PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 7
Thomas Manton · 317,571 words · 317 reading sections
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iMAS BAKER. SoHO Square, LONDON. /.'; Shelf.. PRINCETON, N. J. Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677. The complete works of Thomas Manton T^'^ • • ;r» ^■■ KJ. ■«'.' ^^A.\ . ■ 1 '« ■; THE WORKS OF THOMAS MANTON, D.D. VOL. VII. COUNCIL OF PUBLICATION. W. LINDSAY ALEXANDER. D.D., Professor of Theology, Congregational …
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„ LXXXVIL "But I will meditate in thy precepts. Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies," ver. 78, 79, . . . . 331 „ LXXXVIIL " Let my heart be sound in thy statutes, that I be not ashamed," ver. 80, . . 339 „ LXXXIX. " My soul fainteth for thy salvation j but I hope in thy …
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[2.] These delights .are more perfective ; a man is the better for them. Other delights, that please the flesh, feed corruption, but these corro- borate and strengthen graces. They are so far from disordering the mind, and leading us to sin, that they compose and purify the mind, and make sin more odious, and fortify u…
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[3.] It is not in the study or contemplation of the justice and equity of these commandments, but in the obedience and practice of them. There is a })leasure in the study and contemplation, for every truth breedeth a delectation in the mind : Ps. xix. 8, ' The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the soul.' It is …
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8 SEKMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LIII. pleasant than all the lust, sport, and honours, and pleasures of the world. Here is the foundation laid of everlasting joy, a sufficient answer to the terrors of the law, and the accusations of a guilty con- science, which is the greatest misery can befall mankind. In short, that…
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3. The helps and assistances of the Spirit go further, and increase this delight in the way of God's commandments. God doth not only renew our wills, and fit us with an inward power to do the things that are pleasing in his sight, but exciteth and actuateth that power by the renewed influences of his grace: Phil. ii. 1…
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[2.] There is a particidar ex[)erience, when borne out in the confes- sion of truth in the time of trial. A man that out of love to God's commands hath endured troubles and trials, and hath overcome temptations, will see more cause to love these commandments, and to increase his obedience to them, than ever before in o…
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4. For setting about any action, especially of weight : Gen. xli. 44, ' Without thee shall no man lift up his hand,' that is, attempt or do anything ; so Ps. x. 12, ' Arise, 0 Lord, lift up thine hand ; forget not the poor,' that is, set to thine active hand for their assistance ; so Heb. xii. 12, ' Lift up the hands t…
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Well, then, nothing remains but practising duties that are pressed upon you on the first opportunity. Not he that heareth, understandeth, loveth, delighteth, commendeth, but 'he that keepeth mstvnction,' it is, ' is in the way of life,' Prov. x. 17. He that submitteth himself to be guided by God's word, he is going the…
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1. God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: Father, as a lawgiver ; Son, as a redeemer and head of the renewed estate ; Holy Ghost, as our sanctifier. [1.] God the Father, who in the mystery of redemption is repre- sented as our lawgiver and sovereign lord, and will be not only known and worshipped, but served by a full and …
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3. All graces are imperfect till they end in action, for they were not given us for idle and useless habits. Knowledge, to know merely that we may know, is curiosity and idle speculation. So Ps. cxi. 10, 'A good understanding have all they that do his commandments ; ' Jer. xxii. 16, ' He judgeth the cause of the poor a…
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Doct 2. Whosoever would lift up his hands to God's command- ments, and seriously address himself to a course of obedience, must use much study and meditation. On the one side, non-advertency to heavenly doctrine is the bane of many : Mat. xiii. 19, 'When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not…
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The use is for direction to us. When you have heard the word, remember what A'ou hear, and apply it to yourselves by serious iucul- cative thoughts. So when you read the word, do not only understand it, but think of it again and again: Deut. xxxii. 46, ' Set your hearts to all the words which I testify among you this d…
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2. That there is usually some time of delay between making the promise and fulfilling the promise ; for therefore God promiseth, because he meaneth to do us good, but not presently. And this delay is not for want of kindness, or out of any backwardness to our good ; for so it is said, he will not tarry : Hab. ii. 3, ' …
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VeR. 49.] SERMOXS UPON PSALM CXIX. 23 quietly to vra'it God's leisure is a great trial of our patience. Our times are always present "wiili us, when God's time is not come. A hungry stomach would have meat ere it be sodden or roasted, and a sickish appetite must have green fruit ; but to wait, like the husband- man, i…
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4. This trust must be pleaded in prayer. [1.] Because prayer is one of the means by which God hath decreed to fulfil his promises ; and therefore we must obtain mercies in his own appointed way. God saith, I will do thus and thus for you : Ezek. xxxvi. 87, ' But I will be inquired after by the house of Israel for this…
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26 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LV. would give them rest in another world, they might well endure the inconveniences of their pilgrimage: Heb. xi. 16, ' But now they de- sire a better country, that is, an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their Grod, for he hath prepared for them a city.' The holy …
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28 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LVI. in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience/ 2. Then let us plead promises ; let them not lie by us as a dead stock, but put them in suit, and put God in remembrance. When the accomplishment is delayed, it is a notable way of …
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3. It is a full comfort, both for measure and matter. [1.] Sometimes for the measure ; the apostle speaketh of 'comforts abounding by Christ.' 2 Cor. i. 5, and Acts xiii. 52, ' The disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost;' and the apostle Paul, 2 Cor. vii. 4, v-nepirepiacTevoixai nj xapa, ' I am filled…
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4. It is a reviving comfort, which quickeneth the soul. Many times we seem to be dead to all spiritual operations, our affections are damped and discouraged ; but the word of God puts life into the dead, and relieveth us in our greatest distresses. Sorrow worketh death, but joy is the life of the soul. Now when dead in…
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VeR. 50.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 33 instruments, if we look no further ! But if we consider tlie providence of God, Job i. 23, not Domhuis dcdit, diaholus abshdit, but 'The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord,' So for contumely and reproaches ; if God let loose a barking S…
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4. The promises of scripture. To instance in all would be endless. There are three great promises which comfort us in all our afflictions — the promises of pardon of sins, and eternal life, and the general pro- mises about our temporal estate. [1.] The promises of pardon of sin. We can have no true cure for our sorrow…
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36 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LYI. of our life we know not ourselves ; in the middle, we are filled with cares and sorrows ; our last burdened with weakness and age. But now the godly are more appointed to troubles, because God will try their faith, perfect their patience, train them up for a better world. They ar…
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[2.] They indulge and give way to the present malady, hug the dis- temper, and do not consider the evil of it ; as ' Rachel refused to be comforted,' Jer. xxxi. 15. [3.] They do not chide themselves, ask the soul the reason, cite it before the tribunal of conscience, which is one way to allay passions : Ps. xlii. 5, '…
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VeR. 51.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 39 SERMON LVII. The ijroud have had me greatly in derision ; yet have I not declined from thy law. — Ver. 51. In these words are — 1. David's temptation. 2. His constancy and perseverance in his duty notwithstanding that temptation. First, In the temptation observe — 1. The per…
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Doct. That a Christian should not suffer himself to be flouted out of his religion, either in whole or in part ; or no scorn and contempt cast upon us should draw us from our obedience to God. VeR. 51.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 41 In the managing of it observe — 1. That a holy life is apt to be made a scorn by carna…
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2. The reasons of this are these : — [1.] Their natural blindness : 1 Cor. ii. 14, ' The natural man re- ceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him ; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' They are incompetent judges : Prov. xxiv. 7, ' Wisdom is too high fo…
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44 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LVII. self he cannot save : if he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him : he trusted in God ; let him deliver him now, if he will have him ; for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also which were crucified with him cast the same in…
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7. If some dishonour, others will honour us, who are better able to judge : Ps. xv. 4, * In whose eyes a vile person is contemned ; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord.' Some have as low an opinion of the world as the carnal world hath of the certainty of God's word. They who labour to bring piety and godliness in…
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VeR. 52.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 47 3. Take heed of the first declinings. God's saints may decline some- what in an hour of temptation, and yet be sincere in the main. Now evil is best stopped in the beginning: Heb. xii. 3, ' Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, lest ye be weary and faint in your…
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I shall despatch the point in these considerations : — 1. That there is a righteous God who governeth the world. All things are not hurled up and down by chance, as if the benefit we receive were only a good hit, and the misery a mere misfortune. No ; all things are ordered by a powerful, wise, and just God ; his word…
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YOL. YII. D 50 SEEMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LVIII, not just. Nay, the people of God themselves are so offended that they break out into such words as these, Ps. Ixxiii. 11-13, 'How doth God know ? is there knowledge in the Most High ? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world ; they increase in riches…
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3. By these judgments of old you see the exact correspondency be- tween his word and works. Where his voice is heard, but his hand not seen, his word is coldly entertained ; but by his providence he establisheth the authority of his law. The word spoken by angels was X6709 ^e/3aio<i, * a steadfast word,' Heb. ii. 2. A …
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1. What is to be observed and remembered. All the eminent pas- sages of God's providence, when acts of power have been seasonably interposed for the rescue of his people, judgments of all kind, public, universal, private and personal, our own experiences : 2 Cor. i. 10, ' Who delivered us from so great a death, and dot…
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(3.) If you take in the third thing, tarrying or waiting God's leisure ; for ' he that believeth will not make haste,' Isa. xxvi. 16. God will tarry to try his people, to observe his enemies, till their sins are full, and tarry to bring about his providences in the best time : 1 Peter v. 6, ' Humble yourselves, therefo…
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2. What is the matter ? The reason is given in the latter clause, because of the tvicked ivhich forsake thy law. Now this reason may be supposed to be — [1.] Either because of the storm of trouble raised by them, or per- secution from them ; and so it would note the outrageousness of those Avho have cast off the yoke,…
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58 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LIX. Grod take it at their hands ? And therefore the children of God, who have a great reverence of God's authority, when they see it so openly violated and contemned, are filled with horror. Will not God be tender of his power and sovereignty ? will he see his authority so lightly es…
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[1.] God allureth us to obedience by promises of this world and the next, which, if they were believed, men would be more forward and ready to comply with his will. As to the promises of the next world, lie hath told us of eternal life. Surely God meaneth as he speaketh in liis word, he will make good his word to the o…
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2. They have a due sense of the wrath of God. The prophet that threatened it saith, that ' rottenness entered into his bones, and his bowels quivered,' Hab. iii. 16. A lion trembleth to see a dog beaten before him. It is a trouble to the godly to think of the horrible punishments of the wicked, which they dread not, no…
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4. This producetb good effects ; it is a disposition of great use and profit to us. [1.] It deterreth us from sinning ourselves, and so we are kept from being tainted with the contagion of evil examples ; for what we mourn for in others we will not commit ourselves. The heart is made more averse from sin every day b}'…
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2. Those that are not affected with their own sins, much less with the sins of others. It is but a deceit of heart to declaim against the sins of the times, and not to mourn bitterly for our ov.'u sins : this is to translate the scene of our humiliation, and to put it far off from our- (i4 SERJIOXS UPOX PSALM CXIX. [S…
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3. ' In the house of my pilgrimage.' You may take it literally for the time of David's exile, when banished by Saul, or driven from his palace by Absalom : when he fled from place to place, and wandered up and down in great distress, then God's statutes, by which his life was directed, innocency vindicated, hopes confi…
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VeR. 54.] SERMON^S UPON PSALM CXIX. 67 most effectually draw off the heart of man from this world is the expectation of a far better state in the world to come: 2 Cor. iv. 18, ' While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the thi…
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2. There are others that wean their hearts from this world, and make it their care that they may carry themselves becoming their celestial extraction. As their souls were from above by creation, so all their hopes, and desires, and endeavours are to attain to that region of spirits ; much more as being renewed by grace…
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[4.] When once our qualification is clear, every step of our remove out of this world is an approach to our abiding city : Eom. xiii. 11, ' Our salvation nearer than when we first believed ;' and 2 Cor. iv. 16, 'Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.' [5.] Every degree of grace makes …
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2. Now I come to the reasons why God's pilgrims find matter of rejoicing in his word during the time of I heir exile and absence from God, and all the inconveniences that attend it. 72 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 1.] Some on the word's part. 2.] Some on the part of him that rejoiceth. 1.] On the word's part, God's pil…
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(3.) This word must be improved by reading and hearing, but especially by meditation and singing. (1st.) Meditation, when it is sweet and lively, stirreth this joy. Delight begets meditation, and meditation begets delight. There is a KUK\oyeveai<i in moral as well as natural things : Ps, i. 2, ' His delight is in the …
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VeR. 54.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 75 •we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God ; and not only so, but we glory in tribulation also.' How joyful are those that see themselves prepared for everlasting lite ! 2 Cor. v. 1, Tor we know that if our earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of God, an hou…
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1. David's exercise, / have remembered thy name, 0 Lord, in the night. 2. The effect and fruit of it, and have hept thy laio. The one may be considered as the means, the other as the next and immediate end. Eemembering and thinking is but a subservient help and means to promote some higher work. 1. In the first branc…
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These things are supposed in remembrance. 3. It expresseth a reviving of these thoughts, or an erection of the mind to think upon what we know and believe. Man, that hath an ingestive, hath also an egestive faculty, and can lay out as well as lay up, bring forth truths out of the mind when it is useful for us, and whe…
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(3.) Set and solemn, when from the bent, purpose, and incHnation of our own hearts, without any outward impulsion, we set ourselves to remember the God that made us. From first to last there is great use of meditation and serious thoughts of God in the spiritual life. 80 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LXI. Our first …
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3. It comforts and reviveth us in the midst of our faintings and dis- couragements, because of the evils of the present world : Jonah ii. 7, ' When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord.' When the burden of affliction presseth us sore, the stoutest hearts are hroken and lose all courage ; but when we come to…
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VeR. 55.] SERMONS UPON I'SAOI CXIX. 83 out of the hands of their enemies on every side.' It is a base ingrati- tude not to remember, prize, and esteem God for all this, [3.] Ordinances. Ministry was instituted to put you in remem- brance, and give you still new and fresh occasions to thinlc of God : 2 Peter i. 12, ' …
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2. God hath described his name by his attributes. To go over all, Vkh. 55.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 85 tlie compass of a sermon will not permit. I shall single out three from all the rest — his power, wisdom, and goodness ; they are mani- fested in all that God doth. [1.] In creation. Basil, 'EiroLrjcrev co? ujaGo^…
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[2.] These are manifested in the whole structure of his word ; his power in the histories and propliecies, which declare what God hath and shall do ; his wisdom in the precepts and counsels, and discovery of such mysteries ; his goodness in promises, institutions, and provi- sional helps. More particularly in the law p…
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[4.] These three attributes suit with God's threefold relation to us. By his almighty power he becometh our creator ; as most wise, our supreme governor ; as most good, our gracious benefactor. We depend upon him for our present supplies, and from him we expect our future hopes. His creation gives him a right to govern…
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3. The studying of God's name increaseth our reverence and fear : Ps. cxi. 9, ' Holy and reverend is thy name ; ' Ps. Ixxxvi. 11, ' Unite my heart to the fear of thy name.' The more you study the nature of God, the more awe-ful, serious, humble, watchful will you grow. Thus 90 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX, [SeR. LXII. you…
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(2.) The name of his powder. Oh ! think often of that almighty power that maketh and conserveth all things, that givetli a being to you and every creature, and will do so to his promises, though never so unlikely ; for what cannot he do that bringeth all things out of nothing by his word ? Therefore our confidence in h…
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(2d.) From self. A sight of God will best discover thyself unto thyself, that in the light of God's glorious majesty thou mayest dis- tinctly behold thine own vileness and misery. Esaias, when he saw God in vision : L'^a. vi. 5, ' Then said I, Woe is me, for I am undone, VeR. 55.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 93 because …
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1. Observe this, that which David speaketh of himself was a secret duty. Those duties which we perform in secret, and wherein we avoid the applause of men, are most sincere, and by, them many times we ob- tain most blessing : Mat. vi. 6, ' Thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee ope'nly.' David was the sam…
924 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.