PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 20
Thomas Manton · 329,200 words · 330 reading sections
Section 181
3. It is not enough to consider whether we believe in any sort, but whether we do truly and sincerely believe ; for many profess Christ that do not believe in him. Christ hath disciples in name and disciples in- deed : John viii. 31, 'If you continue in my word, then are ye my dis- ciples indeed.' Again, there are some…
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[2.] That this testimony is given to the world by Christ and his apostles, as the messengers of God. (1.) For Christ's testimony ; I will not speak of that now ; he was the chief revealed by these mysteries, Amen, the faithful witness, Rev. iii. 14. And John iii. 33, ' He that hath received his testimony hath set to h…
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Use 2. To exhort you sincerely to believe this testimony, that you may make out your title to eternal life. It is now a testimony to us : Mat. xxiv. 14, ' This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.' If we receive it not, hereafter it will be a testimony against us : Ma…
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First, I must prove to you that it floweth from the pleasure of his goodness. The apostle's word in the text is evSo/cia dyaOaxivviis. VeR. 11.] SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 285 'EvSo/cla signifieth his most free will ; a^aQwavvf]^ his benignity. In the whole course of our salvation, the pleasure of his goodness i…
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Secondly, As it is from the pleasure of his goodness, so it is accom- plished by his almighty power. The scriptures speak of the power of God, which is necessary — (1.) To bring us into a state of grace; (2.) To settle and maintain us in a state of grace. 1. To bring us into a state of grace. Nothing but the almighty …
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(2.) Because it is much opposed by the devil, the world, and the flesh. Within there is corruption, and without there are temptations ; within there is the flesh always warring against the better part ; our cure is not fully wrought : Gal. v. 17, ' The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.…
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1. If you consider the pleasure of his goodness, you will see abun- dant cause to praise God. First let us state the difference between man and man, which can come from God only. That there is a heaven and a hell is not only evident by the light of scripture, but in a great measure by the light of nature. That heaven i…
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Let us gather up this discourse now. Surely man doth not determine himself to good, is not the supreme cause and author of his own happiness. Man is evilly inclined, and no culture, no education, no institution, can subdue and alter it : Job xiv. 4, ' Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? ' Man's heart will n…
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Use 2. To encourage prayer for grace ; God is able and willing. 1. For his willingness, here is the pleasure of his goodness. We are conscious to ourselves of undeservings and ill-deservings ; but when we can see no reason for his showing mercy to us, his goodness should keep up our addresses to him. We are unworthy, …
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Secondly, What is it to be counted or made worthy of this calling which the apostle prayeth for ? The word a^cooarj is indifferent to either interpretation. To be made worthy is to be enabled, to be counted worthy is to be accepted ; and so the sense may be, that God by his grace would enable you to walk worthy of the …
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There is dignitas dignationis, or worthiness of acceptance. So it is taken, Acts v. 41, ' They went away, rejoicing that they were counted 296 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. [SeR. XL worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Christ ; ' that this honour was put upon them. So we in common speech say, Such a one counte…
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But that you may more distinctly see how freely he loved us and called us, let us distinctly consider — (1.) The beginning; (2.) The progress ; (3.) The final consummation of this calling in our eternal reward ; and then your souls will be fully possessed with this truth, that all is to be ascribed to God's dignation, …
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[1.] Because of the indisposition of the subject, our waywardness and VER. 11.] SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 299 mutability. We are blind, and wander out of the way ; God needeth to reduce us by his word, Spirit, and providence : Ps. cxix. 176, ' I have gone astray like a lost sheep ; ' ver. 57, ' Before I was aff…
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[3.] Our unprofitableness to God, who is above our injuries and benefits : Job xxii. 23, ' Can a man be profitable to God, as he that is wise is profitable to himself ? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous ? or is it any gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect ? ' Nothing that we do doth br…
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But now, what is it to show ourselves worthly of this calling ? It may be known by our suitableness to our principle, rule, and end. [1.] To our principle, if we are suitable to the inclinations of the new nature. The apostle saith, ' Fashion not yourselves to the former 302 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. [SeR. XII…
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[1.] The love and wisdom of God, in finding out a way how, with safety to the honour of his holiness and justice, sinners might be brought to life; this is the bosom and bottom cause, and the first mover of all, that stirreth all the rest of the causes that conduce to our salvation : John iii. 16, 'God so loved the wor…
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3. They must not be separated one from another. We cannot rest upon the grace of God without the satisfaction of Christ, for God will not exercise his mercy to the prejudice of his justice; nor can we take comfort in the satisfaction of Christ without regeneration or true con- version wrought in us by the Spirit ; nor …
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2. His offices. His general office is but one, to be mediator or redeemer ; but the functions which belong to it are three — to be king, priest, and prophet; for all these belong to the anointed Saviour. Note, one of these concerns his mediation with God, the other his dealing with us. We are to consider him in both pa…
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VER. 11.] SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 309 think these men deliver you the covenant of grace? No; it is a covenant of their own making and modelling, not the covenant of God., which is your charter and sure ground of hope. The blood of Christ doth what belongs to it, but faith and repentance must do what be- longs …
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3. In renewing grace, we must consider both the moral and power- ful work : John vi. 44, 45, ' No man can come to me, except the Father who hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God ; every man therefore that hath heard, and learne…
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2. The latter grace doth not only increase, but secure the former. A weak measure of grace is often interrupted, and can hardly main- tain itself in the midst of oppositions within and temptations without: 312 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. [SER. XII. Eev. iii. 2. ' Strengthen the things which are ready to die/ Sin …
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1. That this truth is apt to produce the work here spoken of, that is, all holy conversation and godliness ; for the gospel, or the doctrine of salvation by Christ, is a mystery of godliness : 1 Tim. iii. 16, 'Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh,' &c. ; and 1 Tim. vi. 3, ' If any consent not to…
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1 Qu. 'usual'?— Ed. Vi:::. 11.] SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 315 word as the word of God, that will put an end to your scruples ? then thankfully accept Christ as the offered remedy, and take his prescribed way to come to God ; depend on his mercy, and continue in obedience to his precepts, and you will soon find …
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Well, then, that which the apostle intendeth here is not the interior and elicit acts of faith, but the exterior and imperate ; for the drift of his prayer is, that God would enable them to ride out the storm of those troubles which came upon them for the gospel's sake. And a christian, in judging his condition, will b…
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318 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. [SeR. XIII. approvest the things that are excellent,' True love will con- strain us to live to God : 2 Cor. v. 14, 15, ' The love of Christ con- straineth us/ &c. Hope will be seen, not by some naked cold thoughts of heaven, but by an earnest pursuit : Acts xxvi. 7, ' To which promi…
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(2.) Where there is a right constitution of soul, if the external act be restrained by a natural and not a sensible impediment, there the internals are accepted. The lover's mite cast into the treasury is niore than ten times so much outward obedience from another man : 2 Cor. viii. 12, ' If there be first a willing mi…
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1 Qu. ' capacity ' ? — Ed. VER. 11.] SERMONS UPON 2 TFIESSALONIANS I. 321 not in the most exquisite entertainments of sense ; especially when this contemplation is employed about divine truths, such as reconcilia- tion with God and eternal life. But the pleasure of contemplation is nothing to the pleasure of practice…
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3. Other faith will be a snare and temptation to you, besides that which produceth its proper work, which is an invincible resolution to deny the importunities of the flesh, and to despise all terrors of sense ; yea, to forsake all things rather than be unfaithful to Christ. Other faith, that consists in loose and slig…
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1. That when the work of faith is fulfilled with power, Christ Jesus is glorified in his servants. 2. That in promoting the glory of Christ we do also promote the salvation of our own souls ; for when he is glorified in us, we are glori- fied in him. 3. That our glorified estate is to be ascribed to the mere grace an…
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(1.) By fixing his glory as the last end of all we do. All that we are, do, and have, must be to please and glorify God, and to promote the kingdom of Christ to the uttermost of our power. (1st.) The ultimate and great end of man is to glorify God : 1 Cor. x. 31, 'Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all t…
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(2dly.) Godliness, which hath a distinct notion from holiness, as ap- peareth by 2 Peter iii. 11, ' In all holy conversation and godliness.' The last expression is supposed to add to the former. There is godli- ness in our conversations as well as holiness, when something divine or godlike appeareth in them ; that is, …
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[3.] By deed they glorify Christ many ways. Partly as they set forth the glory of the truth of the gospel, when ready to seal it with their blood, and ready to own it to the death. Partly as they show forth the worth of Christ's promises, and the reality of eternal life held forth therein : 2 Cor. iv. 18, ' While we lo…
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[1.] That God is represented, and his divine perfections, by the holy and godly conversations of christians : 1 Peter ii. 9, ' To show forth the virtues of God, or the praises of God.' His virtues and praises are his attributes, the chiefest of which are wisdom, power, goodness. (1.) His wisdom, in the exactness and r…
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Doct. 2. That in promoting the glory of Christ, we do also pro- mote the salvation of our own souls ; he is glorified in us, and we shall be glorified in him. 1. Christ taketh special notice of those that glorify him in the world. If we be factors for his kingdom upon earth, he is our agent and advo- cate in heaven, a…
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VER. 12.] SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 333 [2.] The other inconvenience which would follow is, if those that glorify God should not be rewarded by him, they should be losers by Christ, and their religion would make them miserable : 1 Cor. xv. 19, ' If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most…
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But of whom will Christ say, 'I am glorified in them'? I answer — Christ is glorified either in his person, or office, or doctrine, or operations. In his person, when he is owned and depended upon as the Son of God : John xvii. 8, ' They have known surely that I came out from thee.' Then presently it is added, ' I am …
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6. We may expect this glory, certainly, lawfully. [1.] With certainty and confidence : 2 Tim. iv. 8, ' Henceforth there is laid up for me,' &a. All the former arguments prove that; the first was taken from God's general justice, which requireth that those that differ in their course should have a different reward, sha…
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(3c?.) Because of the imperfection that cleaveth to our best services and actions. We show forth too much of Adam, and too little of Jesus ; and in all our best duties there is much of man to be found, but little of Christ ; therefore if he should reckon with us, and call us to an account for what is amiss, who could a…
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[2.] Choose apt means, or rather submit to what God hath chosen for you ; for he hath given you his word to direct you, and his Spirit to assist you. His word is your rule, and his Spirit is your guide. His word is your rule : Gal. vi. 16, 'As many as walk by this rule, peace be on them.' And his Spirit is your guide :…
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340 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. [SER. XV. their use, either as an eye, or as a hand, or as a foot, vein, sinew, artery ; so every one hath some relation which they are to improve to the glory of God and the good of others. The Mediator hath his work, and he giveth his account to God : John xvii. 4, ' I have glorif…
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3. Motives. [1.] God will have his glory upon you, if not from you. If he have not the glory due to his name, he will right himself in the course of his providence : Lev. x. 3, ' I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified ; ' by them, or upon them. Now it is a miserab…
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Secondly, Observe, grace is ascribed both to God and Christ. To God the Father, as the giver ; and to Jesus Christ, as the meritorious procurer of it. Whatsoever God bestoweth upon us by his grace, he doeth it by Jesus Christ : 1 Cor. viii. 6, ' To us there is but one God.the Father, of whom are all things, and we for …
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VER. 12.] SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 345 that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood.' _ So, thirdly, it was grace, in that what he did and suffered was accepted in our name : Kom. iii. 24, 25, ' Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom God hath set for…
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(1.) It is from grace that he is glorified in us by the work of faith. Take it either for constant and patient suffering ; it is a special gift that merely cometh from the Lord's grace : Phil. i. 29, ' To you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.' God of his g…
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[1.] God. His glorious excellences show that nothing but his grace could incline him to do good to the creatures. I shall single out a few. (1.) His self-sufficiency. He stood in no need of. us, having an in- finite contentment and happiness in himself, to which we cannot make any addition ; for infiniteness cannot be…
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[2.] The creature. (1.) Their estate. There was no worth in us to move him, or good that he could foresee in us or expect from us, but what was the fruit of his own grace. In our natural condition we were the cursed off- spring of sinful Adam, unworthy and polluted creatures, who had sold ourselves to Satan, and cast …
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Use 2. Direction, both for prayer and praise. From God, as supreme, we derive all our graces ; to God, as supreme, we direct all our services, but still in and by the Mediator. 1. In prayer, we ground our hope of audience on the Father's love and Christ's intercession. We put up our suits in his name. There is no spea…
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4. Be thankful for grace. The whole design of salvation by Christ bespeaketh gratitude. That we by the grace of God should be put into a capacity of life eternal, what should be the whole business of our lives but a thankful obedience to God ? 2 Cor. v. 14, 15, ' For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus …
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I shall handle this point in these considerations — 1. Since all men sinned in Adam, and are guilty of the curse and eternal death, God had done us no injury if he had left us to perish in this estate. That all the world are become guilty before God, both by reason of original and actual sin, is plain : Bom. iii. 19, …
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356 SERMON UPON MATTHEW XXII. 14. This life is opposite to the death incurred by sin, and by it is meant that whole estate of grace to which we are restored by Christ,, and chiefly our blessed and eternal life in heaven. We were in an estate of death when the doors of mercy were first opened to us ; we were dead as to…
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(2.) Those that believe with a true and lively faith have it not from themselves, but from God, and that by virtue of his election. And so in both these instances is that of the prophet verified : Hosea xiii. 9, ' 0 Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy help/ That God vouchsafeth this benefit to any, it…
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SERMON UPON MATTHEW XXII. 14. 359 are to consider their ways : Ps. cxix. 59, ' I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies ; ' Lam. iii. 40, ' Let us search and try our ways, and turn unto the Lord ; ' that is, say, What am I ? what have I been doing all this time ? what shall become of me to all ete…
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(5.) By common grace he is convinced that there is a happiness, and that our happiness lieth not in those things wherein men ordi- narily seek it, but in God alone ; that there is no coming to God but by Christ ; that all men have some means and duty appointed them to seek that grace that may convert them, and many con…
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2. The elect do not so behave themselves but that for their negli- gence and resistance they might justly be forsaken of God ; but God dealeth not equally with all that are of equal merit : ' We ourselves were sometimes disobedient,' Titus iii. 3 ; Eph. ii. 3, ' Among whom we had our conversation in times past, fulfill…
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2. Here we see the rich preparations of grace, and the disposal of all those means which conduce to our good, both natural and spiritual, both of education, acquaintance, relation, and everything else that might work for us ; to order all these circumstances of our lives, when we knew not, nor thought of any such matte…
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(2.) Not out of pomp and vainglory ; which appeareth because none of his miracles were fitted for the stage, but done only upon weighty occasions, in case of great necessity, when humbly asked and believingly expected. If a miracle were asked in wantonness, he refused to do it ; as Herod, to satisfy his vain curiosity,…
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II. More largely ; for these words, /caTuw? rdvra 7re7roi7)fce, ' he has done all things well,' are a full and proper account of all the works of God, not only of what the Mediator did in the days of his flesh, but of whatever he did or doth as God. I shall instance — (1.) In the work of creation ; (2.) The work of re…
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(2.) His work within us ; he doth by his Spirit renew and sanctify us, and make us more like God ; and so we are fitted for the vision and fruition of him. This sanctifying Spirit is said to be ' shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Lord,' Titus iii. 6 ; and Christ is said to be ' ascended far above all heave…
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Use 2. Let us imitate our Lord, and learn of him to do all things well ; for Christ's excellencies must leave an impression upon us. In our religion all is good. There is a good God : Ps. cxix. 68, ' Thou art good and doest good.' From him cometh every good and perfect gift: James i. 17, ' Every good gift and every per…
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In the words there is an elegant antithesis, or opposing of our future estate to our present. Here is ' affliction/ there ' glory ; ' here a ' light affliction,' there a ' weight of glory ; ' here ' momentary affliction,' there ' eternal glory/ In our affliction there is both brevity and levity ; it is a light afflicti…
1,146 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.