2. Do you take Christ for your only saviour and redeemer ? giving up yourselves to be saved by his merits, righteousness, and intercession, as he hath promised in the word ? Do you trust yourselves and souls with him for pardon, peace, and endless ha})piness ? depend upon his covenant and promises for reconciliation with God, and everlasting fruition of him in glory? trampling upon all things, rather than turn your back upon your Redeemer's grace ?
3. Do you yield yourselves to the Holy Ghost ? Are you unfeignedly desirous to be rid of sin as displeasing to the holy God, how dear soever it hath been to you ? And do you submit to the Spirit, to be sanctified and perfected by degrees in the means lie hath appointed, being ruled by his motions rather than the desires of the flesh ? Do you observe his accesses and recesses, and behave yourselves accordingly ?
SERMONS
SEVEEAL TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
To THE Eight Honourable Sir Thomas Abnet, Kt., Alderman, and Lord Mayor of the City of London, with his most reh'gious Consort.
My Lord and Lady, — Whoever have known the spirit and temper of ■worthy Dr Manton, appearing in his not-yet-forgotten hfe, and con- spicuous in his never-to-he-forgotten writings, and do know anything of your temper and spirit, will not think it an incongruity that your names and his do thus stand together on the same page. Your lordship's high esteem and value of him, made public to the world, can reflect no dishonour upon you, either in your own judgment, or any man's that is a capable judge of persons and things. And your ladyship's kindness to his memory is even hereditary, descending to you from your worthy father, between whom and him there was so inward and continued a friendship as scarce ever hath been a greatei', expressed by beneficence on the one part, and gratitude on the other.
And that an eminent servant of Christ, who, through the track of so many years, hath been so great and public a teacher, and example of the ancient serious piety, rigliteousness, sobriety, strictness of manners, with most diffusive charity (for which London hath been renowned for some ages beyond most cities in the world), should have his memory revived by such a testimony from persons under your character, and who hold so public a station as you do in it, can never be thought unbecoming, as long as clearly explained and exemplified religion, solid, useful learning, and good sense, are in any credit in the world.
This volume will, as an addition to his many former most useful and most ajjproved works that have gone before it, further, through God's blessing, contribute to the mending the world. And as it adds reputa- tion to the author, so will the countenance you give it add to your own reputation. That it may also redound to your real and the common advantage is the cordial prayer of, my honoured lord and lady, your most faithful humble servant in Christ, John Howe.
THE PREFACE.
Christian Eeader, — The many volumes of sermons tliat come yearly from the press may in all probability incline some at first to apprehend that, as to what is here presented, the publisher might have si)ared his pains. But till we can find another Dr Manton, and performances like to his, there is no sense in the censure. Of many attempts in this kind, it had been wished they had proved abortive, there arising no credit to tliose concerned, nor benefit to the world ; but the excellence of Dr Manton's sermons is so conspicuous, that none can attempt to detract from them, but it must be from ignorance or envy. Living and dying, he had that reputation for a king of preachers that hath been reached by few. Archbishop Usher was wont to say of him, that he was a voluminous preacher ; not as if he was tedious for length, but because he had the art of reducing the substance of volumes of divinity into a narrow compass. Mr Charnock oft represented him as the best col- lector of sense of the age. And Dr Bates, in his sermon at his funeral, declares it with admiration, that though he was so very frequent in preach- ing, yet he was always superior to others, and equal to himself. Here are three substantial witnesses of imdoubted credit ; and he that won't confirm their testimony with his own (upon the perusal of his com- posures) manifestly shows he hath no gust. No man spun a more even thread through all his sermons, which are as much of a piece as can well be conceived ; so that if any of them are valuable, they are all so ; for the same spirit and sense, substance and warmth, is discernible in all of them. As for this volume, it hath nothing spurious, nothing unbecoming the author, nothing mean or trivial ; but it contains several as valuable and useful discourses as any that have been already printed. And if any have given themselves the liberty to sa)', The doctor runs dregs (the best being culled out before, and these the refuse left), it is a sign they did not know him ; nor is it doubted but a perusal of what is here offered will rectify their mistakes. These sermons were all transcribed from his own notes, and crave the reader's candour to give them that charitable allowance which is due to all posthumous works. That light and love, knowledge and holiness, may bo increa.sed, and dift'used more and more through this land and city, by all the labours of those whom Christ hath sent into his vineyard, is the hearty prayer of one of the meanest and unworthiest of them,