PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 14
Thomas Manton · 322,013 words · 314 reading sections
Section 1
m tm im.'' In*- fo -zf.^o PRIN"CETON, N. J. "' Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677. The complete works of Thomas Manton She ■■vt ;^ci^ ^ •T>TJ- THE WORKS OF THOMAS MANTON, D.D. VOL. XIV. COUNCIL OF PUBLICATION. W. LINDSAY ALEXANDER, D.D., Trofessor of Theology, Congregatioaal Union, Edinburgh. JAMES BEGG, D.D., M…
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tion of the departing," &c., ver. 22, . 406 „ LVII. '-By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents," ver. 23, . 419 „ LVIII. " By faith Moses, when he was come to years," &c., ver. 24, .... 427 „ LIX. " By faith Moses, when he was come to years," &c., ver. 24, .... 437 „ LX. " Choosing r…
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5. Upon the act of faith consider your privileges, and humbly make your claim. Whenever you have taken Christ u]^on those seasonable offers, consider what a great privilege you enjoy : John v. 24, ' He that believeth in me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condem- nation, but is passed from death to life.'…
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Tunc demum a peccatis desistam, cum haptizatus ero. Conviction would not let men sin so freely if they did not make fair promises of reformation : this is making a Christ of your repentance and prayers. So some men moil in the world, and dream of a devout retirement hereafter ; thus rich they will be, and then they wil…
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3. With respect to duties. Here also are two notes. [1.] When men are not actually sensible of their own weakness, unprofitableness, and defects in duties. Men set a high value on their actions, and therefore reckon of the merit of them. The elder brother pleaded : Luke xv. 29, 'Lo, these many years do I serve thee; n…
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[3.J Upon what terms do you constantly maintain your life and peace with God ; upon the foundation of works, or through the merits oi Christ ? I confess works are a good encouragement, by way of evidence and assurance; but still the foundation must be Christ: 1 Cor. iii. 11, ' For other foundation can no man lay than t…
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[4.] God's justice can never be satisfied till the law be satisfied. Why ? because it is the outward rule of his justice, and the visible measure of his dealing with man ; and therefore the satisfaction of his justice must be carried on according to the tenor and terms of the law ; therefore was Christ made under the l…
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[8.] There is no imputation but by union. All interest is founded in union : Gal. iii. 27, ' As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ;' all his merits and satisfaction are theirs, as if performed in their own persons : 1 Cor. i. 30, ' Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us …
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2. By the promises of God. God hath promised to meet his people with sensible comforts, to talk and confer with them in their duties ; the very aim of all duties is more immediate communion with God. See God's promises to his old church, while grace was more sparingly dispensed : Exod. xxix. 42, ' At the door of the ta…
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2. Because it is the best way to prevent delusion ; immediate revela- tion would be more uncertain and liable to suspicion, and we may lie down in sorrow, notwithst:>nding flashes of comfort. There is no way to discern the operation of the Spirit from counterfeit ravishments, but by sanctification and grace. There is a…
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VeR. 4.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS Xf. 17 2. Because when our graces are exercised, then there is most rational likelihood that we shall receive this testimony from God. Consider it with respect to either witness that must concur to the settling your peace : for look, as under the law everything was to be established in th…
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Use 1. It serves to inform us what little reason they have to complain «-)f the want of comfort that are not diligent in the exercise of grace. Usually we lie upon the bed of ease, and expect God should drop comfort into us out of the clouds : 2 Peter i. 5, compared with ver. 10 ; 'Giving all diligence, add to your fai…
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20 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. XIX. Ps. li. 8, * Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoice ; ' his conscience was troubled, and he begs peace in his conscience. Use 3. To put us on the trial, how shall we discern the testimony God giveth us in duties? I answer, Two ways: by …
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Use 4. To direct us how we should behave ourselves with reference to this matter. 1. If God giveth sustentation and support, we must be contented, though we feel no sweetness and sensible consolation. For — [1.] God is not a debtor, and may do with his own what he pleaseth in dispensations of comfort, as well as disp…
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VeK. 4.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL 23 enough for him to do his best ; the law is not relaxed ; it requires duty without abatement, or else it enforceth punishment without any mitigation. Do and live, sin and die. It doth not accept of our prayers, our tears, and our best, for the least failing renders us guilty of trans…
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Ohj. 3. From experience God doth reward many wicked men, there- fore how can it be said their duties are not accepted ? 1 Kings xxi. 29, Ahab's humiliation kept off the judgment, and Nebuchadnezzar had the land of Egypt for his service against Tyre, Ezek. xxix. 18-20 ; that is nothing but a prophetical prediction. He d…
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[2.] They are mingled with a great deal of weakness and defilement 26 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [S]:R. XX. — Partus sequiiur ventrem ; our duties have more of us than of the Spirit, therefore they are filthy and defiled. Observe the practice of the saints, their remarkable blemishes : Jacob seeks the blessing with a l…
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[1.] There must be serious acknowledgment of sin with shame and sorrow. This is God's established way for fallen saints : 1 John i. 9, ' If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' This is the saint's prac- tice : Ps. li. 3, ' I acknowledge my tra…
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The words are enigmatical, a holy riddle ; and they include a VeR. 4.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 29 seeming contradiction, that a man should speak, and yet dead ; there- fore the words, as all dark places, are liable to several construc- tions. In the general, we are certain it must be some privilege and con- sequent…
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Fu-st, Let us take notice of his dying— 'He being dead.' The history is in Genesis. There were probably two causes of the murder; one plainly expressed in scripture, the envy of Cain; the other implied — that is, indignation against the reproof of Abel. First, One cause is plainly expressed. God accepted Abel ; he had…
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Doct 3. That murder is a crying sin. 32 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XX. It will out one way or other, God cannot want witnesses. We have seen in providence strange ways for the discovering of murder. Re- member that is God's office, to be inquisitive for blood : Ps. ix. 12, * When he maketh inquisition for blood, …
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SEEMON XXI. By faith Enoch teas translated that he should 7iot see death ; and loas not found, because God had translated Mm : for before his trans- lation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. — Heb. xi. 5. The apostle makes it his chief scope in this chapter to convince the Hebrews of the nature, and worth, a…
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VeR. 5.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 35 — For befwe his translation he had this testimony, that he -pleased God. In which reasoning there is a perfect syllogism : whosoever is translated on or after his pleasing God is translated bv faith. Enoch was trans- lated on or after his pleasing God, therefore he was translated b…
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That ' he should not see death ; ' that is, that he might not die a natural death by a dissolution of the body, but undergo a sudden change of qualities. But you will say. How can this stand with the general curse of God pronounced upon all mankind in Gen. ii. 17, ' In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely di…
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Use 2. Is comfort to believers in the hour of death : John xi. 25, ' He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet he shall live.' When you go down to the grave, you may go down with this assur- ance, that you shall live ; though you look upon your flesh as morsels for the worms, yet you maj' look upon it also as p…
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Obs. 5. That some are carried to heaven by a special and privileged dispensation. The entrance into glory is very diflerent. God is not bound to the ordinary course of nature. Enoch and Elijah were both transported in soul and body ; Elijah was sent to heaven in a fiery chariot. And so shall those that live at th.e las…
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[2.] These are the terms of the eternal covenant between God and Christ, that believers should have a right to heaven by Christ's death ; therefore, whenever the Father's love, and Christ's purchase are men- tioned, faith is the solemn condition. The Father hath meant to dispose of heaven to a sort of men, but upon wha…
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[1.] Consider the evil we are delivered from. We are freed from hell — ' They shall not perish,' John iii. 16, and ' .shall not come into condemnation,' John v. 24. Consider wicked men, their change is terrible. Wicked men grow upon the bank of hell, and when they are cut down they slip in, and there is their portion. …
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44 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XXI. saved ? ' it is answered, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and tlioii shalt be saved,' Acts xvi. 31 ; receive Christ into your heart, and he will receive you into heaven. Let us bring our beloved into our beloved's house, into our hearts, and he will then bring you into those mansions…
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[5.] Another work of faith is earnestly to desire and long after the full accomplishment of glory. Faith bewrayeth itself by desire.-^, as well as thoughts. All things hasten to their centre. Heaven is our home, and we should be hastening thither, not only in thoughts but desires. The world to a christian is but libera…
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[3.] It is a comfort against death itself. There is a glorious state provided for believers. It is the end and privilege of faith to be tran- slated out of the animal and corruptible life into that which is heavenly and immortal. Death to the godly is but a sleep, and the grave but a chamber of rest. Indeed the grave t…
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2._ What it is to ' walk witli God ? ' First, What it is to ' come to God ? ' It is a usual phrase by which faith is set out in scripture. Coming and believing are all one : John yi. 35, ' He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in me shall never thirst,'— where coming and believing are put as t…
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[3.] There must be a sense of our inability to return and come to VeB. 5.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL 61 him. Man is a proud creature, and loth to be beholden ; he would be happy and sufficient to himself ; we would eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel ; and if we could heal our own wounds we would never return t…
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Secondly, What it is to ' walk with God ? ' That is the original expression, from whence this of pleasing God is taken, Gen. v. 22. Now, what is the meaning of that ? Some read it, Vacavit Deo — he seques- tered himself, to converse with God from the distraction of worldly affairs ; others render it, Amhulavit in iimor…
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54 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XXII. 2. Positively, what is walking with Grod ? There are two terms in the scripture ; there is ' walking ; ' and then walking ' with God/ [1.] Walking, that doth imj^ly a way, and some motion in that way. (1.) There must be a way. If we walk with God, it must be in his own ways. N…
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[2.] I come to show what this term ' with God ' implies. (1.) The company and presence of God. He must needs be present with us that w^alks with us. How can God be al)sent fr<:>m any ? The apostle saith, Acts xvii. 27, ' He is not far from every one of us.' We are not so near to ourselves as God is to us. Who can keep…
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YeR. 5,] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI, 57 the hurry of distractions, then God inwardly sjDeaks to us by our own hearts and by our own consciences, and sometimes we crave his help as well as his counsel. There is not a day passeth but there is some occasion oflered to confer with God for christians that mind their work and …
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(4.) A care of obedience, or a holy ambition to please God and approve ourselves to him. Now in this pleasing of God there must be — 1st. An avoiding of whatever is grievous and displeasing to him. He that seeth God to be always present certainly he will be afraid to displease him ; he will be always reasoning and dis…
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60 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XXII. walked contrary to tlie times ; it is an owning of God when others forsake him. But then, affirmatively, the great aim must be pleasing God alone ; he is our companion. This must be the aim and scope of onr lives, to please God; we must study to please him, and give him content …
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Use, Let me exhort you to come to God, and to walk with him ; you have all the encouragement in the world to do both. 1. Come to God. You may come, and you must come ; you may come, you are invited — ' Come to me,' saith Christ, Mat. xi. 28. Though you are poor, guilty sinners, harassed and worn-out with your own fear…
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3. It is necessary by way of preparation. Those that walk with God are meet to live with God ; they change their place, but not their com- pany ; here they walk with God, and there they live with him for ever. The vessels of glory are first seasoned and prepared with grace ; God's qualifying grace makes way for his rew…
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2. This is the time of our exercise and trial. As death leaves us, so judgment finds us ; our everlasting woe or weal hangs uj)on the present moment. Hereafter is not the time of labour, but of rewards and punishment. Then there will be no more room for repentance, though we should seek the blessing with tears, Heb. xi…
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[4.] It is our advantage to begin betimes, both here and hereafter. (1.) Here. The sooner you begin to please God, the sooner you have an evidence of your interest in his favour, more experience of his love, more hopes of being with him in heaven ; and these are not slight things. When once j^ou taste the comfort of t…
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2. It reproves them that think that every slight profession of the name of God will serve the turn ; no, you must walk with God and please God. We are mistaken in the business of pleasing God ; it leaves a great burden of duty upon the creature ; it notes a universal constant care to please God at all times and in all …
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70 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XT. [SeR. XXIII. willing and ready obedience : Heb. iii. 13, 'While it is called to-day;' and Eccles. xii. 1, 'Eemember thy Creator in the days of thy youth: ' in thy young and flowery age, when thou mayest more glorify God. And then we do not know how long the day of grace will continue ; the …
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72 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeE. XXIV. 2. Let the ])romises of God be your encouragement. All the sweet thoughts of a christian arise from the ample and gracious thoughts of God, expressed in the promises : Ps. xciv. 19, ' In the multitude of my thoughts within me (saith David) thy comforts delight my soul ; ' when h…
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2. Show what is the scope of the apostle, and why he mentions only God"s being and bounty. 3. Show how the place is to be explained. 1. That this general faith is not enough ; for two reasons — [1.] Partly because more is elsewhere required : John xvii. 3, ' This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and. …
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VeR. 6] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI, 75 and a pcii^an in life and practice ; we must make a particular applica- tion of those things, that so our own interest may be sure. AYhen a man is ready to perish and drown, it is not enough to see land, hut he must reach to it, and stand upon it, if he would be safe ; so we must ge…
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Many objections are against this — Ohj. 1. Say they, it is true ; they cannot be saved without Christ ; VeR. 6.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 77 but they are saved by Christ, though they have no knowledge of hhn ; as Peter was delivered by the angel out of prison before he wist Avho it was, Acts xii. 9. 10 ; so they fee…
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2. For what we received in Adam, I answer, Though Adam was not bound to believe in Christ, yet he had a power of believing all that was revealed of God, as he that is fallen blind had a power of seeing the house afterward built. Use. To apply this first inference. If there be no way of life, no doctrine of salvation b…
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so SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeU. XXIV. those that lessen the misery of nature, or the merit and satisfaction of Christ, or the care of good works ; all such opinions are irreconcileable to the covenant of grace, and overturn the main pillars upon which salvation stands. When men advance nature or depi'ess Christ, or d…
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Secondly. The second inference concerneth the children of believing parents. If without faith it be impossible to please God, then children must have some kind of faith, else they can never be accepted to life. 1 know that the apostle doth principally speak of adult or grown per- sons, men of age, such as come to God,…
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VeR. 6.j SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XT, 83 dated tVoin tlie womb and from the conception ; as Jer. i. 5, ' Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou earnest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and ordained thee a prophet to the nations ; ' partly, because to sense that was the first time of our ex…
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But to come more closely. The only reason why they are said to be incapable of faith is, because they cannot exercise it. Now, that they are not incapable of faith, though they cannot exercise it, I shall prove by several instances. This supposition will seem to infer that it may be so. If infants had been born of Adam…
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86 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. XXV. [3.] That it is so I shall prove from the promise of God ; for God being faithful and true, his promise is as good as a positive assertion : God promiseth grace and glory to infants. Grace, Isa. xliv. 3, ' I will jiour out my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy offsprin…
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Use. 1. To })ress ])arents to bless God for the rich grace of the cov- enant. Ah, consider not only your persons are accepted with God, but also your seed, by virtue of which the merit of Clirist is applied, and the Spirit of Christ infused into them, leaving God to the liberty of his counsel. Oh, how greatly doth the …
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Use 4. To teach us confidence in the power of divine grace. God can shine into the dark hearts of children, therefore certainly there is no heart so dark but God can enlighten it. Our trouble at our first conversion doth not arise out of the doubting of God's love, so much as of his power. This hard heart will never be…
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VeR. 6.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL 91 is more accepted with the Lord. And mark, he saith, ver. 6, ' The way of the wicked is an abomination,' not only their sacrifice or their exercises ©f religion, which may he counterfeited, but their way, their second-table duties, which, because of the benefit that men receive by th…
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[2.] Their end in all they do is natural. It is grace that sublimates the intentions of the creature, A carnal man can go no higher than self, as water cannot ascend beyond its fountain. All that a carnal man do this for self-interest. If they eat and drink it is for self, to gratify appetite, not that they might be mo…
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iy4 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XXVI. wonderful works;' and yet Christ saith, 'I know you not; depart from me, ye that work iniquity,' ver. 123. A man may spend his strength and his spirits in the ministry ; yet after all this may be a castaway. Christ will not take acquaintance with them that are in such a near- n…
1,022 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.