"The renowned Thomas Manton (1620-1677), whose writings have long been prized by thousands, was known first and foremost as a great preacher. In a day when good preaching is sorely lacking, we need the reprint of his Complete Works, in which twenty of his twenty-two volumes are sermons. These sermons are the legacy of a powerful preacher devoted to the systematic teaching and application of God's Word. Whether he is expounding the Lord's Prayer, Psalm 119, Isaiah 53, James, or Jude, Manton presents us with the best that English Puritans had to offer in careful, solid, warmhearted exposition of the Scriptures." - Dr. Joel R. Beeke
If you would like to read sermons by Manton and other Puritans which are free of cost, go http://www.ccel.org/
Have you heard about Broken Minds Hope for Healing When You Feel Llike You're Losing It?
Robyn and I have written a book Broken Minds. One of the appendices is a sermon preached by Thomas Manton. It is very encouraging. He believed in a biologicl mental illness. to http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Minds-Healing-Youre-Losing/dp/0825421187
MANTON --It giveth us confidence in the power of God. He which made us out of nothing is able to keep, preserve, and supply us when all things fail, and in the midst of all dangers. Saints are able to make use of this common relation. And therefore it is said, 1 Pet. iv. 19, that we should ‘commit our souls unto him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator.’ The apostle speaks of such times when they carried their lives in their hands from day to day. They did not know how soon they should be haled before tribunals and cast into prisons. Remember, you have a Creator, which made you out of nothing; and he can keep and preserve life when you have nothing. Thus this common relation is not to be forgotten, as he gives us our outward life and being: Ps. cxxiv
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’ As if the psalmist had said, as long as I see these glorious monuments of his power, these things framed out of nothing, shall I distrust God, whatever exigence or strait I may be reduced to? Thomas Manton Volume 1 http://www.ccel.org/ccel/manton/manton01.i_3.html
The Apostle Paul said,I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished. "But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'"And I answered, 'Who are You, Lord ?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.'Acts 22:4-8
From the above text of Scripture we see that when the ungodly persecute the true disciples of Jesus Christ, they are actually persecuting the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. It is true that He is the resurrected exalted Christ whose deity cannot be diminished and He is also is forever the God/Man and the Head of the church. Note the text, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting." Could they in any way lay a hand on the Ascended Christ? Could they smite him with rods as they once did? The answer is no, but to malign and crush His people is to by association persecute him.
Persecuted Christian, think about this when the devil roars like a Lion and seeks to do away with you. For news about prisoners who are suffering for the Lord Jesus Christ around the worldl, go to: http://www.persecution.com/public/homepage.aspx
It is wonderful that so many of Manton’s works are readily available online such as the nine volumes (out of 22) that are freely accessed on the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Perhaps the best one volume introduction to Manton outside of his own volumes, as you are probably aware, is Charles H. Spurgeon’s “Illustrations and Meditations; or, Flowers From a Puritan’s Garden, Distilled and Dispensed” (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1883).
ReplyDeleteSpurgeon begins his “Preface” to this work as follows:
“While commenting upon the One Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm, I was brought into most intimate communion with Thomas Manton, who has discoursed upon that marvellous portion of Scripture with great fulness and power. I have come to know him so well that I could choose him out from among a thousand divines if he were again to put on his portly form, and display among modern men that countenance wherein was a "great mixture of majesty and meekness." His works occupy twenty-two volumes in the modern reprint: a mighty mountain of sound theology. They mostly consist of sermons; but what sermons! They are not so sparkling as those of Henry Smith, nor so profound as those of Owen, nor so rhetorical as those of Howe, nor so pithy as those of Watson, nor so fascinating as those of Brooks; and yet they are second to none of these. For solid, sensible instruction forcibly delivered, they cannot be surpassed. Manton is not brilliant, but he is always clear; he is not oratorical, but he is powerful; he is not striking, but he is deep. There is not a poor discourse in the whole collection: he is evenly good, constantly excellent. Ministers who do not know Manton need not wonder if they are themselves unknown.” [Spurgeon, op. cit., pg. iii.]
“Flowers From a Puritan’s Garden” (the short title by which Spurgeon’s volume is usually referred) is readily available online:
1) in a variety of digital formats on Internet Archive at
https://archive.org/details/illustrationsmed01spur [accessed 7 AUG 2014];
2) as either ePub or PDF on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=3nsXAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 7 AUG 2014];
3) in a very inexpensive Kindle edition on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Illustrations-meditations-Puritans-distilled-dispensed-ebook/dp/B00HCQKACI/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407454000&sr=1-2&keywords=flowers+from+a+puritan%27s+garden [accessed 7 AUG 2014];
4) and elsewhere such as on Logos, Olive Tree, etc.
John T. “Jack” Jeffery
Pastor, Wayside Gospel Chapel
Greentown, PA
Hello Jack,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. Jack. I was unaware of the recommendation by Spurgeon and am so glad that you brought it to the attention of those who read this blog. I am not suprised that he would speak so well of Manton. I was first introduced to his works while I was researching the works of the Puritans at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary's library. I hope that more people would read Manton and other Puritans.