PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 15
Thomas Manton · 315,746 words · 310 reading sections
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PRINCETON, N. J. Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677. The complete works of Thomas Manton SM/.. WMi^^y^:.- \ f. ,/ THE WORKS OF THOMAS MANTON, D.D. VOL. SV. COUNCIL OF PUBLICATION. W, LINDSAY ALEXANDER, D.D., Professor of Theology, Congregational Union, Edinburgh. JAMES BEGG, D.D., Minister of Newington Free Church, E…
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But you will say the age of such miracles is long since past, and these are antiquated dispensations, now no more in use, nor reasonably to be looked for ; and, therefore, what is this to us ? I answer — Their passage through the Red Sea may be considered three ways : — 1. Historically. 2. Sacramentally. 3. Applica…
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3. They were baptized in the cloud and sea, because by submitting to God's command they gave up themselves to God's direction and the conduct of his providence by this initiating act, that he should lead them through the wilderness unto Canaan, and the land of pro- mise ; as we pass through the waters of baptism, that …
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[2.] Here is another circumstance which commends faith likewise : this faith was weak at first, and mingled with unbelief ; for first they murmured, as you may see : Exod. xiv. 11, 12, ' And they said to Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness ? Wherefore hast thou…
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2. I add further ; either God will give them without any conditions, or he will give those benefits upon certain terms and conditions which he liketh to impose upon the creature. Now, to grant as much as may be granted, there are certain benefits indeed which God gives without asking our consent, or imposing any condit…
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TldrcUy, These being the conditions, the belief of the promise, and tliorough obedience to submit to the appointed way ; lest we deceive ourselves with a notion, God loves to try us, to see if we have received the promise sincerely, whether we thoroughly believe his word, and are fully obedient to his commands: James i…
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Fifthly, Having thus solemnly entered into covenant with God, certainly we are bound to make it good, if we would have benefit by it. For it is not enough to make covenant, but all the promises run to him that keepeth covenant. Salvation is promised not to the under- taker, but the conqueror : Rev. ii. 7, ' To him that…
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2. Those that attempt anything without a lawful call. The Israelites had a good call ; they had a command from God to enter into the Eed Sea, and they had a promise of God's protection. He that will undergo dangers, let him see how his matters stand with God, and what ground he hath both for his undertaking and for his…
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To press you to this, consider how obedience and dependence do mutually befriend each other. It may be made good by these two considerations — (1.) None can hope for salvation but he that keeps God's way; (2.) None can keep God's way but he that hopes for salvation. They each depend upon one another. 1. None can hope …
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YeR. 30.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 17 most acceptable to Grod: Ps. cxivii. 11, ' The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.' Oh ! when these two are coupled, the fear to offend him and dependence upon his grace in Christ, the Lord takes pleasure in them. And it will be most com- f…
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[2.] It was a frontier town, the first that kept them from entering far into Canaan, being the first city of Canaan on the west side of Jordan, by wliich the people entered into the land ; and until this rub and impedi- ment was taken out of the way, they could not safely make any further passage. Now, if they should m…
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[2.] We come to the time — ' After they had compassed about the eity seven days.' They were every day to make this procession once ; and the event appeared not till the last and seventh day. No reason can be given why it must be the seventh day but God's will ; only a septenary is a sacred number. On the seventh day, w…
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Secondly, This kingdom of darkness is the state which is opposite to Christ's kingdom as mediator. The devils are said to be ' rulers of the darkness of this world,' Eph. vi. 12; and their power is called the power of darkness, as opposite to the kingdom of Christ, ' Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,' C…
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Fourthly, To do this we have means in the eye of sense very weak, whatever they are in the eye of faith. Our means are to appearance weak ; like those in the text, they carried about the ark of the cove- nant, and made a blast with rams' horns. The preaching of the gospel, the prayers of the church, the faith and holy …
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3. The mighty and all-conquering spirit that proceedeth both from the Father and the Son. Of this Spirit of God I shall say two things — (1.) That he is invincible and almighty, and therefore his operations are suitable to the agent. Oh ! what mighty things hath this Spirit done as to the demolishing strongholds ! Here…
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[3.] Christ's manner of governing should not be disliked by those that have faith, though sense despise it. His manner is not to subdue the world by the visible force of a strong hand, as an earthly con- queror, but by his word and Spirit, and the secret conduct of his pro- VeR. 30.] SERMOXS UFOX HEBREWS XI. 27 viden…
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[3.] The powers of the world, as they were not friendly to it, so they were set against it. Bonds, sufferings, and afflictions did abide for them everywhere that professed this way; yea, fires were kindled, horrible tortures invented ; but no fire was hot enough to consume the gospel. When Satan made his hottest onset …
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30 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. LXV. being Eomans.' Certainly it is a very hard thing to bring men out of an old religion to a new one ; yet, when the trumpet of the gospel sounded, down went all the altars, images, and superstitions of the gentiles, and the religion of Jesus took place. [7.] I have but one conside…
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[4.] Before the spies were gone from her, she makes a confession of her faith to them : Joshua ii. 9-11, ' I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you : for we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Eed Se…
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[1.] From the quality of the person, observe that God shows wonderful mercy to penitent sinners, if they return to him, and believe in him. [2.] From her faith, observe that true faith, wherever it is, will show itself by some eminent and notable effects. [3.] From the benefit, observe that the rewards of true faith …
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The grounds of this, why the Lord shows wonderful mercy to penitent sinners, whatever tlieir sins have been before, are — [1.] The infiniteness of God's mercy, that can pardon all, even our greatest sins. We sin as men, but he pardons as a God : Hosea xi. 9, ' I am God, and not man ; thei'efore Ephraim is not destroye…
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Secondly, This is of use to check our despair for others ; for when you find some of your relations, after many warnings, to relapse into gross sins, certainly we are bound to do all we can to reclaim them from them. Give not over praying and warning ; you ought still to represent to them the danger of such courses, bu…
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38 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. LXV, a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward ; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward : and whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, verily I say u…
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[2.] The gospel requires such a kind of faith, and therefore we must exercise it. All that will enter into life should hate father and mother, &c., so tar as they may stand in competition with Christ : Luke xiv. 25, * If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sis…
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Doct 3. There is one thing more in the text, and that is the bene- fit which affords us this point, that the rewards of faith are excellent and glorious. Eahab is an instance of this also, for when she by faith entertained the spies in peace, ' she perished not with them that be- lieved not ; ' that is, she was not des…
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[2.] It sanctifies, or is the Spirit's great instrument in sanctification. For, Acts XV. 9, it is said, 'Purifying their hearts by faith.' It is faith that promotes purity and sanctity. It is the first stone in the spirit- ual building : 2 Peter i. 5, ' Add to your faith virtue,' &c. Faith is made the bottom of all, as…
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4. That which you do, let it be some self-denying act for God and his people. I join both together, because if a man love the one he will love the other, and the Lord's interest is only upheld by his people here in the world ; his interest liveth and dietli with his people. And therefore, when we are willing to deny ou…
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3. There is affiance. Faith doth rest upon him ; besides choice, there must be a recumbency : Isa. xxvi. 3, ' Thou wilt keep him in per- fect peace whose mind is stayed on thee ; because he trusteth in thee.' That is a special work of faith. Now, what do we rest upon him for ? For grace here — all kinds of grace, justi…
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VOL. XV. D 50 THE LIFE OF FAITH. port.' In every verse it is said, By faith, by faith. Some of the effects there spoken of do directly and more formally belong to other graces ; but though the private soldiers do worthily in the high places of the field, yet we say the general won the day ; the honour of the victory …
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2. We never act nobly in anything till we live the life of faith. There is a twofold life — the animal life, and the spiritual and divine life : 1 Cor. ii. 14, ' The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.' The human soul accommodateth itself to the interests and con- cernments of the body ; but the …
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THE LIFE OF FAITH. 53 Son of God, and the Lamb of God that came to take away sin. So Heb. V. 9, ' He is become the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him.' Will Christ give eternal life to all that obey him ? I have too long stood out against thee, Lord. I now lay down the weapons of my defiance, and say, He…
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[2.] Spiritual affections, being dead to sin and the world, and alive to God : 1 Cor, ii. 12, ' Now we have received, not the spirit of this world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things which are freely given to us of God ; ' desiring to be with Christ, Phil. i. 23 ; and having an heart set on t…
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First, To begin with the life of faith as to justification, or those pro- mises wherein Jesus Christ and his righteousness is offered to us for the j)ardon of our sins and our acceptance with God. Here I shall do three things : — 1. Prove that justification is one main or chief part of the life of faith. 56 THE LIFE …
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(2.) For the life of glorification, we are incapable of that, and can- not hope for it with any comfort till we are pardoned : Eom v. 18, ' The free gift came upon all to justification of life.' Life follows justi- fication, as death doth condemnation. All men by nature are dead in law, and by justification this senten…
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(1.) Faith worketh in us a serious thoughtfulness about our sinful and cursed estate ; that driveth us to Christ, as the other consideration draweth us, and sweetly allureth us to close with him. The first con- sideration of our sinful and cursed estate driveth us out of ourselves, when we consider how ' all the world …
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(4.) The work of faith is to make application ; not only to see that sin may be pardoned, and how, but that our sins are or shall be pardoned for Christ's sake. There are degrees in this application ; sometimes God's children apply promises in the humbling way, and creep in at the backdoor of a promise : 1 Tim. i. 15, …
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62 THE LIFE OF FAITH 2d. Or if this evil should fall upon God's own children, a man ihat is spiritual, that he be listless and careless about his justification, it argueth some sore spiritual disease, and it will cost them much bitterness before they get rid of it ; and if the Lord meaneth them mercy, they shall again…
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5th. And this is backed with a reason, which makes a fifth benefit — a further increase of patience : ' Tribulation worketh patience.' Grace is so welcome that they are willing to exchange outward com- forts for inward grace. By nature we are like untamed heifers, very unruly at first yoking, but after a while we come …
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THE LIFE OF FAITH. 65 [o.] H joii have cause to suspect that your hearts are too slight in tlie estimation of pardon, and that you make too easy a work of it, and pass it over too lightly, then consider — (1.) What it cost the Lord Jesus Christ to bring it about. It cost the precious blood of the Son of God : Rom. v.…
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2. Sanctification is the greatest benefit of the two, if you compare them together. Many will cry up justification, but neglect sanctifica- tion, but preposterously ; for, of the two, sanctification is the greater pri- vilege. I prove it thus — [1.] Justification freeth us a malo naturali, from pain and suff'er- ing; …
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3. It is a great pa it of the glory which God expecteth from us, to believe in him as the only Holy One of Israel, and the sanctifier of his people, viz., that he will sanctify our natures, and enable us to the practice of that holine.'^s which he requireth of us : Lev. xx. 8, ' I am the God that sanctifieth you ; ' an…
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(3.) These absolute promises engage us to wait upon God till the}' be accomplished. God hath undertaken to take away the old heart ; so that we may say, as in Ps. cxxiii. 2, ' Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden are imto the hand of her mistress, so our eyes …
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'Sd. He hath filled himself with all grace for the same end, that we might be filled with the abundance of that grace which is in him : Ps,. Ixviii. 18, ' He hath received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them;' not to keep them to himself alone, but to communicate them t…
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3d The office of faith is to increase our confidence and enlarge our expectations, according to the extent of the promises ; for the more we expect from Chiist, the moi-e we receive from him : Ps. Ixxxi. 10, ' Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.' The larger thouglits we have of Christ's fulness and excellency, th…
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74 thj: life of faith. hatred of sin • P.s. xcvii. 10, ' Ye that love the Lord, hate evil.' Partly as it represents the great things Christ hath done for us: ' Christ hath loved me, and gave himself forme/ Now, shall I sin against this God that sent his Son to die for me? All this is to prevent the act, and break the …
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Tiiiicily, The life of faith, as it respects glorification, or the promises of eternal lit'e. And here I shall show you — 1. That this is a neces.sary part of the life of faith. 2. What are the acts of faith with respect to this life. 3. How we may bring oui" hearts so to live. 1 We cannot exclude this from being a…
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THE LIFE OF FAITH. 77 ings. But I shall give you some evidences that these great and excellent blessings are little believed. (1.) Because we are far more swayed with temporal advantages, than we are with the promise of eternal blessings. These blessings are more excellent and glorious in their nature, more certain i…
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(6.) Because we will venture so little upon our everlasting hopes. Where men have an expectation they will make adventures, for they know it will turn to a good account. God hath madi^ many great and precious promises ; he hath told us, ' Give alms, and you shall have treasure in heaven,' Luke xii. 33. Leave anything t…
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[±] There isneed of faith to apply and makeout your owninterest ; not only that there is such an estate, but such an estate reserved for you : 2 Titn iv. 8, 'Hencefort'] there' is laid upfor me a crown of righteousness;' and 2 Cor. v. 1, ' And we know that if this earthly house of our tabernacle were dissolved, we have…
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[5.] The work of faith is to ' breed joy ' in the hopes of this blessed- ness, and those tastes that we have of it. The apostle saith^ Heb. iii. 6, we are Christ's, ' if we hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of hope firm unto the end.' When we first believe in Christ, Ave do by hope take hold of the promised g…
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THE LIFE OF FAITH. 83 The beauty and glory of the life of faith is never seeu while all things succeed according to our heart's desire ; we do not know whether we live upon God or the creature, the encouragements of earth or heaven, till we be reduced to some necessities. Paul said, 'None of these things move me, neit…
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(3.) And then for the Spirit : his graces are life begun. Faith seeth it, love desireth it, hope looks for it : Kom. viii. 23, ' We, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves,' &c. The first-fruits show a harvest to come. And 2 Cor. i. 22, ' Who hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit …
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86- THE LIFE OF FA IT [I. grace and ?:loi7 shall be added unto you ; but, Seek the kingdom oi heaven, and tlien eartlily things will not be stood upon, but cast in as paper and pack-thread. [2.] Tiiese are necessary for our maintenance during the time of our service : Mat. vi. o2, 'Your heavealy Father knowelh that y…
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[5.] This part of the life of faith is necessary, not only for the supplies of the outward man, but for the sanctifying of our outward condition, that it may not be a snare to us. If we have outward blessings, we should see them couiing from tlie covenant ; and so they are sweeter, and turn to a better use, when we rec…
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over them for good. He is liberal and open-handed to all his creatures, hut uHich more to liis saints. There is not a poor worm but feeleth the benefit of his providence ; all the beasts of the field are provided for by him , he sendeth showers of rain and fiuilful seasons, and fiHeth the lap of the earth with blessing…
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[6.] The more we trust God, and look to him in all thing,s, the more we have ; for trust is a very endeaiing, engaging thing : Ps. xci. 9, 10, ' Because thou. hast made the Lord which is my refuge, even the Most High thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.' Ther…
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[10.] We cannot be absolutely confident of success as to temporal things ; that is not the faith required of us, for they are not absolutely promised ; but with exception of the cross, and as God shall see them good for us. God hath I'eserved a liberty of showing his justice in punishing a sinning people : Ps. Ixxxix. …
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91 THE LIFE OF FAITH. earth, it shaketh, and heaves, and causelh terrible earthquakes, till it get a vent, then all is quiet ; so we are full of unquiet tossings in our minds till we go and pour out our hearts before the Lord. [2.] This dependence is manifested by keeping us from the use of unlawful means, and base s…
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96 THE LIFE OF FAITH. But you will say, There may be obedience in this submission, but how is it an act of dependence ? I answer, thus: when we believe that God is so good and faithful that he will do what is best, though we see not how. Certainly mur- muring is the effect of unbelief: Ps. cvi. 24, 25, 'They believed…
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(3.) That we may have the comfortable use of them, with God's leave and blessing. The natural, comfortable use is the fruit of faith ; for ' Man liveth not by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,' Mat. iv. 4. The power of sustaining life is not in the means, but in God's word of blessi…
933 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.