PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 3
Thomas Manton · 314,970 words · 315 reading sections
Section 181
288 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [IsA. LIII. 5. temper of his body; that is a brutish strength, and a bull or an ox ex- ceedeth us in that ; nor merely in the strength of natural parts, for therein many pagans excel many Christians : but it lies in the strength of grace, strength to ov^ercome temptations to sin, to gov…
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Fourthly, It is an infectious and catching disease. Sin cometh into the world by propagation rather than imitation : yet imitation and VOL. HI. T '2'JO A PIIACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [IsA. LIII. 5. example hath a great force upon the soul : Eph. ii. 3, Kara tov alwva, 'Among whom also we all luul our conveisation in t…
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[2.] Here is macula, which is the blot or inclination to sin again. So he healeth us by sanctification, renewing and cleansing us by the Spirit, which is the work of God : Exod. xv. 26, ' 1 am the Lord that healeth thee.' This is most properly his healing grace. So God reneweth and healeth our natures : Ps, ciii. 3, ' …
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2 Christ cureth us not by doctrine and example only, but by merit and suffering ; for it is said in the text. We are healed by his stri[)es. I confess the doctrine of Christ hath a great tendency this way; for it is said, Prov. iv. 22, 'My word is life to them that find it, and health to their flesh.' There is the medi…
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3. It reproveth tho.se who think it impossible to get rid of their carnal distempers. Will you lessen the merit of Christ and the power of his Spirit, or doubt of the promise of God? Jer. iii. 22, 'Eeturn. and I will heal you.' Now, upon these terms we should come to Christ with confidence, to be the better for coming …
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29b' A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [IsA. LIII. G. Velle ffuum cuique est, nee voto vivitur nno : several desires breed diflerence. 2. The remedy provided against tliis misery : a7id the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all. The burden of sin, that would otherwise have ruined us, is cast u})on Christ. The sl…
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2. The want of original righteousness, which cometh upon us thus. As poor and ignoble ])arents convey their poverty and want to their children, and none can give what he hath not. A bankrupt father must needs leave his family ])oor ; so Adam, having lost his righteous- ness, he could not bequeath it as a legacy to his …
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Secondly, All that come to the use of reason have actually sinned against God. The bad : 1 Kings viii. 46, ' For there is no man that sinneth not.' The good : Eccles. vii. 20, ' For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.' Our nature, being un- subdued, discovereth itself in acts suitable: …
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3. Our inability to return, or to bring ourselves into the right way again. It is like a sheep, not like a swine or a dog; these creatures will find the way home again, but a sheep is irrecoverably lost without the shepherd's diligence and care : Jer. 1. 6, ' My ])eople have been lost sheep, their shepherds have caused…
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But let us not reflect only upon this common necessity, but our own personal necessity, what need we have to look after a Redeemer, and to get an interest in him, and that his redeeming grace may become glorious in our eyes. 1. In your natural estate you were every one of you as lost sheep, fugitives, and strangers, a…
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I come now to observe from the distribution of this common error : every man to his oion loay : — Doct. 2. That there are many several ways of sinning ; or thus, though there be one path to heaven, yet there are several ways of sin- ning and going to hell. Every man hath his several course. And as the channel is cut,…
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Use 1. Well, then, do not be too ready to bless yourselves, provided the sins of others break not out upon you : do not flatter yourselves that you run not into the same sins that others do. The devil may take you in another snare that suiteth more with your temper and con- dition of life. Some are sensual and some vai…
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ISA. LIU. G,] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 307 remove tliy foot from evil.' Walk with a great deal of care and cir- cumspection. When it is so easy to err, a man would be solicitous. The apostle blameth those that did not opOovoSetv, not ' walk uprightly according to the truth of the gospel/ Gal, ii. 14. They di…
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Use 3. Is to press you to look into the state of your hearts, and see what you have by long experience observed, what is your sin, your way of Avickedness, Avhat assaults you most frequently, most fiercely ; observe the frequency of temptations, and the strength of them, the law in the members, and a thorn in the flesh…
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[1.] There is a following the dictates of a corrupt mind. This is the first and chiefest, and therefore it is often expressed, ' According to their imaginations and their counsels.' There are a great many pre- judices in a natural understanding against the ways of God. It is a way of their own contriving. Men think the…
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The reasons may be referred to two heads. Our own way can never be right, either — 1. To please God ; or, 2. To do ourselves good. 1. Not to please God. This appears in that : — [1.] God will not stand to our appointment. Nothing pleaseth him but what he hath required ; all other things he looketh upon as mere inve…
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ISA. LIII. 6.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 313 (3dly.) We have a base, paltry heart, and are loth to serve him as far as we know. It is said, Kom. i. 28, ' They did not like to retain Ood in their knowledge.' They do not approve or make such precious account of the ways of God as they should do. Carnal men are …
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[2.] Beg divine assistance. We cannot keep to God's rule without God's power ; beg it of God, then, as David in the psalm before mentioned. There are divers places hint this in scripture. It is a sign we run beyond ourselves when we would not be directed by God. When God leaveth us to ourselves, then we leave his law :…
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But I would not tarry too long on these black lines and dark shadows of man's sin and misery which are in the text ; therefore I 316 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. G. come now to the comfortable part, viz., God's remedy : and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all. There I propounded three things…
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Now in two things Christ showeth this : — [1.] As if he acted altogether by the Father's power: John v. 19,. ' The Son can do nothing of himself.' So ver. 30, ' I can of mine own self do nothing ; ' that is, the Father and he were distinct per- sons in themselves, but not separate in nature, power, and operation. The …
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2. The God whom you have wronged. Sin is against all the persons of the Trinity, but it is chiefly against the Father. You may despise the Son, and grieve the Spirit, but the chief est injury is against the Father, because he is the fountain of all ; nay, all that is done to the other per- sons redounds to the Father's…
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ISA. LIII. 6.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 321 laid on thyself ; the Lord saith, on Christ. Do not believe the father of lies before tlie Father of liglits. 4. The Lord hatli laid, even God, that hath so jifreat an interest in Christ that he can deny him nothinf^. Look, as God denieth Christ nothing that he as…
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But a little more particularly let me show you how you do not exalt God alone and separately for laymg it upon Christ. It is inclu- sive two ways : — 1. If you have such a secret thought in you that it is because you are less sinners than others, therefore you are pardoned, and your sins are laid upon Christ. 2. If b…
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I come now to the next part, the nature and way of our deliverance : ' The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all.' Our sin and punishment is transferred to Christ. The point is — Dod. That the way that God taketh to acquit poor sinners is to lay the guilt and punishment of sin on the back of his own Son. ' …
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2. He taketh off all guilt and obligation to punishment: Rom. viii. 1, ' There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ.' Nothing is done in a vindictive and punitive way, though many things be done in a corrective and chastising way. All God's dispensations are as branches of the covenant. 3. For the blot or sin…
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[1.] By what Christ felt. He lost his actual comforts, felt strange agonies, insomuch that he sweat drops of blood. We are of weak spirits, and soon dismayed, but his soul was exceeding sorrowful : ' If this be done in the green tree, what shall be done to the dry ?' Many times, a little before a shower, falls a gloomi…
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1. Because all men in some sort have benefit by him. So far Christ suffered his Father's wrath that was due to all men's sins, that in a large sense they have benefit by him. All the common mercies we enjoy we have by virtue of ChrLst's death. You know how the threatening ran, 'In the day thou eatest thereof, thou slia…
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330 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [IsA. LIII. 6. said, Heb. ii. 9, he 'tasted death for every man;' and so 1 John ii. 2, 'And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world ; ' that is, not only for us Jews, but for all the world, even of all places, orders, and rank…
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APPLICATION. Use 1. This serveth to clear to us the mistake of the doctrine ot universal grace, and to explain those expressions in scripture that are brought to favour this opinion : though you cannot conclude out of them universal grace, yet you may a universal necessity of believing this benefit. Solomon saith, Pro…
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4. Not any thoughts that Christ was never intended for us. How do you know that ? Keprobation is God's sealed book. It is not for creatures to look into it ; you would fain justify your unbelief by God's decree against you, but it argueth an ill spirit. If you can ex- empt yourself out of the number of them that go ast…
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5. God is serious and in earnest in these offers and publications of Christ to all. Tliat he mocketh no man you shall see : do but try him, accept him, and he will be as good as his word. It is not made to you fraudulently, and with an intent to deceive, but God is serious. God is bound to no man, and wicked men refuse…
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1. The nature of the sufferings : he luas oppressed, and he was afflicted. 2. The carriage of Christ under them : he opened not his month ; which is amplified and illustrated by two similitudes, of a lamb going to the slaughter, and a sheep before her shearers. The points hence may be many ; but because the prophet d…
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2. His great love to man, showed in his wonderful silence, even then when he might justly have spoken in his own defence, but would not seem to interrupt the design of God. It is witnessed in many ])laces that Jesus held his peace when they asked him questions about his innocence, as I shall show you by and by out of s…
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2. By several passages in the history of Christ's life. [1.] His longing for it before it came. When a man desireth a thing, he is impatient till he obtain his desire ; every minute is tedious till he doth enjoy it : Luke xii. 50, ' I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished …
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ISA. LIII. 7.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 341 souls owe thee aught, put it on my account — I will repay it. There was not only an ordination of God the Father, but a voluntary sus- ception and undertaking of God the Son ; he cheerfully and willingly submitted to have sin translated upon him, and to be liable b…
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2. More particularly, there is comfort against sad thoughts about sin. The great aggravation upon which the soul doth so bitterly reflect is the willingness of it; and, indeed, here lieth much of the evil of sin. It was that which heightened Ephraim's guilt, that he willingly walked after the commandment, lio.sea v. 11…
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There is scarce a verse in tiie scrii)ture that hath been so variously expounded as this hath been, not only by others, but by the same men. Scarce a man hath agreed with himself positively to determine of the sense of it, tlie phrases looking so many several ways. However, dif- ficulty provoketh endeavouis. According …
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3. It followeth. For heivas cut off out of the land of the living : for, or though he were cut off ; that is,' though he were by a violent death cutoff, yet he shall be taken thence and translated into glory, where he shall have a long and lasting age. Or yon may take the particl«> causally, as we render it,/o?' : here…
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5. All Christ's sufferings were from men or by men. If there be anything shameful in the cross, blame the Jews for it, and yourselves for it. Many blame the Jews, and are ready to fly in their faces ; but do you blame yourselves? It is hard to know which is meant by 'the transgression of my people,' or ' for,' or ' of …
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ISA. LIII. 8.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 349 by his own power. He so laid down his life, that he might re-assurae it again by his own power. It is said, 2 Cor. xiii. 4, that ' though he was ciucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God ; i'or we are weak in him, but we shall live with him by t…
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(2.) For the grace of sanctification ; he rose that he might purchase the Spirit to raise us from the death of sin to the life of grace : Rom. vi. 4, ' That like as Christ was raised up from the dead l)y the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.' By the same glory of the Father both is do…
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and justifying of the merits of Christ. The benefits purchased by his death are evidenced to us in his resurrection ; God must not only be satisfied, but it must be discovered to the world that God was fully satisfied, or else we should remain under doubts and perplexities still. Now the resurrection of Christ is the f…
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1. Labour to get your union with Christ cleared to you. The pass- ing out of virtue and influence from Christ depends upon that ; the head doth not guide and act foreign members. Oh, say, then, if 1 were sure of my union with Christ, I should have this rich comfort. As the woman said, Mat. ix. 21, ' If I might but touc…
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ISA. LIII. 8.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHArTER OF ISAIAH. 355 Christ, and that he is our licad, and the fountain of our life ; and therefore we should live and be conformed to our head. And by such considerations the Spirit leaveth a great virtue and force upon the soul, which is called 'the power of the resurrection.' And th…
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[1.] Interest yourselves in the acts of your common person. Keason thus— If we are united to Christ, then we shall share in all his pur- chased benefits : ' I am crucified with Christ,' Gal. ii. 20 ; and I am risen with Christ. You are instated by virtue of your union in all Christ's acts : Christ was raised, therefore…
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358 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. 8. over Christ, as it seemed to do for a while ; but now Christ hath destroyed death : Kev. i. 18 : 'I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore. Amen ; and have the keys of hell and death.' Death and hell tlioiight to make sure of Christ, and to hav…
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3. That he may dispense all necessary supplies to the needs of his servants : Eph. iv. 10, ' When he ascended up on high, he gave gifts to men ; ' that is, all necessary supplies for his servants. As a foun- tain of living waters continually feedeth the stream, so you have a living Christ who will continually supply th…
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3. There will be likeness to Christ. Christ as surely liveth in believers now, as he once lived upon the earth in his own ])erson. And you know three things were eminent in the person of Christ when on earth: — Obedience to his Father : he often ])rofesseth that he came to do the will of his Father : John iv. 34, ' My …
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THE NINTH VERSE. And he made Ms grave ivith the wicked, and tvifh the rich in his death ; because lie had done no violence, neither ivas any deceit in his mouth. The prophet goeth on with the account of Christ's sufferings, and showeth that he should at length be humbled to the grave, and brought thither in a most ig…
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364 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII, 9. rann was laid. For now God began to honour Christ because he had done no violence. In Peter, it is, 'Who did no sin;' for indeed the word must be taken so generally, dvo/xia^. It is meant, no gross fact could be charged upon him ; neither was there deceit in his mouth ; t…
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[2.] From that clause, ' Because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.' Your surety was a pure person — he had no guilt of his own to satisfy for, and so it yieldeth not only an encouragement to faith, but an endearment of love to Christ. All these sufferings were for you, there is nothing that …
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ISA. LIII. 9.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 367 voiir one another, take heed ye be not consumed one of another.' You learn it of the wolf or the okl dragon, not of the Lamb, The apostle iiseth such a word as iraplieth such bitterness as is brutish. Then in practice, by oppression, invading of another's right and…
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1. The will of God : it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief ; that is the cause of his sufferings. 2. The nature of his suffering : when thou shall maJce his soul an offering for sin. 3. The fruits of his suffering, and they are three : — [1.] The propagation of his spiritual seed : he shall see…
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meaning is, he shall beget to himself a great many children by the immortal seed of the word and the power of his Spirit, which are called his seed ; and it is said he shall see them, he shall live to see how the word is pro[)agated throughout all ages. I conceive in this expression the prophet alludeth to the desire o…
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3. The determining of all the sufferings of Christ ; not a sorrow, but God had it in his thoughts before all worlds. Every bruise and stroke was a further discovery of his eternal counsel : Acts ii. 23, ' Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have …
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IsA. LIII. 10.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 373 culpa, because it made way for such a Redeemer as Christ, because it made way for his redemption ; as the apostle said, Rom. iii. 5, ' Our unrighteousness commendeth the righteousness of God.' And such efficiency there was about evil, though not of evil, that God …
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Use 2. Is consolation to jjelievers. Here is ample encouragement for your faith : every grain in the life of Christ should be weighed, Now this is a material consideration, that he was ordained by God the Father. 1. That the offended party beginneth first to think of a remedy : 1 John iv. 19, ' He loved us first.' Cer…
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4. It teacheth us not to look upon the face of things, but upon God's counsel and intents in them. The foulest acts that ever were in God's design may serve most holy purposes. Providence is like a double- faced picture — a monster and a woman : Gen. xlv. 5, ' God sent me before you to preserve life.' So in all that be…
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2. What this covenant is. I shall here show you the whole draught of this transaction. To a covenant there belong four things — two on the part of the proposer, and two on the part of the undertaker ; and so in this covenant you will find the scriptures fully discovering these four things — two on God's part, and two o…
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ISA. LIII. 10.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 379 his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.' He shall have a special and certain care of his tender flock. Besides, where they •want strength, he shall lend his own strength, and so sweetly lead and guide thera by his counsel, till he has brought them to…
1,274 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.