PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 12
Thomas Manton · 320,280 words · 319 reading sections
Section 121
VeK. 22.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 185 do not see the hand of God ; as ignorant, stupid, and careless persons : Ps. xxviii. 5, ' They regard not the work of the Lord, nor the operation of his hand.' And some care not to see: Isa. xxvi. 11, ' When thy hand is hfted up, they will not see ; ' they put all judgments upon…
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Doct. That those that have received the first fruits of the Spirit, do groan and wait for a better estate than they now enjoy. I shall speak of this point. First, By way of explication ; Secondly, By way of con- firmation. First, For explication. 1. The description of the persons, — 'We that have the first fruits of …
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3. This better estate is called adoption, and the redemption of our bodies. [1.] It is called adoption. We are now taken into God's family; but our present adoption is imperfect, and inconspicuous. First, It is imperfect, as all our privileges by Christ are. We have not yet our full liberty from the bondage of corrupt…
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1st. Temptations from Satan ; who seeketh all advantages, either to withdraw us from God, or to distract us in his service, and make it tedious and wearisome to us : 1 Pet. v. 8, 9, ' Your adversary the devil goeth about, seeking whom he may devour.' All these things are accomplished in your brethren in the flesh ; the…
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2. The other sort of reasons concern the other life. A christian 192 SEBMONS UPON ROMANS VIIL [SkR. XXX. here is unsatisfied, and waiteth for a better and purer estate, a state of constant felicity, and exact conformity to God ; and that for four reasons. [1.] By the first fruits of the Spirit he is confirmed in the…
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[4.] By the first fruits of the Spirit our title and right is assured. For it is compared to a seal, to warrant our present interest: Eph. iv. 3, ' Ye are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise ; ' to an earnest, to secure our future enjoyment : 2 Cor. iv. 22, ' Who hath also sealed us, and given us the earnest of the …
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VeE. 23.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 195 aches and diseases, stone, gout, strangury, death itself, tumbled up and down, and tossed from prison to prison ; but then redeemed from all evil and misery. Use 2. Is exhortation. To rouse up our languid and cold affections, that we may more earnestly groan and long for heaven…
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2. The proof [1.] By a reason taken from the nature of hope ; it is conversant about things unseen : ' Hope that is seen is not hope ; ' eK-rrh ^Xeirofievr] is the thing hoped for ; the act is put for the object ; as also Col. i. 5, ' The hope which is laid up for you in heaven.' Hope is wrought in our hearts, but the…
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198 SERMONS UPON EOMANS VIII. [SeR. XXXI. not set God a task to provide meat for our lusts, or imagine that his providence will lacquey upon our humours and vain fancies. It is the ordinary practice of his free grace and fatherly love to provide things comfortable and necessary for his children : Mat. vi. 3, ' For you…
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5. The expectation is certain and desirous. It is certain ; for it goeth upon the promise of the eternal God ; it is desirous, because the thing promised is our chief happiness ; all the pomp and glory of the world is but a May-game to it. With respect to these two proper- ties different effects are ascribed to hope : …
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3. From the use for which it serveth. [1.] It is necessary to quicken our duties. Hope sets the whole world a-work ; the hu.sbandman plougheth in hope, and the soldier fighteth in hope, and the merchant tradeth in hope ; so doth the christian labour and serve God in hope : Acts xxvi. 7, ' Unto which promise, our twelv…
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2. The cognation and kin that is between taitli and hope. Tlie one is the evidence of things not seen, Heb. xi. 1 ; the other is the earnest desire and expectation of things not seen ; the one is an assent, the other an appetition. Faith differeth from hope — [1.] In the order of nature. Faith goeth before, as the cau…
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But then here ariseth a great doubt, how far every man is bound to hope for salvation ? For those that have no assurance of their own sincerity, and cannot unquestionably make out their propriety and interest, how can they hope for salvation ? Ansicer, To solve this doubt, we must consider a little the several states …
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■ of the reward of godliness ex parte Dei; no, I know they are sure and steadfast by the promise ; but my own qualification is not so sensible and clear that I can positively determine my own right ; but I have support and comfort in this way : 1 Cor. ix. 26, ' Eun not as one uncertain ; ' for I have reward in my eye. …
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2. There is a rational hope, which is built upon solid grounds, pro- babilities, or certainties. [1.] There is a rational probable hope. For hope is sometimes taken for a probable expectation ; 1 Cor. xi. 7, ' Hopeth all things. ' It mean- eth there, not a divine, but a charitable, prudential hope ; we hope well of ot…
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But then there is another hope, that is grounded upon the evidence of our sincerity, and is the fruit of assurance, when we can make out our own claim and title to eternal life, which is not usually done without (1.) Much diligence: Heb. vi. 11, 'And we desire that every one of you do show forth the same diligence, to …
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Secondly, This latter or consequent hope, which dependeth on the assurance of our interest, admits of a latitude — it may be full or not full : Heb. vi. 11, ' To the full assurance of hope.' That is full which casteth out all fear ; that is not full which is accompanied with doubts ; but the certainty prevaileth : Mark…
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3. Our relation to God. He is our God and Father : John xx. 17, ' I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.' As our God, he will give us something like to himself ; some- thing better than the world yieldeth, something fit for a God to give ; or else he could not with honour take that title upo…
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8. Tiie greatness of the gospel covenant. For that allayeth a great many fears, to remember that we are to interpret our qualification according to the covenant of grace and the sweet terms thereof ; and though there be many failings, we may be accepted with the Lord, who will not impute to his people their frailties a…
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214 8ERM0NS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XXXIL in that very day his thoughts perish.' Certainly the cares and pleasures of this world steal away the heart from the life to come ; worldly delights make us unwilling to remove. 3. Meditate often on the worth of this blessedness: Col. iii. 1, ' If ye be risen with Christ, see…
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[1.] Earnest. Hope is not built upon promises alone, but we have earnest also ; the promise is given us in the word, the earnest is given in our hearts, 2 Cor. i. 22. Though God be truth itself, and pro- miseth nothing but what he meaneth to perform, yet he will give us earnest of his promises. The outward pledges are …
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2. As it is a spiritual grace. There the object of hope is some good, future and unseen. But other qualifications are necessaiy beyond these already mentioned. [1.] It must be something promised by God. [2.] Believed by us, before we can hope for it. [1.] Such future things as God hatb promised to bestow upon us. The…
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2. One that hath seen, and is an infallible witness, hath testified to us of the truth of these things we hope for : John i. 18, ' No man hath seen God at anytime; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.' Christ perfectly saw and knew all that he hath told us of God and the wor…
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1. Is nothing to be believed and hoped for that is not seen? Eeason will show you the contrary. Country people obey a king whom they never saw, but only know his power by the effects in his laws and officers of justice; and doth not sense teach us the same concerning God ? If we transgress his laws by omitting a duty o…
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222 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XXXIII. a distance move us not, though they be never so great ; it will not be long ere our great change come about, and therefore we should have more effectual thoughts about the world wherein we shall shortly live, and make what preparations are necessary thereunto ; as 2 Tin), iv…
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[3.] The working patience, which is going on with our self-denying obedience, how tedious soever it be to the flesh. Thus we are told that the good ground ' bringeth forth fruit with patience,' Luke viii. 15. The others are hasty, must have present satisfaction, or else grow weary of religion. All evils come from impat…
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VeK. 26.] SERMONS UPON ROM.VNS VIII. 225 SERMON XXXIV. Lilcewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities ; for we know not vjhat ive should pray for as ice ought ; but the Spirit itself mahellt intercession for us luith groanings luhich cannot be uttered. — KoM. viii. 26. In the context you have several arguments to…
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(2.) The manner of his heliJ and assistance. He stirreth up in ns ardent groans in prayer, or worketh up our hearts to God with desires expressed by sighs and groans. STevayfiol<; d\a\,i]Tol<;, may be rendered unuttered groans, as well as unutterable, and so some take it here ; and indeed that way it beareth a good sen…
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[2.] There is a fainting which causeth dejection and falling off from God. Surely this worse becometh the children of God : Eev. ii. 3, ' Thou hast borne and hast patience, and hast laboured and hast not fainted.' This maketh us cast off our profession and practice of godliness, and so cuts us off from all hope of rewa…
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4. They that rouse up themselves, and use all means, are in a nearer capacity to receive influences from the Spirit than others. For the apostle's word is, ' He helpeth also ; ' we have been at the work, reason- ing and pleading, but he maketh our thoughts effectual : Ps. xxvii. 14, ' Wait on the Lord, be of good coura…
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VeR. 26.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIH. 231 suit, and it will come to an hearing-day ore it be long: Jonah ii. 7, ' When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came unto thee into thy holy temple.' When our infirmity Cometh to a degree of faintness, then it is a time to be earnestly deal- ing with …
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That the Spirit hath a great stroke in the prayers of tlie saints, is evident by many other scriptures besides the text ; as Jude 20, ' Pray- ing in the Holy Ghost ; ' that is, by his motion and inspiration. Look, as we breathe out that air which we first suck in, so tiie prayer is first breathed into us before breathe…
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2. He quickeneth and enliveneth our desires in prayer. . There is a holy vehemency and fervour required in prayer, opposite to that care- less formality and deadness which otherwise is found in us ; these are the ' groanings which cannot be uttered,' spoken of in the text. Groan- ing noteth the strength and ardency of …
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2. That prayer may carry proportion with other duties. All the children of God are led by the Spirit of God, Kom. viii. 14 ; as in their whole conversation, so especially in this act of prayer. Look, as in com- mon providence, no creature is exempted from the influence of it ; for in him they all live, move, and have t…
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VeK. 26.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 237 ■come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.' And to obey his sanctifying motions : Ps. xxvii. 8, ' When thou saidst, Seek ye my face, my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.' 3. We cannot say we have not the spirit of prayer, because we have not such freed…
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First, What kind of help we have from the Spirit of God ia prayer ; his work is to guide and quicken you. First, to guide you in prayer, that you may pray to God in a holy manner ; we know not what to pray for as we ought, on a four- fold reason ; [1.] As blinded with self-love ; [2.] As discomposed by trouble ; [3.] …
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240 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XXXV. of it. God giveth out influences of grace according to his will or good pleasure ; hut we must pray according to his will of precept. The influence of grace is not the warrant of duty, but the help ; we are to do all acts in obedience to God's command, whatever cometh of it, L…
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But what prayers, then, come from the Spirit ? [1.] AVhen there is something divine in them, such as are suited to the object to whom we pray, and looketh like worship relating to God ; when it hath the stamp of his nature upon it. We apprehend in God two sort of attributes, some that belong to his mercy and goodness,…
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Doct. They that come to worship God had need have their hearts deeply possessed with a sense of his omnisciency. I shall prove two things — 1. That God is omniscient, and in particular doth know the hearts of men. 2. That those that would worship before the Lord must soundly believe and seriously consider this. 1. …
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VeR. 27.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 245 hath creating power ; as he hath created all alike, he is able to discern them severally one by one, and to understand all the operations of their very hearts. [3.] From God's government, which is twofold. First, powerful, by his effectual providence, as he governeth all creatu…
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[2.] From the danger of dissembling with God in acts of worship, or putting him off with feigned pretences. The scripture sets forth three phrases — a mocking of God, a lying to God, and a tempting of God. A mocking of God : Gal. vi. 7, ' Be not deceived, God is not mocked ;' that is, ini'pune, there is no escaping the…
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3. Our prayers are heard, though never so secret : Mat. vi. 6, * Thy Father which seeth thee in secret shall reward thee openly,' though confined within the closet of the heart: Acts ix. 11, 'And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Strait, and inquire in the house of Judas for one call…
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Secondlij, I come now to the second thing — God 'knoweth the mind of the Spirit.' Doct. That it is a comfort to God's children that the Lord knoweth what kind of spirit is working in prayer. Here I shall do three things — 1. Show the different spirit that worketh in prayer. 2. In what sense God is said to know the …
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[4.] The Holy Spirit of God : Jude 20, ' Praying in the Holy Ghost.' His assistance is necessary to prayer, not only to sanctify our hearts, but to excite our desires and direct our addresses to God ; so that we are enabled and raised to perform this duty with more ardency and regularity than we of ourselves could atta…
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(3.) Sometimes they dare not speak. For the prophet telleth us of an evil time when 'the prudent will keep silence,' Amos v. 13 ; and another prophet speaketh when a man cannot ' trust in a friend,' and must ' keep the door of his month from her that lieth in his bosom,' Micali vii. 5 ; when they dare not speak against…
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2. The persons for whom he prayeth — 'for the saints,' for two reasons — [1.] Because the saints only are acquainted with these operations : 1 Cor. ii. 14, ' The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit ;' and John xiv. 17, ' Whom the world cannot receive, because they know him not and see him not.' They do …
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[2.] The manner. (1.) With faith. What faith have we in prayer ? With respect to God, that he is able and willing to help his people ; that we need not run to other shifts, and be divided between God and carnal means, James i. 6-8. As to the acceptance of our persons, we must pray that we do not weaken our confidence …
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2. To God. Like worship relating to God, it hath the stamp of his nature upon it. Some of his attributes relate to his mercy and goodness, some to his majesty and greatness; the one is seen in the joy of our faith and confidence, by our delight to converse with him ; the other in our humility and deep reverence of God,…
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(2.) Ordinary afflictions incident to men. Are you pained with sick- ness, and roll to and fro on your bed, like a door on the hinges, through the restless weariness of the flesh ? Many times we are best when we are weakest, and the pains of the body help to the invigorating and re- newing the inward man, 2 Cor iv. 16.…
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VeR. 28.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS Yin. 261 their good. Therefore let this be included, though afflictions are chiefly spoken of in the context. [2.] The manner of bringing it about — ' They work together.' Take anything single and apart, and it seemeth to be against us. We must distinguish between a part of God's work an…
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(3.) For our eternal good. Heaven will make us complete amends VeR. 28.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIH. 263 for all that we suffer here : 2 Cor. iv. 17, ' Those light afflictions which are but for a momeut worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ; ' these afflictions are so far from infringing our h…
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Secondly, To give a more general state of the case. 1. Tliis good is not to be determined by our fancies and conceits, but by the wisdom of God ; for God knoweth what is better for us than we do for ourselves. We judge according to present appearance, but he hath a sight or inspection of our hearts, and a prospect or …
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6. In bringing about this good we must not be idle spectators, but assist under God. When we are diligent to exercise ourselves unto godliness, then evil is turned into good, and all crosses and afflictions into means of salvation. Besides the elective love of God at the bot- 266 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIH. [SeB. XXXVII.…
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Use 2. Is caution. 1. Against misconstruction of providence ; 2. Against non-improvement. 1. Against misconstruction of providence. There may be a seeming harshness in some of God's dealings, but, all things considered, you will find them full of mercy and truth, Ps. xxv. 10. If there be a seeming contradiction betwee…
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VeB. 28.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 269 (3.) That it is your part to 2jet benefit by the afHiction, but God's to remove it. For the getting benefit by the afHiction falleth within the compass of our dutj', but the removing the afHiction is a bare €vent belonging to God's providence. We must do what is our part, and th…
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First, A despising of God, as if he knew not what was fittest and best for you, and would send any trouble upon you that he knoweth not how to turn to good : Job xxxiv. 33, ' Should it be according to thy mind ? He will recompense it, whether thou refuse or whether thou choose.' Should our condition be at our own dispo…
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(3.) It is a learning time. This the scripture witnesseth everywhere : Ps. cxix. 71, ' It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes ; ' Ps. xciv. 12, ' Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, 0 Lord, and teachest him out of thy law.' God teacheth us, though he teach us as Gideon did th…
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(6.) It is a time of increasing our love to God, upon a twofold account. First, AfSiction showeth us that nothing is worthy of our love bnt God ; whatsoever robbeth God of it soon proveth matter of trouble and distress to us. Our hearts are the more averse from God because tLey are inclined to the creature : Jer. ii. …
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VeR. 28.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VXU. 275 my soul thirsteth for God, yea for the living God ; when shall I come and appear before thee ? ' Naturalists tell us that the hart is a thirsty creature, especially when it hath eaten vipers ; they are inflamed thereby, and vehemently desire water. This emblem David chooseth to e…
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VeB. 28.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 277 to the rock of our salvation ' (and all this is the acting of love), ' for the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods ' (there are the motives) ; Ps. v. 10, ' Let them that love thy name be joyful in thee.' So that you see it is a great duty to delight ourselves in…
1,005 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.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.