PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 11
Thomas Manton · 316,591 words · 316 reading sections
Section 121
2. How much it concerneth every christian to be cautious and watchful. For he is to remember this within himself, I am to repre- sent Christ's rising and dying ; the death of sin must answer the death of Christ, and the new life his resurrection. Now, is Christ's dying and rising seen in us ? We were never implanted in…
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[3.] Seriously endeavour against it, according to the advantages the Spirit giveth you. A conscientious attender on the ordinances of God hath many motions and helps. 2. To walk in newness of life, or to express the likeness of Christ's resurrection. The spiritual resurrection is described — (1.) By the cause of it : …
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This old man was crucified with Christ. This phrase and manner of speech is difficult, and therefore must be explained. [1.] That Christ was crucified for us in honum nostrum, for our good, is past dispute with christians : ' Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows,' Isa. liii. 3 ; he endured the punis…
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(1.) Proposito, in the settled purpose of their hearts, as Christ ceased not till he had done his work ; so a christian : 1 Peter iv. 1, ' Foras- much as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind ; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin.' Now a work is spo…
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3. Observe the apostle saith, ' That we should not serve sin.' It is one thing to sin, another thing to serve sin. Though sin doth remain in the godly, it doth not reign in them: to serve sin is to yield willing obedience to it. This may be done two ways : — [1.] When men slavishly lie down in any habit and course of …
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3. Knowing is often put for assent ; for faith is not a doubting, but a certain knowledge. And this enliveneth every truth. If you do beheve that Christ came to take away every sin, you have no reason to cherish it. The word worketh not till it be believed : Heb. iv. 2, ' To us was the gospel preached, as well as unto …
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[3.] Christ's death is the best glass wherein to view the deadly nature of sin. It was so great and heinous an evil in the sight of God, that nothing but the blood of the Son of God could expiate it : Rom. viii. 3, ' For what the law cOuld not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the li…
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2. As it is a great encouragement, as Christ's death was the merit and price by which grace sufficient was purchased to mortify and subdue our old man. The work of mortification is carried on in the hearts of God's people by the Spirit, and the Spirit is also purchased by the death of Christ: Titus iii. 5, 6, 'Accordin…
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In the words — (1.) A subject ; (2.) A predicate. 1. A subject, ' He that is dead.' A man may be said to be dead properly and naturally, or improperly and metaphorically. [1.] Properly and naturally, when the body is deprived of the soul : James ii. 26, ' The body without the spirit is dead.* [2.] Improperly and met…
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2. Let us distinguish of the kinds of justification. There is a two- fold justification — it is either constitutive or executive. [1.] Constitutive justification is by the new covenant, when those who submit to the terms are constituted or made righteous : John v. 24, ' He that heareth my word, and believeth in him th…
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4. Where the work is really begun and duly submitted unto, we have hopes of a better estate, it still increaseth towards that perfect blessedness, when we shall be ' without spot and blemish, or any such thing,' Eph. v. 27. What a life do God's holy ones live in heaven, who are wholly freed from sin ! There is no world…
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3. It disableth us for God's service. While we live in sin, we are not only weak, but dead. Let us take the softest notion : Rom. v. 6, ' When we were yet without strength,' &c., that is, unable to perform any obedience to God, sick and weak, yea, in a dangerous estate. A heart under the power of sin is feeble and impo…
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Fourthly, How is it a consequent of our dying with Christ ? There are two sorts of men that profess communion with Christ's death — (1.) Those that are visibly baptized into his name ; (2.) Those that are really converted to God ; the professed or penitent believer, or the nominal and real christian. 1. The visible pr…
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(3.) There must be a difference between a man carnal and regene- rate ; and what is the difference, since sin remaineth in both ? The one serveth sin, and the other serveth God. Though we cannot do all that we would and ought, yet something must be done to distinguish you from the carnal world. Wherein do you differ ? …
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2. Let us demonstrate ourselves really to be freed from the power of sin, and never more permit ourselves to live in it, or be acted by it. Who are they that demonstrate themselves to be freed from sin ? [1.] Those whose settled purpose is not to sin : 1 John. ii. 1, ' These things I write unto you that ye sin not.' A…
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servant, then we shall be like him as the Lord from heaven heavenly. Therefore the life of glory in heaven must not be excluded. 3. The certainty of the inference, Triarevo/jiev. It is not a matter of opinion and conjecture, but of faith ; we are certainly persuaded of the truth of it. We must distinguish of this trut…
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2. It is a condition absolutely necessary to obtain subsequent grace. For— [1.] The graces of the Spirit cannot thrive in an unmortified soul ; therefore then we set about our duty in the right order when we begin with mortification in the first place, and thence proceed to the positive duties of the new life. Faith w…
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VeR. 8.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 215 No seed no crop; now is our seed-time. Sometimes the first-fruits and the harvest, for the offering of the first-fruits dedicated the whole harvest : Kom. viii. 23, ' We ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit/ &c. Sometimes to the fountain and the stream, or the river l…
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Thirdly, The certain apprehension we have of this, ' We believe.' Here I shall handle — (1.) The necessity of this faith ; (2.) The grounds of it ; (3.) The profit of believing this. 1. The necessity of believing. [1.] This life is not matter of sense, but of faith, whether you take it for the life of grace, or the l…
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218 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. VII. body, according to the wonderful working whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himself.' [4.] The immutable covenant or promises of the gospel, which always stand firm and stable : 2 Cor. i. 20, ' For all the promises of God in him are Yea, and in him Amen ; ' Heb. vi.…
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[2.] With earnest longing : Eom. vii. 23, ' 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from this body of death ? ' 2 Cor. v. 2, ' In this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.' 3. As to faith. [1.] Fix it, and be at a greater certainty against all doubts and fears, …
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[2.] To show that Christ died not only to expiate sin, but to take away the dominion and power of it in believers ; therefore it is said, ' Death hath no more dominion over him,' he took away sin, by which death reigneth ; he did enough both as to the satisfying God's justice and our deliverance. 3. Any further need o…
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2. It showeth us the perfection of his satisfaction ; there needeth no other sacrifice to abolish sin ; for it is said in the text, ' In that he died, he died unto sin once,' and elsewhere the unity of the mediator and the sacrifice is pleaded to show the perfection of it. The unity of the mediator : 1 Tim. ii. 5, ' Th…
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224 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. VIII. the life of Christ, without which it could not subsist. If he had remained under a state of death, he were not in a capacity to convey life to others, and so had neither been a fountain of grace or glory to us ; therefore his resurrection is the fountain -cause of our living to …
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[2.] As to the perfection and blessedness of it, ' In that he liveth, he liveth unto God.' This is — (1.) A pattern and copy of the spiritual life here upon earth. (2.) A pledge and assurance of our glorious life in heaven. The one is our duty, the other is our reward. (1.) The spiritual life is a living to God, as …
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[1.] His Spirit is the cause of it, who quickeneth our dead souls, therefore if you be entered into God's peace, have sued out your atone ment, you may expect to be saved by his life : Rom. v. 10, ' If wha;; we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more, being reconciled, shall we be save…
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1. Our duty, which is conformity or likeness to Christ dying and living. 2. Grace to perform this duty, iv rCo XpiarS) ""Irjaov tm Kvpiw ijfMMv, through or in Jesus Christ ; by virtue of our union with him we are both to resemble his death and resurrection. 3. The means of enforcing this duty, Xo'yl^€Te, reckon ; Vul…
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Secondly, The con-espondency ; it is such a dying and living as doth answer Christ's dying and living. We must .^o die and forsake sin as that we need not to die any more. We may never return to our sins again, so as that they may have any dominion over us; and that is done when sin hath its death-wound given it by a s…
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Fifthly, The apostle opposeth God to sin, that by the consideration of both masters we may return to our rightful Lord. It is otherwise expressed elsewhere : 1 Peter i. 24, ' That we might die unto sin, and live unto righteousness ;' but here it is, die to sin and live to God ; and this for two reasons — 1. That Chris…
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VeR. 11.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 233 2. The use of it here. [1.] It is actus mentis cogitantis ; it is an act of the mind considering or meditating upon this matter, and the effect here mentioned doth much depend upon meditation as the means. The weightiest things work not if they be not thought of ; therefore we mu…
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(3.) We must assent to those principles of faith from whence this conclusion is deduced by necessary consequence, as namely — (1st.) That Christ is set up as a pattern, to whom all the heirs of promise must be conformed. (2d.) That our conformity is mainly seen in resembling his two estates, his dying to sin and livi…
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(2.) These are adopted into God's family, and have the privileges and right of children ; for adoption followeth regeneration : John i, 12, 13, 'But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the fles…
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3. When is sin said to reign ? First, Why is sin said to reign in our bodies rather than in our souls ? And again ' lusts thereof,' avrov, as agreeing to aco/xan, not avTT]'^, as relating to ajxapria. 1. Negatively, it is not to be understood that sinful lusts are only in the body, or have their original only from th…
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(2.) The other is an assertion ; that there are habitual, positive, inordinate inclinations to sensual things both in the understanding and will ; for (f)p6vrj/jLa adpKo<i, ' The carnal mind is enmity against God,' Kom. viii. 7. The mind doth not only befriend the lusts of the flesh, and seek to palliate and excuse the…
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4. To show that in this state of mortality and frailty we may prevent the reign of sin. Many will say. We are frail creatures, we are not glorified saints ; the desires of nature are impetuous. Ay ! but you may resist them, and that with success. The mortality of the body doth not excuse sin, but aggravate it, that for…
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VOL. XI. Q 242 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeU. X. opposition to the Spirit, and you so far prevail that for your drift and course you are not led by the flesh, but the Spirit, then you are sincere and upright with Grod ; otherwise you must not thinlc every striving will excuse you, if it be such a striving as may consi…
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2. Christian piety, or the tenor of our religion, requireth it of us. 244 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. X. The drift of this religion is to recover men out of their apostasy, and to promote true genuine holiness in the world ; to dispossess us of the beast, and that man, being restored to man, might be also brought b…
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2. Strengthen the bonds, and anew devote yourselves to obedience: ver. 13, ' Neither yield you your members as instruments of unright- eousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.' Bind yourselves for time to come, to …
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VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 247 3. In both take notice — (1.) Of the two opposite masters, 'sin and God.' (2.) The opposite employments are ' righteousness,' and ' unright- eousness.' (3.) The instrument used by both, and that is * the body,' or ' the members of the body.' [I.] The two masters, sin and God ;…
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[2.] Both these services are entered into by consent, /zrjSe irapLardvere, aXka Trapaarijaare. (1.) Some men pronely yield up themselves to do what sin would have to be done ; therefore they are said ' to give themselves to work wickedness ; ' and where sin is vehement and obstinate, they are said ' to sell themselves …
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[4.] Since sin cannot challenge any just title to us, it is unques- tionably our duty to yield up ourselves to the Lord. Let us see in what manner it is to be done. 250 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VF. [SeR. XI. [1.] It must be done witli hearty and full consent of will. la the covenant of grace God demandeth his right to be …
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(2.) To subject ourselves to his commanding will, or to do what he will have us to do. This is principally considered here ; we give up ourselves to God, that our bodies may be employed as instruments of righteousness. All external duties, or fruits of our love to God in Christ, are acted by tlie body ; therefore we re…
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VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 253 18, 'For ye are redeemed not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain convei'sations, received by tradition from your fathers ; but with the precious blood of the Son of God, as of a lamb without spot and blemish.' Therefore the redeemed are bound to serve him t…
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3. It showeth what care we should take how we employ our bodies ; for the members of the body are instruments of the soul, to execute that which it willeth and desireth, and sin without the body is unfur- nished with arms. But chiefly two things should we take care of in the body, the senses by which we let in sin, and…
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25G SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. XII. ' Casting all your care upon him, for lie careth for you.' This easetli you of all your cares and fears, you are God's ; nay, it secureth you against eternal miseries : John xii. 20, ' Where I am, there shall my servant be.' Use 3. To put us upon self-reflection. Is your dedicat…
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[1,] Negatively, ' For ye are not under the law.' [2.] Positively, 'But under grace.' Both expressions have their proper emphasis, as you will see by and by. 1. The privilege of the renewed and striving christian. [1.] That the renewed christian is here considered is plain from all the foregoing context. He speaketh…
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VeR. 14.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 259 2. De facto, it is not fully obeyed ; it doth not absolutely get the victory, and bear rule in our hearts, but is weakened more and more in them who have given up themselves to the regimen and government of grace. Here — [1.] What is the dominion of sin ? [2.] What need the chil…
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[2.] When it is opposed weakly,'and with a faint resistance. It is not enough for men to see their sins, and blame them in themselves, or purpose to amend and forsake them, but they must strive to over- come them, and in striving prevail, for otherwise sensuality carrieth it, because our reason and will make too weak a…
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[3.] As sin in general should not bear sway in our hearts, so no one sin should have dominion over us : Ps. cxix. 133, ' Order my steps in thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me ; ' neither this nor that. One sin allowed may keep God out of the throne, and may keep afoot Satan's interest in the soul. …
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(2.) To some particular sin. As we have instances of carnal wretches in the general, so of some poor captive souls that remain under the full power and tyranny of this or that lust, and are so remarkable for their slavery and bondage under it that the world will point at them, and 264 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. XII…
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[7.] There is a twofold prevalency and dominion — actual or habitual. Actual is only for a time, habitual for a constancy ; though a regenerate man be not one that lets sin reign over him habitually, yet too often doth sin reign over him actually, as to some particular acts of sin. (1.) The habitual reign of sin may b…
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3. It is always warring, as well as working : Eom. vii. 23, ' I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.' Sin seeketh to deface all these impressions of God which are upon the heart, which bind the conscience to holiness,…
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Secondly, From the mischievous influence and heinous nature of reigning sin. 1. When sin reigneth, it plucketh the sceptre out of Grod's hands, and giveth it to some vile and base thing which is set up in God's stead ; as the setting up of a usurper is the rejection of the lawful king. The throne belonging to God must…
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270 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. Xlll. Titus iii. 3, ' Serving divers lusts and pleasures.' The worldly bait taketh advantage of the brutish part, when reason is asleep, and then the beast rideth and ruleth the man, and reason becometh a slave to sensuality. [2] This servitude is so burdensome as well as base, and a…
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272 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. XIII, to be Christ's. "We have no power to dispose of ourselves, being wholly his by purchase and covenant. 1. By purchase: 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20, 'Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a price.' Quod vendiiur transit in potestatem ementis — the buyer hath a power over what he hath bou…
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Fourthly, My last argument to evince this necessity that is incum- ])ent on the people of God, that this dominion of sin be not set up in their hearts, is because otherwise they cannot maintain and keep up any lively hope of glory. That I shall evidence by some scriptures : Eom. vi. 8, ' If we be dead with Christ, we b…
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2. The new nature put into us ; you have an opposite principle to check it : 1 John iii. 9, ' Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.' Since Christ hath intrusted us with such a talent as the new nature, and hath put grace into our heart…
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solicitations, and not accommodate themselves to please the flesh: 'Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignor- ance,' 1 Peter i. 14 ; that is, they must take heed they do not cast their conversations into a carnal mould, and suffer their choices and actions to be directed and governed by the…
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VeR. 14.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 279 But more closely consider — (1.) The necessity of the Spirit's concur- rence ; (2.) The encouragement we have thereby. [1.] The necessity of the Spirit's concurrence; we cannot begin, carry on, and accomplish the work of mortification, without the oper- ation, help, and power of …
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[2.] There is great encouragement to us to set upon the work of mortification, because it is carried on by the help and power of the Spirit. If we were to grapple with sin in our own strength, then we might sit down and despair and die ; but the Spirit is appointed for this end, and purchased for us by Jesus Christ, fo…
1,079 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1870); OCR text from Internet Archive. OCR may contain scanning/transcription errors. Verify quotations against page images when precision matters.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.