PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 8
Thomas Manton · 321,683 words · 317 reading sections
Section 181
1. God is served actively and passively — by necessity of nature, or voluntary choice. Passively, by necessity of nature, all creatures, even the inanimate, are his servants: Ps. cxix. 91, "They continue this day accordinf^ to thine ordinances, for all are thy servants.' But actively, to serve liim out of duty and choi…
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288 SERMONS UPON TSxVLM cxix. [Ser. CXXXYII. our cndenvoiirs tlicrein, that so we may have time to save our souls ; and duoctiii,^ ns, that avc do all things holily and justly, as become the servants oC the Lord. Secondly, These may plead it when they Avant any mercy spiritual or temporal. 1. It is not a plea contra…
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VOL. vni. T 290 SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. [SeR. CXXXVII. to give us breath, ilie middle heaven to give us h'ght and lieat, the highest heaven for our dwelhng-place. The sun runneth and hasteneth to give us hglit. The sun shineth for us, the wind bloAvetli, and tlie water fioweth for our use. The earth and air are for …
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4. Consider what a hard master we were under before : Eom. vi. 17, * But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin.' You have obeyed many masters : Titus iii. 3, ' Ye were sometimes foolish, dis- obedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures,' You that were at the beck of every brutish lust, and were ca…
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YeR. 125.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 293 these matters beyond their weight, let not us ; it is not a pin to choose what i)arty a man is of, if he doth not mind righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost : as if a servant should provide sauce for his master, and neglect to provide meat. [i.] Oar great end and sc…
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Doct. God's best servants think they can never enough beg divine illumination. David doth often enforce this request. Beason 1. Our blindness in the matters of God is a great part of our spiritual misery : Eph. v. 8, ' Ye were sometimes in darkness.' There is a veil lying upon our hearts, not easily removed and taken…
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2. We have leave to ask it : James i. 5, ' If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God ; ' and why do we not, seeing we have a liberty to ask it ? 3. God hath promised to bestow it; he will give his Spirit to them that ask it, Luke xi. 13. And to beget faith in us : ' If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gi…
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Secondly. Let us explain the reason, ' For they have made void thy law.' The law is made void two ways, formed itej' et interijretative. 1. Formally, when any deny the authority of God, as Pliaraoh : Exod. V. 5, ' AVho is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?' Or those rebels, Ps. xii. 4, ' Our lips are our own ; wh…
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[1.] To chastise them for their sins, that they may be brought low, and their souls be humbled to the dust. Certainly this God expects before he will appear for us : 1 Peter v. 6, ' Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.' And because his people are backward to this work, he permitteth such instruments as will …
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Second consideration. Though he bear long, yet he hath his times to punish and arise to judgment. 1. With respect to himself and his own glory : Ps. ix. IG, ' The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth.' Little of God would be taken notice of in the world unless he did now and then give out sensible demonstr…
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302 SERMONS UPON rsALM cxix. [Ser. CXXXVIII. think that God slioukl come sooner to our deliverance : God is not shick, but we are too liasty ; if he should come sooner, it would be the worse for us. We would have thought God should have owned Joseph in the pit. No; God stays till he be cast into prison; and iu prison …
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(2.) When it growetli impudent and outrageous, as if they would obliterate and extinguish the law of God, or take away all force and authority from it by their perverse actions and pernicious examples. They do not obliquely, and under the show of divers pretences, break God's laws, but openly set themselves against him…
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VeR. 126.] 8ERM.0NS UPON PSALM CXIX. 305 may fear ourselves. We are bound up in the same community, and when God judgeth them, how shall we escape? The Jews have a proverb, that two dry sticks may set a green one on fire. The mean- ing is, the godly man may fall in tlie common calamity : wheat is plucked up with the t…
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[2.] For the manner how. We must seek to God, first, with sab- mission, not prescribing to God, nor making a snare to ourselves. We, that have short and revengeful spirits, cannot judge aright of God's patience, which is infinite, out of fleshliness and affection to our own ease. And so our times, John vii. 6. Your tim…
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First, For the note of inference, together with the duty inferred, ' Therefore I love thy commandments.' Some refer it to God's taking his time to work, as the judge of the world in punishing the wicked for their disobedience and contempt of his law ; as if he had said, Lord, though thou dost connive, and hold thy hand…
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310 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CXXXIX. upon the multitude's going so much as his disciples'. Therefore they should rouse up themselves in evil times. Reason 3. The good and the bad do exercise and keep one another in breath and vigour. When there are but two factions that stand in opposition to one another, one a…
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Reason 5. Because it is very acceptable to God, and a note of sincerity to hold out against trials, yea, to increase in zeal when others desert him. Many will flock to Christ, and resort to him in his prosperity. When religion is befriended, painted butterflies and gaudy carnalists will prove summer friends to him ; bu…
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3. There needs much zeal and strong love to God. When pro- faneness is in fashion, let us give check to it in our place, either as magistrates by appearing against evil-doers, as Nehemiah contended for God : Neh. xiii. 11, ' Then I contended with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken ? ' and ver. 17, '…
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7. A true sight of the worth of spiritual things above carnal. This in the text, ' More than gold, yea, fine gold.' Till a man cometh to this, his conscience will not be guided by his religion, but his interest, and give up all for the world's sake : 2 Tim. iv. 10, ' Demas hatli forsaken us, and loved the present world…
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Reasons for the degree of our love. 1. From the worth of the word, the reward, and those benefits that are gotten by studying and obeying it ; they exceed worldly things, as will appear, because the one suits with our bodily necessities, the other with our spiritual. Our bodily necessities are supplied by gold, our sp…
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3. Unless we love the word above riches, we cannot possess riches without a snare ; then it will be not only hard, but impossible, to enter into the kingdom of heaven : Mark x. 23-27, ' And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples. How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God ! And…
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Use 2. Have we such an esteem and affection to the word of God ? Then— 1. We will do that which in other cases a greater love would incline us to do ; otherwise it is but a compliment ; we will diligently exer- cise ourselves in the word of God. Labour is the fruit of love : ' Ke- membering your labour of love,' 1 The…
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1. Something might be observed from the illative particle : it is inferred from their making void of God's law. Doct. In times of defection, when others slight, contemn, and for- sake the ways of God, we should approve and esteem them the more. The reasons are — 1. To make amends for the contempt of others : 2 Peter…
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2. They are set up as warnings to us, as a beacon on fire warneth all the country to be in arms. You see what it is to give way to the beginnings of sin, not to be under the blessed conduct of God's Spirit. Some are notoriously wicked, judicially given up to be more visibly under the dominion of sin, that others may ta…
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324 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CXL. Spirit enlightcneth a man, he beginneth to see that which he knew not before, to see things in another manner. [2.] Advertency, or appHcation of the mind to the object or things esteemed ; that he seriously consider the matter, and what it is best to do ; it is not a sudden, ra…
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3. It is not a slight and superficial esteem, but such as is deep and solid : Mat. xiii. 20, ' He heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it.' It is a blessed thing to hear of the pardon of sin, Heb. vi. 5, to taste of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come ; as they that cheapen wines taste…
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5. It must be a universal, not partial esteem : ' I esteem all thy pre- cepts concerning all things to be right;' Ps. cxix. 6, 'When I liave respect to all thy commandments ;' Luke i. 6, 'Zachary and Elizabeth walked in all the commandments and ordinances of God blameless ;' Acts iii. 22, ' Him shall you hear in all th…
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1, From the excellency of God's law. The law of God deserves it : Dent. iv. G, ' Keep, therefore, and do them ; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say. Surely this great nation is a wise and un- derstanding people.' We should esteem the l…
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330 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CXL. judice your hearts. God hath given such laws, that if all things were left to our own option and choice, nothing better could be devised to preserve the liberty and perfection of the human nature. It is an ill note to count the command grievous. Holiness is so amiable in itself,…
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[2.] The love of God: Ps. xcvii. 10, ' Ye that love the Lord hate evil.' He doth not say forbear it, but hate it. The cause of hatred is the love of that good unto which the thing or person hated is contrary and repugnant. Love to the chiefest good is accompanied with hatred of sin, which is the chiefest evil. The one …
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a man liateth it, the soul is not thoroughly resolved against it, as a man is never thoroughly gained to God till he love holiness for holiness' sake : his affections may be bribed with other considerations, but then VeR. 129.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 333 he is rooted in godliness. So a man is not resolved against…
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[2.] He is a wonder to the world, if he keep up the majesty and vigour of religion : 1 Peter iv. 4, ' Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.' It was strange to them that they should be altered so of a sudden, that of filthy puddles they should become c…
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2. It is wonderful for the matter and depth of mystciy, which cannot be found elsewhere, concerning God and Christ, the creation of the world, the souls of men, and their immortal and everlasting- condition, the fall of man, &c. Here God is set forth to us in the clearest representation that we are capable of in this m…
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3. It is wonderful for purity and perfection. The decalogue in ten words comprisetli the whole duty of man, and reacheth to the very soul and all the motions of the heart. All the precepts of morality are advanced to the highest perfection. Those fragments and sorry remainders of the light of nature, that have escaped …
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VeR. 129.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 339 castles, free towns, councils, armies, senate, markets ; everywhere but in the idol temples. Such a wonderful increase and success was there in a short time ! The apostle : Col. i. 6, ' The word of the truth of the gospel is come unto j'ou, as it doth to all the world,- and brin…
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But this is past and gone. There is a wonderful power that goes along with the word. [1.] A power to humble and terrify those that scoffed at the miracles : Acts ii, 37, ' When they heard tliis, they were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles. Men and brethi-en, what shall we do …
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342 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. CXLII. [3.] In comfortin<2; poor distressed souls. Their sore runneth upon them, and their soul refViseth comfort, when they have all thins^s in the world; hut yet as there are no sorrows like wounds of conscience for degree, so no comforts : gi'oans unutterahle, so joys unutterahle …
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3. Those that would fathom these mysteries by the line and plum- met of their own reason, believe God's word, and the things contained in it, no further than they can see natural reason for it, these are not disciples of the doctrine of Christ, but judges, and set a prince at the subject's bar ; the scantling of their …
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1. A spiritual gust to relish knowledge and spiritual things. A brutish soul admires the sweetness of carnal things ; the sober part of the world, that prize intellectual food, the perfections of the mind, they have a taste and relish for those things : Ps. cxix. 103, ' How sweet is thy word to my taste ! yea, sweeter …
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porcli I sliould take for the first vital essential necessary truths that concern faith and practice : those are obvious to every one that looketh into the scriptures. The inner cliambers are those more abstruse points, that do not so absolutely concern the life of grace, but yet con- duce ad 'plenitudinem scienticc, s…
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[1.] There is sometliing obvious and lies uppermost in all truths, that is soon understood, and this we put into catechisms. We must teach as able to bear : Mark iv. 33, ' And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.' Indeed, afterwards we come to dig into the mines of knowledg…
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[3.] They which do not first learn these, cannot profit much. Some confused knowledge they may acquire, but distinct, clear, and orderly understanding they never grow unto. When men run before they can go, they often get a knock. They that were never well grounded are always mutable ; therefore before we are brought in…
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Use 3. Let the entertainment we have upon our first entrance into the study of religion encourage us to follow on to know the Lord, that we may see more into his mind and counsel concerning us. When we are first serious, we have notable experience of light and comfort and 352 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SkPv. CXLIII. p…
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(2.) Because it is a soul-satisfying light, as light easeth of trouble and restlessness of mind, which we always lie under till we find a safe way of salvation, which we never do till we give up ourselves to the conduct of the word : Jer. vi. 16, ' Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the …
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Doct. 3. That the scriptures are written so that plain and private men may get this light and spiritual understanding by them : Ps. xix, 7, ' The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul : the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.' 1. From the author, God, who is the fountain of light ; and sur…
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Use 2. Of encouragement to poor Christians that have a sense of weakness. Before Plato's school was written, ' Let none but the learned come in hither ;' but Christ inviteth the simple. That none might be discouraged, he speaketh to all sorts : Prov. viii. 4, 5, ' Unto you, 0 men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of…
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1. The vehemcncy of his passion, I opened my mouth, and panted. 2. The reason or cause of it,/o?' I longed for tlnj commandments. First, 'I opened my mouth, and panted ;' a metaphor taken from men scorched and sweltered with heat, or from those that have run themselves out of breath in following after the thing which…
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3. Of all desires, those which carry us out to holy things should bear sway, and be the greatest ; for affections are not rationally exer- cised unless they bear proportion to the objects they are conversant about. Now the word and things contained therein are the most noble objects, and so most suitable for our desire…
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YeR. 131.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 361 urging afFection ? Surely there will be secret, deep, and frequent sighs, there will be a striving with Grod in prayer, and constant attendance upon God. Such an active afFection cannot be hid. Most men desire so little, it cannot be known whetlier it be desire or no. [5 ] God'…
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VeR. 131.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX, 363 our knowledge of them is clear, and by the senses obtrude and thrust themselves upon the soul. Therefore use them with a guard and restraint. [7.] Though this desire should always continue in some degree, yet there are some seasons when it is more vehement, and more notably sti…
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Use 2. Information why the people of God press through so many difficulties to enjoy his word. They are urged and pricked on by a strong desire ; they would fain enjoy more of God, and therefore press after the means, where it is most clearly and powerfully revealed : John xi. 12, ' From the days of John the Baptist un…
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These are the especial objects of grace and favour. I shall explain the words as I go over the several branches. First, I begin with the petition, ' Look thou upon me.' The Sep- tuagint reads it, eV/'/SXeTre eVl e'/ie'. Other translations, aspice one, or respice me. Ainsworth, Turn thy face unto me: Ps. xxvi. 16, ' Tu…
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2. His value and esteem of God's favour : Ps. iv. 6, 7, ' There be many that say, Who will show us any good ? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.' Esteem of spiritual privileges is a great means to c…
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VeR. 132.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 369 3. Be sucli as God will regard, and have an eye unto. Such are — [1.] The broken-hearted, that have a tender conscience, affected deeply with what the word speaketh concerning their everlasting con- dition : Isa. Ixvi, 2, ' To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and …
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2. There is much to the contrary, a manifest unworthiness and contrary desert to what God bestoweth on us. [1.] A general unworthiness in all the sons of Adam. Man was left as a condemned malefactor in the hands of the law, without all hope and possibility of recovery, under sin ; Rom. vii. 14, ' I am carnal, sold und…
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[2 ] They agree in the moving cause, which in both was the grace of God. The first covenant, it was grace for God to make it. It was the grace of God to accept of man's perfect obedience, so as to make him sure of eternal life on the performance of it. Though the last covenant hath the honour by way of eminency to be s…
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[7.] The conditions in both covenants were suitable to the ends and 374 SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. [SeR. CXLVI. scope appointed. In the first covenant God would show forth justice in rewardine: man's works and his own ol)edience. Now what more suitable condition than works, without the least indulgence in case of faili…
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[2.] They differ in their nature. The covenant of works stood more by commands, and less by promises ; but the covenant of grace stand- eth more by promises, and less by commands : therefore called the promise. Gal. iii. 18, ' For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise ; but God gave it to Abraham b…
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VeR. 132.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 377 * He shall have judgment without mercy.' When none to mediate for them, they have to do with justice, strict justice. The least sin is enough to ruin you, it will pass by no transgression, remit no part of your punishment, it will have satisfaction to the utmost farthing, ad- mi…
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Object. But it seemetli to be contradicted by sense. They that love God most arc most calamitous, and have many afflictions. Ans. 1. These belong to God's covenant, and are expressions of his good-will and faithfulness : Ps. cxix. 75, ' I know. Lord, that thy judgments are right] and that thou in faithfulness hast aff…
982 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.