In his epistle to Lady Popham he tells her, ' It is a lovely conjunc- tion when goodness and greatness meet together. Persons of estate and respect have more temptations and hindrances than others, but greater obligations to own God. The great Landlord of the world expects rent from every cottage, but a larger revenue from great houses. Now usually it falls out so, that they who hold the greatest farms pay the least rent. Never is God more neglected and dishonoured than in great men's houses, and in the very face of all his bounty. If religion chance to get in there, it is soon worn out again. Though vice lives long in families, and runs in the blood from father to son, it is a rare case to see strictness of religion carried on for three or four descents. It was the honour of Abraham's house, that from father to son, for^[a long while, they were heirs of the same promise. But where is there such a succession in the families of our gentry ? The causes of which he reduces to " plenty, ill-governed," which disposes to vice, as a rank soil is apt to breed weeds, and to a certain " false bravery of spirit," which thinks strictness inglorious, and the power of religion a mean thing ; and to " the marriage of children into carnal families," wherein they consult rather with the greatness of their houses than the continuance of Christ's interest in their line and posterity. How careful are they that they match in their own rank for blood and estate ! Should they not be as careful for religion also ? All this is spoken, madam, to quicken you to greater care in your relation, and that you may settle a standing interest for Christ, so hopefully already begun in your house and family. Though your course of life be more private and confined, yet you have your service. The Scripture speaks of women gaining upon their husbands, seasoning the children, encour- aging servants in the ways of godliness, especially of their own sex. It is said of Esther (chap. iv. 16), " I also and my maidens will fast like-
or THOMAS MANTOif, D.D, xi
wise." These maidens were either Jews (and then it shows what ser- vants should be taken into a nearer attendance, such as savour of religion), or else, which is more probable, such as she had instructed in the true religion ; for they were appointed her by the eunuch, and were before instructed in the court fashions (chap. ii. 9). But that did not satisfy. She takes them to instruct them in the knowledge of the true God ; and, it seems, in her apartments had opportunity of religious commerce with them in the worship of God.'
He continued seven years at Newington, and possessed the general respect of his parishioners, though there were several persons of dif- ferent sentiments from himself. Being generally esteemed an excel- lent preacher, he was often employed in that work in London on the week-days ; and other weighty affairs sometimes called for his attend- ance there. The custom of preaching to the sons of the clero-y beo-an in his time. Dr Hall (afterwards Bishop of Chester, and son of the famous Bishop Hall of Norwich) preached the first sermon to them, as Mr Manton did the second. The sermon is printed at the end of the third volume, in folio, upon Ps. cii. 28. He was several times, though not so often as some others, called to preach before the Parlia- ment, and received their order in course for printing his sermons ; though, I think, he never published but two of them himself Some of them are printed among his posthumous works. In all of them the wisdom and judgment of Dr Manton, in the suitableness of the subject to the circumstances of the times, and the prudent management of it to the best advantage, are very visible ; particularly after he had given his testimony among the London ministers against the death of the king, he was appointed to preach before the Parliament. His text was. Dent, xxxiii. 4, 5, ' Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob ; and he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.' When they were higlily offended at this sermon, some of his friends advised him to withdraw, for some in the House talked of sending him to the Tower, but he never flinched, and their heat abated.
His removal from Newington to Co\'ent Garden was occasioned by the great age of Mr Obadiah Sedgwick, who was now disabled for his work. The people growing uneasy, several worthy persons were pro- posed for the place, but Mr Sedgwick would not be prevailed with to resign till Mr ]\Ianton was mentioned, and to that he readily yielded. He was presented to the living, with great respect and satisfaction, by his noble and generous patron, the Earl, afterwards Duke, of Bedford, who greatly esteemed him to his dying day, and sent him, as a mark of his respect, a key of the garden which then belonged to Bedford House, either to walk in it at his leisure, or as a convenient passage to the Strand. He had in this place a numerous congregation of per- sons of great note and rank, of which number was oftentimes the excellent Archbishop Usher, who used to say of him, that he was one of the ' best preachers in England,' and that he was a ' voluminous preacher;' not that he was ever long and tedious, but because he had the art of reducing the substance of whole volumes into a narrow com- pass, and representing it to great advantage. Mr Charnock used to say of him, that he was the ' best collector of sense of the age.'