A47542:900
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.
Now in this Covenant, Eternal Life comes to us primarily by God's Free Grace, in his finding out, parting with, and accepting of his own Son to be our Saviour and Surety. And secondly, by virtue of what Christ hath done, and did undertake to do and suffer for all that should be saved, they cannot perish: I have found David my Servant; with my Holy Spirit have I anointed him.—My Mercy will I keep with him for evermore, 1and my Covenant shall stand fast in him. His Seed also will I make to endure for ever. His Seed, that is, all that are the Product of his Spirit, or are quickened and renewed by him. This is the Nature of the Covenant of Grace, Christ is their Root and Head, their Spirit of Life is in him, and it is derived from him in Regeneration, in a spiritual way, as our natural Life was in, and derived to us from the first Adam by Generation, in a natural way. My Brethren, pray do not mistake about the Nature and Tenor of this great and glorious Covenant: The Father, we say, enters into a Covenant with his Son, and promises Eternal Life unto him, and to all his Elect Seed, upon the consideration of what he, I mean our Blessed Saviour, was to perform in respect of those federal Conditions proposed to him, which he did then undertake on Man's behalf, or such of Mankind that God did intend to save. And the Father that accepted of him, and sent him into the World, and gave him his Sheep, doth look to him as to the final and complete Accomplishment of all things, that were either to be done for them, or wrought and done in them, in order to the Everlasting Salvation of their Souls. And this Christ engaged to do, and took them into his Hands in this Covenant to effect; which is clearly signified in my Text, together with a full Assurance unto us, that he will do it in spite of Sin, Devil, World, and all Enemies; Neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand. Our Blessed Saviour further saith, All that the Father hath given me, shall come unto me; and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out. For 2I came down from Heaven, not to do mine own Will, but the Will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's Will that sent me, that of ⟨p. 204⟩all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last Day.
Now in this Covenant, Eternal Life comes to us primarily by God's Free Grace, in his finding out, parting with, and accepting of his own Son to be our Saviour and Surety. And secondly, by virtue of what Christ hath done, and did undertake to do and suffer for all that should be saved, they cannot perish: I have found David my Servant; with my Holy Spirit have I anointed him.—My Mercy will I keep with him for evermore, 1and my Covenant shall stand fast in him. His Seed also will I make to endure for ever. His Seed, that is, all that are the Product of his Spirit, or are quickned and renewed by him. This is the Nature of the Covenant of Grace, Christ is their Root and Head, their Spirit of Life is in him, and it is derived from him in Regeneration, in a spiritual way, as our natural Life was in, and derived to us from the first Adam by Generation, in a natural way. My Brethren, pray do not mistake about the Nature and Tenour of this great and glorious Covenant: The Father, we say, enters into a Covenant with his Son, and promises Eternal Life unto him, and to all his Elect Seed, upon the consideration of what he, I mean our Blessed Saviour, was to perform in respect of those federal Conditions proposed to him, which he did then undertake on Man's behalf, or such of Mankind that God did intend to save. And the Father that accepted of him, and sent him into the World, and gave him his Sheep, doth look to him as to the final and compleat Accomplishment of all things, that were either to be done for them, or wrought and done in them, in order to the Everlasting Salvation of their Souls. And this Christ engaged to do, and took them into his Hands in this Covenant to effect; which is clearly signified in my Text, together with a full Assurance unto us, that he will do it in spite of Sin, Devil, World, and all Enemies; Neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand. Our Blessed Saviour further saith, All that the Father hath given me, shall come unto me; and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out. For 2I came down from Heaven, not to do mine own Will, but the Will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's Will that sent me, that of ⟨p. 204⟩all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last Day.
This was the Covenant between them both, this is his Father's Will, that none, no not one, no nothing of them that were given to him, neither their Souls nor Bodies, should be lost, but all must be saved, he having engaged and promised to fulfil and accomplish the Father's Will herein. O happy Believers! you are not left to your own Covenanting with God, to the Power of your own Wills; nor do you stand upon your own Legs, but you are in God's Covenant, in Christ's Covenant; you are committed into Christ's Hand to keep, you stand upon your Surety's Engagements, his Undertakings; God looks to him, and expects that he gives a good Account of all his Sheep at the last Day; and Christ is able and faithful: He says, Them I must bring; I have struck Hands with my Father, I have covenanted and promised to die for them, and to call, renew, and eternally to save them; and they shall never perish. This being all true, what is become of the Doctrine (or rather of the gross Error) of a final falling from a State of true Grace?
Secondly, To proceed a little further: Jesus Christ, by virtue of this Covenant, and in pursuance of that great Work he undertook, did not only die to satisfy for the Sins of his People, but also purchased or procured thereby a gracious conveyance of the Holy Spirit, and the saving Graces and Influences thereof, to change their Hearts, bend and subject their Wills, and graciously to renew and convert their Souls unto God, which God foresaw otherwise could never be done, and also to carry on that good Work in them until they come to Glory: And this indeed he was obliged to perform, according to the Tenor of this Covenant. And hence it is that Paul saith, Being confident of this very thing, that he which 1hath begun a good Work in you, will perform it until the Day of Christ; or until the Day of your Death he will perform it; which denotes his Covenant-undertaking, he having obliged or bound himself as our Surety to do it. It is not said he will perfect, or finish it, but he will perform it. Had not the Apostle referred to that Obligation in the Covenant of Grace which he laid himself under, the other Expression had been as proper, i. e. to say, he will perform it. He is faithful, and cannot fail in doing and performing what he hath made a Bargain, or covenanted to do: As we say, when a faithful and responsible Person hath covenanted to do this or that, though the Work be great and difficult, and much Opposition lies in his way, yet he will do it, he will perform what he hath undertaken. ⟨p. 205⟩Hence David saith, I will cry unto God most High; unto 2God that performeth all things for me: To God most high that is able to do it, let Sin, Men and Devils, do what they can to hinder him. This is further confirmed by the Prophet; Lord, thou wilt ordain 3Peace for us, for thou also hast wrought all our Works in us: All is the Effects of thy Grace, according to thy glorious Covenant. Hence also the Apostle saith, For it is God that worketh in you, both to will 4and to do of his own good Pleasure. No Man can choose that which is savingly Good, much less perform it, until his Will is graciously renewed: My People shall be willing in the Day of my Power.
This 1being so, how contrary is this Doctrine to that which some Men maintain concerning the Power of the Creature, or Power of Man's depraved Will, the purport of which leaves the Salvation of every Soul at the greatest Uncertainty imaginable? They tell you Christ died for all Men, that is, for their Good, and satisfied for their Sins, against the first Covenant, for all Men; and that all are put into a Capacity to be saved, if they will believe, repent, and continue in believing and in well-doing to the End: they clearly intimate, that whatsoever the Decree or Purpose of God is, and whatsoever the Nature of the Covenant of Grace is, yet all is at the determination of Man's own Will, whether any one will be saved or not, God affording him only strong moral Persuasions, Reasons, Motives, and Subjective Considerations thereunto, which may, or may not incline, excite or prevail with him to believe and obey the Gospel, and perform the procuring Conditions of Life and Salvation; or they may not incline, excite or prevail with any one Soul: they do not, will not say, that Christ is under an Obligation, by virtue of the Covenant made with the Father, to afford effectual Grace, special Aid, internal Strength to any, in order to bring them over unto God; but that it is left to the Creature, and that he needs no such supernatural or irresistible Grace to work upon him: Which doth, (1.) Evidently tend to ascribe the whole Glory of our Regeneration and Perseverance in Grace unto Man, and not to the Grace of God: for that Act of our Wills on this Supposition whereby we convert unto God, is merely an Act of our own, and not of the special Grace of God. This is clear; for if the Act it self were of effectual Grace, then would it not be in the Power of the Will to hinder it, as a late Reverend Minister notes.2 Also (2.) it would and must follow, that this would leave Regeneration and Salvation absolutely uncertain, (notwithstanding ⟨p. 206⟩the Purpose of God, the Covenant of Grace, the Undertaking and Death of Christ) whether ever any one in all the World should be saved, or no, as I hinted before: for when God hath done all, Christ hath done all that he is concerned in, or is to do on his part, it is absolutely in the Power of the Will of Man, whether it shall be effectual, or not; which is directly contrary to the Covenant, Promise and Oath of God unto Jesus Christ: (3.)
It is also contrary, as you have heard, unto express Texts of Scripture, wherein effectual Conversion, and final Perseverance is wholly ascribed unto the special Grace of God, as the immediate Effect thereof; God worketh in us to will and to do. The Act therefore it self in our Conversion, is of God's Operation; and though we will our selves, yet it is he who causeth us to will, by working in us to will and to do But if the Act of our Will in Believing and Obedience, in our Conversion and Perseverance, be not the effect of God's special Grace in us, then God doth not work in us, both to will and to do of his own good Pleasure.
Thirdly. The Covenant of Grace secures all Christ's Sheep, all his Saints, from falling away so as eternally to perish, because the Covenant of Grace is an Everlasting Covenant, well ordered in all 1things and sure: Not only well ordered in all things for the Glory of God, in all his blessed Attributes, but also for the Happiness, Safety and Security of all their Souls that the Father gave unto Jesus Christ.
1. It is well ordered for our Good, in that Christ hath pacified the Wrath of God thereby for us. Christ hath, by the Blood of his Covenant, made up that great Breach that was between God and us. So that now God says unto his People, Fury is not in me. See what Paul says, When we were Enemies, 1we were reconciled unto God by the Death of his Son: And by his Spirit he reconciles us, he slays and subdues the Enmity that naturally was in our Hearts against God. Christ in this Covenant (it is so well ordered) is that blessed Days-man that lays his Hand upon both, he brings God to Man, and Man to God: We were the Children of Wrath, and under the 2Curse of the Law; but by the Grace of this well-ordered Covenant, we were made the Children of God, and delivered from the Curse of the Law: Christ hath delivered us from the Curse of the Law, being made a Curse for us.
We had lost the Image of God; but by this Covenant it is restored to us again, and so that we shall not lose it any more for ⟨p. 207⟩ever. We were dead, blind, naked, in Bonds and in Prison, but by the Grace of God in this Covenant we are quickened, our Eyes 1are enlightened, and we have our naked Souls clothed; yea, and are brought out of Prison, and all our Wounds are healed. We were guilty and filthy Creatures; but by this Covenant are justified and sanctified, being actually acquitted, and through Faith pronounced Righteous, in the perfect Righteousness of Christ; and all our Sins pardoned; and are sanctified, purged and washed by Faith in his Blood, and shall not come into Condemnation: There 2is therefore now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus; they shall never perish: If there is no Condemnation to them, there is no possibility of their final falling.
We had lost the Image of God; but by this Covenant it is restored to us again, and so that we shall not lose it any more for ⟨p. 207⟩ever. We were dead, blind, naked, in Bonds and in Prison, but by the Grace of God in this Covenant we are quickned, our Eyes 1are enlightned, and we have our naked Souls clothed; yea, and are brought out of Prison, and all our Wounds are healed. We were guilty and filthy Creatures; but by this Covenant are justified and sanctified, being actually acquitted, and through Faith pronounced Righteous, in the perfect Righteousness of Christ; and all our Sins pardoned; and are sanctified, purged and washed by Faith in his Blood, and shall not come into Condemnation: There 2is therefore now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus; they shall never perish: If there is no Condemnation to them, there is no possibility of their final falling.
Well, but what are the Characters of those happy Souls? why, they are such, saith the Apostle, who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. Moreover, see this more fully confirmed by Christ himself; Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my Words, and believeth on him that sent me, hath Everlasting Life, and shall not come into Condemnation, but is passed from Death to Life: He is passed out of a state of Death to a state of Spiritual Life; he hath Eternal Life in the Seed of it in him; he hath a sure and certain Right and Title to Everlasting Life; he shall not be deprived of it by any Enemy whatsoever: so much do these words of our Blessed Saviour imply. Now what daring Men are they who say, they may come into Condemnation that do believe? Will they gainsay and contradict the Lord of Life and Glory?
3dly. It is a well-ordered and sure Covenant, because it is made in and with our blessed Surety, as before I showed you: God treats with us, trades again with us, gives forth his Heavenly Treasure to us; but all is upon the Credit and Security of Jesus Christ, who is become the Surety of this Covenant. Now we may have what we need, come when we will in his Name, he is engaged to God the Father for us; Christ was made a Surety of a better Covenant. 1When God saw Man undone, run out of all, and no trusting him any more, Christ stepped in and undertook for us, and put his Hand to the Covenant, and brings himself under an Obligation for us.
3dly. It is a well-ordered and sure Covenant, because it is made in and with our blessed Surety, as before I shewed you: God treats with us, trades again with us, gives forth his Heavenly Treasure to us; but all is upon the Credit and Security of Jesus Christ, who is become the Surety of this Covenant. Now we may have what we need, come when we will in his Name, he is engaged to God the Father for us; Christ was made a Surety of a better Covenant. 1When God saw Man undone, run out of all, and no trusting him any more, Christ step'd in and undertook for us, and put his Hand to the Covenant, and brings himself under an Obligation for us.
Quest. Is Christ a Surety to God for us, or of us to God?
An. I answer; God on his part had no need of a Surety to undertake for him; he never failed nor broke at first with Man, it was Man that broke and failed in his Covenant with God. "But we on all Accounts (saith Dr. Owen)1 stand in need of such a ⟨p. 208⟩Surety for us, or on our behalf: Neither without the interposition of such a Surety, (saith he) could any Covenant between God and us be firm and stable, or an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure."
4thly. Because this Covenant is made upon the unchangeable Decree and Counsel of God: My Covenant I will not break; nor alter 1the thing that is gone out of my Mouth. If you can break my Covenant of the Day and Night, then may also my Covenant be broken with David. Now Christ and his Seed, his Elect, are but one Party in this Covenant; 2it was made with him, and with us in him, before the World began. See Paul; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy Calling; not according to our Works, but according to his own Purpose and Grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began. It was made as firm to us in Christ who do believe, as it was made to him, and only made with him for us; to this End, even to secure Eternal Life for us, that we might not lose it: and it is as firm by the Decree and Counsel of God, as the Covenant of Day and Night. And thus it is of Grace alone; the Reason of which the Apostle gives us; Therefore it is of Faith, that it might be of 3Grace, to the end the Promise might be sure to all the Seed. Pray observe it well.
5thly. This Covenant is sure to all the Elect, and gives them an Assurance of Everlasting Life; because the execution of it is put into the Hands of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost is to see that all the Legacies left in Christ's last Will and Testament, are given to all Believers; all Covenant-Blessings shall therefore be faithfully bestowed upon them of which final Perseverance in Grace and Holiness is none of the least: Christ's Will runs, none of them shall perish; and it is the Father's Will, that none that he hath given to his Son should be lost. Now the Spirit of God cannot fail, it is his Work to regenerate, sanctify and preserve, and to make meet all the Saints of God for the Eternal Inheritance; therefore they cannot perish.
6thly. The Covenant is firm and sure, and doth secure all Christ's Sheep unto Eternal Life, appears further, because it is confirmed by the highest Witnesses in Heaven and Earth. (1.) The Father, (2.) the Son, (3.) the Holy Spirit, and all those wonderful Miracles that were wrought: this was one End of that mighty Testimony, viz. That all the Father hath given to Christ, or all that believe in him, may assuredly know they shall not perish, but have Everlasting Life.
7thly. This Covenant makes all the Blessings thereof sure to all Believers, because it is confirmed and ratified by the Blood of the Testator Jesus Christ: That Covenant that is confirmed and ratified by Christ's Blood, must needs be sure to all the Seed, and secure all Blessings in it to them. We have also as a Sign and Token of this Confirmation of the New Covenant, the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper; This is the Blood of the New Covenant that is shed for you, to make Peace for you, to procure Justification, Reconciliation, pardon of Sin, and Eternal Life for you: it is sealed to you by the Spirit through my Blood; take, eat this, and drink this in token of it, as an Assurance of it.
7thly. This Covenant makes all the Blessings thereof sure to all Believers, because it is confirmed and ratified by the Blood of the Testator Jesus Christ: That Covenant that is confirm'd and ratified by Christ's Blood, must needs be sure to all the Seed, and secure all Blessings in it to them. We have also as a Sign and Token of this Confirmation of the New Covenant, the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper; This is the Blood of the New Covenant that is shed for you, to make Peace for you, to procure Justification, Reconciliation, pardon of Sin, and Eternal Life for you: it is sealed to you by the Spirit through my Blood; take, eat this, and drink this in token of it, as an Assurance of it.
Secondly, To proceed a little further: Jesus Christ, by virtue of this Covenant, and in pursuance of that great Work he undertook, did not only die to satisfy for the Sins of his People, but also purchased or procured thereby a gracious conveyance of the Holy Spirit, and the saving Graces and Influences thereof, to change their Hearts, bend and subject their Wills, and graciously to renew and convert their Souls unto God, which God foresaw otherwise could never be done, and also to carry on that good Work in them until they come to Glory: And this indeed he was obliged to perform, according to the Tenour of this Covenant. And hence it is that Paul saith, Being confident of this very thing, that he which 1hath begun a good Work in you, will perform it until the Day of Christ; or until the Day of your Death he will perform it; which denotes his Covenant-undertaking, he having obliged or bound himself as our Surety to do it. It is not said he will perfect, or finish it, but he will perform it. Had not the Apostle referred to that Obligation in the Covenant of Grace which he laid himself under, the other Expression had been as proper, i. e. to say, he will perform it. He is faithful, and cannot fail in doing and performing what he hath made a Bargain, or covenanted to do: As we say, when a faithful and responsible Person hath covenanted to do this or that, though the Work be great and difficult, and much Opposition lies in his way, yet he will do it, he will perform what he hath undertaken. ⟨p. 205⟩Hence David saith, I will cry unto God most High; unto 2God that performeth all things for me: To God most high that is able to do it, let Sin, Men and Devils, do what they can to hinder him. This is further confirmed by the Prophet; Lord, thou wilt ordain 3Peace for us, for thou also hast wrought all our Works in us: All is the Effects of thy Grace, according to thy glorious Covenant. Hence also the Apostle saith, For it is God that worketh in you, both to will 4and to do of his own good Pleasure. No Man can chuse that which is savingly Good, much less perform it, until his Will is graciously renewed: My People shall be willing in the Day of my Power.
This 1being so, how contrary is this Doctrine to that which some Men maintain concerning the Power of the Creature, or Power of Man's depraved Will, the purport of which leaves the Salvation of every Soul at the greatest Uncertainty imaginable? They tell you Christ died for all Men, that is, for their Good, and satisfied for their Sins, against the first Covenant, for all Men; and that all are put into a Capacity to be saved, if they will believe, repent, and continue in believing and in well-doing to the End: they clearly intimate, that whatsoever the Decree or Purpose of God is, and whatsoever the Nature of the Covenant of Grace is, yet all is at the determination of Man's own Will, whether any one will be saved or not, God affording him only strong moral Perswasions, Reasons, Motives, and Subjective Considerations thereunto, which may, or may not incline, excite or prevail with him to believe and obey the Gospel, and perform the procuring Conditions of Life and Salvation; or they may not incline, excite or prevail with any one Soul: they do not, will not say, that Christ is under an Obligation, by virtue of the Covenant made with the Father, to afford effectual Grace, special Aid, internal Strength to any, in order to bring them over unto God; but that it is left to the Creature, and that he needs no such supernatural or irresistible Grace to work upon him: Which doth, (1.) Evidently tend to ascribe the whole Glory of our Regeneration and Perseverance in Grace unto Man, and not to the Grace of God: for that Act of our Wills on this Supposition whereby we convert unto God, is meerly an Act of our own, and not of the special Grace of God. This is clear; for if the Act it self were of effectual Grace, then would it not be in the Power of the Will to hinder it, as a late Reverend Minister notes.2 Also (2.) it would and must follow, that this would leave Regeneration and Salvation absolutely uncertain, (notwithstanding ⟨p. 206⟩the Purpose of God, the Covenant of Grace, the Undertaking and Death of Christ) whether ever any one in all the World should be saved, or no, as I hinted before: for when God hath done all, Christ hath done all that he is concerned in, or is to do on his part, it is absolutely in the Power of the Will of Man, whether it shall be effectual, or not; which is directly contrary to the Covenant, Promise and Oath of God unto Jesus Christ: (3.)
