September 6, 2007

Benjamin Keach (1640–1704) on Common Grace

V. Some Men's natural Blindness hath been by the just judgment of God upon them for their sin. So God in a way of judgment Blinds the eyes of some Men, after common illuminations. He is said to Blind their eyes, and harden their hearts, that is, he denies them his grace, and withdraws those common influences of it from them, suffering Satan to take full power of them, leaving them to their own hearts' lusts, and so consequently to final impenitency, Isa. xliv. 18, Rom. xi. 8.
Benjamin Keach, Tropologia; A Key to Open Scripture Metaphors, in Four Books (London: William Hill Collingridge City Press, 1858), 804.

In the above quote, Keach associates "grace" with "common" measures of illumination and restraining power, even given to those who go into final impenitency.
Thirdly, Sin and Satan rob, or deprive men of union, and communion with God, and of the true grace of God, by which this union and communion with God, and Christ is attained; persuading them common grace, is saving grace, and legal conversion is evangelical conversion, and outward reformation true regeneration, &c.
Ibid., 895.

We have already seen in the first quote that Keach calls general restraints and general illuminations "grace," so this next quote is not denying that such things are in fact a manifestation of grace when he goes on to speak of a "true grace." By "true grace," he means a grace that brings about true conversion, and not a seeming conversion leading to self-deception because it's merely an "outward reformation" devoid of a real inner transformation. In this second quote, he sounds like the puritan Thomas Brooks. For some of his statements on common grace, see Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1990), 155–156. It can also be read online HERE.

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