PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 18
Thomas Manton · 303,917 words · 302 reading sections
Section 61
[1.] The thing refused is his reign. Where Christ cometh he will be lord and sovereign. His kingdom is that administration which requireth spiritual obedience from us ; this the licentious world cannot endure. [2.] The manner of refusing ; it is wilful, ov de\o/jiev, ' We will not.' They allege no lawful reason, but w…
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[2.] Faith is required ; for receiving of Christ is made equivalent with believing : John i. 12, ' To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to as many as believe in his name.' Now what is receiving of Christ ? To entertain him to the end for which he was sent of God ; or, in sho…
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2. This new right and title is comfortable and beneficial to us. It was the fruit of God's pity to mankind, to set up a new government, which might be remedial of our misery, but not destructive of our duty. It is a full remedy for our misery ; for the purpose of it is to effect man's cure and recovery to God. The scri…
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6. This government, which we so much stick at, is a blessed govern- ment. Christ himself pleadeth this. Mat. xi. 30, ' My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.' It is sweet in itself, and sweet in the issue. It concerneth us much to have good thoughts of Christ's reign and government, for he doth not rule us for our hu…
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[1.] They are strict and spiritual precepts, which require the subjec- tion of the whole man to Christ ; thoughts, desires, inclinations, as well as actions ; ' The law is spiritual, but I am carnal,' saith the apostle, Kom. vii. 14 ; that is, it requireth inward purity as well as external conformity. Kow men will rath…
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3. It informeth us what a difficult thing it is to seat Christ in his spiritual throne, namely, in the hearts of all faithful christians. The voice of corrupt nature is, ' We will not have this man to reign over us ; ' and till we are brought under the government of Christ, 'other lords have dominion over us ; ' as the…
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VOL. XVI 1 1. H 114 SERMON UPON LUKE XIX. 14. Tis most powerfully to live ia him and to him : Col. ii. 6, * As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him ;' ver, 10, 'Ye are complete in him ;' and Eom. vi. 16, ' Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye ar…
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UPON LUKE II. 52. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men. — Luke ii. 52. These words are spoken of our Lord Jesus Christ. In them two things are observable — (1.) Christ's growth ; (2.) The consequent of it. 1. Christ's growth, both as to body and soul : He ' increased in wisdom an…
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[2.] By reason. (1.) He every way made himself like man, except sin : Heb. iv. 15, ' For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feel- ing of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.' He was carried nine months in the womb of the blessed Virjcin. 118 SERMON U…
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3. It informeth us that ignorance from natural defect and imper- fection is no sin ; for Christ was ignorant of some things, especially in his childhood. Ignorance may arise from several causes — [1.] From want of revelation. We are not bound to know a thing never revealed to us : Deut. xxix. 29, ' The secret things b…
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3. Though men like not the way of godliness so as to embrace it and follow it, yet they admire it: Prov. xii. 26, ' The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour ; ' and Mark vi. 20, ' Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy.' The evidence of their consciences doth compel them to approve and …
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Quest. 3. But what wisdom is requisite that we may increase in favour with God and man ? Ans. 1. In the general, an innocent holy conversation is that which procureth a good name, and respect with God and man. It will certainly be accepted with God ; and as to men, you cut off occasion from them that do desire occasio…
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2. His exinanition and abasement, which is — (1.) Generally set forth ; (2.) Particulars are mentioned. [1.] Generally, eKevaxrev eavrov, 'He made himself of no reputation,' in the text ; erairhvoyaev eavrov, ' He humbled himself,' ver. 8. [2.] The particulars are his incarnation, mean life, and accursed death. Let u…
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[2.] That he was not only lesser than God, but lesser than the angels, '^Xdrrcoaa'i avrbv ^pa'yy rt Trap ayyiXovi;, Heb. ii. 7, ' Thou madest him a little lower than the angels,' or for a little time, the time that he spent here on earth. Man is inferior to an angel, as man, in the order of being ; much more as mortal,…
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1. In that what he was to do and undergo was proposed to him, and he willingly accepted of the terms and conditions. When no kind of sacrifices and offerings were sufficient to take away sin and save sinners, then he said, ' Lo, I come to do thy will,' Heb. x. 6, 7. It was told him what it would cost him if he would de…
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SERMON UPON PHILIPPIANS 11. 7. 129 delighteth to carry on our salvation by contraries. Christ emptied himself to fill all things, became poor that we might be rich, brought life out of death, covered his glory, wherewith he would enrich the world, under shame and disgrace. In the same way that Christ pur- chased it we…
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Secondly, What he teacheth us hereby. [1.] Patience under all the indignities we undergo for God's sake in the course of our pilgrimage : 1 Peter ii. 21, it is said, ' Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps.' So Heb. xii. 2, ' Looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our fai…
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[5.] The last lesson is contempt of the world and all the glory thereof. Christ teacheth us this lesson by making himself of no reputation two ways — (1.) The example of his own choice. The Lord of heaven and earth 132 SERMON UPON PHILIPPIANS II. 7. despised and neglected the glory and riches of this world. He passe…
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[2.] His great love to lost sinners ; for he made himself of no reputa- tion for our sakes. Such was the inconceivable love of our Lord Jesus Christ to the souls of men, that he was willing to condescend to any condition for their good and salvation. Some will do a kindness, so as themselves may not be the worse, nor t…
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[2.] Neither is the apostle besides his purpose in the latter clause ; for God's knowledge of us is the cause of our knowledge of him : John X. 14, ' I know my sheep, and am known of mine.' First he knoweth us, and then we know him ; for divine illumination or saving knowledge is the fruit of his love to the elect ; th…
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[2.] In redemption. There is the truest representation of the goodness and benignity of God : 1 John iv. 10, * Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins ; ' Rom. v. 8, ' God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ…
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(1.) This desire is acted towards his sanctifying grace and Spirit, called an hungering and thirsting after righteousness : Mat. v. 6, * Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.' Or the comfort and effect of ordinances and holy duties, that they may get more of God and holi…
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[3.] The returning love, or the love of gratitude or thankfulness : 1 John iv. 19, ' We love him because he first loved us ; ' 2 Cor. v. 14, ' The love of Christ constraineth us ; ' as fire begetteth fire, or as the echo returneth what it receiveth ; it is a reflection, a reverberation, or a beating back of God's own b…
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* Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb. I sanctified thee ; ' noting God's eternal desig- nation of him to the office of a prophet, to which he at length called him. Before he was bred or born, God set him apart for this work, and had him in mind, and took special …
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2. This knowledge is like the knowledge of heaven. Faith and im- perfect love here answereth to vision and complete love there. The sight and love of God is our felicity in heaven, therefore it should be our business on earth ; for here we do but train up ourselves for a more perfect estate, and Christ would make our w…
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[2.] The design of the scripture is to teach us the holy art of loving 144 SERMON UPON I CORINTHIANS YIII. 3. God. It is a book written of love, wherein is recommended the love of God to us, in creation, providence, redemption, and final glorification ; that by hearing, reading, meditating therein, there may be begot…
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[3.] If we do not bring love with us, we shall not be welcome to God ; for * he that loveth God is known of him.' Others are not owned in an ordinance, but dismissed as they came. God will not fail the loving soul. 2. How we should exercise love in this duty. [1.] In ardent desires of Christ's benefits. We can neithe…
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Secondly, Observe how the terms are framed to. suit the preference intended. 1. On the one side, here is sitting at the threshold ; on the other side, dwelling in the tents. He had distinguished before the travellers to the house of God and the dwellers in the house of God, ver. 4, &C; Here a day in God's courts, and …
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SERMON UPON PSALM LXXXIV. 10. 149 thou art my God ; early will I seek thee : my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee ; in a dry and thirsty land^ where no water is : to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.' He that once hath had a sight of God, and a taste of God, would n…
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Reason 1. Worldly things cannot give out so much of God to us as the ordinances do, and therefore they are incomparably better than any earthly things whatsoever. 1. They give out more of God for the present than any eartbly thing can. We taste God in the creatures ; they are sanctified to the heirs of promise : 1 Tim…
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152 SERMON UPON PSALM LXXXIV. 10. unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understandingbeing enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheri- tance in the saints.' There is no prospect of the other world by the…
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3. Those ordinances are prized where many of the servants of God meet together. It is comfortable to enjoy God in secret, such duties are rewarded with an open blessing : Mat. vi. 6, ' But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and shut thy door, and pray unto thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father, whi…
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2. His work, 'He is come to seek and to save.' The first word, 'to seek,' showeth his diligence ; he leaveth no place unsought where his hidden ones are. The second word, ' to save,' showeth his suflSciency of merit and power ; both show his kindness and good-will to mankind, to recover us out of our lapsed estate. 3.…
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SERMONS UPON LUKE XIX. 10. 157 offers of the gospel, and to be affected with and entertain the grace of Christ : so Ps. xxii. 27, * All the nations of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord ; ' first remember, then turn. They are like men sleeping and distracted before ; they do not consider whence they are, wh…
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[2.] His seeking implieth his diligence and pains to reduce them : Luke XV. 4, ' What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and ; seeketh after that which was lost till he find it?' It require th time and pains to find them, and gain their con…
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2. To save them. Two ways is Christ a saviour — merito et efftcacia, by merit and by power. We are sometimes said to be saved by his death, and sometimes to be saved by his Hfe : Eom. v. 10, ' If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by …
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2, With respect to the parts of salvation. There is redemption and conversion, the one by way of impetration, the other by way of appli- cation. It is not enough that we are redeemed, that is done without us upon the cross ; but we must also be converted, that is real redemp- tion applied to us. We must again recover G…
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SEKMONS UPON LUKE XIX. 10. 163 be saved.' The errand of his first coming was to offer salvation to the lost world, and not only to offer it, but to purchase it for them : John xii. 47, ' I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.' All these places show that at his first coming he laid aside the quality of a…
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3. It informeth us that, if men be not saved, the fault is their own, for Christ doth what belongeth to him ; he came to seek and to save what is lost ; but we do not what belongeth to us, we are not willing to be saved. The scripture chargeth it upon our will, we will not submit to his saving and healing methods : Mat…
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John iii. 36, * He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.' 2. Think of the excellency and reality of salvation by Christ : 1 Tim. i. 15, * This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners/ It is worthy to be cre…
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2. Seek an effectual cure ; seek not only to be saved from wrath, but to be saved from sin. He doth not only procure it for us by his merit, but worketh it in us by his Spirit, and giveth a penitent heart, as well as absolution from sin. Man's misery consists of two parts — sin and condemnation for sin ; man's salvatio…
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SERMONS UPON LUKE XIX, 10. 169 work was to pursue vain pleasures, suitable to thy fleshly mind : Titus iii. 3, ' Serving divers lusts and pleasures;' running with the rest of the wicked world into all manner of sin: Eph. ii. 2, 'Wherein in times past ye walked, according to the course of this world, according to the p…
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SERMONS UPON PSALM XC. L SERMON I. Lord, thou hast been our divellmg-place in all generations. — Ps. xc. 1. In a time of danger, we would all be glad if we could get a safe place of retreat or a secure habitation, where the evil might not come nigh us. The text will direct you to one, if you have an heart to make us…
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SERMONS UPON PSALM XC. 1. 173 the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.' He had no certain place of residence, not so much as a fox's hole or a bird's nest. So, considering our condition, God's people are strangers, and so must look to be ill-treated by the men of the world. Rdigio scit se…
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[1.] Because he hath undertaken to keep us, and guard us from all evil. See Gen. xv. 1, ' Fear not, Abraham ; I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward ; ' Ps. Ixxxiv. 11, * The Lord God is a sun and a shield.' The removal of evil belongeth to his covenant, as well as the bestowing of all manner of blessings. The…
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[3.] Because he can shelter us from all sorts of enemies. All our enemies and dangers, they are all under God and at his disposal. There- fore we are said, Ps. xci. 1, to ' dwell in the secret place of the Most High, and to abide under the shadow of the Almighty.' God is most high and almighty, and the enemies of your …
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2. An house is the^ seat of our blessings, and the place where we lay up our comforts ; and so God is our habitation, as we expect all our supplies and provisions from him. So the saints have God for their storehouse, and his all-sufficiency for their portion, out of which they fetch not only peace, and grace, and righ…
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SERMONS UPON PSALM XC. 1. 179 and work for tliem to do, and will follow them in all the places of their dispersion with the testimonies of his love and respect : Ps. xcix. 14, * For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.' Men often cast them off, as unworthy to be members of th…
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[2.] It is of use to us when we have an house ; God is still to be owned as our habitation. A christian should always make use of God, and look beyond the creature, whatever hi^ condition be. There are two notions — of a refuge and of an habitation : Ps. xci. 9, * Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, ev…
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182 SERMONS UPON PSALM XC. 1. a perfect heart.' There his domestical carriage is described, and how he would purge his house from all impurity : Ps. xxx, the title, ' A psalm of David at the dedication of his house/ We should enter upon our houses in a religious manner, and consecrate ourselves and houses to him. It i…
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184 SERMONS UPON PSALM XC. 1. fix in it as a place of rest. All that are Christ's have the spirit of Christ. T)]v yrjv ov KaroLKovjiev, dWa TrapoLKovfiev, saith Chryso- stora — We pass through, but do not inhabit this world. Here we are absent from our own country, yea, from our God, who is our house and home : 2 Cor.…
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(5.) Will you dwell in friends ? This is a great blessing ; but if it withdraw the heart from God, it is a great snare. Friends, in many cases, can only do us good by their wishes. God can send noisome diseases, when ' friends and lovers stand afar off, and our kindred stand aloof from us,' Ps. xxxviii. 11. Friends are…
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2. What it is, and in what manner this is done. [1.] There must be a solemn reconciliation with God in Christ. For we enter into God as an habitation, to seek our comfort, and safety, and happiness in him, only by Christ ; for till sin be pardoned, and God reconciled to the soul, what blessing or comfort can we expect…
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[4.] Holy walking is necessary, because none can make a comfortable claim to this privilege but those that are sincerely God's people. He is their habitation. Others, whatever indulgence they have by God's common providence, can have no certain hope or comfortable claim : Ps. Ixxxiv. 11, 'For the Lord God is a sun and …
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2. Those that make it their epjov, their work and business in the world : Prov. xxiii. 4, * Labour not to be rich ; cease from thine own wisdom.' Make themselves servants of mammon : Mat. vi. 24, ' We can- not serve God and mammon.' Both masters have work enough, and their commands are contrary. When two consent to emp…
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1. The number, many lusts. There is none cometh unkindly to a worldly heart : Titus iii. 3, ' Serving divers lusts and pleasures.' Quot habet Dominos, quiunum habere non vult? — He that forsaketh the Lord, and is given up to his own lusts, hath many masters to please ; some- times riot, sometimes pride, sometimes conte…
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(2.) Hurtful as to grace. The spirit is debased by a carnal aim, and made a slave to all sort of sins : * The love of money is the root of all evil,' ver. 10. Nothing breedeth baseness of mind so much as the love of money. Those that make their belly their god are men of an abject spirit ; such a person can never act w…
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[1.] Necessary. Necessity is either natural, civil, or religious. (1.) Natural ; that which will barely suffice nature, and support life, though meanly, hardly. These necessities are easily supplied. Though our fare be hard and our raiment coarse, yet we may make a hard shift to preserve life. This certainly we may de…
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196 SERMON UPON I TIMOTHY VI. 9. ing a measure to him, but that which he knoweth to be meet and necessary for us ; cast yourselves upon God's allowance. And if it be asked with submission ; for it is a temporal promise : Deut. xxviii. 11, * The Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, ia the fruit of thy body, and in …
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{2d.) In using. Eiches in themselves considered are neither good nor evil ; all is as they are used. We are to use them as instruments of piety and charity, and for the furtherance of our great account ; so that it is not wealth so much that we beg, as a blessing upon our labours, that we may have wherewith to serve Go…
904 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.