Sermons, Title page – Table of contents
SERMONS PREACHED BY The Late Reverend and Learned Divine, THOMAS MANTON, D. D.
LONDON: Printed for Brabazon Aylmer, at the Sign of the three Pigeons, over-against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil, 1678.
The PREFACE.
IT may seem a just discouragement from publishing more Sermons at this time, when there are such numbers abroad in the hands of all: for the abundance of things useful is fatal to their value, and the rareness exceedingly inhances their price. If Men were truly wise, Spiritual Treasures should be excepted from this Common Law, yet plenty even of them causeth satiety. But the following Sermons have that peculiar Excellence, that will make them very valuable to all that have discerning Minds, and such a tincture of Religion as makes them capable of tasting the goodness of Divine things.
I shall say nothing particularly here of the intellectual Endowments of the Author, in which he appeared Eminent among the first, nor of his Graces to adorn his Memory: for a Saint that is ascended into Heaven, and crown'd with Eternal Glory by the righteous Iudge, needs not the weak fading testimony of Praise from Men. Besides, that universal esteem he had from those who knew his Ability, Diligence, and Fidelity in the Work of God, makes it unnecessary for them who were his Admirers and Friends. And for those who are unacquainted with his Worth, if they take a view of his Works formerly printed, or the present Sermons that deserve equal approbation, they will have the same opinion with others. I will give some account of the Sermons themselves.
The main design of them is to represent the inseparable connexion between Christian Duties and Priviledges, wherein the Essence of our Religion consists. The Gospel is not a naked unconditionate offer of Pardon and Eternal Life in favour of Sinners, but upon most convenient terms, for the Glory of God and the good of Men, and enforc'd by the strongest obligations upon them, to receive humbly and thankfully those Benefits. The Promises are attended with Commands, to Repent, Believe, and persevere in the uniform practice of Obedience. The Son of God came into the World, not to make God less holy, but to make us holy, that we might please and enjoy him: not to vacate our Duty, and free us from the Law as the Rule of Obedience, for that is both impossible, and would be most infamous and reproachful to our Saviour. To challenge such an exemption in point of right, is to make our selves Gods; to usurp it in point of fact, is to make our selves Devils. But his end was to enable and induce us to return to God, as our rightful Lord, and proper Felicity, from whom we rebelliously and miserably fell by our disobedience, in seeking for Happiness out of him. Accordingly the Gospel is called the Law of Faith, as it commands those Duties upon the Motives of eternal Hopes and Fears, and as it will justifie or condemn Men with respect to their Obedience or Disobedience, which is the proper Character of a Law. These things are managed in the following Sermons in that convincing perswasive manner, as makes them very necessary for these times, when some that aspired to an extraordinary height in Religion, and esteemed themselves the Favourites of Heaven, yet wofully neglected the duties of the lower Hemisphere, as Righteousness, Truth, and Honesty, and when carnal Christians are so numerous, that despise serious Godliness, as solemn Hypocrisy, and live in an open violation of Christ's Precepts, yet presume to be saved by him. Though no Age has been more enlightned with the knowledge of holy Truths, yet none was ever more averse from obeying them.
I shall only add further, that they commend to our ardent Affections and Endeavours, true Holiness, as distinguish'd from the most refin'd, unregenerate Morality. The Doctor saw the absolute necessity of this, and speaks with great jealousy of those who seem in their discourses to make it their highest aim to improve and cultivate some moral Vertues, as Iustice, Temperance, Benignity, &c. by Philosophick helps, representing them as becomming the dignity of the Humane Nature, as agreeable to Reason, as beneficial to Societies, and but transiently speak of the Supernatural Operation of the Holy Spirit, that is as requisite to free the Soul from the Chains of Sin, as to release the Body at the last Day from the Bands of Death, that seldom preach of Evangelical Graces, Faith in the Redeemer, Love to God for his admirable Mercy in our Salvation, Zeal for his Glory, Humility in ascribing all that we can return in grateful Obedience, to the most free and powerful Grace of God in Christ, which are the vital principles of good Works, and derive the noblest forms to all Vertues. Indeed Men may be compos'd and considerate in their Words and Actions, may abstain from gross Enormities, and do many praise-worthy Actions by the rules of moral Prudence, yet without the infusion of divine Grace to cleanse their stained Natures, to renew them according to the Image of God shining in the Gospel, to act them from Motives superiour to all that Moral Wisdom propounds, all their Vertues of what elevation soever, though in an heroick degree, cannot make them real Saints. As the Plant Animal has a faint resemblance of the sensitive Life, but remains in the lower rank of Vegitables: so these have a shadow, an appearance of the Life of God, but continue in the corrupt state of Nature. And the difference is greater between sanctifying saving Graces wrought by the special Power of the Spirit, with the holy Operations flowing from them, and the vertuous Habits and Actions that are the effects of Moral Counsel and Constancy, then between true Pearls produced by the Celestial Beams of the Sun, and counterfeit ones formed by the smoaky heat of the Fire. In short, the Lord Iesus our Saviour and Iudge, who purchas'd the Heavenly Glory, and has sole power to give the actual possession of it, assures us, that unless a Man be born of the Spirit, he can never enter into the kingdom of God. The Supernatural Birth entitles to the Supernatural Inheritance. Without this, how fair and specious soever the Conversation of Men appears, they must expect no other priviledge at last, but a cooler place in Hell; and the coolest there is intolerable.
W. BATES.
The Contents.
Sermon 1, and 2d. Pag. 1. ON Psal. 32. 1, 2. Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven, whose Sin is covered. Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity, and in whose Spirit there is no Guile.
Sermon 3. Pag. 44. On Acts 3. 26. Unto you first, God having raised up his Son Iesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities.
Serm. 4th. Pag. 66. On 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises, that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust.
Serm. 5. pag. 81. On Mark 9. 49. For every one shall be salted with Fire, and every Sacrifice shall be salted with Salt.
Serm. 6, & 7. pag. 104. On 2 Thess. 3. 5. And the Lord direct your Hearts into the Love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
Serm. 8. pag. 142. On Ephes. 1. 8. Wherein he hath abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence.
Serm. 9. pag. 157. On Mat. 27. 46. And about the ninth hour, Iesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani, that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Serm. 10. pag. 175. On Rom. 1. Part of the 29 & 30 Verses. Whisperers, Backbiters.
Serm. 11. pag. 192. On Gal. 5. 16. This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the Lusts of the Flesh.
Serm. 12. pag. 207. On Job 19. 25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth.
Serm. 13. pag. 231. On 1 Tim. 6. 8. And having Food and Raiment, let us be therewith content.
Serm. 14. pag. 247. On Eccles. 9. 11. I returned, and saw under the Sun, that the Race is not to the Swift; nor the Battel to the Strong, neither yet Bread to the Wise, nor yet Riches to Men of Understanding, nor yet Favour to Men of Skill; but Time and Chance happeneth to them all.
Serm. 15. pag. 269. On Acts 21. 14. And when he would not be perswaded, we ceased, saying, The Will of the Lord be done.
Serm. 16. pag. 262. On John 3. 16. God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting Life.
Serm. 17. pag. 323. On Deut. 30. 15. See, I have set before thee this Day, Life and Good, Death and Evil.
Serm. 18. pag. 345. On Mat. 7. 12. Therefore all things, whatsoever ye would that Men should do unto you, do ye even so to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Serm. 19, & 20. pag. 371. On Ephes. 2. 10. For we are his Workmanship, created in Christ Iesus unto good Works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk them.