PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 18
Thomas Manton · 303,917 words · 302 reading sections
Section 121
2. There is danger in abundance. The moon is never eclipsed but when it is at full. An estate may be too great, as a shoe too big, or armour too great, as Saul's armour for David, 1 Sam. xvii. 39. It is harder for a rich man to go to heaven : Mat. xix. 24, ' It is easier for SEKMON UPON I TIMOTHY VI. 9. 199 a camel t…
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[2.] Choose other business. One that maketh it his business to go to heaven, and to serve and please God, will not so easily be surprised by the love of the world ; he will measure himself by thriving in grace, not in estate : Ps. cxix. 14, ' I have rejoiced in the way of thy testi- monies, as much as in all riches.' E…
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SERMON UPON I PETER L 12. Which things the angels desire to look into. — 1 Peter i. 12. There are two things for which the doctrine of the gospel is com- mended to us — the truth and the worth of it : 1 Tim. i. 15, verum et honum, ' This is a true and faithful saying, and worthy of all accepta- tion.' The happiness o…
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204 SERMON UPON I PETER I. 12. II. What ? The text telleth us, ' which things ; ' that is, those things spoken of in the context. 1. The person of the Redeemer, the most glorious object that caa be looked upon, or taken into the thoughts of any creature. The view of this is now our comfort, and will be our happiness …
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6. The final glorious estate of the saints. Christ shall be admired in them : 2 Thes. i. 10, ' When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.' For poor dust to shine as stars, and to be admitted with Christ to judge the world, even evil angels. All men shall be at last own…
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[2.] Not total ignorance of this mystery before it was brought about. They had some knowledge of it ; but now to their natural and super- natural knowledge there is added experimental knowledge, which is daily increased in them. 2. Afiirmatively. [1.] They have such a deep sense of the worth of these things that they…
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2. The goodness of them. The angels are delighted in this study. It is a pleasant, sweet, ravishing frame of truths ; the more we know them aright, the more inquisitive shall we be, and the more diligent to know more. Those know nothing of Christ savourily who are so soon gospel-glutted and Christ-glutted, and look upo…
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2. It reproveth that satiety that is apt to creep upon us. Why should we be weary of searching into these holy mysteries ? What is the reason of this satiety? (1.) We search for them out of curiosity, or content ourselves with mere speculations, which is an adulterous love to truth, not to get an interest in them : Joh…
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[1.] His relation to God, as the express image of his person. So the angels delight to look upon him. Those holy creatures do not consider their own benefit so much as their Creator's glory. Where they find most of God, there they are most ravished, therefore they greatly delight themselves when they consider the wisdo…
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Secondly, How? 1. Accurately and seriously. Usually we content ourselves with 214 SERMON UPON 1 PETER I. 12. running cursory thoughts, never sit and pause with ourselves what manner of saviour and salvation this is, what is required of them that would be partakers of it, and so content ourselves with a superficial v…
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SERMON UPON GALATIANS V. 5. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness hy faith. — Gal. v. 5. In the context the apostle persuadeth the Galatians to stand fast in the liberty of the gospel, and not to be entangled again in the bon- dage of legal ceremonies, as if they were necessary to justification…
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2. With respect to faith itself, whereby the merits of Christ's obedience and death are applied and made beneficial to us. When we believe, we are qualified ; and therefore it is said that ' Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness,' Rom. iv. 3 ; that is, God accepted him as righteous for Chris…
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Well, then, these are the conditions to be found in us before we are made partakers of the full benefit of Christ's merit ; repentance towards God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and new obedience. And all these are comprised in the expression, ' The righteousness of faith ; ' for faith receiveth Christ, and the promi…
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III. What is the work of the Spirit in this business, in urging believers to wait for the hope of righteousness by faith ? I answer — The work of the Spirit doth either concern the duties of the new covenant or the privileges of the new covenant, or what is common to them both. I begin with the latter. 1. What is com…
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3. The work of the Spirit as to the privileges of the new covenant, which are pardon and life. [1.] As to pardon, he is the Comforter. He cometh into our hearts as the pledge of our atonement ; we receive it when we receive the Spirit, Eom. v. 11 ; and his sanctifying work is the sure evidence that God is at peace wit…
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224 SERMON UPON GALATIANS V. 5. [2.] For eternal life. Oh ! let it be your great hope to be translated into the glory and joys of heaven when you flit out of this world. This life will not always last ; you must die, but you do not wholly perish when you die. Now what shall become of you to all eternity ? Would it not…
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Lastly, See your help. The Spirit is the great new-covenant gift purchased by Christ, that it might be dispensed to us the more abun- dantly : John i. 16, ' And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace ; ' Titus iii. 5, 6, ' By the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us.' By his sanctifying and…
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Doct. The great end of God's continuing the world and the present state of things is to bring men to repentance. I shall not handle curious questions, therefore I shall show you — (1.) What is repentance; (2.) That this is God's end in continuing tiie world and the present state of things ; (3.) What encouragement the…
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[2.] It is not ignorance, as not knowing the fittest time when to put a period to the course of the world or of our lives. That cannot be imagined, for his waiting is guided by judgment : Isa. xxx. 18, ' He waiteth that he may be gracious ; for he is a God of judgment' He delayeth till the fit time come of putting an e…
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[3.] The wicked by this forbearance of Go'd are rendered more inexcusable. (1.) Because while they are in this life there is place for repentance. It is a great mercy that they are not presently cut off and destroyed, but that God giveth them opportunities of breaking off their sin by repentance : Rev. ii. 21, 'I gave…
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4. God hath provided a remedy for us by Christ, whereby he would astonishingly oblige men to seek after his own salvation : John iii. 16, ' God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' There is love to the world in it ; there …
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Use 2. What reason all of us have to bless God for his forbearance and long-suffering, and to acknowledge it as a great mercy ; for his long- suffering tendeth to repentance, either the beginning or the perfecting of it. Now this mercy is the more enhanced when we consider — 1. What we have done against God. A good ma…
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These words which I have now read need both vindication and expli- cation. My first work shall be — First, Vindication, or reconciling Paul with Moses. That seemeth difficult, because in the allegation some things are changed, some things added, some things omitted, as appeareth by the collation of the places, the tex…
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238 SERMON UPON ROMANS X. 5-9. strivinf:^ who should win the goal or carry away the prize of justifica- , tion. So the apostle represents them, Rom. ix. 30-32, ' What shall we say then ? that the gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith ; b…
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[2.] The second question is in the 7th verse, ' or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead).' In Moses it is, Deut. xxx. 13, ' Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldst say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do it ? ' But the…
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SERMON UPON ROMANS X. 5-9. 241 of conscience are justified by the highest reason, which is the law of God ; not occasioned by our melancholy conceits only. It is an. amazing consideration to us to think of entering into an unknown world, and to stand before the righteous bar of an impartial judge. That it is very hard…
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[2.] For the other matter of our peace, a fit happiness to satisfy our desires. Man, having an immortal spirit, gropeth about for an immortal and eternal good, Acts xvii. 27, or such an estate in the other world as may comfort him against the labours and sorrows and the frailty and shortness of the present life. All na…
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[2.] What we must do: ver. 9, 'Confess with the mouth, and believe with the heart ; ' that is, be really persuaded of the truth of 244 SERMON UPON ROMANS X. 5-9. what is done for us, and thankfully own it and acknowledge it to the world, resigning up ourselves to the discipline of his Spirit, whatever it costs us. Th…
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Object. But we live not in the age of miracles, oracles, and visions, which people had in former times. Ans. Man is apt to indent with God, and to prescribe to God that he may believe upon terms of his own making : ' Let him now come down from the cross, then we will believe him,' Mat. xxvii. 42 ; ' Can he prepare a t…
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4. Nor convey a greater power and force to affect the heart of man. What is of greater efficacy than the Spirit of God ? Surely he is able to change the heart of man when nothing else can. Now the gospel is ' the ministration of the Spirit,' 2 Cor. iii. 8. [See these heads more enlarged in the Sermon on Luke xvi. 30, 3…
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Many complain that, through the multitude of directions, religion is made long and tedious ; therefore it is good sometimes to bring it into a narrower compass. We need both methods — a larger delineation of Christianity, that we may know a christian in his full length and stature ; and at other times a shorter view, o…
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2. The duties always have their difficulty, if rightly understood ; for if we believe so as to be affected with what we believe, so as to be drawn off from what we love, confess so as to practise what we confess, and be true to it, nothing can be added. The scripture supposeth that we are rational creatures, that we wi…
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Secondly, What is confession with the mouth ? A solemn outward declaration that we take Christ for our Lord and Saviour, or that we believe what is revealed to us concerning God and Christ, and our duty to him. This is necessary, because the promises of the new covenant run in both strains ; of putting the word in our …
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254 SERMON UPON ROMANS X. 10. faith and worship. Now, it was the manner of some to forsake these conventions and meetings, which was a grievous sin, and of very ill consequence ; not only as they deprived themselves of the benefit of these societies, but as they seemed to love their life, goods, or quiet and peace, an…
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2. Such as there is between the sign and the thing signified. Faith hath always confession and obedience joined with it, as its proper sign. As flame or smoke is of fire, or breathing of life, so is confession with the mouth, or an holy life, an individual^ companion and note of true faith, by which it is demonstrated …
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[3.] What kind of believer is qualified and accepted as righteous, I answer — (1.) The penitent believer ; (2.) The working believer. (1.) The penitent believer ; for faith and repentance are inseparable companions, and always go together in our first introduction or entrance into the new covenant : Mark i. 15, ' Repe…
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Use. To press you — 1, To mark the order of the benefits — first righteousness, then salvation. [1.] We can never have found peace ; there is no appearing before God without some righteousness, of one sort or other. God is holy and just, therefore somewhat we must have to stand before this holy God. [2.] No other ri…
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[3.] The appropriation of this office and dignity to him alone : ' One Lord, Jesus Christ.' To set up other lords of our faith, or other mediators between God and us, is a wrong to Christ. There is but one Mediator, either of redemption or intercession, and no saints or angels share in this honour : 1 Tim. ii. 5, ' For…
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262 SERMON UPON I CORINTHIANS VIII. 6. the power of his wrath, and our weakness and obnoxiousness to his righteous vengeance. II. That none but Christ is fit for this high office, that, though God be high, and just, and holy, yet poor creatures and sinners may have access to him. A mediator must be one that can take …
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(2.) As an intercessor. He is in heaven dealing with God in our behalf. He hath not cast oft' his relation or affection to his people upon his advancement : Heb. viii. 2, ' A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.' In all his glory he is the church's agent, appearing…
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SERMON UPON 1 CORINTHIANS VIH. 6. 265 nature or grace, all things come of God. These words do especially concern christians. All matters of grace come from the Father to us for his glory ; all things that belong to the new creation, as appeareth by the last clause ; we by him, et? dvrov, or for him. See Eph. i. 12, ' …
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[4.] As we are encouraged greatly to expect the graces and favours needful, so we are as deeply engaged to the returns of love, service, and obedience ; and that not only as obliged in point of gratitude, but as inclined, suited, and fitted; for as we are for God, so we are by him. I sa3^ we are obliged in gratitude fo…
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268 SERMON UPON 1 CORINTHIANS VIII. 6. accepted, and only by him must we come to God. If your repentance towards God and your faith in him be sincere, you shall have all tho blessings of the new covenant. In short, obedience and the love of God was the primitive holiness for which we were created, and from which we fe…
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2. This coming to God is by all divine ordinances or acts of worship. The use of our liberty to approach to him in these duties is one special way of coming to him by Christ. To come to him in the word as our teacher, in the Lord's Supper as the master of the feast, in prayer as our king and almighty helper, is a very …
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SERMON UPON 1 CORINTHIANS VIII. 6. 271 80 likely, but he can prevent ; no misery so deep but he can deliver us from it ; no enemies so strong but he can vanquish them ; no want that he cannot supply. When we have a want God cannot supply, or a sickness that God cannot cure, or a danger that he cannot prevent, or a mis…
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2. Another improvement is to engage and encourage us to make those returns of love, worship, and obedience, service and glory, which are expected and required of us. There is something which reflecteth from us upon God, from all this grace and mercy, which God dispensed by the Mediator. We must be for him, and we must …
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3. The third reason is taken from the subject, as the former respec- ted the object. His mind was wholly intent upon better things ; not upon temporal and visible, but upon heavenly and eternal : ' While we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen ; for the things which are seen are temp…
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an advantage above other men, and can more easily do and suffer great things for God. First, Let us open this looking. First, It implieth faith, or a believing the reality of these invisible things, that there are eternal and glorious things to be enjoyed after this life. Certainly an object, though never so glorious…
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Secondly, It implieth an earnest hope as well as a lively faith. Hope iraplieth two things — (1.) A frequent meditation ; (2.) A desirous expectation. 1. Frequent meditation ; for faith is acted by serious thoughts. Carnal men are described to be those ' who mind earthly things,' Phil, iii. 19 ; and again, ' Who mind …
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[1.] Things invisible, because of their essence and nature. There is an eternal God against a poor creature whose breath is in his nostrils, a God who is all in all, and a creature who is nothing. Nothing in opposition or contrariety to God or his people : Isa. xli. 11, ' Behold, they that are incensed against thee sha…
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i SERMON UPON 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 18. 281 makes men part -with all that is sacred. Surely the presentness of things is a great snare ; therefore do afflictions seem too grievous, Heb. xii. 11, and temptations so pressing. We can taste the delights of the creature, and feel the pleasures of the flesh ; the happiness of …
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SERMON UPON 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 18. 283 end to time, that we may enter into eternity ; so that death is ours, 1 Cor. iii. 22 ; a friend, not an enemy ; it maketh an end of sin and sorrow, to make way for blessedness and glory. For things good ; good seeming, or good real. Good seeming : There are many things which the …
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Use 1. To press us to get this heavenly frame and temper of spirit ; to look to things invisible as sure and near, and to make them our great scope ; that all which we do may tend thereunto, and be subor- dinate to eternal life. 1. Eemember we were made for eternity ; for God hath given us an immortal spirit, which ca…
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[2.] Let us often compare together the condition of the present and of the future life. All things that are liable to the view of sense soon pass away, whether comforts or crosses. The good and evil of the present world are soon over ; accordingly should be our carriage towards them, 1 Cor. vii. 29-31. Now consider how…
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[6.] Do not only seek the light of the Spirit, but wait for his renew- ing grace, that you may make things unseen your felicity and portion : John iii. 6, ' That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.' Naturally there is in us a foolish inordinate desire after the dignities…
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[8.] Consider how certain and sure these invisible things are which lie in the other world. There wanteth nothing but this to strike the temptation dead which ariseth from temporal things ; for since these invisible things are greater and more durable, why should they not prevail more with us ? The reason is, we see, f…
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SERMON UPON 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 18. 291 {1st.) Concerning the certainty of the thing itself. Is the whole scripture false, the gospel a fable? Are all the oracles of the prophets, the doctrine of Christ, his miracles, resurrection, ascension, but a dream ? Were they all deceived that followed Christ upon these hopes, th…
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[2.] The next thing to be considered is, what will be their state when they go out of the world. We daily draw near to our long home, but we little think of it till we come to our journey's end, fear not the pit till we are plunged into it, prize not our time till it be lost and gone : Eccles. ix. 12, ' Man knoweth not…
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5. The sottish despairing carnal person. As there is a raging despair, so a sottish despair : Jer. xviii. 12, ' And they said. There is no hope, but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart ; ' and Jer. ii. 25, * Thou saidst there is no hope ; no, for I have loved s…
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296 SERMON UPON LUKE XVI. 25. 23. He had hoped for better things ; for this rich man was not an infidel, but one of Abraham's children, as the beggar also was ; but he was of Abraham's children according to the flesh, but not according to the spirit : Mat. iii. 9, * Think not to say within yourselves. We have Abraham …
1,203 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.