Section 1 — The Complete Works of Thomas Manton

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Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677. The complete works of Thomas Manton

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THE COMPLETE WORKS

THOMAS MANTON, D.D.

VOLUME XXII.

CONTAININO

SEKMONS ON SEVERAL TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE;

TOGETHER WITH

COPIOUS INDEXES OF SUBJECTS AND TEXTS TO DR MANTON'S WORKS.

LONDON:

JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET.

1875.

COUNCIL OF PUBLICATION.

W. LINDSAY ALEXANDER, D.D., Trofessor of Theology, Congregational Union, Edinburgh.

JAMES BEGG, D.D., Minister of Newington Free Church, Edinburgh.

THOMAS J. CRAWFORD, D.D., S.T.P., Professor of Divinity, University, Edinburgh.

D. T. K. DRUMMOND, M.A., Minister of St Thomas's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh.

WILLIAM H. GOOLD, D.D., Professor of Biblical Literature and Church History, Reformed Presbyterian (Jhurcb, Edinburgh.

ANDREW THOMSON, D.D., Minister of Broughtoa Place United Presby- terian Church, Edinburgh.

iStncral or^bitor. REV. THOMAS SMITH, D.D., Edinburgh.

CONTENTS.

Sermons

Several Texts of Scripture —

PACK

Sermon

UPON Proverbs vi. 6-8,

Proverbs iii. 18, .

})

Psalm xci. 1,

0-7

John xix. 34-37, .

}»

Matthew xix. 30, .

1 John i. 7,

Job X. 2, .

Acts vii. 55, 56,

2 Samuel xxiy. 24,

1 John ii. 20,

Hebrews xii. 24, .

106

Funeral Sermon Preached upon

the

Death of Dr Manton,

123

Index of Subjects,

Index of Texts, .

Index of Principal Texts,

149 373 455

SERMONS

SEYERAL TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE

VOL. XXII.

SERMON UPON" PROVERBS VI. 6-8.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard ; consider her ways, and he ivise: luhich having no guide, overseer, or ruler, providefh her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. — Prov. vL 6-8.

Man being fallen from God, and the primitive perfection of his nature, may be taught his duty by the meanest creatures ; therefore in scrip- tm-e we are often referred to the beasts of the field and fowls of the air. As, for instance, to cure our ingratitude, the prophet bids us consider the beasts : Isa. i. 3, ' The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib ; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.' And to cure our distrust, Christ sends us to the ravens : Luke xii. 24, ' Consider the ravens : for they neither sow, nor reap ; which neither have storehouse, nor barns ; yet God feedeth them : how much more are ye bettei- than the fowls.' And to cure our insensibility and im- providence in the season of action, and to put us on using fit remedies, we are sent to the stork and crane : Jer. viii. 7, * The stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times, and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their coming ; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord.' These creatures know the time of coming and going, but man is stupid and senseless. Now here we are sent to school to a far more inferior creature, the ant or pismire. Certainly there is a great deal of morality in the bosom of nature, if we had the skill to find it out. There are in most of the creatures shadows both of virtues and vices ; and if I may speak my mind, tliese are the true layman's books, and the images from whence we may learn understanding and the knowledge of God.

Here, to shame him, the sluggard is sent to the ant — ' Go to the ant, thou sluggard,' «&c.

In which words we have — (1.) The learner, the sluggard. (2.) The teacher, the ant. (3.) The manner of address directed, ' Go, consider her ways, and be wise. (4.) The lesson to be learned, diligence and labour, or providence and foresight. Diligence and labour, in that ' she provideth her meat, and gathereth her food.' And providence and foresight, that this is done in 'harvest and summer;' in the time when it is to be had, when there is much grain spilt or shed. (5.) The enforcement of this lesson ; that the ant doth this though she hath ' no guide, overseer, and ruler.'

1. The scholar or learner is the sluggard, who is averse and back-

4 . SERMON UPON PROVERBS VI. 6-8.

ward to liis necessary duty, both in temporals and spirituals ; and so sins not only against the law of God, but his own nature ; for a living soul was never given us to be idle. Nature made our faculties for use. All the world about us is in action ; the sun runneth his course, the waters flow for our use and benefit, the winds blow, the earth bringeth forth, cattle labour for us ; but the sluggard is the shame of the creation ; every creature is a witness against him to condemn his sloth. But here the slothful are sent to the ant to learn to labour, and make provision for futurity. And thus, to correct our stupidness and folly, God sendeth us to the least of the dumb and unreasonable creatures.

2. The teacher is the ant, a sedulous and sagacious creature. Wonders are spoken of them in writers, which I list not to trouble you with ; as what skill they show in framing their cells, that they may not be drowned by wet ; what order and discipline they use among themselves ; what diligence they use to get provision, not only by day, but by night, as ^lian tells us. In the full moons of summer and harvest they rest not. What sagacity they have in biting off the ends of the corn, that it may not grow ; how they perish not, but live in the wettest and coldest winter. The grasshopper, that singeth away the summer, dieth whilst they supply themselves out of the store which they have gathered by their industry. To dilate on these things at large would savour more of the natural historian than the divine.