body, from thence the Metaphor seems to be taken. Now that is a grievous Fall, which breaks all the Bones.
6thly. The Saints, or Sheep of Christ, may so fall, or to such 1a degree lose the exercise of their Faith and Hope in God, as to be deprived of the Light of God's Countenance, and the Joy of his Salvation; Restore to me the Joy of thy Salvation: Nay, may wholly be in Darkness for a time, or have no Light: 2He hath kindled his Wrath against me; and he counteth me to him as one of his Enemies. I am gone, ver. 10. I am a lost Man, as if he should say, Thou hast laid me in the lowest Pit, in Darkness, in the Deeps. Free among the Dead, like the slain that lie in the Grave, whom thou rememberest no more; and they are cut off from thy Hand.—That walk in Darkness, and have no Light. I do not say that Desertion is always the Fruit and Punishment of Sin, though sometimes it is; 3yet it is always occasioned through the decay or want of the Exercise of Grace, or through God's withdrawing his sweet Presence and Influences of his Spirit from the Soul.
6thly. The Saints, or Sheep of Christ, may so fall, or to such 1a degree lose the exercise of their Faith and Hope in God, as to be deprived of the Light of God's Countenance, and the Joy of his Salvation; Restore to me the Joy of thy Salvation: Nay, may wholly be in Darkness for a time, or have no Light: 2He hath kindled his Wrath against me; and he counteth me to him as one of his Enemies. I am gone, ver. 10. I am a lost Man, as if he should say, Thou hast laid me in the lowest Pit, in Darkness, in the Deeps. Free among the Dead, like the slain that lie in the Grave, whom thou remembrest no more; and they are cut off from thy Hand.—That walk in Darkness, and have no Light. I do not say that Desertion is always the Fruit and Punishment of Sin, though sometimes it is; 3yet it is always occasioned through the decay or want of the Exercise of Grace, or through God's withdrawing his sweet Presence and Influences of his Spirit from the Soul.
