PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 17
Thomas Manton · 311,929 words · 307 reading sections
Section 1
11 1 \\i\iitiiiiiim*iititfiit'''i*' OHO Square, .ONDON. -^ •liv"*^ PRINCETON, N. J. ^'v/. KA aVi^D . HT 1»/U VTX7 Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677. The complete works of Thomas Manton S/telf ■J I/. t? THE WORKS OF THOMAS MANTON, D.D. VOL. XVIL COUNCIL OF PUBLICATION. W. LINDSAY ALEXANDER, D.D., Professor of Th…
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[2.] Not to draw sufferings upon ourselves by our own rashness and folly : James i. 2, ' My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.' He saith, when ye ' fall into them/ not when ye draw them upon yourself. It was Tertullian's error to say that afflic- tions are to be sought and desired. Man is …
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(1.) It notes a daily expectation of it ; the first day that we begin to be christians, we must reckon on the cross : Mat. xvi. 24, ' If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.' These words are the christian's indenture, and every one must seal to this before he can call …
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YeR. 21.] SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. 7 of the cross of Christ ; but here is true respect to the cross of Christ, to be willing for Christ's sake to bear afflictions with patience and humble submission. The apostle counted all things but dross and dung: Phil. iii. 10, ' That I may know him, and the power of his resur-…
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[3.] What fools they are that take up religion upon a carnal design of ease and plenty in the world : they quite mistake it. There are in- conveniences that attend religion in peaceable times, but the profes- sion will afterwards engage us in the greater troubles ; and therefore men do but make way for the shame of a c…
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3. Those that desert their duty and their station, as being discouraged by the cross ; these are more culpable than the former : Ps. cxxv. 5, ' As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity.' He had been speaking of ' the rod of the wicked resting on the …
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Use 4. If all that enter themselves disciples of Christ must prepare for the cross, then are we indeed prepared for it ? You will think all this needeth not in times of peace, when religion is under the covert and protection of the laws, and we are not called to the afflictions of the gospel, yet certainly such questio…
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[4.] He that cannot digest lighter afflictions, how will he bear greater ? Jer. xii. 5, 'If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses ? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan ? ' Th…
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4. A carnal worldly man may be very sorrowful when he cannot have heaven in his own way. 5. The disease of worldlings is very incident to great men, and it is a very hard matter to keep the heart of such open and free for Christ. Doct. 1. That a man may go far, and be zealous and forward at first, and yet cool and fa…
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4. Their corrupt lusts were only restrained, not mortified and weakened, and so it is but like a sore that is skinned over, and festers inwardly, and will at length break out again. This is the case of many : Luke viii. 14, ' That which fell among thorns are they which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked wi…
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Again, trial is either for the discovery of grace or corruption, to discover the corruption of their hearts or the weakness of their graces. So God trieth his people, as he tried Hezekiah : 2 Chron. xxxii. 31, ' Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wo…
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VeR. 22.] SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. 19 things above, not on things of the world.' Our desires cannot be carried out after heavenly things with any intention unless they be remitted to the world. 2. The love of the world sets the heart against Christ, and carries it to contrary things. I shall prove it by three cons…
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(2.) He that loves the world will break with God in the duties of his particular calling for the world's sake. What manner of men ought magistrates to be ? Exod. xviii. 21, ' Such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness ; ' not only not covetous, but hating covet- ousness ; for let this once possess his heart, i…
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22 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. IX. matter of it ? Will you dethrone that God which made you, and set up the world in his stead ? It is called ' adultery,' James iv. 4 ; it is a breach of your conjugal vow. You did promise in your baptism to renounce the world, and give up yourselves unto Christ's service, and wi…
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24 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. X. 2, That the gathering of a spiritual disease is very secret and insen- sible. Bad humours breed in the body, and are not discovered till a strain ; much more distempers breed in the soul ere we are aware, and therefore the more caution is necessary : Prov. xxx. 9, ' Give me not …
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1. Christ's gesture, 'And Jesus looked round about him,' irepijSXe-^d- fi6vo<;, the gesture of one that is to speak or do some notable thing : Luke vi. 10, ' And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand.' So here he looked round about to every one of them, to see how they entertai…
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VeS. 23.] SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. 27 unmortified corruption that spoils all, not wealth in itself. The poison is not in the flower, but in the spider. The carnal disposition which remains in us maketli us ready to drown our mind, our time and affec- tions, our life and love in the world, and the cares and pleasure…
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2. The privilege in debate, that wliich is denied or hardly vouch- safed to them is, ' Entering into the kingdom of God.' By which is meant — [1.] The kingdom of grace; and so the meaning is, they are in- capable of the doctrine of Christ, as the thorny ground was of the good seed. Now what are they that answer to the…
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II. Let us see whence this difficulty doth arise ? I answer — Because of the sins to which u wealthy estate doth expose us. 1. Eiches are apt to breed atheism and contempt of God. They that are wholly drowned in pleasures of sense do not look into the in- visible world, and see God which is the Father of spirits : Pro…
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3. Suppose these worldly rich men should take to the serious pro- fession of religion, as some of them do, and so mask and varnish over a heart wholly wedded to the world and worldly things with some kind of form and garb of religion, and it may be the strictest too, yet they can never walk worthy of it, nor hold and m…
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6. They are wanton and sensual, and so must needs be careless of heaven and heavenly things : partly as sensuality brings a brawn and deadness upon the heart, and takes off all sense and feeling and savouriness of spirit: Hosea iv. 11, 'Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart;' that is, infatuate men, and ma…
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VOL, XVII. c 34 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeK. X. in the world, then they should serve God without distraction, and if they had such a proportion they would care for no more ; but if those desires be ^a-anted, they find themselves entangled, and their hearts deceived, and still they must have more and more, until …
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Use 3. To the rich, to show them what need they have of special grace to manage that condition aright. It would seem a hard censure upon this sort and order of men, yet it is a truth, and spoken by him who is truth itself. It concerneth you to look after special grace more than others ; your danger is great, and your d…
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were sincere for the main, thon2;h a little leavened with carnal conceits, and to sweeten the doctrine wliich seemed so contrary to their humom- : 1 Thes. ii. 11, ' As you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children.' Novices and weak ones are to he used with all ind…
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1. It is very natural to all men, yea, impossible almost to be free from it. Consider man as degenerate, and in that corrupted estate in which he is, as fallen from God as his chief good and last end, and so he is an idolater, and makes the creature his god, or sticketh too much to it, more especially to wealth. Wealth…
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II. My next work is to show the evil of this sin, and how great it is, both in regard of its heinous nature and in regard of its mischievous effects. 1. In regard of its heinous nature. It is a renouncing of God, and setting up another in his stead. [1.] It is a renouncing of God, and taking away his honour. The hear…
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(1.) It is the ground of all miscarriage in practice. When men think they cannot be happy without wealth, or so much coming in by the year, then they will soon come to this, they dare not obey God for fear they shall lose their worldly comforts, wherein their happiness lies. It is notable, when the Holy Ghost speaks of…
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III. I come to give some signs and discoveries of this secret evil, confidence and trust in riches. 1. When men oppress, and do that which is evil, and think to bear it out with their wealth, power, and greatness, as if there were no God above to call them to an account, or as if there had not been, or could not be su…
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3. When men think themselves better provided by a wealthy apostasy than by a close adhering to God all-sufficient. Sometimes the keeping of wealth and religion come in competition. Now, when a man debates with conscience, Here is your duty, and there is your loss, can you trust in wealth rather than in the promises of …
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[2.] Consider, none ever trusted to the world but they have cause to complain in the issue. We think wealth can do great things for us, and stand us in stead beyond any other thing to make us happy, but we shall find it otherwise. God is jealous of our trust, and the creature that is of itself vain is made more vain by…
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[2.] Be more ready to watch opportunities of charity, to distribute and dispense your estate than to increase it ; for there is nothing will free us from this sin so much as the continual exercise of charity, or the giving of alms. Therefore your great care and delight should be to hearken after charitable occasions fo…
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VeE. 25.] SERMONS UPON ^lARK X. 17-27. 49 signifies a cable, by which mariners do fasten the anchor, but that also is a mistake ; for that word is otherwise spelt, Kd/j.i\o<i and doth also rarely occur in that sense, and therefore rather the beast is intended than the cord or cable. It was an ordinaiy proverb among t…
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VeR. 25.] SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. 51 Men think themselves to be lords of their own fortune, and therefore slight God, break through the restraint of his laws, cannot deny them- selves anything that their corrupt hearts affect. Those that are in a low condition, kept bare, and in a daily need of providence, are mor…
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(2.) His example. I shall only instance in two things — we are to follow him in humility of heart and purity of life. (Isi.) In humility : Mat. xi. 29, ' Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart.' This is the great thing the Son of God would recom- mend to us, in which we should take after him, even to be of an h…
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[2.] They have more opportunities of being free to good duties, as being not so straitly bound to bodily labour for present maintenance, nor burdened with so many cares and distractions of this life, and so have more time and leisure for studying the mind of God in his word and improving themselves in the knowledge of …
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56 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. XIL in the world. This appears by the whole current of scripture ; God forewarns his people of it : Deut. xi. 12, ' When thou shalt have eaten and be full, beware lest thou forget the Lord thy God.' When men are full, and abound with so much accommodation, God is banished out of th…
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4. To stir up supplication for special and peculiar grace, that it may not be so with us, that the Lord would keep us from the snares of our condition ; for ' with God all things are possible ; ' that we may go to God, and say, Lord, let not my estate be my bane and poison. On the one side, it is a great judgment that …
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4. How it is spoken. It is represented by a similitude that im- plietli impossibility, or at least an extraordinary difficulty without a miracle of peculiar grace. Then look about you, sirs. Such speeches of Christ were doubly entertained — with wonder, as by the disciples in the next verse, ' They were astonished out…
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VeR. 26.] SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. Gl from communion with God, he could even lay it down at God's feet for their sake. These are rare instances I confess, but some portion of this spirit all should have : ' Charity seeketh not her own/ 1 Cor. xiii. 5. Chrysostom saith, I cannot believe it is possible for that man t…
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4. Possibly this astonishment might arise from fear of the success of the gospel, wherein they were to be employed as instruments, when they heard that rich men were not likely to prove friends, but rather enemies to the kingdom of God. Alas ! what should they do that had parted with all, and were like to be left desti…
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64 SERMONS UPON 1\TAKK X. 17-27. [SeR. XIII. get to heaven. This is enough to intimate the general truth, that there is difficulty to get to heaven. II, Wherein lies the difficulty of salvation ? The I'eason of doubt- ing is this, because God's terms upon which heaven is offered are gentle and sweet : Mat. xi. 30, ' …
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VOL. XVII. E 66 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17- 27. [SeR. XIIL comes bis afFections to be like tinder, to take fire at the spark of every temptation ; the affections are awakened and stirred presently ; but in holy things they are like fire in wet wood, that needs much blowing and much excitation. Hence it is that in the co…
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[2.] This addictedness to present delights and pleasures makes us impatient of the restraints of religion. Our natural desires carry us to those things which religion forbids. We cannot endure to be bridled, and kept from forbidden fruit, but we have all an appetite after it : Ps. ii. 3, ' Let us break their bonds asun…
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VeR. 26.] SERMONS UPON 3IARK X. 17-27. 69 necessary. This is au ill use and end to murmnr against God and repine against bis sovereignty and dominion over the creature ; and yet this is the use that many make of it : John vi. 60, ' Many of his disciples when they heard this, said, This is a hard saying, who can hear i…
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[3.] That we may be forearmed with resolutions. They that take a walk for recreation do not prepare for all weathers, as they that resolve upon a journey ; or they that go to sea for pleasure, if they see a storm coming, easily go to shore again, but they that go for business resolve upon all hazards to finish their vo…
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[2.] There is difficulty both in the way to heaven and hell. Lusts are ravenous things, and cannot be fed or kept without much M'lf- denial. You must denv yourselves either foi* God or the devil. You 72 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. XIY, must deny your comforts, and your esLate. Men will venture much for their lu…
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2. There is evangelica difficultas; "there are difficulties by the gospel which mere man cannot overcome. Though the gospel giveth hopes of entrance into heaven, or reversing the strict conditions of the law, yet upon such terms as we must be beholden to grace for them. Christ, that requires the conditions of the gospe…
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and entice lis from the strictness and severity of the christian profes- .siou. For ' the lusts of the eye' there are riches and all kinds of profits. For ' pride of life' there are dignities, and superiorities, and popular acclamations, and all sorts of preferments, or anything men are natu- rally proud of ; so that a…
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But why hath God left it impossible to man, when he hath offered hopes by the new covenant ? (1.) That all the glory of the good that is in us may redound unto his grace : Eph. i. 6, ' To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.' That is God's end in the new covenant, that…
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[3.] To conquer temptations. It is God that rescues the prey, and plucked us at first by a strong hand out of Satan's power : Luke xi. 21, 22, ' When the strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace ; but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour, wh…
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Doct. 2. Those that have a deep sense of their sinful impotency and carnal distempers should seriously consider and encourage themselves by the sovereign power of God's grace. Of the power of God as generally considered I shall speak by and by. Now I shall speak of it as it worketh in a way of grace, to bring us into …
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(2.) Difficulties are left for this very end, to drive us to the throne of grace, that we may set the power of God a-work, that where man leaves off, there God may begin, and when the creature hath spent its allowance, the Creator may show forth his strength,. Look, as in the outward case, God promiseth to deliver his …
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i, 20, ' That the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead.' If you will know what God is, look upon his creatures. Every creature that hath passed his hand hath some prints and some stamp upon it, that may …
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[2.] As creation, so providence shows it. Take it either for God's external or internal providence. (1.) His external providence, preserving all things in their proper ])lace, and for their proper use : Heb. i. 3, 'He upholdeth all things by the word of his power.' All things that are in the world are held up by God's…
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cxxxiii. 20, so that one of them slew a hundred fourscore and five thousand in one ni'ojht in Sennacherih's host. And if tliere be such strength in creatures, what is there in God from whom tliey have it ? for nothing is in the effect but wliat was first in the cause. Secondly, Let me come to explain this power of God…
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88 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. XV. represented as doubting of God's power. Besides, doubts haunt us only in times of difficulty, and when mercies expected are hard to come by. If we did doubt of God's will because of our unworthiness, why do we not doubt at other times, when things are eas}'? But these doubts su…
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(2.) To keep us upright in obedience, without warping and using any carnal shifts: Gen. xvii. 1, 'I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.' God alone is enough to you. The reason why we so often step out of the way is, because we do not believe God to be almighty, that he is more able to defend than …
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(4.) Consider how angry God hath been with his children for not resting upon his power. Nothing hath hindered the discovery of God's power and the manifestation of his love to them so much as distrust of his power : Mark vi. 5, ' He could there do no mighty work.' It is not said, he would not, but he could not do any m…
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(8.) If the thing be not done for us which we need and desire when we trust upon the power of God, it is because it is not best for us. He that trusts upon the power of God cannot miscarry. A cross is best, and a low estate is best, and troubles are best. It is not for want of power and love that we are afflicted of Go…
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96 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 3. therein. Not bis affection, but bis judgment inclined bim to tbink so ; tbe cburcb of tbe Tbessalonians and every member tbereof bad given sucb real and evident signs of tbe grace of God in them, tbat be was bound to give God special tbanks for tbis grace. Tbe gospel batb and may …
1,103 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.