A47542:781
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.
So much shall serve to prove that there is an Election of particular Persons.
Object. But may be some will Object, If this be so, what need 1any Man concern himself about his Salvation, as to seek it or labour after it: for if he be elected, he shall be saved; but if not, let him do what he can, he cannot be saved, he cannot frustrate God's Decree, nor alter the thing that is gone out of his Mouth?
Answ. 1. I answer, All Mankind are under the strongest Obligation 1imaginable to God, as he is their Creator, and they his Creatures; as he is their only Lord and Supreme Governor, they are bound to fear him, and obey his Laws, let him do what he will with them. Is not that a base and for did Principle in a Servant or Subject, to do nothing but for mere Self-profit and Advantage?
Answ. 1. I answer, All Mankind are under the strongest Obligation 1imaginable to God, as he is their Creator, and they his Creatures; as he is their only Lord and Supreme Governour, they are bound to fear him, and obey his Laws, let him do what he will with them. Is not that a base and for did Principle in a Servant or Subject, to do nothing but for meer Self-profit and Advantage?
2. Paul was certain of a Crown of Life, yet knew it was his Duty to press towards the Mark for the Prize of the High Calling of 1God in Christ Jesus, and to keep down his Body. He strove as strenuously against Sin, as if Salvation could be merited by so doing; so that his Election took him not off from a diligent Care in use of Means, in order to his attaining to Eternal Happiness.
3. God hath as well ordained the Means, as the End, as I newly told you; both are appointed of God, and equally under his absolute Decree: Men are not elected to Salvation, but also to Sanctification and Holiness.
4. "We are not to look upon the Decree of God (as a Reverend Minister well observes)1 for a Rule of Life, but the Word of the Gospel; secret things belong to God, &c. The Decree can neither be a Rule of Life, nor Ground of Hope, but the Precept and the Promise," &c. He that leads an ungodly Life, and ⟨p. 175⟩pursues his filthy Lusts, may assure himself, so living and dying, he shall be damned for ever: He that believes not in Christ, but rejects him, and despiseth all the Offers of his Grace to the End of his Life, no Decree can save him; therefore if he will go on in Sin presumptuously, let him take what will follow. On the other hand, he that doth believe in Christ, and conforms to the Holy Gospel, need not doubt of Salvation, no Decree can hinder him of Salvation. Men ought to endeavour to believe and repent, and close with Christ upon a Peradventure; If God peradventure will 2give them Repentance to the acknowledgement of the Truth.
4. "We are not to look upon the Decree of God (as a Reverend Minister well observes)1 for a Rule of Life, but the Word of the Gospel; secret things belong to God, &c. The Decree can neither be a Rule of Life, nor Ground of Hope, but the Precept and the Promise," &c. He that leads an ungodly Life, and ⟨p. 175⟩pursues his filthy Lusts, may assure himself, so living and dying, he shall be damned for ever: He that believes not in Christ, but rejects him, and despiseth all the Offers of his Grace to the End of his Life, no Decree can save him; therefore if he will go on in Sin presumptuously, let him take what will follow. On the other hand, he that doth believe in Christ, and conforms to the Holy Gospel, need not doubt of Salvation, no Decree can hinder him of Salvation. Men ought to endeavour to believe and repent, and close with Christ upon a Peradventure; If God peradventure will 2give them Repentance to the acknowledgment of the Truth.
5. Because God hath absolutely determined the Time of thy Life, or how long thou shalt live: And there it a Time thou canst not pass; Wilt thou therefore forbear eating, or use of Physic, to preserve thy Life, and say, If I eat not, I shall live my appointed Time? What signify Means of Medicines, I will take no Physic, no Potion? for it the Time is come God hath set in his Eternal Decree, I shall die, nothing can save my Life: Would not all think you were under a fearful Temptation and Delusion of the Devil?
5. Because God hath absolutely determined the Time of thy Life, or how long thou shalt live: And there it a Time thou canst not pass; Wilt thou therefore forbear eating, or use of Physick, to preserve thy Life, and say, If I eat not, I shall live my appointed Time? What signify Means of Medicines, I will take no Physick, no Potion? for it the Time is come God hath set in his Eternal Decree, I shall die, nothing can save my Life: Would not all think you were under a fearful Temptation and Delusion of the Devil?
6. Did not God absolutely tell Paul, that he had given him the 1Lives of all that were with him in the Ship, and that none of them should perish? Yet he said, Unless these abide in the Ship, ye cannot be saved. Whosoever therefore that doth neglect the Means 2God hath appointed, in order to the obtaining the End, let it be what it will, doth but tempt God, and comply with the Devil, let his Pretence be what it will.
6. Did not God absolutely tell Paul, that he had given him the 1Lives of all that were with him in the Ship, and that none of them should perish? Yet he said, Vnless these abide in the Ship, ye cannot be saved. Whosoever therefore that doth neglect the Means 2God hath appointed, in order to the obtaining the End, let it be what it will, doth but tempt God, and comply with the Devil, let his Pretence be what it will.
7. No Decree of God necessitates Men to sin: for though the Free Grace of God is the absolute Cause of Election, and no foreseen 1Faith or Holiness; yet foreseen Wickedness, Unbelief and Disobedience, is the procuring Cause of the Reprobation and of the Damnation of them that perish: O Israel, thou hast destroyed thy 2self, but in me is thy help.
8. Were any ever damned that did what they could in the use of all Means under the Light of the Gospel, to be saved? Brethren, God (may justly and) will condemn Men for their not improving their one Talent. Nor will it be a good Plea for such to say, I 1knew thou were an hard Man, reaping where thou hast not sown, &c. Thus some Men seem to charge God, I am not Elected. There is an Election of Grace, of special and distinguishing Grace, and Man hath no Power in his own Will; and God doth not give me Power to believe, and will he damn me? Doth he expect to reap ⟨p. 176⟩where he hath not sown, and gather where he hath not stromed? Such shall have no Excuse, as our Saviour shows, at the Great Day. The Lord of that Servant shows, the Fault lay in his own Sloth and 2Wickedness; and his dread of his Lord's Severity, (as our Annotators note) was but a frivolous Pretence and unreasonable Excuse; for if he had feared any such thing, he should have done what he could; he should have put out his Money to the Exchange, and then he should have received his own with increase. Thus God may as justly another Day reply upon those who think to excuse their lewd and wicked Lives, their unbelief and contempt of his Word, from their not being Elected, and not having Power of themselves to believe and repent, not receiving his efficacious Grace; O ye wicked and slothful Wretches. May he not say, did ye suspect or fear you were not elected? Why did you not then give all diligence to attend upon the Means, and to make your Calling sure, as all they do that are elected? Do you plead the Power of your own Wills, to repent one while, and that you wanted Power at another time, and that I gave you not my special Grace? But had you not Power to keep from Taverns and Alehouses, to keep from Lying, Stealing, Swearing, and other profane Deeds of Darkness? Had you not Power to read, to hear my Word, to pray? If you had done your uttermost in improving of the Talent I gave you, would I have been wanting to you? But since you did not that, why should I trust you with more? Brethren, are these Mens Eyes Evil, because God's Eye is Good? Is he unjust in giving effectual Grace to some, because he doth not bestow it upon all? Had he not took hold of a few, the whole Lump of Mankind would have destroyed themselves, and none would have been saved.
Was God unjust in electing some of the Angels, because he passed by others of them?
9. In the Day of Judgment, God will be just, and all Mens Mouths shall be stopped: This you may assure your selves of, He 1will be justified when he judges, and clear when he condemns: He that had not on the Wedding-garment, was speechless. God will not then proceed with Men upon Election and Reprobation, but upon their believing, or not believing: He will render to every Man according 2to their Works. All Mens Mouths shall be stopped, and every Man's Conscience witness against him. Alas, Men do not act or exercise that humane Faith in respect of the Report of the Gospel, which they do in respect of other matters and things that are made known to them, or do not bring forth the Fruit of such an historical Faith. But so much to this Objection.
Now I should come to the second thing, viz. to show how Election doth tend to prove and fully demonstrate the happy State of all Christ's Sheep, or that it is impossible they should, any one of them, so fall away as eternally to perish. But that must be the Work of the next Day.
Now I should come to the second thing, viz. to shew how Election doth tend to prove and fully demonstrate the happy State of all Christ's Sheep, or that it is impossible they should, any one of them, so fall away as eternally to perish. But that must be the Work of the next Day.
1MY Brethren, I am upon proving the Truth of the Proposition, or Point of Doctrine that I have raised from our Text, viz.
That all the Saints of God, Believers, or Sheep and Lambs of Jesus Christ, shall be saved; and that none of them shall so fall away as eternally to perish.
