PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 15
Thomas Manton · 315,746 words · 310 reading sections
Section 61
THE LIFE OF FAITH. 99 things comfortable and necessary for his children, whilst he hath work for them to do, yet he never undertook to maintain us at such a rate, to give us so much by the year, such portions for our children, and sup- plies for our families. We must leave it to the great shepherd of the sheep to choo…
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[4.] Feed trust with arguments, and reason sometimes from the greater to the less. He hath given us his Christ and his Spirit : Rom. viii. 32, ' How shall he not with him give us all things else? ' Some- times from the less to the greater — ' If he clothe the lilies and feed the ravens, how much more will he provide fo…
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Secondly, I come now to the second thing propounded — the opposites 102 THE LIFE OF FAITH. of this life ; or those things which would seem to infringe the comforts of the spiritual life, temptations from the devil and the world, and sharp afflictions. First, I begin with the life of faith with respect to the temptat…
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(1.) He hath wiles ; and if we descry them not, we are soon surprised and taken. The immoderate use of carnal pleasures is accounted christian cheerfulness. The apostle tells us that ' he turneth himself into an angel of light,' 2 Cor. xi. 10. Would Peter ever have made a motion for Satan to our Saviour, if he had seen…
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THE LIFE OF FAITH. 105 there must be not one saving grace wanting. The spiritual soldier is armed cap-a-pie. The poets feign of their Achilles that he was vul- nerable only in his heel, and there he got his death's- wound. A chris- tian, though never so well furnished in other parts, yet if any part be left naked, he …
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[2.] By faith we believe that God is true in all the promises of the gospel ; and so temptations are defeated, whether they tend to atheism, blasphemy, unbelief, despair, or any sensual practice. Man fell at first by believing the devil rather than God, Gen. iii. 3 ; and we stand now by believing God rather than the de…
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[2.] Another victory he obtained over him was by his death : Heb. ii. 14, ' Through death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil.' Never was such a blow given to the kingdom of darkness as then ; not to take away his immortal life and being, but his power and strength to hurt. Then was Satan di…
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[2.] Promises of victory ; there are many in scripture : Gen. iii. 15, ' The seed of the woman shall break the serpent's head.' It is not only true of Christ, but of his seed ; they shall prevail at length and conquer, together with Christ : so Mat. xvi. 18, ' Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hel…
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THE LIFE OF FAITH. HI bei'S have not an interest with him. Did he overcome Satan for himself ? No, he hath overcome, and his people overcome with him : 1 John iii. 13, ' I write to you, young ones, because ye have overcome the wicked one.' Christ needed no such combat with Satan, nor victory over him, for anything tha…
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THE LIFE OF FAITH. US would have enticed him, lie might have flowed in them ; but ' he es- teemed the reproaches of Christ; greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, 'ver. 26, than left-hand temptations, or the tenors of the world — * By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king ; for he endured, as …
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3. What faith is this that overcometh the world ? A71S. It is not a naked assent, or a cold opinion, or that which the scripture calleth a ' dead faith,' James ii. 17, but such as is lively and operative. It is described, 1 John v. 5, ' And who is he that over- cometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the…
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116 THE LIFE OF FAITH. tations by the root ; lusts will witlier and come to nothing. The flesh is furnished with its prey from lience. 2. It is tlie great let and hindrance from keeping the command- ments, and keeping them cheerfully. Worldly lusts and allurements soon tempt us to transgress, till faith gets the uppe…
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2. As it receiveth the Spirit, or strength from Christ, whereby to overcome the world. He died to purchase this grace for us : Gal. i. 4, *He gave himself for us, to deliver us from the present evil world;' that is, to purciiase the Spirit to dwell in our hearts for this end and purpose: 1 John iv. 4, 'Greater is he th…
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IV. How shall we bring our hearts into such a frame? 1. Engage in no business but what you have Christ's warrant for, for truth and duty to him : Heb. xii. 4, ' Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.' We must be sure it is sin we strive against, for we cannot expect God's blessing upon our private …
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Tliirdly, I am treating of the life of faith with respect to the op- posites of it, and have handled it with relation to temptations from the devil, and from the world, and now I come to speak of the life of faith as to afflictions. And here I shall show you, — (1.) That there is need of faith ; (2.) The grounds, or pr…
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[5.] Despairing and distrustful thoughts of God. David, after all his experiences, said, 1 Sam. xxvii. 1, ' I shall one day perisli by the hand of Saul.' He had a particular promise and assurance of a kingdom, and had seen much of God'o care over him ; yet after all this, David doubteth of t'le word of Ood . so Ps. xxx…
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IL I shall show you what are the grounds and principles for faith, that will bear it up under afflictions. 1. That God hath a hand in all the afflictions that do befall us : Amos iii. 8, 'Is there evil in the city, and I have not done it?' God is not the author of the evil of sin, but there is no evil of punishment bu…
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12G THE LIFE OF FAITH. i. 11, ' Stvengtheiied with nil niig:lit, uccoruing- to liis £:lorious power, unto all patience, witli long-suliering; and joyiulness.' There is a gra- dation : the power of God doth not only strengthen us to patience, but to all patience. We may have patience in some afflictions, and not in oth…
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[1.] It is not so long as it might be in regard of the enemy's rage : Zech. i. 15, ' And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease ; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.' Satan and wicked men know no bounds when God sets them a-work to correct his people ; they go…
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THE LIFE OF FAITH. 129 robe ? Thus in temporal things we gain by our losses, and God chooseth better for us than we could have chosen for ourselves. (2.) For our spiritual good. All affliction is made up and recom- pensed to the soul ; it afflicts the body, but bettereth the heart ; Ps. cxix. 71, ' It is good for me …
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(2.) For support. If deliverance cometh not yet, if God giveth sup- port, we have no reason to complain ; as he that is well clad is not much annoyed with the cold. David prayed, and counted support an answer : Ps. cxxxviii. 3, ' In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul…
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3. To see it made up in God what is wanting in the creature. A christian's life is made up of riddles and mysteries ; he wanteth all things, and yet he hath all things, and can see fulness of supplies in the midst of want, and an all-sufficiency in God, when there is no means of outward help. As a wicked man in the mid…
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6. To look for the recompense of reward ; 2 Coiv iv. 18, ' While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the lliings which are not seen ; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.' Faith sees the eternal glorious things that are to be enjoyed after this life. Ce…
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136 THE LIFE OF FAITH. of the rectitude of his administrations : Ps. cxlv. 15 , ' The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works ; ' so a christian must not satisfy himself with an imaginary holiness within, but must really manifest the frame of his heart in his conversation and visible actings, that…
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II. I shall show the necessity of faith as to this obedience. Faith is necessary — (1.) As to God's acceptance; (2.) And our encoiu-age- ment ; (3.) From the nature of the thing itself. 1. It is necessary as to God's acceptance ; for nothing can please God that is not done in faith : Heb. xi. 6, ' Without faith it is …
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THE LIFE OF FAITH. 139 promises, and see a necessit}' of obepng the one as well as resting upon the other : Ps. cxix. 66, ' Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I have believed thy commandments/ There is a faith that is con- versant about the commands as well as the promises ; these are part of his word, and ther…
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[1.] Because the governor is invisible, and we do not see him that is invisible but by faith : Heb. xi. 27, ' For he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.' Temporal potentates are before our eyes, their ter- rors and rewards are matter of sense. That there is an infinite, and eternal, and all-wise Spirit, who made a…
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3. Faith comforts and encourageth us by the promises of assistance, acceptance, and reward. [1.] By the promises of assistance. Alas ! in ourselves we are weak and of no strength, and so our hearts are faint, and our hands feeble. Duty can never be done without God's sanctifying grace — ' Let us have grace whereby we …
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4. Faith reasoneth and argueth in a most powerful and prevailing way, with such arguments that a believer cannot say nay to them. It reasoneth partly fi-om what is past, and so all its arguments are dipped in love, or a sense of God's kindness to us in Christ, and then they must needs be forcible : Titus ii. 11, 12, ' …
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5. That it is much better to obey the law of God than our own affections, the lusts of the flesh, or the law of sin — 'Not my will, but thine be done,' so our Lord said, Luke xxii. 42. By retaining any branch of our own wills unrenounced, or not resigned up into God's hands, we give Satan a hold of us, and he will neve…
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This confidence that we shall be heard containeth many things in it. 1. A believing that there is a God, or else why should we pray unto him? Heb. xi. 6, 'He that cometli to God must believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him ; ' other- wise all our devotion will be but customary a…
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6. That God will both accept of our persons and prayers in Christ, the son of his love, in whom he is well pleased : Eph. i. 6, 'Who hath accepted us in the Beloved, to the praise of his glorious grace ; * this is the proper ground of prayer. Christ was sparingly revealed in the old testament, yet when they prayed, the…
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[2.] For the matter, it must be accordmg to the will of God ; it must be good and lawful, such things as God seeth fit for us ; it must be conformable to his revealed will, and with submission to his secret will ; not contrary to his word, nor against his decrees. (1.) It must be according to his revealed will. The th…
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4. Faith is necessary, that we may resolve to stick fast to God, with- out carnal shifts, whatever cometh of it, and not to use any means of deliverance, but what are every way consistent with our duty to God. I take this to be the case of the text ; he speaks this when christians had divers cases to be resolved, saith…
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152 THE LIFE OF FAITH. Use 2. Of exhortation, to persuade us to pray in faith. Now to this end, consider what encouragements there are. 1. Consider what assurance Jesus Christ hath given us : John xvi. 23, ' Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.' There is …
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6. Consider the condescension of God, in parables relating to this matter, Luke xi. 8 ; he speaketh there of a man that would not rise to give loaves to another because he was his friend ; yet because of his importunity, he would not be gone else, he arose and gave him. So Luke xviii. 3-5, there was a clamorous widow a…
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THE LIFE OF FAITH. 155 2. The reason of the event. Some read the text, ' Becanse they were not united by faitli to it ; ' so is the marginal note, and Chryso- stom and many others go that way, and they explain it thus : the greatest part of Israel Avere not of the mind whereof Caleb, and Joshua, and others were, who b…
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[3.] Precepts. That is another part of the word to be propounded not only to our obedience, but to our faith ; and first to our faith, and then to our obedience: Ps. cxix. 6G, 'Teach me good judg- ment and knowledge, for I have believed thy commandments.* It is not enough to grant them rational or wise directions, or g…
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But especially the truths of the gospel, and that good thing which is offered in those truths is that mainly which saving faith doth close with and rely upon, and is fully satisfied withal. This is that which is most mysterious in itself, and remote from vulgar knowledge : Mat. xvi. 17, 'Flesh and blood hath not reveal…
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[3.] There is a third sort, that do not only make profession of the name of Christ, but receive the truth in the love of it and in the power of it, and transfer it into practice : 2 Thes. ii. 10, ' They received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.' There is a receiving truth in the light of it by convi…
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[4t7i.] There is presumption, or a snatching at the promises, without considering the terms. There is no man that hath a conscience, and some loose persuasion of the truths of the gospel, but he apprehends it to be a good word, suitable to the necessities and desires of a guilty and indigent creature ; but it hath no p…
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[3d] It is an obediential confidence, such as doth not take one part of the word and set it against the otlier ; the precept against the pro- mise, or the promise against the precept, that hope to take liberty now and then, to bieak a commandment without forfeiting a claim to the promises , or, like mountebanks, that d…
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If the great end of Christ's coming is to bring us to God : 1 Peter iii. 18, 'For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God ; ' John xiv. 6, * Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth and the life ; no man cometh to the Father but by me ;' and Heb. vii. 25,…
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3. With respect to the word itself, or those sacred oracles wherein the gospel or the christian religion is contained, you will see the trnths there recorded cannot well be apprehended and digested without faith, because there are things written which do concern matters past, present and to come ; and all these have di…
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(2.) The understanding or mind must be excited and awakened to regard and consider these things which we see and are convinced of. For otherwise, in seeing we see not, and in hearing we hear not. As when you tell a man of a business whose mind is taken up about other things, he mindeth it not, regardeth it not, or carr…
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THE LIFE OF FAITH. liji) (Inceth a good conversation, not discourafijeJ with tribulations, nor diverted from the pursuit of eternal happiness by the baits and aUure- ments of the flesh. Yea, it putteth us upon a bold and an open pro- fession of the name of Christ, and respect to his ways, however dis- countenanced in …
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Obj. How can faith be necessary to make the word effectual, since itself Cometh by hearing, and is ordinarily wrought by the word : Eom, X, 17, ' So then faith cometli by hearing, and hearing bv the word of God'? Ans At first God by his preventing grace taketh hold of the heart, and maketh it to believe ; as at the fi…
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First, In the general, to entertain the gospel with a sound and lively faitli. 172 THE LIFE OF FAITH. 1. Without it there is no sin to be conquered. The first sin was unbehef: Gen. iii. 1, 'Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden ? ' and still unbelief is the cause of transgressing, for the f…
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[4.] Get a prepared heart. To this end — (1.) See that there be no carnal bias : John v. 44, ' How can ye be- lieve that seek honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only ? ' Indulgence to any sensual afiection, to the honours, riches, and pleasures of the world, maketh men unfit either to …
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One branch of self-denial here treated of is the denial of our own wills, not only in a subjection to God's laws, but in a submission to his providences ; and how congruous and fit a thing is it that the author of our beings should govern us and dispose of us according to his own pleasure ! Men do what they will with t…
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180 A TREATISE OF SELF-DENIAL. [BoOK T. the occasion of this excellent lesson, which Christ by this means hath for ever consigned to the use and profit of the church — ' If any man will come after me, let him deny himself.' I shall a little open the words. Christ saith, ' If any man,' to show that the duty is of an u…
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[2.] Other things are only evil respectively as they prove idols or snares to us ; and so life, and all the ornaments, comforts, and con- veniences of life ; as liberty, honours, wealth, friends, health, they are all called self. The reason is, because by love, which is the affection of union, they are incorporated wit…
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Book I.] a treatise of self-denial. 183 part of self-denial, to work us off from other dependences, and to trust in God alone. 2c?. As God is tlie cliiefest good, so he must have the highest esteem. Valuing other things above God is the ground of all miscarriage in the business of religion. When anything is honoured …
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we have disputed ourselves out of all religion .- Job. vi. 24, ' Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.' Till we come to see by divine light, carnal wisdom is always making lies and ill reports of religion ; we think it folly and preciseness to be strict, and that zeal is fury, and it is cowardice and disgrace to…
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So for men of private stations. It is not the duty of public persons only, all conditions are liable to self-seeking; many times your private callings may be against the public interest, either of religion or civil welfare, as they that made shrines for Diana, when the gospel came, and reformation likely to be wrought,…
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[2.] For the object — in all things. Let not your self-denial be partial and halting ; as Saul slew some of the cattle, but spared the lat, and Agag. Many can deny themselves in many things, but they are loth to give up all to God without bounds and reservations. As Joshua dejjosed all the kings of Canaan, so every lus…
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2. This hath been practised, not only by the master, but by all the fellows in the same school. Christ set the first copy, and all the saints have written after it, some better, some worse : Kom. xiv. 7, ' None of us liveth to himself, and none dieth to himself , for whether we live, we live to the Lord , and whether w…
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190 A TREATISE OF SELF-DENIAL. [BoOK I. reward ; we are acted with a more mighty spirit. It is true, in carnal men it is not self-denial so much as the obstinacy of self-will and stomach. The kingdom of Satan is divided ; self-will is set up against self-delight or ease. Nay, in pleasure, which doth seem of all vaniti…
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7. Because otherwise a man can be nothing in religion, neither do nor suffer ; and therefore we must resolve either to deny ourselves or to deny Christ. Before we go out of the world, we shall be put upon the trial. Peter denied his master, because he could not deny himself. All duties in religion put us upon self-deni…
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Thirdly, The notes and signs of self-denial. There are exclusive and inclusive marks. Exclusive marks will show us when self is not denied ; then inclusive marks follow, wherein we may take comfort. 1. Exclusive notes for conviction, how we may know when self is iu dominion and sovereignty. It is a sign self is exalte…
974 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.