PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 13
Thomas Manton · 318,013 words · 312 reading sections
Section 181
[2.] The happiness of being actually pardoned is exceeding great. This is notably set forth by the psalmist : Ps. xxxii, 1, ' Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered ; blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, in whose spirit there is no guile.' The privilege of the pardoned…
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SEKMON XXXVII. A7id Imih committed to us the icord of reconciliation. — 2 Cor. v. 19. We come now to the third thing, the means of application or bringing about this reconciliation on man's part : 6e/ji,€vo<i Iv rj/j^lv — hath placed in us. In which observe two thinsrs — 282 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXXVI…
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2. As God will not do us good without our knowledge, so not against our will and consent, and force us to be reconciled and saved, whether we will or no. Man is a reasonable creature, a free agent, and God governeth all his creatures according to their receptivity. With necessary agents, he worketh necessarily; with fr…
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VeR. 19,] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 285 wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked ; ' because tbey seek not fit guides to lead them. (2.) Slightiness. They will not mind these things, nor exercise their thoughts about them : Mat. xxii. 5, ' And they made light of it,' would not let it enter into the…
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[3.] Because God would observe a congruity and decency. As death entered by the ear, so doth life and peace : Eom. x. 14, 15, ' How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they hear without a preacher ? and how shall they prea…
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[3.] God dealeth more familiarly with us in this way, conveying his 288 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXXVIl. mind to us by our brethren, who are flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone ; such with whom we have ordinary and visible commerce. We read, Exod. xx. 18, 19, that the people when they heard the thunder…
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4. Those who are enemies of the ministry of the word are enemies to the glory of God, and the comfort and salvation of God's people. The glory of God : 2 Cor. i. 20, ' For all the promises of God in him are yea and amen, unto the glory of God by us ; ' and the comfort of God's people, ver. 24, ' Not for that we have do…
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G. As to their reception and entertainment. Negatively — [1.] They must not be wronged. Ambassadors are inviolable by the law of nations ; but such is the ingratitude of the world, who are enemies to their own mercies, that they slight his message, use his ambassadors disgracefully, as Abner did David's, contrary to t…
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VeR. 20.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 293 tlie testimony of God to you, so one day it will be the testimony of God against you; this word shall judge you, John xii. 48. It doth not fall to the ground, but will be produced as a witness against your negligence and carelessness. Thirdly, The manner. Here is beseeching…
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[1.] An humble confession of our former sinfulness and rebellion against God. I have been a grievous sinner, a rebel, and an enemy to God, and this to the grief and shame of his heart : Jer. iii. 13, ' I am merciful, and will not keep anger for ever ; only acknowledge thine iniquity which thou hast transgressed against…
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296 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXXIX. these are joined, it should awaken us, and we should get out of this condition as fast as we can. [1.] We are enemies and rebels to God. In our natural estate, we are all so ; we will not own this, and are ready to defy any that should say we are God's enemies or haters …
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{2dli/.) If we love him not so much as we ought to do, or not so much as we love some other thing ; for a lesser love is hatred in the sacred dialect, as we see in the law of the hated wife, not that the one was not loved at all or absolutely hated, but not loved so much as the others-, Deut. xxi. 15, 16 ; so in that p…
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(5.) God's enemies carry on a twofold war against God, offensive and defensive. VeR. 20.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 299 (1st.) The offensive war is when men rebel against Grod's laws, and seek to beat down his interest in the world, and employ their faculties, mercies, and comforts as weapons of unrighteousness a…
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VeR. 20.] SEEMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 301 time to spend in tlie world ; therefore since tlie avenger of blood is at our heels, let us take sanctuary at the Lord's grace, and run for refuge to the hope of the gospel, Heb. vi. 18, and make our peace ere it be too late. Crj', Quarter, as to one that is ready to strike:…
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[4.] These messengers are under a charge to manage God's message with all wisdom and faithfulness, and diligence, Mark xvi. 15, IG, to preach the gospel to every creature, to rich and poor, learned and un- learned. And woe be to tliem if they be not dihgent, warning every man, and teaching every man, that they may pres…
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4. The fourth motive is, the great dishonour we do to God in refus- ing it. You despise two things, which men cannot endure should be despised, their anger and love. For anger ISTebuchadnezzar is an instance, who commanded to heat the furnace seven times hotter, Dan. 304 SEBMONS UPON 2 COKINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXXIX. iii…
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4. A thankful sense of the love of God in our reconciliation, glorying in grace, admiring of grace ; to preserve this is the great duty of a christian. This keepeth alive his love and obedience : 1 John iii. 1 , ' Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God : ' …
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SecowUy^ The second thing is tlie ordination of God — 'He hath VeR. 21.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 307 made him to be sin for us,' Two expressions must be explained, sin and made. 1. Sin. Mark ; it is not said that God made Christ a sinner, but he hath made him sin ; which I note to prevent bold and daring gloss…
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VeR. 21.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 309 our own, nor yet in the bare gift of another, but in the merit of another conjoined with his free gift. So by Christ's being made sin for us, we have not only freedom from the curse, but title to glory, 1 Thes. V. 9, 10. And our estate in heaven is called redemption : Eph. i…
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Fourthly, There is but one thing remaining in the text — ' in him : ' iv avTU) ; and that noteth the time when, and the manner how, we are actually interested in this benefit. When we are in him we are by faith grafted into Christ before this righteousness is made ours upon this union. This righteousness is adjudged to…
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6. This repenting and believing is such a hearty assent to the truth of the gospel as causeth us thankfully, and broken-heartedly and fiducially, to accept the Lord Jesus as he is offered to us, and to give up ourselves to God by him. An assent to the truth of the gospel there must be, for the general faith goeth befor…
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314 SERMONS UPON 2 COEINTHIANS V. [SeR. XL. broad foundation hath God laid for our peace. He suffered in every part, sorrows being poured in upon him b)* the conduit of every sense, huDger, thirst, nakedness, spittings, stripes; they pierced his hands and feet. 2. Propound it to your love. [1.] How mucli we are boun…
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3. Let us prize it and desire it, Phil. iii. 8, 9. Every man is prone to set up a righteousness of his own, Luke xviii. 9. Partly, because naturally the law is written upon our hearts ; and therefore moral strains are more welcome than evangelical doctrine. Every man is born under a covenant of works. Partly, out of pr…
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' God will stir up some happy king or governor, in some country of Christendom, endued with wisdom and consideration, who shall discern the true nature of godliness and Christianity, and the necessity and excellency of serious religion, and shall place his honour and felicity in pleasing God and doing good, and attaini…
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What the author's opinion about publishing posthumous works was may justify what of this kind hath been already done and is now ten- dered to thee, w^hich I shall give you in his own words in his epistle ])efore Dr Sibb's ' Comment on the 1st. Chapter of the 2d Epistle to the Corinthians : ' — ' Let it not stumble thee…
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324 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. I. other things altogether invisible are represented to the soul with clear- ness and certainty. In short, by faith things hoped for have a being ; things not seen have an evidence. I shall discuss the parts of the text as they lie in order. First, I begin with the first act and ob…
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Obj. I have done with the exposition, only here is a doubt ; does not this confound faith and hope, to make things hoped for to be the object of faith, for graces differ in their objects ? Sol. I answer. There is a link between the graces, but no confusion ; they are akin, but not confounded one with another. Blessedn…
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2. Faith takes possession, and gives a being to the things hoped for — ■promissis, in the promises. There is not only the union of hope, but a clear right and title ; God hath passed over all those things to us in the covenant of grace. When we take hold of the promises, we take hold of the blessing promised by the roo…
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(3.) The promise is a pawn of the thing promised, and must be kept till performance comes. God's truth and holiness are left at pledge with the creature, and he will set them free ; his honour lies at VeR. 1.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL 329 stake, aiid you may tell him of it ; ' Lord, for thy mercy and truth's sake/ Ps.…
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[1.] Union with Christ. There is some enjoyment of God in Christ here, this is the chiefest part of eternal life. What is heaven but the eternal enjoyment of God in Christ ? And it is in a sort begun here. Union makes way for presence ; though we are not present with Christ, yet we are united to Christ ; and faith make…
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332 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. II. liope and have a certain expectation, it doth as it were taste the bless- ing ; and whilst it looks upon them in the sure promises of God, and in our head ; or that which Christ hath done for us in the first-fruits ; so our liopes are made to work upon us as if they were already …
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2. It gives strength and support to all the graces of the spiritual life. The great design of religion is to bring us to a neglect of present happiness, and to make the soul to look after a felicity yet to come ; and the great instrument of religion, by which it promoteth this design, is faith, which is as the scaftold…
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VeI;. 1.] SEKilONS UPON HEBREWS XL 335 other ; and then the soul triumphs, and says, that our losses are no more to be compared with our gains, than a feather is to be set against a talent of lead. ' I reckon," saitli the apostle, Rom. viii, 18, ' that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared …
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(2.) For diligence and seriousness in a holy life. The nearer things are, the greater and the more they work upon us, and the further off VeR. 1.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 337 the less. Those never thought of repentance that put far away tlie evil day, Amos vi. 3. A star at a distance, though of great magnitude, seem…
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(2c?/?/.) It helps us to contentation under the want and distance of our future comforts. Let it not seem a paradox, that here the conflict is hardest. It is easier to bear the evil than wait for the promised good, for sorrows are better and sooner allayed than desires. Desires are the vigorous bent of the soul, and th…
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2. You may discern it by your carriage in any trial and temptation. When heaven and the world come in competition, can you deny present carnal advantages upon the hopes of eternity ? do you forsake all as knowing you shall have a thousand times better in another world ? So did Moses, Heb. xi. 24, 25 ; the reason is ren…
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4. You may discern it by this, the mind will often run upon your hopes. Where the thing is strongly expected, the end and aim of your expectation will still be present with you. Thoughts are the spies and messengers of the soul. Hope sends them out after the thing expected, and love after the thing beloved ; therefore …
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1. Work it up in a way of meditation. Let your minds be exercised in the contemplation of your hopes : Mat. vi. 21, 'Where your treasure is, there will your heart be.^ There is nothing that you prize but your minds will run upon it. How, freely and frequently can we think of other things, our lusts, our pleasures, our …
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344 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. II. able God ; and I linvo waited for tlie accomplishment of the will of an able God ; and Jude, ver. 24, ' To him that is able to keep you.' Faith stands upon these two supports, God's truth and power; his mercy is engaged by his truth, and dispensed by his power; therefore take this…
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My business mainly is to discourse of the object, ' Things not seen.' But in my way, — First, Concerning the act. Faith is said to be eke^/xo^, ' the evidence.' The word is by some rendered the argument of things not seen ; by others the demonstration ; by us the evidence, and that not altogether unfitly. For though t…
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348 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. III. not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in ns ;' that is, I reason thus. And it is said of Abraham, Heb. xi. 19, ' He accounted that God was able to raise him ; ' he reasoned the case thus within himself, There is nothing impossible to God. This is the gre…
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350 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. III. lieaveu, and have some cold opinions about things to come ; they may deliver this to others, but still their evil scent remaineth with them, and their evil principles taint their hearts, and sv/ay their practices all this while ; ' and they do not know the grace of God in truth,'…
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1. There is a clearness and perspicuity in the light of faith, which doth not only exclude the grossly ignorant, but those that have no saving knowledge. All wicked men, though never so knowing, and never so learned, and never so well accomplished with the furniture of gifts, they are under the power of darkness. There…
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[2.] The heart will be altered. When faith gives us a sight of things, the heart is warmed with love to things so seen ; ' Being persuaded, they embraced,' Heb. xi. 13. Aftection follows persuasion. When we VeR. L] sermons upon HEBREWS XI. 353 are soundly persuaded, then the heart embraceth, closeth with them, and en…
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VeR. 1.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 355 as if we should brinp: down all rational aflfairs to the judgment of sense, and seek a law for man among beasts ; reason must not be captivated to fancy, but to faith. Much of religion is past, and consists of articles unknown. 2. Mucli of religion is yet to come, and therefore c…
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Having showed that faith is an evidence, and such an evidence as falls upon things that are not seen, I shall show now what is the advantage of this in the spiritual life ; for to that end doth the apostle bring this description, that they may live by faith. The use of it is exceeding great. (1.) To embolden us agains…
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358 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. IV. nothing but a promise for wliat we lay out upon a work of religion : Prov. xix. 17, ' He that liath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord ; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.' Charity and alms is a kind of traffic, and there is a great deal of faith and trust …
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(8.) To believe a change of the greatest flourish and outward pros- perity. When men have such a high mountain as seems to stand strong, who would think that it can ever be removed ? Wickedness regnant and triumphant is ruinous and tottering in the eye of faith : Micah iv. 11, 12, 'Many nations are gathered together ag…
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[1.] Tliere are some gross sensualists that examine all things by experience, and will not take God's word for truth, unless they feel it ; whereas feeling is left for the life to come ; here God will try us by faith. There are atheists in the church, but none in hell. The devils and damned spirits tremble at that whic…
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(3.) It is contrary to the nature of faith — ' Hope that is seen is not hope ; for what a man seeth, why doth, he yet hope for ? ' Kom. viii. 24. Faith gives over work when we come to fruition ; the trial of it is in difiSiculties. Faith is faith indeed, when it can expect in the midst of VeR. 1.] SEKMONS TTPON HEBREW…
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3. How can you comfort yourselves in the midst of all your straits and sorrows with the unseen glory of another world ? l)o not you faint in your duty, but bear up with that courage and constancy which becomes christians : 2 Cor. iv. 16, ' We faint not,' why ? He gives you the reason of it, ver. 18, 'While we look not …
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6. You may try your assent to the promises by the adventures you make upon God's word. The promises are so many bills and bonds which God hath taken upon himself. Now what will you venture upon the warrant and encouragement the word gives ? Certainly he that will venture nothing thereupon doth not believe what God hath…
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God. Carnal riches, with liim they are the only substance, whereas spiritual and heavenly things are but as a notion. Whereas the scripture is quite otherwise ; it speaks of outward things as hut a fancy : Prov. xxiii. 5, ' Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not ? ' and of spiritual things, as those which only…
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Use 4. To press you to get this faith, which is the evidence of things not seen, that you may believe that which God hath revealed in his word, and that solely upon God's authority and the account of his word ; to quicken you to get this faith, which is of such great use to you. 1. Consider that all the difficulty in …
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VeR. 1.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 371 greater, tlie business of eternal life would not be so neglected ; con- science would not be so sleepy, nor should we venture upon sin so often as we do ; tliis would put life into every exhortation you hear and read. Alas ! we press and exhort day after day ; it works not, why ? …
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2. Employ your reason, serious consideration, and discourse. The devil throws the golden ball in our Avay, of honour, pleasure, and profit, to divert us from heavenly things ; and the intention of the mind being diverted, the impressions of religion are weak and faint ; as when the bird often leaves her nest the eggs a…
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After the apostle had laid down the description of faith, he applies it to the patriarch fathers, or ancient servants of God under the dispensa- tion of the Old Testament. Hence observe — Ohs. 1. That the fathers under the law had the same kind of faith that we have. They had the same promises, not of Canaan, but of h…
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Use. It shows what should be our principal care — to get faith and to maintain faith. 1. To get faith, in some sense there is as great a necessity of faith as of Christ. What good would a deep well do us without a bucket ? John iv. 11, ' The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is de…
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3. A careful use of ordinances ; there faith is begotten, and there it is increased. Look, as the strength of the body increaseth by degrees, so doth the soul. We grow up to our complete stature and strength in religion by the constant supplies and ministration of the word ; the soul must be fed as well as the body. Th…
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VeB. 2.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL 379 observe liow differently the world deals with astrologers and physicians ; if astrologers fail often, and hit but once, the world cries them up for cunning men, but in a physician one gross miscarriage stains all his worthy cures. See the proneness of nature to unworthy arts ; so t…
1,287 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.