PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Manton — Volume 8
Thomas Manton · 321,683 words · 317 reading sections
Section 301
[4.] The qualifications and concomitants of this holy zeal. I will name three : — (1.) It must be accompanied with knowledge and discretion ; that is to say, there must be a distinct knowledge of the cause that we take up, else we may be factors for the devil's kingdom when we tliink we are acting for God, and be pers…
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[5.] To speak of the private and personal use of zeal, what need we have to keep up a warm frame of heart towards God and heavenly things (hitherto we have considered it as it respects God's public interest) ; it is also of private use both in resisting of sin, and perfect- ing holiness in the fear of God. (1.) In res…
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476 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeII. CLVL 2. It needs to be pure, too ; such a fervent affection had need be right, for since it makes men so active and rcsohite, certainly it should go upon clear grounds. I showed before nothing hath done more mis- chief in the world than wild zeal; it is like lire out of its place, t…
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[2.] It notes the exact perfection of the word. There is no dross in silver and gold that hath been often refined, so there is no defect in the word of God. 2. Here is David's respect to the word ; speaking of himself in the third person, he saith, ' Thy servant loveth it.' The children of God love the word, and the d…
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YeR. 140.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 479 or else how should they know his will ? and then it was meet he should honour his rule by ownin_<^ it above all other doctrines, by the con- comitant operation of his Spirit, that this might be a constant authentic ])roof of its divine authority. The efficacy of the word is a pl…
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(3.) The scripture ofiferetli great helps to purity. Christ died to purchase it for us : Eph. v. 27, ' He gave himself for us, that he might sanctify and cleanse us by the washing of water through the word.' And God hath promised to give this clean heart to them that seek after it, and undertaketh to give what he requi…
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(5.) Here are terrible threatenings ; the word is impatient of being denied ; it would have holiness and purity upon any terms ; there is something propounded to our fear as well as to our hope. Sometimes the word of God threatens with the loss of happiness : Heb. xii. 14, ' Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.'…
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484 SERMONS UrON I'SALM CXIX. [Sicu. CLVII. a di'iivvn sword stood in liis way, as the angel stood with a drawn sword in Balaam's way : they had rather have all the world against them, than the word against them, Isa. Ixvi. 25. This aweful regard of the word of God it is a good evidence of our love to it. (3.) Then w…
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2. Because many love it upon wrong reasons. There may be a natural and carnal love to spiritual things. Look, as a religious man in outward things rejoiceth spiritually, so a carnal man in spiritual things rejoiceth carnally. So Herod rejoiced in John's preaching with a human passion, Mark vi. 20, as he was a plausible…
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VeR. 140.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 487 expression, or public countenance and credit, or external advantage, John vi. 26. Vix diligitur Jesus propter Jesum. Or they may love it for internal reasons, as it is a good word, as they that tasted of the power of the world to come ; they may look upon it for pleasure and pro…
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2. There are some more tolerable principles, the hope of temporal mercies. When we come and pray, and do not seek the favour of God, but seek temporal mercies : Hosea vii. 14, ' They howled upon their beds for corn and wine.' Or the fear of temporal judgments, Isa. Iviii. 5 ; Jer. ii. 16; when all that they do is to re…
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490 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. CLVIIL of the sons of Jesse to be king, and the ekler chibh-en were brought forth, wlio were taller, and more likely too ; and they said of them, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him ; and when Samuel inquired lor another, they told him, 1 Sam. xvi. 7, ' That there remainelh the …
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3. That they may be more sensible of his displeasure against their sins and scandalous carriage, by which they have dishonoured him and provoked the pure eyes of his glory. Never have scandals flillen out but some great woe followed : Mat. xviii. 7, ' Woe to the world, be- cause of offences.' Therefore God hath brought…
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2. When God's ends are accomplished there is hope : Isa. x. 12, ' When the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Ziou ; ' when he hath chastised his people, and brought them to his purpose, then he will reckon with his enemies ; when heaven is minded more, and earth less. We naturally mind earthly things, and p…
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3. It is very grievous. Contempt maketh our other trials more sharp. Every man thinketh himself worthy of some respect, and would be somebody in the Avorld, and therefore, when we are laid aside as if dead and useless, the temptation is the greater. Saul could better bear death than contempt : 1 Sam. xxxi. 4, ' Draw th…
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3. We must be dead to esteem, credit, and reputation, as well as other things, or else we are incapable of the kingdom of heaven : John 496 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. CLVIII. V. 44, ' How can ye believe, that seek honour one of another, and seek not llie honour that conieth of God only?' John xii. 41, 42, ' These…
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2. God observeth what we do in our trouble : Ps. xliv. 20, 21, 'If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god, shall not God search out this, for he knoweth the secrets of our hearts ? ' If we slacken our service to God, or fall off to any degree of apostasy, the judge of hearts …
682 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.