A Golden Mine Opened, Frontispiece – To the reader
1694 BENJAMIN KEACH MINISTER OF Ye GOSPEL AND PASTOR OF A CHURCH AT HORSLY DOWN SOUTHWORK AGED 54.
The Shadow of his Face you se
Who nothing hath to Glory in,
But his Bleſs't Lord, unleſs it be,
His trials which not ſmal have been,
By Persecution once most sore
But by falſe friends afflicted more.
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.
Epheſ. 3. 8. Unto me, who am leſs than the leaſt of all Saints, is this Grace given, that I ſhould preach among the Gentiles the unſearchable Riches of Chriſt.
London, Printed, and ſold by the Author at his Houſe in Horſe-lie-down, and William Marſhall at the Bible in Newgate-ſtreet. 1694.
Reader, There are two Miſtakes in the firſt Column of the firſt Page of the Contents of the Sermons: Viz. Line 7, for Fear, read Fan, Line 25, for Eternal, read External.
To the Chriſtian Readers;
Chiefly to ſuch who were the Subſcribers for, and principal Promoters of the Publication of this Work.
Beloved in our Bleſſed Redeemer.
IT was the leaſt of my Thoughts, when I had preached the greateſt part of the enſuing Sermons, once to ſuppoſe they ſhould ever be publiſhed to the World: But through ſome of your important Requeſts and Deſires, I was prevailed with, many of you ſo readily and unexpectedly ſubſcribing to take off ſo great a Number of them; which had you not done, they had never ſeen the Sun, I not judging them deſerving ſuch a Publication. I am ſenſible of my great Inſufficiency; and might, from the Defects of my Ability for the great Work called to, have ſeen cauſe enough to have denied a Compliance with you herein: But having ſo often formerly paſſed through the Cenſure of the World, made me perhaps the more unconcerned; and knowing that the moſt of them will come into your Hands, (who I hope will caſt a Mantle on my Humane Frailties) it was a farther Inducement to conſent. However, if the Holy God be pleaſed to ſucceed the great Pains I have taken, with his Bleſſing, I ſhall ſee no cauſe to be troubled at what I have done. It's like ſome may object, I do not well to meddle with Controverſies at this time. I anſwer, that I have, it is true, touched upon ſeveral controvertable Points; but not as they are Matters of Controverſy, but to clear up the Truths of Chriſt for the Eſtabliſhment and Comfort of the People committed to my Care. Beſides, I being miſrepreſented as touching my Judgment in ſome great Points, (as I have been informed) I thought it was my Duty to rectify ſuch Miſtakes. The grand Controverſy here inſiſted upon, is that about Election, and the Saints Final Perſeverance, which I hope the Reader will find to his ſatisfaction confirmed.
Reader, I have ſince theſe Sermons were printed off, met with a Book wrote by a Perſon, whom I both eſteem and honour, (excepting his Opinion) entituled, A Treatiſe touching Falling Away; wherein he endeavours to anſwer ſome of our Arguments: Had I met with it ſooner, I had given a particular Reply; but in the general he may find he hath here an Anſwer to what he hath ſaid. He endeavours to prove the Elect may be deceived; which we deny not, though not finally deceived; for that our Saviour intimates to be impoſſible: And to ſay, none are the Elect but they whoſe Warfare is finiſhed, ſeems ſtrange to me; and to ſuppoſe the New Covenant ſpoken of Jer. 31. refers to the Jews only when called at the latter Days, is not true, but is contradicted by the Apoſtle, Heb. 8. Heb. 10. Our Argument, That Sin cannot ſeparate from God's Love, is here alſo fully cleared: As alſo what he ſays, That Chriſt's Sheep may ceaſe following him, and ſo fall out of his Hand, I have anſwered likewiſe: It is the Property of ſuch, they do and ſhall follow him; God has put his Fear into our Hearts, and we ſhall not depart from him. Moreover, the Abſurdities that he pretends, do attend the Doctrine of Final Perſeverance, I find I have taken off, though I ſaw not his Book.
Object. But ſtill the Cry is, Your Doctrine renders God ſo ſevere to his Creatures, it can't be a Truth. In anſwer; Conſider, all acknowledg that God foreknew all his Creatures from Eternity, and who would not be ſaved, (which were far the greateſt number); and yet nevertheleſs he created them whom he knew would refuſe his Grace, and periſh Eternally; is he unmerciful and too ſevere therefore? But enough is ſaid to remove ſuch Cavils in the enſuing Treatiſe.
Reader, There is one thing I thought good to hint unto thee, viz. I have quoted ſeveral Authors and worthy Writers in tranſcribing theſe Sermons for the Preſs, that were not mentioned when I preach'd the Sermons; which may be I had then done, had I thought they ſhould have been publiſhed to the World. Alſo I have left out many of the Enlargements, for otherwiſe the Book had ſwelled almoſt as big again; ſo that you have but the Subſtance of what was delivered on theſe Texts, except it be that upon the Fan in Chriſt's Hand, which you have larger, God having been pleaſed to bleſs thoſe Sermons to the great Profit of many Perſons. But I am perſwaded the Reader will like this Treatiſe not the worſe for my brevity on each particular Head; for great Enlargements I find are not profitable nor approved of by Chriſtians of this preſent Age. I ſhall not therefore retain thee longer at the Door, but ſhall deſire thy Prayers, (as I have made them mine, and ſhall, God aſſiſting me) that this Work may be attended with Divine Bleſſings to thee from the Preſs, as it has been to many from the Pulpit. And let me, Reader, have a ſhare in thy ſervent Breathings (as I hope I ſhall not forget thee) when at the Throne of Grace; that I with you, and you with me, may be kept from falling, and preſerved in Chriſt's Hand to Eternal Life, who am willing to ſerve thee according to that ſmall Ability received, whilſt,
From my Houſe at Horſe-lie-down, in Freeman's-Lane, Southwark, Septemb. 13. 1694. Benjamin Keach.