Thomas Manton · 24 of 57
The First Verse. · Part 4
[5.] It is very likely God will come in and meet with us if we seek him in his own ways; and who would not venture upon a likelihood of safety to come out of a certain danger? If you do not use the means, you are sure to perish; if you do, you may be likely to obtain mercy; and certainly it is the safest course to adventure upon these hopes. The soul reasoneth in such a case just as the Aramites did: 2 Kings vii. 4, ‘If we enter into the city, there is the famine, we shall die there; if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come and let us fall into the host of the Assyrians; if they save us alive, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but die.’ So if we continue in our sins, it is death; if we neglect prayer, or hearing, or meditation, it is death; though there be but an if of mercy, venture upon it, a little to keep up the heart. Men near drowning will catch hold, though it be but of a reed or a twig.
[6.] This is God’s usual way, to meet those that seek him. The God of Jacob would not have them seek his face in vain, Isa. xlv. 19, and Luke xi. 9; though he would not arise and give as his friend, yet because of his , he will arise and give him. When the soul is importunate with God thus, it is a sign of mercy, and it is through the precedaneous efficacy of the Spirit. This earnestness after faith is the first impression of the Spirit’s efficacy. Thus I have answered the doubts.
I shall now come to the application.
The first use is exhortation, to press you to divers duties; as—
1. To wait for the Spirit’s motion and revelation. Do not look to the words that are spoken, but how the Spirit giveth you the savoury sense and meaning of them. They that were at the pool looked for the angel’s stirring of the waters; so do you look for the Spirit’s revelation, to see how the confusedness of your light and knowledge is done away. The mind knoweth some things, but doth not know things as it should know them. See how the Spirit giveth you satisfaction. If you would have faith, your chief care is to attend the Spirit; and therefore, faith is called by the Spirit’s own name, ‘the same Spirit of faith,’ 2 Cor. iv. 13, because it is the faith of the Spirit.
2. Yield to it. Many are of an unteachable heart, they are not won by the Spirit’s allurements: Gen. ix. 27, ‘God shall persuade (or enlarge) Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem.’ God shall allure the allurable. Take heed you resist not the secret whispers and persuasions of God’s Spirit. There is a great deal of thwarting in the heart against it, that God’s Spirit, when it should allure, it is forced to dispute it; and therefore God saith, Gen. vi. 3, ‘My Spirit shall no longer strive with men.’ The Spirit convinceth us this is right, and then our interests and vile affections set the heart a-disputing against it; and we would fain put off these inward motions and checks of conscience. Many of God’s elected servants do very often resist those motions, so that it were even just with God to cast them off, but that Christ’s word is passed: John vi. 37, ‘All that my Father giveth me shall come to me, and I will in no wise cast them out.’ But as to reprobates, God stayeth a great while with them too. No longer, implieth a long time, even as long as he shall think fit, and then he leaveth them. Take heed of these withdrawings.
3. Cherish it. Many have had strong resolutions, but they die away without this. They have a great many previous workings of the Spirit, as, much knowledge of the will of God, much sense of sin, fear of punishment, many thoughts about their freedom and deliverance, some hopes of pardon, some kind of care and desire; but then they drown these things again by the cares and pleasures of this world, and so they are to no purpose. This is called by the apostle ‘quenching of the Spirit,’ 1 Thes. v. 19. Now, the Spirit is quenched two ways:—
[1.] When they do not blow up the coals, stir up the graces of God that are in them, and labour to feed and cherish by prayer and meditation these desires, which is the strengthening of the things which are ready to die, Rev. iii. 2; when we do not labour to rouse up our selves, and keep in the heat and warmth in our souls: Mat. xiii. 19, ‘Then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in their hearts.’
[2.] When they do as it were cast water on the Spirit’s motion by the return of their lusts. Men are apt to return to their old ways, after these partial desires and partial care to get Christ; but 2 Peter ii. 21, ‘It had been better for them not to have known the way of , than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.’ Enraged lusts return the stronger, and have the greater force upon the heart.
4. In case you have it, praise God for it. Oh, get largeness of heart to conceive of this great privilege, to have Christ not only to be revealed to you, but in you! There is a threefold ground of thankfulness:—
[1.] In respect of yourselves, that God was not discouraged with your often resistance of him, but that he should go on with his work: Isa. lxvi. 9, ‘Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth?’ God speaketh of the outward glory of his church, but it is also true of in the hearts of his servants. Oh, how justly might God have broken off and interrupted his design and purpose of grace and mercy, and have given over such a stubborn heart as yours to the sway of its lusts! As Elizabeth said, Luke i. 43, ‘ is this, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’ So whence is it that the Spirit of the Lord should come to me, stubborn me? There should be such a reflection upon our unkindness.
[2.] In respect of the freeness of the gift, that he should give his Spirit to work faith in us so freely. Faith is expressed to be the gift of God, Eph. ii. 8; Phil. i. 29, ‘To you it is given to believe,’ ὑμῖν ἐχαρίσθη; you have it of the free grace of God. Flesh would fain boast, and have these things in its own power, but you see, ‘to you it is given.’
J3.] In respect of others. That he should reveal himself unto you, not unto others. What did he see in you more than in others, that he should give you a token of his distinguishing love? Christ thanketh God for the distinguishingness of it: ‘Father, I thank thee, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes,’ Mat. xi. 26. And therefore we have the greater reason so to do: John xiv. 22, ‘How is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?’ Thus you see what cause there is of thankfulness on this threefold account.
Use 2. Is examination, to see whether you have closed with the report of Jesus Christ or no. If you have closed with it aright, it is with the Spirit’s revelation, it is because you have been inwardly convinced in your hearts of the truth of it. But how shall we know that we believe in the report because of the Spirit’s revelation, and that many will say and every one crieth it up for a truth, that Jesus Christ came to save sinners? I answer:—
1. The Spirit’s revelations are distinct; it showeth the soul how Christ will be received. Most men’s knowledge of Christ is an in definite knowledge; they know him in a confused, indistinct, indefinite manner; they look upon him as a Saviour, but they do not look upon him as commanding things contrary to their vile affections. Now the Spirit revealeth him determinately, what he is, and upon what terms we must take him.
2. It giveth men an experimental taste of Christ: 1 Peter ii. 3, ‘If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.’ They can speak of what sweetness there is in Christ. Notional knowledge looketh upon him as a man looketh upon a thing in the bulk. When a man hears a minister talk of Christ, he taketh it up as a great and comfortable truth, but he cannot speak out of experience. All Christians can speak out of their desires, though not delights: Oh, come, taste and see how good the Lord is!
3. The Spirit revealeth so as to influence us to obedience. Spiritual li^ht is like that of the sun, it hath heat with it. But now it is otherwise with notional irradiations, and common illuminations; the heart is vain, and the conference conduceth to controversy, more than to the of others.
Use 3. The third and last use is to condemn all that false faith that is in most people: they think they believe in Christ, whereas they scarcely believe the report of him. True faith hath a true ground. Most men have this in their thoughts, that there was such a person as Christ; the preachers tell them so; the laws of the land and the customs of the people are for it. Alas! most people are like wax, they are fit to take the stamp and impression of any religion that is bequeathed to them. They are not said so properly to believe, as to have a superficial apprehension of the common report that is made concerning such a thing. They have no more saving faith in Christ than Turks and , and have as little true love for him as the Jews that crucified him. I cannot examine every false ground. I will give you marks in general when you have it from any wrong ground; as—
1. When you take it up without weighing: Prov. xiv. 15, ‘The simple believeth every word, but the prudent man looketh well to his going.’
2. By your fickleness; when a man embraceth a thing upon wrong grounds, he will leave it upon wrong grounds: Gal. i. 6, ‘I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel;’ 2 Thes. ii. 2, ‘I you, brethren, be not soon shaken in mind.’
3. By the dissonancy of our practice, and inconstant resolutions. This is called, 2 Peter ii. 1, a ‘denying Christ that bought us.’ Though they profess him in words, yet in deeds they deny him. It were better to renounce the profession of Christ than to keep it with these resolutions: Mat. vi. 31-33, ‘Take no thought what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, or wherewith ye shall be clothed; for after all these things do the seek; but seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’
