PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 6
Thomas Manton · 319,442 words · 323 reading sections
Section 241
VeR. 36.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 371 sweetly. Then are we inclined, when our affections have a proneness and propension to that which is good. Now these affections must be more to holiness than to worldly things ; for by the prevalency is grace determined, if the preponderating part of the soul be for God. It is not…
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Doct. 1. That it is God alone that sets our hearts right, or inclines them from their carnal bent to his own testimonies. That I shall illustrate by these considerations : — First, The heart of man must have an object unto which it is in- clined or whereunto it doth cleave ; for it is like a sponge, that being thirst…
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2. As man is thus corrupted and prone to worldly objects by natural inclination, so by inveterate custom. As soon as we are born we fol- low our sensual appetite, and the first years of man's life are merely governed by sense ; and the pleasures thereof are born and bred up with us, and deeply engraven in our natures ;…
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Fourthly, This frame of heart cannot be altered until we be changed by God's grace. Why ? For there is no principle remaining in us that can alter this frame, or make us so far unsatisfied with our pre- sent state as to look after other things, that can break the force of our natural and customary inclinations. There a…
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Fifthly, In this change there is a weakening of the old inclination to carnal vanities, and there is a new bent and frame of heart bestowed upon us. The heart is taken off from the love of base objects, and. then fixed upon that which is good : Deut. xxx. 6, ' The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart…
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SERMON XLI. And not unto covetousness. — Ver. 36. Doct. 2. That covetousness, or an inordinate desire of worldly things, is the great let or hindrance to complying with God's testi- monies. By way of proof, I need to produce but that scripture, 1 John v. 3, 4, ' For this is [the love of God, that we keep his commandm…
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Secondly, Let us come to the causes of it, and they are two — dis- trust of God's providence, and discontent with God's allowance. You have both in one place : Heb. xiii. 5, ' Let your conversation be with- out covetousness, and be content with such things as you have.' These two, distrust and discontent, have a mutual…
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382 SEKMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XLI. drunkenness and the cares of this life.' The heart is burdened and oppressed, so as it hath no life and vigour for spiritual things, but is unbelieving and hard-hearted. The following the world brings a deadness upon us, and these preposterous and eager pursuits spend the streng…
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2. As it doth dispose and incline the soul to evil, so it incapa- citates us for God's service, both in our general and particular calling. In our general calling, it makes us incapable of serving God. Why ? It destroys the principle of obedience, is contrary to the matter of obedience, and it slights the rewards of o…
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3. It hinders the receiving of good, and those means of reformation that should make us better. It fills us with prejudice against what- ever shall be spoken for God and for the concernments of another world : Luke xvi. 14, ' And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and derided him.' Come with…
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1. It may be discovered by frequent thoughts, which are the genuine issue of the soul, and discover the temper of the mind ; thoughts either by way of contemplation or contrivance. By way of contemplation, when our minds only run upon earthly things, and that with a savour and sweetness : Phil. iii. 19, ' Minding earth…
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SEEMON XLII. Turn tliou away mine eyes from hcholdiug vanity, and quicken iliou me in thy way. — Ver. 37. David still continueth his requests to God for grace, and entituleth him to the whole work. He had prayed before that God would incline his heart, now that he would ' Turn away his eyes from beholding VeR. 37.] …
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3. Above all senses the eye must be guarded. [1.] Because it is the noblest sense, given us for high uses. There is not only a natural use to inform us of things profitable and hurtful for the outward man, but a spiritual use to set before us those objects that may stir us and raise our minds to heavenly thoughts and …
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(2.) Historical instances. Let me begin with the first transgression. It is said. Gen. iii. 6, 'And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that, it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof,' &c. She was tirst corrupted in her sense ; gazing on t…
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4. By wandering and letting loose the eye the heart is distracted in duty. Distraction in duty is a great and usual evil, and one cause of it is the curiosity of the senses. How often do we mingle sulphur with our incense, and come to worship God having our hearts to the ends of the earth ! Men let loose their eyes, an…
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4. Pray, as David doth here, ' Turn away mine eyes.' He calleth upon God for the assistance of his grace ; and Ps. cxli. 3, ' Set a watch upon the door of my lips.' He that bendeth and inclineth the heart by his grace to look after better things, must also bridle the senses. It is lust sets the eye awork, and causeth a…
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Secondly, Let me show the necessity of this quickening, how need- ful it is. 1. It is needful, for without it our general standing is questionable, whether we belong to God or no : 1 Peter ii. 5, ' Ye are living stones built up into a spiritual house.' It is not enough to be a stone in Christ's building, but we must b…
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2. Stir up yourselves : Isa. Ixiv. 7, ' There is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee ;' 2 Tim. i. 6, ' Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands ;' Ps. xlii. 5, ' Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul ? and…
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1. By the inward assurance of the Spirit increasing our faith. 2. By the outward performance of what is promised. 1. By the inward assurance of the Spirit, by which our faith is increased. Great is the weakness of our faith, as appears by our fears, doubts, distrusts ; so that we need to be assured more and more. We …
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2. The necessity of it will appear if we consider — (1.) How natural unbelief is to us all ; and (2.) How weak the faith of most is. [1.] If we consider how natural unbelief is to us ; it is a sin we suck in with our milk. When our first parents sinned against God, his word was not believed, and thereupon the sin was …
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but weakly. Ay! Lut then it profits when we receive the word of God as the word of God, as a certain truth ; when the soul comes to de- termine, Surely these are truths in which I am deeply concerned, upon which my eternal life or death doth depend. Without this God can have no service, and we no comfort, but are at a …
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Use 2. It exhorteth us to use the means whereby the word may be established. 1. Chiefly observe experiences, how it is accomplished in the course of God's providence, and inward feeling of thy own heart. What answers of prayer have you when you have been wrestling with God and putting his promises in suit at the thron…
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Doct. He that is a servant of God may seek and expect grace from him. Here I shall show — VeR. 38.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 405 1. Who is God's servant. 2. Why we must use this plea when we come to have promises accomplished. 1. AVho is God's servant? I answer — He that dedicates himself to God's use, and he that…
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[2.] It is agreeable to the covenant, for the covenant is mutual : ' I will be your God, and you shall be my people.' All promises relate to a covenant. Now, in every covenant there is ratio dati et accepti — something required as well as something given, for it binds mutually ; therefore if we would have God give us g…
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Doct. That man is indeed God's servant who is devoted to his fear. There may be weaknesses and failings, but for the main he is swayed 1)y the fear of God. 408 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX, [SeR. XLIII. 1, What it is to fear God. 2. Why this is a sure note of God's servant, because it removes all the lets of obedience. …
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Use. It informeth us who are God's servants ; those that have most of this fear of God planted in their hearts : Neh. vii. 2, ' He was a faithful man, and feared God above many.' And then that they express it in their conversation. God will not take it planted in our hearts, if we do not obey him in those things that a…
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Secondly, It is a grievous affiiction ; for the man of God, that was after God's own heart, he saith, ' The reproach which I so feared.'' It is called persecution, Gal. iv. 29 ; compare with Gen. xxi. 9, and you shall see it was mocking and reproach. The scourge of the tongue is one of the basest persecutions that the …
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VeR. 39.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 413 shame of our miscarriages, real or supposed, redounds to Uod and religion itself. And therefore, when people are possessed and filled with prejudices against religious persons, they are possessed and filled with prejudices against the will of God and the unquestionable inter- est…
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There are many sins to which this sharp kind of affliction is proper, and therefore God gives out this grievous dispensation to lay open his people to bitter reproaches and slanders. I will tell you some of the sins. My business is not now to state what is the great sin that God is judging among his people, but to help…
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2. Another sin for which God humbles us is careless walking. When we are negligent, and do not take notice of the carnality that grows upon us, and the fleshly frame and temper of heart which breaks out into our lives, the Lord suffers others to reproach ; then they gather up our filth, that we may see what cause we ha…
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[2.] To try our faith in more particular promises. The Lord hath promised to provide for the health and credit of his people ; so far he hath promised for their safety, and their daily bread' for their main- tenance, and any earthly blessing that is good for us. Now the Lord will see if we can trust him Avith our credi…
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o. Another thing God will try is our patience. We should prevent reproaches as much as we can, but by a holy conversation may bear them when we cannot avoid them : Ps. cix. 4, ' For my love they are my adversaries, but I give myself unto prayer.' That was David's exercise, the revenge he took upon them, to pray to God …
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[1.] You hazard the repute of your own sincerity : James i. 16, ' If a man seems to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, that man's religion is in vain.' Such men, that are seldom at home, seldom look to the state of their own hearts. Alas ! if they were acquainted with themselves, or their own failings, they woul…
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2. Secondly, To those that receive them. He is a slanderer that wrongs his neighbour's credit, by upholding an evil report against a man. It is hard to say which is worse, railing or receiving : Ps. xv. 3, a citizen of Sion is described to be one ' that taketh not up a reproach against his neighbour ; ' and you shall s…
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0 Lord, hespeaksthus to God, 'Behold I have longedafter thy precepts.' Now this is spoken here, either as a reason of his own asking, Behold, 1 seek it not out of custom, or to speak words of course, my soul is in this matter ; or as a reason of God's granting ; he urgetli his sincere affection to obedience as an argu…
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YeR. 40.] SERMONS UrON PSALM CXIX. 425 hanj^ backward ; but here they are in their proper place ; this is that which cannot be loved beyond what it doth deserve. A Christian should set no manner of bounds to himself in holiness, for he is to be ' holy in all manner of conversation,' 1 Peter i. 15, and to be 'perfect a…
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6. It argues some nearness to complete fruition, or to full satisfac- tion in heaven, when we begin to be more earnest after holiness than we were before, and after more of God and his grace and image to be set up in our souls. The more we desire holiness, the more ripe for heaven. This is a rule. The nearer we are to …
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42S SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XLV. harrowing there was very iiard work, but no profit ; but in treading out tlie corn (for as we thresh out our corn, so tliey trode it out by the feet of oxen), the mouth of the ox was not to be muzzled, that there might be a great deal of privilege and profit with it. So Ephraim …
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2. These wishes are hasty and not serious. The commendation of spiritual things, and the representation of their absolute necessit}'', may produce strange motions for the present ; but there is a ground of sus- picion, because people all of a sudden become so vehement. The seed that fell into the stony ground forthwith…
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7eR. 40.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX, 431 SERMON XLVI. Behold I have longed after thy precepts, &c. — Ver. 40. I COME now to a second use, and that is — Use 2. To press us to long after holiness and subjection to God. Two motives : — First, You shall have these desires granted. For a man to have his ■will, and whatso…
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[2.] Would you have and keep up ardent desires ? Do as they do that would keep in the fire, cherish the sparks and blow them up to a flame. There is no man that lives under the means of grace, and under the discoveries of God and religion, but hath his good moods and very lively motions ; the waters are stirred many ti…
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1 Qu. ' impeded ' ?— Ed. VOL. VL 2 E 434 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XLVI. must be frequently renewing the acts of their faith, and stirring up their desires, else there will be no growth of grace, no opposing corruption ; for all our strength is in him ; there is still something lacking to our faith, and all the …
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2. It is put for the vitality and the vigour of grace, when the spiri- tual life is in good plight. Deadness of heart is apt to creep upon us, therefore we need renewed excitations and quickenings, that we may serve our God with cheerfulness, liveliness, and zeal. Christians should not only be living but lively : 1 Pet…
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VePv. 40.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 437 2. Because, too, without this supervening^ and quickening grace, they can never serve God cheerfully, nor do anything to purpose in the heavenly life ; our general work of obedience goes on slowly : Ps. cxix. 88, ' Quicken me, so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth,' then I …
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O ... siah — that they should not faint, but get up their idols agam, after Christ had got a little footing among them ; and shall not the children of God encourage, and keep up the life of zeal one in another ? Use 2. Exhortation. It presseth you to divers duties. 1. To see a need of quickening. Though life received…
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1. The cause of it, ' Thy mercies.' God's children often fail into 440 SEKMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XLVJI. sucli straits that nothing but mercy can help them out. All deliver- ance is the fruit of mercy pitying our misery, but some deliverance especially is the fruit of mercy j^ardoaing our sin, I shall give you so…
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Again, observe, it is not mercy, but mercies; the expression is plural — [1.] To note the plenty and perfection of this attribute in God. God is very merciful to poor creatures. See in how many notions God's mercy is represented to us. A distinct consideration of them yieldeth an advantage in believing ; for though th…
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(1.) Our miseries are many, danger waylayeth us on every side ; therefore the mercy of God is said to compass us about : Ps. xxxii. 10, ' He that triisteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.' On which side soever temptation and trouble maketh the assault, mercy is ready to make the defence : ' Many are the tro…
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[4.] All this trust must be set awork in prayer ; so doth David, and so saith the word : Ps. 1. 15, ' Call upon me in the day of trouble ; I Avill deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify my name ; ' Jer. xxix. 11, 12, ' I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord ; thoughts of peace and not of evil, to gi…
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2. The efiect, salvation. This properly deserveth to be called so. We are saved but in part before, then from all evils, from the greatest evil, hell. Before we are saved, but we may be troubled again. Now no more sorrow, when all opposition is broken, and God is all in all, and the church presented as a prey snatched …
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[3.] It is plentiful in God; he is rich in mercy, abundant in goodness and truth. Tliy sins are like a spark of fire that falleth into the ocean ; it is quenched presently. So are all thy sins in the ocean of God's mercy ; there is not more water in the sea than there is mercy in God. [4.] It is the great wonder of th…
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Doct. 4. God will therefore make them good, and his people may expect and beg deliverance to that end. Doct. 1. It is our duty to trust God upon his word. The act of trust is spoken of with respect to a twofold object — the word and God ; the one more properly noteth the warrant of faith, the other the object. Both ar…
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450 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. XLVIIL what time I am afraid, I will put my trust iu thee.' In prosperity and adversity we are to depend upon God, and to make use of him in all conditions : Ps. xci. 9, ' Thou shalt make the Most High thy refuge, and my God thine habitation.' A refuge is a place of retreat and safet…
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3. As we ought not, on the one hand, to think God will supply our lusts, nor, on the other hand, distrust his care of necessaries, so we cannot be absolutely confident of particular success in temporal things ; for they are not absolutely promised, but with exception of the cross, and as God shall see them good for us.…
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3. Consider whose word it is. God's word is the signification of his will who is merciful, able, true. (1.) There is benignity and goodness, by which he is willing to help poor creatures, though we can be of no use and profit to him. The hen receiveth no benefit by the chickens, only her trouble of providing for them i…
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The first use is to persuade us to trust in God upon his word. I will direct you — 1. As to the means. 2. The nature of this trust. 1. As to the means. If you would do so — [1.] Know him: Ps. ix. 10, ' They that know thy name will put their trust in thee.' If God were better known, he would be better trusted : 2 Ti…
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2. It will quiet and fix the heart, free it of cares, fears, and anxious thoughts : Phil. iv. G, 7, ' Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God ; and the peace of God, which passeth all un- derstanding, shall keep your hearts and mi…
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Doct. 3. That these reproaches are grievous to God's children, and go near their hearts ; therefore David desires God to appear for him, that he may have somewhat to answer them that reproached him. 1. Man's nature cannot endure reproach, especially a scornful re- proach : every man thinketh himself worthy of some reg…
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Use 2. Wait. Carnal men reproach God's people with their trust, when in their distress he stays a little, when they have humbled themselves for their sins, and sought reconciliation with God as his word prescribeth, and are sufficiently weaned from carnal props, and have learned to depend on him ; the wicked shall find…
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1. This confession is necessary as well as the inward belief, because God hath required it by an express law, which law is confirmed by a sanction of great weight and moment, the greatest promises on the one hand, and the greatest penalties and threatenings on the other. That there is an express law for confession, bes…
966 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.