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A51846 A second volume of sermons preached by the late reverend and learned Thomas Manton in two parts : the first containing XXVII sermons on the twenty fifth chapter of St. Matthew, XLV on the seventeenth chapter of St. John, and XXIV on the sixth chapter of the Epistle of the Romans : Part II, containing XLV sermons on the eighth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, and XL on the fifth chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians : with alphabetical tables to each chapter, of the principal matters therein contained.; Sermons. Selections Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677. 1684 (1684) Wing M534; ESTC R19254 2,416,917 1,476

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his Neighbour Or a man ready to die thank God for his recovery A slave of sin for his liberty by Christ This is to mock God He may thank God for Redemption for the new Covenant for the others and invitations of Grace for means and time to repent but for the great change and for an actual interest in Christ we can never thank him till first it be wrought in us and given to us 2. Live in admiration and acknowledgment of Grace Let this indear God to your hearts Eph. 1.6 To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved and vers 12. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. 3. Make your Qualification more explicite by being printed and marked with your Religion in Heart 2 Cor. 3.18 You are changed into the same image from glory to glory In Life Phil. 1.27 Only let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel 4. Never return unto your old Bondage The time of slavery is past 2 Pet. 2.20 If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the beginning They that revert to their old Bondage have no due sense of the mercy of their deliverance out of it SERMON XIX ROM VI. 18 19. Being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness THESE words are an Inference and Conclusion from the foregoing Discourse shewing That as they had changed Masters they should change their course of life In them observe two things First The state of the believing Romans both past and present 1. Past that is implied they were once under the bondage and slavery of sin 2. Present they were freed from that Bondage and become the servants of Righteousness where observe two things 1. The freedom from their former Servitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word is used of them that are emancipated or brought out of Bondage into Liberty Sin was a cruel and hard Master 2. Their entrance into a new Estate of Obedience in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye became the servants or subjected your selves you have given up your selves to a more ingenious service Secondly The Exhortation hence deduced Where observe two things 1. The Preface to sweeten it 2. The Matter of it 1. The Preface to sweeten it I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh Some think the Apostle excuseth the earthly similitude whereby he had represented these matters as if he were forced to use these Notions of Master and Servants because of the weakness of their Understandings which could not brook a more sublime and spiritual way of discoursing Rather I think it is meant of the Equity of the Proposal which is set forth by two expressions 1. The Humanity of it 2. The due Consideration taken of the weakness of their flesh The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak Mat. 26.41 that is your will indeed is good but you must remember it may be hindred by your natural frailty So here the weakness of the flesh is mentioned to intimate their disability wholly and fully to do the Will of God that is allow for infirmities and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I speak moderately humanely and by way of condescension I propound that which is common and judged reasonable among men that is said to be common to men that doth not exceed the strength of men 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humane or common to men 2 Sam. 7.14 I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men that is not in rigor but with a gentle and fatherly hand 2. The matter is delivered by comparison of what is now due with what was formerly done by them when they were under the slavery of sin 1. What they had done They yielded their members to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity Mark here two sins are mentioned Vncleanness and Iniquity By Vncleanness some understand carnal sins by Iniquity spiritual wickedness Others by Vncleanness understand those sins whereby the pleasure of the carnal inclination is gratified by Iniquity the violence of the Passions But the words are taken in a larger sense all sin is Vncleanness as defiling the Soul all sin is Iniquity as disagreeing with the Equity of Gods Law but divers words are heaped up to shew 1. That they stuck at no sin and whereas it is said They yielded up themselves to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity it teacheth us That seldom doth sin stand alone one doth as it were impel and bind us to another venture a little and you have a tye upon you to go further 2. That they rested not in the inward consent or lust but added iniquity unto iniquity that is from the habitual inclination they proceeded to actual sin 2. What they should now do they should yield up their members servants to righteousness unto holiness that is imploy their time and strength to serve and please God and continually to grow in Grace Doctrine Those that are recovered from Sin to God should shew the reality of their Change by being as earnest in Holiness as before they were in sinning In all reason this may be required of you and less we cannot require Let me so open the Point that you may take along with you the sense of the words of the Text. 1. That there is a great Change wrought in all them that are brought home to God is evident by the whole Scripture which sets them forth as those that have been called out of darkness into light 1 Pet. 2.9 Who have passed from death to life Joh. 3.24 Translated from the power of Satan into the kingdom of Christ Col. 1.13 and many other such expressions And therefore every one that would judge of his own Estate must look after this change of state and wherein he differeth from himself unconverted when unconverted not only from others but from himself when and how the case is altered with him since he was acquainted with God in Christ. 2. The difference between the two Estates is chiefly seen in the change of Masters or the dominating Principle in the Soul what governeth the man for that determines our Estate There are some who are under the reign of sin even those who are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness Rom. 2.9 But there are others who are under the Empire and Soveraignty of Grace who are fitted and framed for what is right good and holy and hate
have done how to preserve Peace as well as Truth Certainly we that have one Father are born of one Mother acknowledg one Elder Brother even Christ by whom we are adopted hope for one Patrimony we should be more careful to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace We have a great many Contentions now for one holy Contention Heb. 10.24 Let us consider one another to provoke to Love and to good Works What Arguments shall I use The danger of the Papists on one hand of Sects on the other Of Papists If ever the Beast were likely to recover of his Wounds now it is Our Divisions make us first a Laughing-Stock to the Enemy and then a Prey first we are had in contempt then they use violence And it may be just with God to suffer it when Piety decreaseth Charity is exiled and Bitterness Partialities Strife Suspicions are only left to reign and flourish Certainly if once a Peace were setled in the Reformed Churches the Prophecies concerning Antichrist would soon be accomplished those Relicts of God's Election which do as yet remain in Spiritual Babylon would soon come out from amongst them who are now scandalized at our Divisions As when a Boat is to take in Passengers when all the Passengers are in the Boat they lanch out and hoist up Sail. They are weary of the Idolatry and Superstitions of the Romish Church and would soon break the Cords wherewith they are now held Truth would have a greater Power Acts 4.32 33. And the multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things common And with great Power gave the Apostles witness of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus and Grace was upon them all As to Sects on the other side Libertines daily increase by means of the Divisions amongst them that fear God and grow formidable in the variety of their Combinations and Endeavours Jude 11. Wo unto them for they 〈◊〉 gone in the way of Cain and run greedily after the Error of Baalam for Reward and perished in the gain-saying of Core There would be an end of this Itch if all that fear God would join together as one Man in the defence of the Gospel Alas we have striven long enough hindred the common Salvation long enough Scandals enough have been given it is high time to renounce all Fruits of Revenge and Ambition and think of Peace and Unity But you will say What would you have us to do I Answer Something with God something as to Men. Something with God Pray and Mourn lay to Heart the Divisions that are among God's People I speak for Sion's sake we should be very earnest with God for Sion Isa. 62.1 For Sion 's sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalem 's sake I will not rest until the Righteousness thereof go forth as Brightness and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth A great House is smitten with Breaches and a little House with Clefts not only Kingdoms but particular Families are destroyed when the Members of them are divided in Opinions and Affections Psal. 122.6 Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee Let this be your constant Request to God be not acted with a private factious Spirit Something is to be done with Men. I do not speak now how to keep Peace it is past that but how to restore it now it is lost What shall we do The Apostle telleth you Phil. 3.15 16. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Nevertheless whereto ye have already attained let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same Thing There is no Remedy now left but brotherly-forbearance towards those that hold the Foundation It were to be wished that we could agree not only in Fundamentals but in all other the Accessaries of Christian Doctrine But this cannot be hoped for What then shall the Rent go further and further without any Remedy No let therefore all Parties that in the judgment of a regular Charity may be presumed to have owned Christ walk together as far as they have attained And how is that I can only propound my Wishes and Desires let them reserving their private Differences to themselves come under some common Rule or solemn Acknowledgment of the Foundations of Religion What if there were a Form drawn up to that purpose to which both should stand I think to state Fundamentals is a Matter of great difficulty God would make us cautious of every Truth therefore the Canon of the Scripture is very large But there are some things propounded in the Scriptures as absolutely necessary without which Salvation cannot be had If we were mutually engaged to the Profession of these patiently bearing with one another in other things undecided mutually abstaining from Magisterial Decisions and Enforcements and obtruding Opinions upon one another by Violence and all rash Condemnations castings out of Christ limiting Religion to our own Party saying Here is Christ and there is Christ as if Christ were divided commending one another's Prosperity to God by mutual Prayers this were a healing Course Let us perform all mutual Offices of Love and Spiritual Counsel to one another strengthning one another in solid Piety holding forth light in the lesser Differences with all modesty and candor and in Civil Matters standing as one Man against the common Enemy and using Endeavours to promote the Kingdom of Christ without any Reflections on our private Honour Profit and Interests If this were once done I doubt not but the Fog would vanish and we should find our selves nearer to one another than we do imagine I am not altogether out of hope that this will be done because of the Promises It is done already in the Kingdom of Poland between the Lutherans and the Calvinists Vse 3. To perswade the Ministers of the Gospel to a greater Concord and Amity in the joint discharge of their Work Christ prayeth here for the Apostles that they may be One How should we agree together in pressing Duty reprehending Sin This would be an effectual and potent Means not only to the Peace of the Church but Success of the Gospel Schism in the Church of Corinth arose from the Emulation of Ministers among themselves one striving to excel the other in Eloquence and Favour among the People and contemning Paul and others that followed the simplicity of the Gospel So the Apostle noteth it elsewhere Phil. 1.15 Some preach Christ out of Envy and Strife and some also of Good-will It is usual that one carpeth at another's Gifts one standing in the way of another's Honour and Profit like Men in a Boat justling at one another till the Boat it self be sunk One faileth and yieldeth to the Promises and Threatnings
and my Preaching was not with inticing words of Man's VVisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power That your Faith should not stand in the VVisdom of Men but in the Power of God And they were to deal with Men of excellent Parts and Learning some of which received the Gospel And pray mark this plain Doctrine was opened in that part of the World where Arts most flourished and at that Time for about the time of our Saviour's coming curious Arts and other civil Disciplines were are at the height and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet as Aaron's Rod devoured the Magician's Serpents so was the Gospel too hard for all and got ground And pray mark again which is another Circumstance it prevailed not by Force of Arms or the Long Sword as all Dotages and Superstitions are wont to do this was the way of Cain Jude 11. The Christian Religion prevailed by the Word and Patience of the Saints Christ's Sword is in his Mouth And Psal. 8.2 Out of the Mouths of Babes and Sucklings hast thou ordained Strength because of thine Enemies that thou mayest still the Enemy and the Avenger Again this way seemed to the World a novel Way They were leavened with Prejudices and bred up by long Custom which was another Nature in the Worship of Idols 1 Pet. 1.18 Ye were redeemed not with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain Conversations received by Tradition from your Fathers Men keep to the Religion of their Ancestors with much Reverence Christ did not seize upon the World as a Waste is seized upon by the next Comer Men took up with Heathenish Rites when they were to seek of a way of Worship But the Ark was to be set up in the Temple that was already occupied and possessed by Dagon The Work of those who first promoted the Faith of the Gospel was to dispossess Satan and to perswade Men to renounce a Religion received by a long Tradition and Prescription of Time they went abroad to bait the Devil and hunt him out of his Territories and yet they prevailed in that manner that hath been declared and to this day doth it prevail Now Errors are not long-lived the day shall declare it 1 Cor. 3.3 in time they vanish and come to nothing when Passions are allayed and worldly Interests are changed What Vse shall we make of this of God's owning the Word by Success Besides Satisfaction in the matter in hand and Admiration of Providence we may make this use of it to bewail our own blindness and hardness that the Word which hath prevailed over the World doth not prevail over our Hearts Col. 1.6 Which is come unto you as it is in all the World and bringeth forth Fruit as it doth also in you since the day you heard of it and knew the Grace of God in Truth This is comfortable when we can say so this Word prevaileth over all the World and blessed be God over my Heart But O how sad is it when that which subdueth the World standeth still and getteth no ground with us Say Out of what Rock was my Heart hewn Is my Will only the toughest Sinew in all the World that it can stand out against the Battery of the Word In thirty Years or thereabouts the Word prevailed over most of the known World I have been an Hearer ten twenty or thirty Years and yet I cannot find my Heart soft pliable to the purposes of Grace much Ignorance and Obstinacy still remaineth As they said Luke 24.18 Art thou only a Stranger in Jerusalem and hast not known the things that are come to pass there in these days Art thou only a Stranger to the Power and Success of the Word Thus may we bemoan our selves Secondly By Miracles the known Miracles that accompanied the teaching of it Miracles you know are a solemn Confirmation or Letters Patents brought from Heaven to authorize any Person or Doctrine for they are such Effects as do exceed the Force and Power of Nature and therefore must needs come from an extraordinary Divine Power Now it is not to be imagined that ever a Divine Power would cooperate with a Falshood and Cheat and therefore whatever is confirmed by Miracles hath God's solemn Testimony and Ratification and so deserveth Credit and Estimation Now a little before Christ's Time there was a great silence and rest from Prodigy and Wonder that the Messiah might be known But after he had preached his Sermon on the Mount they were commonly wrought both by himself and his Messengers and to evidence the Truth of them they were commonly done in the sight of the Multitude even of them that withstood his Doctrine His Adversaries objected That he did cast out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils But that could not be because all Miracles were referred to the Glory of his Father and the Devil cannot work beyond the Power of a natural Agent Now by the Circumstances of Christ's Miracles it appeared that he wrought beyond any natural Power It is possible that by natural Power Diseases may be secretly inflicted and secretly cured by Satan but Christ not only cured but restored perfect Health which no natural Means can work He raised the Dead a Miracle that cannot be counterfeited Therefore well might Nicodemus say John 3.2 Rabbi we know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no Man can do these Miracles that thou dost except God be with him they being wrought by a Divine Power they shewed his Divine Mission and Calling And as Christ so did his Messengers as the Apostles Heb. 2.3 4. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness both with Signs and Wonders and with divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own Will They were authorized by Christ as Christ by God and God bore them witness It is my Truth I am their Witness and you will perish if you do not hearken to it That which may be observed in these Scripture-Miracles is that they were not done when Men would require or when the Instruments pleased but according to God's own Will upon special and weighty Occasions that it might be the more evident that God was the worker of them and therefore were not meerly used to beget a Reputation at all Places and at all Times as if God's Power should be at the Creatures beck Counterfeits such as Apollonius Tyanaeus were never dainty to shew their jugling Tricks but always were pliable to the Humors and Lusts of Men and to satisfy Curiosity Only now and then and upon special Occasions would God manifest himself Juglers prostitute their Feats Come let us see what you can do shew us a Miracle as Herod desired to see Christ that he might see some Miracle Luke 23.8 This would not lessen the Majesty of God