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A51842 One hundred and ninety sermons on the hundred and nineteenth Psalm preached by the late reverend and learned Thomas Manton, D.D. ; with a perfect alphabetical table directing to the principal matters contained therein. Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.; White, Robert, 1645-1703.; Bates, William, 1625-1699. 1681 (1681) Wing M526A; ESTC R225740 2,212,336 1,308

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compared with Wealth p. 489 490 491 619 It teaches many excellent Lessons p. 592 593 It deserves Love for the Author Matter Use p. 622 It 's a full Declaration of Gods mind p. 8 153 It 's a certain Declaration of his Mind and Will p. 8 It declares 1. what we must do 2. whether we do it or no 3. what we may expect from God p. 9 It is self-evidencing p. 9 It will excuse or accuse in the day of Judgment p. 6 It 's not only a Direction but an Injunction p. 24 349 It 's a Light by day a Lamp by night p. 687 688 why 689 It s a rule and an Instrument p 53 688 In it we are to consider 1. the Authority 2. the Ministry of it p. 488 892 It 's a Glass to shew us our spots and water to wash them away p. 54 Three main uses of the Word of God p. 491 It 's 1. the Sts. Direction 2. their Support 3. their Charter p. 97 491 619 866 867 It makes rich and happy p. 86 488 489 490 It is an Antidote against sin and a Cordial against sorrow p. 120 151 152 688 359 333 It is Comfort in two Respects p. 688 354 359 It is Bread and Water p. 124 126 How we are to be affected towards the Word p. 620 It is pure in many Respects 1. in it self 2. it makes the Soul pure and that 1. as 't is the appointed Instrument of the spirit 2. as 't is a proper Instrument for Purification 3. as it proposes Precepts Examples and other helps for Purity p. 857 858 It is Righteousness all Righteousness c. p. 1068 It ought to be our Meditation p. 576 It 's a Light proved from 1. the Aut●…or 2. Instruments 3. the ends of it p. 690 691 It is our Comfort in the day of outward Trouble and inward Anguish It gives these Comforts 1. the Priviledges of the afflicted 2. the blessedness of another World acceptation with God p. 887 619 v. Commandements Believers may humbly challenge God upon his word p. 324 It may be hidden in two Respects 1. in respect of the outward Administration 2. in respect of the inward Influence and Efficacy p. 151 152 It is as good as Gods actual Performance or Deed p. 444 There are wonders in Gods word to be seen when God opens the Eye p. 112 880 881 882 What Gods opening the eyes contributes to the sight of them p. 112 Words idle words weigh heavy in Gods Ballance p. 39 Words are the Female Issue of the Soul Works the Male Issue p. 89 Works Covenants of Grace and Works wherein they agree and wherein they differ p. 906 907 908 909 Word of God upon the Soul may be mentioned before him and pleaded to him in Prayer and how p. 60 61 When God intends to work he sets Prayer on work p. 860 Work of God in what respects and sense ascribed to the Creature and why p. 751 God is always at work for us p. 340 World not our home not to be abused p. 117 It is preserved for the Elects sake p. 859 The spirit of this World p. 572 The spirit of God and the spirit of this World differ p. 478 Love of worldly things two great causes of it 1. A distrust of Gods Care 2. discontent with Gods allowance p. 255 present world p. 1089 Worship false worship severely punished p. 39 Worship of God his Interest therein p. 852 True Zeal appears for purity of Worship and against the corruption of it p. 852 Worship corrupted by Papists p. 205 206 False Worship makes men 1. subtle 2. cruel p. 739 Wounding and healing Gods Praerogative p. 511 Wrath of God They that walk closely with God are discharged from it p. 7 Y. YOk●… of Afflictions to be born from the youth p. 883 Young and raw Christians have much Zeal little Knowledge p. 452 Young Christians may have more true Wisdom than aged Persons p. 653 654 Young Men exhorted to beware of evil Company as the Pest and Bane of Youth p. 776 Young men not to be discouraged nor despised p. 654 655 Encouragement to Youth and to those that educate them p. 655 Youth regardless of serious work p. 52 God must be remembred in youth Reasons of it p. 52 53 Youth is tainted with sin p. 52 How a young man may cleanse his ways p. 55 Advantages of remembring God in Youth p. 397 Z. ZEal for false Worship quenches the fire of real Godliness p. 5 It is a high degree of Love It consumes the natural Spirits p. 849 Zeal great and pure becomes those that have any Affection for the ways and word of God p. 650 It is hottest in cold times p. 865 Zeal Spiritual and Carnal their differences Carnal Zeal is faulty in the 1. Cause 2. the Object 3. Measure p. 850 Zeal spiritual described 1. by its Causes 2. Object 3. Effects 4. usefulness to publick Reformation 5. use in private Christian Exercises p. 851 852 Blind Zeal a cause of Persecution p. 144 I●… makes a man a prey for the Devil p. 685 Young Christians have much Zeal but little Knowledge p. 452 Zeal shews it self for purity of worship p. 852 Zeal now is less when there 's more light p. 657 Zion Mourners in Zion and Sinners in Zion p. 929 FINIS
for ever I shall illustrate this Proposition by these Considerations 1. That God's Children are sometimes under deadness 2. That in such deadness the Word of God is the onely means to quicken them 3. Though the Word be quick and lively and powerful yet it is God that must bless it that must make it a support to the Soul 4. That whenever we have received these Comforts Quicknings and Supports from him they should ever be recorded and treasured up in the Registers of a thankful memory for the great uses of Christianity I. First God's Children are under deadness sometimes which hapneth to them for many causes 1. By reason of some Sin committed and not repented of or not fully repented of God smites them with deadness and hardness of heart and the spiritual life for awhile is greatly obstructed and impaired that it cannot discover itself and they have not those lively influences of grace as formerly Thus it was with David when he had strayed so greatly from God and begs God not to cast him off Psal. 51. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me As a wound in the body lets out the life blood and the spirits so these grievous sins are as a wound in the soul Sin against the conscience of a renewed man defaceth the work of the holy Spirit so that for a while he seems to be shut out from God's favor and his gracious abilitie are lessened and impaired he is like a wounded man till he be cured and made whole again The Spirit being grieved and resisted withdraws and the strength of the Soul is wasted and therefore be very tender stand in awe not only of greater but smaller sins 2. By reason of some good omitted especially neglect of the means whereby we may be kept alive fresh and lively in God's service Lazy fits of indisposition and omissions of duty do more frequently steal in upon Believers than positive out-breakings and commissions of sin and they are more ready to please themselves in them and lie still under them and so by this means contract much deadness of heart As a Lute that is not play'd upon but hangs by the wall and not used it soon grows out of keller for want of use so if we do not diligently and constantly exercise our selves in godliness our hearts grow dead and vain It is the complaint of the Church Isa. 64. 7. There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee If we do not stir up our selves to keep on a constant commerce with God and respect to God alas deadness creeps upon the heart unawares and we are commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1. 6. To stir up the gift of God which is in us Surely a sloathful servant will soon become an evil servant Mat. 25. 26. Thou evil and sloathful servant Therefore our sinful sluggishness is one cause of our deadness for he that doth not trade with his Talents will necessarily become poor and if we do not continue this holy attendance upon God the heart suffers loss 1 Thess. 5. 19 20. Despise not prophesie quench not the Spirit The coupling of these two things together shews that if we despise Prophesie we quench the Spirit as fire goes out not only by pouring on water but by not stirring and blowing it up To expect help from God when we are sluggish is to tempt Christ and put him still upon a miraculous way to heal and cure our distempers Who will bring bread and meat to a Sluggard's Bed who will not arise to labor for it o●… will not rise at least to fetch it Therefore if we will not attend upon God in the means of grace he will not bring us that help comfort and supply that otherwise we might have God worketh but so that we work also 2 Phil. 12. 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling For it is God that worketh c. God's working is not a ground of laziness but for more strict observance Since all depends upon God therefore take heed you do not offend God and provoke him to suspend his grace We must not lie upon a Bed of ease and cry Christ must do all for this is to abuse the power of grace to laziness It is notable that God bids his people do that which he promiseth to give them Psal. 31. 24. Psal. 27. 14. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart As if he had said strengthen thine heart and he will strengthen thy heart The courage of Faith is both commanded and promised why God by this would shew how we should shake our selves out of our laziness and idleness that though God gives us grace and power yet he will have us to work as a Father that lifts up his childs arm to a burden and bids him lift it up Usually we complain of deadness with a reflection upon God he quickens the dead and therefore I am dead ay but what hast thou done to quicken thy self for grace was never intended that we might be idle you must complain of your selves as the moral faulty cause God is the efficient cause you do not meditate pray draw life out of the precious promises when the Spouse sleeps and keeps her Bed then Christ withdraws Cant. 5. 6. 3. Another cause is unthankfulness for Benefits received especially spiritual Benefits for God loves to have his grace acknowledged He stops his hand and suspends the influences of his grace when the creature doth not acknowledge his bounty Col. 2. 7. Be stablished and rooted in the faith abounding therein with thanksgiving The way to grow in Faith and get by Faith is to be thankful for what we have received that 's an effectual means both to keep it and to get more Therefore if we be always querulous and do not give thanks for the goodness of God to us for what he hath already vouchsafed to us in Christ no wonder that deadness and discouragement creeps upon our hearts 4. Pride in Gifts for we are told Iam. 4. 6. God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble The Garland we put on our own heads soon withers and those Gifts which we are pusst up with are presently blasted and have deadness upon them for he will teach us to ascribe all to himself 5. Some great and heavy Troubles We read ver 107. of this Psalm I am afflicted very much quicken me O Lord according unto thy Word O! when we are afflicted sore there 's a deadness upon the heart the spiritual life clogged with what alacrity did they go about good things before but then there 's a damp worldly sorrow deadens the spirit as godly sorrow quickens it and is a means to keep us alive to God 6. Another cause is Carnal liberty or intermedling with worldly vanities So much we may learn from that Prayer Psal. 119. 37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou
will save thy Children And from the mouth of the wicked Psal. 5. 15. He saveth the poor from the sword and from their mouth and from the hand of the mighty From slanders that may endanger their Life and Credit So ver 21. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the Tongue from their bitter reproaches Therefore commit your cause to God But then 1. Be sure that your Cause be good for God will not be the Patron of Sin unless he hath passed sentence for us in his Word it is boldness to appeal to him as Baalam that would hire God by sacrifices to Curse his People Hasty Appeals to God in our passion and revengeful humours are a great dishonour to him Sarah Appealed Gen. 15. 3. The Lord judge between me and thee And David Appealed 1 Sam. 24. 15. The Lord therefore be judge and judge between thee and me and see and plead my cause and deliver me out of thy hand But there was more of justice in Davids Appeal in the case between him and Saul than in Sarahs Appeal in the case between her and Abraham it would have been ill for her if God had taken her at her word it sheweth that even Gods Children are too apt to intitle him to their private passions 2. Let us be sure that there be no Controversie between God and our Persons when yet our Cause is good The Israelites had a good Cause Iudges 20. but there was once and again a great slaughter made of them before they had reconciled themselves to God There must be a good Conscience as well as a good Cause otherwise God will plead his Controversie against us before he will plead our Controversie against our Enemies Ier. 2. 35. yet thou sayest because I am innocent surely his anger will turn from me behold I will plead with thee because thou sayest I have not sinned Because we have a good Cause we think God hath no cause to be angry with us therefore he will first plead in Judgment against us So Hos. 12. 2. The Lord hath also a controversie with Iudah and will punish Iacob according to his wayes according to his doings will he recompence him Though God may approve what is right in Worship and Profession yet he will punish our shameful disorders and unanswerable walking in his People 3. Let us Pray in a right manner with Confidence with Earnestness 1. Confidence that God will plead our Cause when he seeth it good and for his own Glory whether there be any likelyhood of it yea or no for he hath promised to support the weak and humble and protect the innocent against their Oppressors Psal. 140. 12. I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor God is party with you not against you and leave him to his own wayes and means Faith should support us when sense yieldeth little comfort and hope He knoweth how to justifie your Cause and deliver your Persons and you should know that he will do it and can do it though the way be not evident to you and God seem to sit still for a while 2. Earnestly Oh be not cold in the Churches suit if you be Sions Friends and are willing to take share and lot with Gods people awaken him by your incessant cryes Nay it is God's Cause Psal. 74. 22. Arise O Lord plead thine own cause remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee dayly The Godly are not maligned for their Sins but their Righteousness So Psal. 35. 23. Stir up thy self and awake to my Iudgment even unto my cause my God and my Lord. There is a long suit depending between the Church of God and her Enemies desire that God would determine it and declare what is Right and what is Wrong Secondly He beggeth God in the Text to Redeem or Deliver him the Word in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the usual word for Goel Redeemer the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ransom me Here he craveth that as his Cause might be in safety so his Person Doctrine We may beg a Deliverance or a Release from our Troubles provided we do not beg it out of an impatiency of the Flesh but a desire of Gods Glory God delights to be imployed in this work what hath he been doing all along in all Ages of the World but delivering his People from those that oppressed them He delivered Iacob from the Fury of Esau Ioseph from the Malice of his Brethren Gen. 37. 21. And Reuben heard it and he delivered him out of their hands saying let us not kill him Daniel from the Lions Den Dan. 6. 22. My God hath sent his Angel and hath shut the Lions mouths that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me and also before thee O King have I done no hurt Peter from Prison Acts 12. 11. And when Peter was come to himself he said now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his Angel and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Iews And will not he do the like for his suffering Servants how came his hand to be out He delivered Israel out of Egypt out of Babylon he can do it again it doth not cost him much labour Psal. 68. 2. As smoke is driven away so drive them away as wax melteth before the fire so let the wicked perish at the presence of God Therefore refer your deliverance to God and when you are in a way of Duty be not thoughtful about it there is a price payed for it Christ redeemed us from Temporal Adversity so far as it may be a snare to us God hath his Times we may see it unless he hath a mind to sweep away the unthankful and froward generation that provoked him to so much Anger Numb 14. 22 23. Because all those men that have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt in the wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkned unto my voice surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their Fathers neither shall any of them that provoked me see it Ier. 29. 31 32. Thus saith the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you and I sent him not and he caused you to trust in a lye therefore thus saith the Lord behold I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed he shall not have a man to dwell among this people neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my People saith the Lord because he hath taught Rebellion against the Lord. It may be we may be more broken and afflicted first Deut. 32. 36. For the Lord shall judge his people and repent himself for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Oh let us desire to see the good of