PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 16
Thomas Manton · 320,138 words · 314 reading sections
Section 1
SoHo Square, LONDON. /^^ 2^9^ PRINCETON, N. J. ^' Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677. The complete works of Thomas i Manton Shelf. Jtf*> *^*' THE WORKS OF THOMAS MANTON, D.D. VOL. XVI. COUNCIL OF PUBLICATION. W. LINDSAY ALEXANDER, D.D., Professor of Theology, Congregational Union, Edinburgh. JAMES BEGG, D.D., Minist…
1,070 wordsSECTION 2Section 2
My Lord, God hath set your lordship in a very high and honourable station, in which you have shined as a light upon a hill. And as he hath given you great opportunities, so he hath also given you a large heart to serve him ; and this hath given you a large room in the hearts of those that fear God, and hath made your n…
949 wordsSECTION 3Section 3
b THE PREFACE. to every man severally as he will, 1 Cor. xii. 11, Where he ha.s given least, they have a competency ; where he has hestowed most, there is no redundancy : none shall have cause to boast of his ten talents ; none reason to murmur that he has but one : but that which we must ever adore and admire, is, th…
1,069 wordsSECTION 4Section 4
[2.] Come we now to that pleasing view of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, ' Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.' Where we find a twofold design of Chi'ist in his death and bufierings — (1.) He had a noble design/oj- us…
908 wordsSECTION 5Section 5
3. Be so just as not to impute the crimes of the printer to the author or publisher, which yet are such as an ordinary charity may pardon or a small ingenuity correct. The rest is only to commit thee, reader, and these discourses, to the blessing of our gracious God, with whom remember thy unworthy servant in the servi…
967 wordsSECTION 6Section 6
3. You have the carriage of the king towards the hypocritical guests : 'And when the king came to see his guests,' &c. In the words observe Ikree things — (1.) The discovery, ver. 11 ; (2.) The expostulation, ver. 12; (3.) The doom and sentence, ver. 13. 1. The discovery: ver. 11, 'And when the king came to see the g…
1,155 wordsSECTION 7Section 7
[1.] For the honour of God, to show his magnificence and royalty, and the glory of his exceeding great grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. For thus we find feasts made by great kings and potentates ; as Esther, chap, i, 3, 4, * He made a feast unto all his princes and his servants, to show them the riches of his glorious …
913 wordsSECTION 8Section 8
16 A SERMOX ON MATTHEW XXII. 11-13. faith in Christ, and external obedience to him, but do not thoroughly and fully walk according to Christ's rules ; would be judged christians, but retain nothing of the life and power of Christianity, are not dis- ciples indeed, John viii. 31. And it is said, John ii. 23, 24, ' Many…
1,132 wordsSECTION 9Section 9
2. One part of the profession condemneth the other. If we own a God, a Christ, and a life to come, and do not live answerably in all holy conversation and godliness, our belief condemneth our practice ; and if we allow ourselves in those things which we condemn, our judgment is the more just; so that they profess thems…
902 wordsSECTION 10Section 10
2. God loveth to uncase hypocrites : Prov. xxvi. 26, ' His wicked- ness shall be showed before the whole congregation.' His being and attributes are more questioned by them than others, for atheism lieth at the bottom of hypocrites. Tush ! he cannot see : Ps, xciv. 7, ' They say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall t…
981 wordsSECTION 11Section 11
Thirdly, The doom and punishment. 1. They are not permitted to taste of the feast. God denieth them grace, and so they have but an empty ordinance. Surely this is a great evil. Cain was sensible of this, and afflicted with it ; his countenance fell when God testified not of his gifts, Gen. iv. 4, 5. It is threatened, …
1,079 wordsSECTION 12Section 12
2. Get this wedding garment out of the king's wardrobe ; as Esther : chap, xxix., ' Such things as belonged to her and her maids were given her out of the king's house ; ' and Isa. Ixi. 10, ' He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation.' God delights in the graces of his own Spirit ; no man is born clothed ; we h…
1,246 wordsSECTION 13Section 13
3. The next sin is incorrigibleness under judgments. Here the Lord taketh up a long plea against them, from the 6th to the end of the 11th verse. Several judgments are mentioned, as famine, pesti- lence, drought, blasting, mildew, the fury of war, great fires kindled ia A FAST SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE PARLIAMENT. 25…
904 wordsSECTION 14Section 14
2. The counsel and duty thence inferred — Prepare io meet thy God, 0 Israel. Some understand these words as spoken in an irony. Now buckle on your harness, and see if you can meet with God, and grapple with him in the day of his wrath. But rather it is an exhortation, ' Prepare to meet him ; ' that is, to come to God, …
1,028 wordsSECTION 15Section 15
1. To humiliation : Isa. xlv. 9, ' Let the potsherd strive with the pot- sherds of the earth Woe to him that contendeth with his maker ! ' Poor man, if he will be contending, let him seek out his match ; let him cope with a man like himself. There, sometimes the weaker side 28 A FAST SERMON PREACHED Bi^FOIlE THE PARLI…
990 wordsSECTION 16Section 16
[2.] Now for the manner. This must be done — (1.) Speedily. It is no time to dally. ' Whilst he is yet a great way off, he sendeth an embassy.' We must not tarry till the judgment tread upon our heels, or the storm break out upon us. A man cannot soon enough be in the arms of Christ. They that are in good earnest are …
944 wordsSECTION 17Section 17
Secondly, Why is this the most seasonable duty ? 1. Because the main party with whom we have to do is God. He is at the upper end of causes, and his hand and counsel is in all things ; and all the evil that befalleth us is the fruit of God's anger. Then, get his favour, and you stop danger at the fountain-head. If God…
920 wordsSECTION 18Section 18
[1.] Security, not fearing of deserved wrath; when we see a judgment in its causes, and a storm while the cloud is but a-gathering. The welfare of a nation is not to be measured by outward probabilities, but the sentence of the word. Tlie face of providence speaketh not the intentions of Cod so much as the course of hi…
905 wordsSECTION 19Section 19
[1.] I observe, that after God hath laid in any spiritual comforts, there is a time to lay them out again ; and after great receipts we are put to great expenses. The disciples first enjoyed Christ's presence and ministry, and then were exposed to a dreadful persecution. John xi., he biddeth them make use of the light,…
974 wordsSECTION 20Section 20
[8.] When professors grow worldly, this awakeneth worldly rage and God's rods. The men of the world take mammon for God, and the conveniences of this life for their portion. Now, when the children of God put in for a sharQ; and are all for worldly hopes and interests, it stirreth up their enmity. They cannot endure to …
904 wordsSECTION 21Section 21
(2.) Make your own peace with God ; for till then you are never fit to pray or act for the public good of the nation with any hopes of success. (3.) Promote a sound well-tempered reformation in the land. Pro- mote God's interest, protect his truth and servants against those that malign and hate them, and all endeavour…
979 wordsSECTION 22Section 22
First, I begin with the thing described, ' The grace of God.' It is a term that admits of divers acceptations. Sometimes it is put for God's eternal favour and good- will ; sometimes for the effects of this favour, as grace infused and bestowed upon the creature : Eph. iv. 7, ' To every one of us is given grace, accord…
918 wordsSECTION 23Section 23
3. Justification : Rom. iii. 24, ' Being justified freely by his grace.' Mark, the apostle useth two words ; it is rfj avrov %aptTt, ' by his grace ; ' and it is Scopeav, ' freely ' by his grace ; ' freely,' to note the readiness of his inclination ; and ' by his grace,' to exclude the merit of our works ; or the mere …
970 wordsSECTION 24Section 24
And then for obedience, that is al.so subordinate to faith, as a necessary fruit and effect of it. As faith is the instrument, so obedience is required as a fruit of faith. Though it come not into justification, yet it is an evidence of our interest in salvation. It is required as a testimony of faith, yet not as a con…
1,033 wordsSECTION 25Section 25
VeR. 11.] SERMONS UPON TITTJS II. 11-14, 43 prayers which they do in their disputes, and plead the merit of their works, and say, Lord, give me not eternal life, and grace, and favour, till I deserve it at thy hand. Let them thus dispute with God or with their own consciences in the agonies of death, and under horrors…
1,399 wordsSECTION 26Section 26
VeR. 11.] SERMONS UPON TITUS 11. 11-14. 45 worthy, and plainly declare they were altogether not worthy of this grace. All men are unworthy enough of eternal life, and God hath cause enough to condemn them ; but they chiefly judge themselves unworthy, that is, in fact declare themselves to be so, that have received the…
997 wordsSECTION 27Section 27
4. Grace is wronged by turning it into wantonness. It is a heavy charge, and a black note is set on them : Jude 4, ' Ungodly men, turn- ing the grace of God into lasciviousness ; ' when men sin freely that God may pardon freely ; when they presume upon grace, as if that should bear all, and use it as a dung-cart to car…
938 wordsSECTION 28Section 28
► Use 2. To press you to glorify grace. This is the glory God expects from you : Eph. i. 6, ' To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made you accepted in the beloved.' If an artificer show you a curious piece of workmanship, he expects to be praised for his skill. A wrestler that hath foiled his adver…
908 wordsSECTION 29Section 29
Boct. 2. That grace in the discoveries of the gospel hath shined out in a greater brightness than ever it did before. This grace appeareth in the gospel ; there and there only is it clearly manifested. In the prosecution of this point I shall show — 1. What darkness there was as to the knowledge of grace before. 2.…
1,160 wordsSECTION 30Section 30
Secondly, What and how much of grace is now discovered? I answer — 1. The wisdom of grace. The gospel is a mere riddle to carnal reason, a great mystery : 1 Tim. iii. IG, ' Great is the mystery of god- VeR. 11.] SERMONS UPON TITUS 11, 11-14. 51 liness.' There we read of God and man brought together, and justice and …
932 wordsSECTION 31Section 31
3. The efficacy and power of grace is discovered in the gospel. Christ sendeth his Spirit to apply what he himself hath purchased. One person comes to merit, and the other to accomplish the fruit of his merit. Mark, to stop the course of grace, divine justice did not only put in an impediment, but there was our infidel…
1,025 wordsSECTION 32Section 32
64 SERMONS UPON TITUS 11. 11-14. [SeR. II. SEEMON II. Hath appeared unto all men. — Titus ii. 11, Use 1. Let us prize these days of grace. We are not apprehensive enough of the mercy that gi-ace is so clearly revealed. The gospel is the light of the renewed world ; we can no more be without the gospel than the world…
1,256 wordsSECTION 33Section 33
Which hringeth salvation to all men. — That is, to all that accept of grace, bond or free ; and that salvation is taken for our complete happi- ness, for eternal life and salvation, is clear enough. The point then is — Doci. 3. That the grace of God revealed in the gospel is the great means of salvation, or a grace th…
993 wordsSECTION 34Section 34
[3.] There are excellent enforcements to encourage us to embrace this salvation. God is very impatient of being denied, now he speak.s in the gospel, and useth all kinds of methods. As a man who cannot undo a door, and having a bunch of keys in his hand, tries one after another, till the lock doth fly open, so the Lord…
1,132 wordsSECTION 35Section 35
Ifse. To press you to regard the gospel more, as you would salvation itself, for it bringeth salvation. By Avay of motive and encouragement — VeR. 11.] SERMONS UPON TITUS TI. 11-14. 59 1. Consider the greatness of the salvation : Heb. ii. 3, ' How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ? ' It is not a sligh…
1,288 wordsSECTION 36Section 36
S. Consider, as the greatness of the salvation, and the completeness of the Saviour, so the excellency of the gospel ; how it manifests and sets out this saviour, not in shadows and types, but with clear and express explication. God bestowed many benefits upon the old church, which were great enforcements to godliness,…
1,067 wordsSECTION 37Section 37
5. Consider of the great judgment that will light upon them that despise an offer of salvation. That which by its natural tendency is a grace bringing salvation, by your neglect may bring certain condem- nation and ruin. Observe, God did never utterly cast off the people of the Jews for contempt of the law, but when on…
1,140 wordsSECTION 38Section 38
64 SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. [Ser. IL Others make dry confessions of sin, and give in a narrative, but are not so solicitous about the remedies and redresses ; but poor wounded spirits, that arc sensible of their misery by nature, say. Good sir, show us the way ; let God write down what articles he pleaseth, we wo…
1,154 wordsSECTION 39Section 39
To all men. — That is, to all sorts of men, bond or free, to servants as well as others; for in the context he doth discourse of servants. I shall only in brief observe this note — Bocf. 4. That this salvation which the grace of God bringeth is free for all that will accept of it. God excludes none but those that exc…
1,318 wordsSECTION 40Section 40
Use 1. If the grace of God hath appeared to all men, then let us put in for a share. Why should we stand out ? Are we excepted and left out of the proclamation of pardon and free grace ? If persons be excepted by name when a pardon is offered to rebels, they stand oflf, and will not come within the verge of such power …
910 wordsSECTION 41Section 41
1. What is true holiness, such as cometh from the teachings of grace, obliging conscience to the duty of the law, inclining the heart to obey out of the sense of God's love, and encouraging us by faith, drawing strength from Christ, and looking to God for our acceptance from him. Some works of the unregenerate are mate…
944 wordsSECTION 42Section 42
2. Doth it press you to good ? 1 John v. 3, ' This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous.' When God maketh a motion by his word or the counsels of his Spirit, Well, I cannot deny it ; what a small service is this I owe to God ? as Jacob served seven years for Rachel, a…
904 wordsSECTION 43Section 43
72 SERMONS UPON TITUS IL 11-14. [SeR. III. Col. i. 13, ' Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.' Christ and Satan cannot reign in the same heart, nor God and the world. Joseph was taken out of prison, and then preferred to Pharaoh. This is the method …
1,009 wordsSECTION 44Section 44
I might give you several reasons. One sin is contrary to God as well as another. There is the same aversion from an eternal good in all things, though the manner of conversion to the creature be differ- ent. Again, one sin is contrary to the law of God as well as another ; there is a contempt of the same authority in a…
931 wordsSECTION 45Section 45
3. Desire God to show you if there be anything left that is grievous to his Spirit: Job xxxiv. 32, ' That which I see not, teach thou me.' There are many sins I see, but more that I do not see ; Lord, show them to me. So David appealeth to God, who must judge and punish conscience : Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24,' Search me, 0 Go…
1,213 wordsSECTION 46Section 46
[3.] The word is yet more specially used for the transgressions of the first table : Eom. i. 18, ' The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.' There all sin is dis- tinguished into two branches and kinds — ungodliness and unrighteous- ness. Ungodliness, that respects th…
956 wordsSECTION 47Section 47
[2.] Some ground there is for the expression, if we look to the custom of those times. In making an outward profession, probably here is some allusion to the ancient manner of stipulation. When any came to be admitted into the church, there were questions pro- pounded to him, Abrenuncias ? dost thou renounce? Oredis ? …
1,139 wordsSECTION 48Section 48
80 SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. [SeR. IY. 2. We do not honour God as the first cause when we do not depend upon him ; that is ungodhuess. Trust and dependence is the ground of all commerce between us and God, and it is the greatest homage and respect which we yield to the Creator and first cause. Now, when men can tr…
809 wordsSECTION 49Section 49
3. We do not honour God as the first cause when we do not observe his providence, either in good or evil, either in our crosses or blessings. The blind world sets up an idol called chance and fortune, and does not acknowledge God at the other end of causes, as swaying all things by his wisdom and power. If evil come to…
1,313 wordsSECTION 50Section 50
VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. 83 Secondlv, God will be acknowledged as the chiefest good ; and so, if we do not often think of him, and delight in communion with him, fear to offend him, and care to please him, all this is ungodliness. 1. If we do not often think of him ; if we did not want hearts, we canno…
910 wordsSECTION 51Section 51
3. If we do not fear to offend, God will be served with every affec- tion. Love is of use in the spiritual life, so is fear : 2 Cor. vii. 1, ' Perfecting holiness in the fear of God.' They are both of great use. Love sweetens duties, and fear makes us watchful against sin ; love is the doing grace, and fear is the cons…
1,196 wordsSECTION 52Section 52
S'S SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. [SeR. IV, John V. 10. He tliut Jotli not regard the offer of the gospel, certainly he believes it is not true, and so he dishonours God as the supreme truth. 2. If we would honour God as the supreme Lord of heaven and earth, we must reverence him in his worship. God is not only terri…
905 wordsSECTION 53Section 53
Fourtldy, God will be honoured as the last and utmost end, and so in all acts, natural, moral, and spiritual. If we do not aim at God's glory, we are guilty of ungodliness. This is the proper work of godli- ness, to refer all we do to the glory of God ; and this is the distinction between godliness and holiness ; holin…
906 wordsSECTION 54Section 54
2. When we are disobedient to his laws. Open irreligion is a de- spite to God, when we cast off his yoke. This is ungodliness in the height, when God is not only neglected, but rejected : Jer. ii. 31, ' We are lords ; we will come no more unto thee.' We would be absolute masters of our own wills. This was the first bai…
931 wordsSECTION 55Section 55
[2.] Suppress all ungodly thoughts and motions, all gross thoughts of God : Ps. xiv. 1, ' The fool hath said in his heart. There is no God.' Shame may lay a restraint upon the tongue, but such thoughts and whispers do arise in the heart. Again, that God is not so harsh as he is represented : Ps. 1. 21, ' These things h…
1,078 wordsSECTION 56Section 56
92 SERMONS UPON TITUS ir. 11-14. [SeR. Y. know, but because "we desire ; as the eye doth not carry the body to a far country, but the feet. All affections have their rise from some inclination and tendency of the desire towards the object. Amor meus pondus meum — It is love or desire that poiseth and inclineth the hea…
944 wordsSECTION 57Section 57
You will say, How can the apostle speak thus ? There are sun, moon, and stars, and glorious creatures in the Avorld ; why doth the apostle instance only in the sink and kennel of the world ? I answer — The world is taken for the corrupt world ; all that is of price, all that is of account with carnal men, all that tak…
1,072 wordsSECTION 58Section 58
VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON TITUS IT. 11-14. 95 and is tlie root of every sin ; it is the devil's bait, and tlie sauce of every temptation. Men take a pleasure in their proud thoughts, in their worldly and carnal practices. Other sins are rooted in sensuality and love of pleasure. Again, it is a sin most opposite to the gr…
1,166 wordsSECTION 59Section 59
Secondly, What is it to deny these worldly lusts ? or how far they must be denied ? There are three degrees in this denial — they must be prevented and kept from rising, suppressed and kept from growth, and, which is an inferior degree, they must not be accomplished, but kept from execution, if they do prevail upon the…
967 wordsSECTION 60Section 60
3. Let not worldly lusts be put in execution. If thou hast neglected mortification and deadening thy affections, if sin hath got the start of thee, and gained the consent of thy soul, yet at least restrain the practice. If the conception be not disturbed the birth will follow : James i. 15, * Then when lust hath concei…
946 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.