PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 15
Thomas Manton · 315,746 words · 310 reading sections
Section 181
Book I] a treatise of self-denial. 287 servants enough upon such terms : Job i. 9, * Doth Job serve God for nought ? ' It is true, Job is diligent and zealous, but doth Job lose by his profession ? So carnal men will say, Is it for nought ? They hunt after great places and preferments in the world. It was an old compl…
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[1.] A man is bound with many engagements to love his neighbour. [2.] To love his neighbour as himself. [3.] In some cases, more than himself. (1.) A man is by many engagements bound to love his neighbour ; no man is born for himself. Nature teacheth it, and grace doth estab- lish this dictate of nature. There is no…
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VOL. XV. T 290 A TREATISE OF SELF-DENIAL. [BoOK I. or do to myself. Then (2.) It implies that I am as really to promote their good as my own : 1 Cor. x. 24, ' Let no man seek his own things, but every man another's wealth ; ' not seek his own, so as to exclude another. It is not to be understood simply, apart and by …
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3. It is a necessary act of our love to God, we may expose ourselves to. uncertain dangers, to hinder another's certain danger. If a man were assaulted by thieves and ruffians, to prevent murder, I am bound to endanger my own life. If I may possibly contribute help, by the laws of God I am to help the wronged party, th…
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Book I.] a treatise of self-dental. 293 and expense of spirit, and it is an advantage to us, as well as benefit to them, that we have an occasion to go to God. David, you know, fasted for his enemies, Ps. xxv, and Abraham prayed for Sodom ; but alas ! few are nowadays touched Avith the miseries of others. If we be fre…
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2. When men make merchandises of their private courtesies, and aim only at their own praise ; when men eye self in all they do, and have an aim only to advance themselves in the esteem of others, in all the public good they do, these are self-seekers indeed. The heathen poet could say, that is no alms, which we use as …
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2. It is a profession of our dependence. We do not enjoy our mercies by chance, or by good fortune (as we speak), but by the indulgence and gift of God. Now, that we may not be ignorant of the nature of our tenure, God will have us pray, that we may acknowledge his right and grant in all that we possess and enjoy. Thus…
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300 A FAST SERMON. freedom and sweetness ; as to a familiar friend we are wont to pour out our complaints into his bosom upon all occasions. Men are soon weary of their friends out of satiety or penury, their stock is soon spent, they waste by giving : Prov. xxv. 17, * Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, les…
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7. To be a means of comfort and spiritual refreshing. The soul is disburdened of trouble b}^ this kind of vent and utterance. To j)our out our complaints into a friend's bosom, who will only pity us, though we do not expect succour and redress from him, will give us some ease ; much more to open our hearts to one who i…
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A FAST SERMON. 303 but men slight God when they do not need him : Jer. ii. 31, ' We are lords, and will not come at thee.' In sickness or extreme danger, hypocrites will pray : Job xxvii. 10, ' Will he delight himself in the Almighty ? will he always call upon God ? ' The sincere cannot be long away from God ; for the…
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1. Some think they need not pray, they cannot alter God. So Maximus Tyrius, the Platonist, reasoned, God hath set the course of his counsels, importunity will not prevail with him to alter them. I answer — Though we can make no change and alteration in God, yet it bettereth our hearts and increaseth our trust. Rc\' xxi…
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3. The causes of it. 4. The effects. VOL. XV. U 306 A FAST SEEMON. 5. What a sad charge this is. First, The nature of the sin — To be weary of God. Weariness in the body noteth a deficiency of strength, no more mind to work ; in the soul a falling from God, and we have no mind to his service, which is either parti…
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But more distinctly ; particular persons may be ranged under two heads. (1.) Common and ordinary professors ; and there is little doubt of them, but that they who are only acquainted with the toil of religion, and never knew the comfort of it, that they will put themselves into all shapes and forms as their affections…
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A FAST SERMON. 309 with furious persecutors, subtle deceivers, but also profane scoffers. At the first promulgation of the gospel, truths were new, and the exercises of the christian religion lively, and there was great concord and seriousness among the professors of the gospel. Before men's senses were benumbed with …
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Tliirdhj, The causes why a people grow weary of God. Besides those general causes, as to persons and nations, mentioned before, these may be added — 1. Want of love to God. For love is the life and heart of all other duties. As that decayeth, other things decay with it. If the first love be gone, the first works will …
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1. Boldness in sinning. When men begin to lose their tenderness and strictness, have not such a deep awe upon their hearts, but let loose the reins, and allow themselves to sin freely in thought, sometimes foully in word and act, the heart is not watched, the tongue is not bridled, nor the life regulated with that circ…
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[2.] It is a very senseless and unreasonable sin. God never gave you cause or occasion to grow weary of him. He chailengeth Israel : Micah vi. 3, ' 0 my people, what have I done unto thee ? and wherein have I wearied thee ? testify against me , ' Jer. ii. 5, what is it maketh you weary of God ? His commands ? They are …
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5. Worldly lusts must be mortified ; for if our love be pre-engaged, God will be defrauded. As when the pipe breaketh out, the water cannot go forwards. It is an inordinate affection to other things that deadeneth our hearts to God. A FAST SER3I0N. Return unto me, and I luill return unto you, saith the Lord of host^.…
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3. I come now to the people's answer and reply, or entertainment of this exhortation : ' But ye said. Wherein shall we return ? ' (1.) It is not a serious question, but a cavil, not a desire of information, but a bold expostulation ; for it is mentioned here with a 'but;' 'but ye said ;' and it suiteth with the stout a…
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Secondly, As to nations, which is the case here ; for a national return to God preventeth national judgments. Now how hard is it to convince them of a necessity of returning to God, though they are apparently gone off from his ways ! 1. Because the commonness and continuance of sin taketh away the odiousuess of it. By…
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4. Another reason why a people are not easily brought to a sight and sense of the necessity of a national repentance is because they many times return feignedly, as in Josiah's time : Jer. iii. 10, ' This people hath not returned to me with their whole hearts, but feignedly, saith the Lord.' There seemed to be a thorou…
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VOL. XV. X 322 A FAST SERMON. profane, the profane on the stricler party ; but we all see cause to charge it on ourselves : 2 Chron. xxviii. 10, ' But are there not with yon, even with jou, sins against the Lord our God ? ' He would have them seriously to consider their own ways, and dive into their own hearts ; thou…
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2. Now I come to my second consideration, that it is but a notion of repentance, not a real exercise of it, when we profess to return to God, and know not wherein we should return. What do you call returning to God.? Long harangues against sin in prayer? This may be done by hypocrites, who raise up a puppet of sin in t…
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[2.] Take heed of transferring. Man is mightily given to it ; some- times charging it on the wickedness of former generations, that we may remove it far enough from ourselves. This is in the nature of A FAST SERMON. 325 man. Ask the Jews the reason of all their present calamities ; and they "will tell you their fathe…
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[1.] Let me tell you, for apparent wicked men to inquire wherein to return, what special sin God aimeth at, it is but r. deceit they put on themselves, to leave the matter of repentance on au uncertain debate. And it is all one, as if a man should break through a thorn-hedge, and curiously desire to know which thorn ha…
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(3.) There is a defect in the very confession, which seems to be all in all in our humiliations. We have other notions of words and things in dealing with God and dealing with men. Certainly confession is much ; it hath promises annexed, 1 John i. 9. But what is confession ? Suppose an injury done to a man by his equal…
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I shall not go over the several progresses of this glorious design ; only tell you that this chapter is chiefly spent in setting forth the care of this good prince for the due celebration of the passover. And in- deed that is kindly reformation that maketh the ordinances of God to speak a pure language, Zeph. iii. 9 ; …
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[1.] He took all the pains that possibly he might for the due cele- bration of the passover ; he used all the means ; he deferred it for a while, that the priests might be sanctified, and the people better pre- pared, ver. 3. He sends posts to give warning of it too, and doth what he can to cleanse and fit them ; and t…
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The reasons of the point are these — 1. Because there is a great deal of laziness in people, and an unwillingness against such a soul-searching ordinance as the sacrament. Kow the best governors and most pious reformers cannot reach so low as the peoples hearts, and therefore, though they take never so much pains to p…
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RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT. 335 none felt the severity of ecclesiastical discipline but conscientious ministers, those that stood in the gap to keep out the drivelling swine and hogs that would have come in there where the hedge was broken down ; when every surly drunkard could crow over his pastor, and even dare him to …
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So that briefly now, the unprepared unworthy receiver is he that doth not come with answerable meet affections, and so holy and reve- rent a frame of spirit as God doth require we should bring into his presence. And those are not cleansed with the purification of the sanctuary that do not take pains with their hearts t…
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VOL. XV. " Y 338 A PKEPARATIVE SERMON FOR ness. If we would meet God in the sacrament, we must be sure to have such affections about us, as God will own and acknowledge ; if John's reasoning is strong and pithy, how shall we love God whom we have not seen, if we do not love our brother whom we have seen ? Besides •■ …
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[2.] Custom prevaileth with most rather than conscience ; they wUl receive because they have used to do it. The people are ready to ask us concerning this holy feast, as the Jews did the prophet, in Zech. vii. 3, concerning their fast : ' Should I not weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these man…
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2dly, Look upon the grievousness of the punishment. [1st.] You venture your temporal life in every unprepared receiv- ing. You know what the apostle saith, 1 Cor. xi. 30, ' For this cause many are sick and weak among you, and many sleep ;' that is, are dead. It is no good jdaying with edge tools and dallying with duty…
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2. In the outward part of duty, in corporal service, and in the pomp and solemnity of his worship, there we may do too much, and that which may be superfluous, more than we need to have done. Nature is mad upon its inventions, and therefore lovetli to serve God its own way, to have some crotchets of its own in the outw…
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SERMONS ON THE SACRAMENTS. 345 God otherwise than was written, and placed equal holiness in our customs as God's commands. But — 2. I answer in particular — [1.] To the matter of love-feasts. It is true the christians of the primitive times had their avaTra?, love-feasts, before the sacrament. Warrant in the word of…
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2. If the primitive christians did use this custom amongst them, as ignorant people amongst us do their customs, namely, to think the ordinance is no ordinance without them, then they added to God's institution, and did more than was wi'itten ; they make it a medium cultus, and so it is unwarrantable. I have stayed too…
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348 SERMONS ON THE SACRAMENTS. that he may relish the fatness and marrow that is here prepared, that Christ's flesh may be meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed, John vi, 55. Brethren, thus it is written, and then you eat the passover ac- cording as it is written when you thus prepare your hearts, and fit them for t…
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I shall now propose a few reasons, and they are these — 1. Because God loveth to be the appointer of his own services, and can best prescribe the way of his own worship. Now God's way is a revealed way ; he hath written his counsel in his word ; therefore, if we do otherwise than is written, we offend, because then we…
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To apply it now : Is it so that then we offend in our duties when we do otherwise than is written ? It serveth then — First, To dii'ect us where to go for information how to perform the SERMONS ON THE SACRAMENTS. 351 will of God : to the scriptures ; see what is required there. In all duties look to the institution,…
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2. The next motive is this, it is the only way to settle the conscience. The scripture is a sure rule ; and when a man walketh by the rule, he need not fear. What is the reason many are troubled ? They are afraid they do not duties after the right manner. Why, brethren, look to the word ; see what is required there. If…
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[2.] Doubting what is acceptable. What is the reason the people of God are so dejected, and do so doubt of the acceptance of God ? It is because they are not acquainted with the nature of the ordinances. Many receive no comfort by the sacraments, because they do not know the use and benefit of them. They do not look in…
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Use 2. Is it so ? It serveth then to press us to see whether we do perform duty aright or no. Do we do it as it is written ? Here is a mark to try it by, whether we make the word of God both the rule and the ground of our obedience. Everybody will answer, Yea, to the question. And therefore 1 must a little amplify and …
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SERMONS ON THE SACRAMENTS. 357 for the hearing of the word and the promise annexed thereunto : ' Hear, and your soul shall live.' The word of command, ' Hear ; ' the promise, ' And your soul shall live.' Now, we must hear in obedience to that command ; and sue out that promise, by being confident God is able, faithful…
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/ sat doicn under his shadoio ivitJi great delight, and his fruit was sioeet unto my taste. — Cant. ii. 3. In this verse two things are observable — (1.) Christ's commendation ; (2.) The church's experience. 1. Christ's commendation, in the beginning of the verse, where he is compared to an apple-tree among the trees…
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360 SERMONS ON THE SACRAMENTS. and careless respects for Christ till the sense of our misery awaken us. Comfort is a relative word, and implieth distress ; so doth also justifi- cation, and supposeth accusation, or a sense of condemnation deserved. 2. That wliich scorcheth poor distressed souls is a sense of God's wr…
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5. Faith is necessary, that we may have the comfort of our shadow ; for we make use of Christ by faith. There are three acts of faith — (1.) They choose, consent, and own Christ as the only shadow ; (2.) They earnestly run to it ; (3.) Compose and quiet their hearts under it. For some make this sitting down as an act o…
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SERMONS ON THE SACRAMENTS, 363 freely give us all things?' All things that concern maintenance, pro- tection, food, raiment, safety during onr service; all things tliat con- cern life spiritual, 2 Peter i. 3 ; to keep alive grace in the heart, to express it in the conversation. For the other world we have eternal life…
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(7.) Access to God, with assurance of welcome and audience, Ps. 1. 15, and Heb. iv. 15, 16, and 1 John v, 14. This confidence we liave, that ' Whatsoever we shall ask in his name, he will do it for us.' Oh ! what a mercy is it that we have a father to go to ! that our persons and services should be acceptable and pleas…
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Use 1. Here is an invitation to draw us to Christ. 1. As he is a shadow. This notion is like to prevail with none but those who are scorched with God's wrath, or laden with the burden of sin ; with them that are either of a troubled or of a tender con- science. They long to sit down under his shadow indeed, and to get…
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2. There is a state of spiritual things which is a necessary duty, when these things please us better than any worldly things whatsoever. To be holy is more contentment than to be rich. To love God more, trust him more, and obey him better, please more than if God should give them all the honours of the world. This tas…
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A SERMON ON LUKE XYII. 32. Bemember Lot's wife. — Luke xvii. 32. Here is a warning of Christ's relating to an history recorded by Moses, in which two things are remarkable — (1.) The sin committed by her ; (2.) The punishment inflicted on her ; what she did, and what she suffered. She remembered too much the place wh…
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A SERMON ON LUKE XVII. 32. 371 and the wife lingered behind her husband ; for it is said, ' His wife looked back from behind him,' as inclining still to stay. Now when God would try their obedience, they were to despise their substance and fair dwelling they had left behind, and to show no signs of re- pentance that t…
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[3.] It was shameful ; for she is made a public and lasting monu- ment of shame to herself, but of instruction to us. Where there is sin at the bottom, there will be shame at the top. If ever God open the conscience, we ourselves shall be ashamed : Rom. vi. 21, ' What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ash…
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2. That not only modern and present, but ancient and old judg- ments are of great use to us, especially when like sins abound in the age we live in, or we are in danger of them as to our own practice. 374 A SERMON ON LUKE XVII. 32. God biddetli the Israelites go to Shiloh, and see what he did to it for the wickedness…
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(3.) Because we think we may preserve the smaller sins for breed, and that God is more severe in remembering these than we are faulty in committing them. Therefore think of and seriously consider that small sins are the mother of great sins, and the grandmother of great punishments. As little sticks set the great ones …
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A SERMON ON LUKE XVII. 32. 377 together to tempt tlie Spirit of God ? ' In secret sins there is miicli premeditation and craft and dissimulation used. Oh ! therefore avoid these sins. [3.] The next lesson which we learn hence is, that no loss of earthly things should make us repent of our obedience to God, but that w…
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4. That if w-e would not go back, we must not look back The devil will not say at first. Go back to Sodom, though that is it which he in- tendeth ; but rather. Look back, hoping the person which yields to look back will go back in the end. Sin is bashful and shameth to beg too much at first ; it asketh but a little, an…
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Doct. He that heartily embraceth the doctrine of the gospel doth solemnly ratify and bear witness to the truth of God. First, I shall speak of the true notion of Christ's doctrine — it is a testimony. Here I shall handle tlie nature, value, and use. First, The nature of it. A testimony is a sort of proof, necessary i…
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382 A SERMON ON JOHN III, 33. John V. 39, ' Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal hfe, and they are they which testify of me.' The whole scope of the Old Testament is to bear witness of Jesus Christ, of his person, natures, offices, his birth, life, death, suffering's, and the glory that should f…
929 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.