Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n
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A51840
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A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture in two parts : part the first containing LXXIV sermons : part the second containing LXXVI sermons : with an alphabetical table to the whole / by ... Thomas Manton ...
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Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing M524; ESTC R13953
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1,954,391
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1,278
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hanging upon a Tree We should look upon Christ crucified as if the thing were now a doing before our Eyes Gal. 3.1 Before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified before you Though it be past long ago it is present to Faith For he is lifted up that by the Eye of Faith we should look to him and see not only the thing but the end use and vertue of this Mistery The Brazen Serpent was a sufficient Remedy for the stung Israelites none that looked towards it perished the Cure never failed and Jesus Christ lifted up and being eyed is sufficient to cure the guilt of Sin and pain of Conscience through Sin and to heal our Diseased Souls and free them from the power of Corruption For being made a Curse for us the Blessing cometh freely upon the believing Gentiles even the gift of the Spirit Isa. 53.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed 2. The Superexcellency of Christ above this and all the Shadows and Types of him The Type doth express the thing signified but yet the Truth doth much exceed the Shadow The Brazen Serpent was but a Sign of Salvation so called in the Book of Wisdom chap. 16.6 But Christ is the Author of Salvation Heb. 5.9 The Serpent benefitted only the Israelites but Christ all Nations both Iew and Gentile Isa. 11.10 In that day there shall be a root of Iesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people to it shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious It freed them from present Death but yet so that they might dye by other means but Christ hath freed us not only from the Death of the Body but of the Soul and this for ever as in the Text That they should not perish but have everlasting life So Iohn 11.26 Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye There Natural Life is preferred but for a while here Eternal Life obtained This benefit might last for a day or two but Iesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 Christ ever retaineth his healing Vertue This was but a piece of Brass while they lodged it in the Temple but Christ is a Mediator to all Eternity It was a great wickedness to worship the Brazen Serpent therefore Hezekiah broke it in pieces when once he understood the People to be guilty of that Idolatry 2 Kings 18.4 He brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made for unto those dayes the children of Israel did burn incense to it and he called it Neâ—ushâ—an or a piece of Brass but it is our Duty to worship Christ All men must honour the Son as they honour the Father Iohn 5.23 And Heb. 1.6 Let all the angels of God worship him Phil. 2.9 10. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name That at the name of Iesus every knee should bow When the Israelites worshipped the Brazen Serpent it was broken in pieces but they shall be broken in pieces themselves that deny Christ his due Worship Psalm 2.9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel Dan. 2.44 And in the dayes of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the kingdom shall not be left to other people but shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and shall stand for ever The Kingdom that will not submit to him shall be broken in pieces Luke 19.27 Those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me Thus it sets forth Christ. 3. Faith is set forth or the Way and Means how we come to have benefit by Christ. It is not enough to look to what Christ hath done but what we must do that we may be partaâ—ers of him The way of Cure was by a look so it is believing in him that bringeth home the Blessing to our Souls From this Type we learn 1. The necessity of Faith None had benefit by the Brazen Serpent but those that looked on it The Promise was made to those that observed the Command Numb 21.8 Every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live If a Man turned away his Eyes and refused Gods Remedy the biting was Mortal to him As there is a necessity Christ should die so there is a necessity you should believe for besides Impetration there must be Application and the work of the Spirit is as necessary to apply Grace as the work of the Mediator to obtain Grace for us A deep well will do you no good without a Bucket nor the purchase of Salvation unless you apply it 2. An Incouragement of Faith 1. To broken-hearted Sinners if you are stung with Sin you may look to Christ. It was ground enough for any bitten Israelite to look to this Brazen Serpent because he had need he found himself bitten and thirsted for cure by this appointed means A felt Sense of Sin is warrant enough to look to Christ as the offered remedy Look not altogether to your soar to your sins but to Christ as the means of healing Indeed there must be a feeling and a sense of Sin or else there is no work for Christ to do what should an hail Israelite do with the Brazen Serpent Their looking began in a sense of pain none troubled their Thoughts about it till they were stung Compunction goeth before Faith The Israelites cryed out Oh! What shall we do for these fiery Serpents So Acts 2.37 When they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do An impoisoned dagger was flung into their Souls and then What shall we do The Goaler came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and said Sirs what must I do to be saved Acts 16.29 30. And they said verse 31. Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Only look upon the Serpent A Sinner must first feel himself a Sinner before he will or can come to Christ but then come The son of man is lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Some that know not themselves believers have been welcome to Christ but never any that know not themselves Sinners 2. To lapsed Believers The Serpents were left to sting the Israelites while they were in that place only the Brazen Serpent was lifted up God did not presently take away the Serpents only he gave a Remedy for such as were bitten Sin is not abolished but whilest we are in this Station the Remedy is still offered we are never so cured but we may be bitten again The disobedient Israelites needed this Motive and Chastisement to keep them in
eye-service as mâ—n-pleasers but in singleness of heart fearing God Wives submit your selves to your own husbands as unto the Lord Eph. 5.22 Out of love to Christ Eph. 6.1 Children obey your parents in the Lord. 4. Go about your Earthly Business with an Heavenly Mind Phil. 3.20 But our conversation is in heaven All is a Journey thither look to the unseen World 5. Content not your selves with the Natural Use of the Creature as Brute Beasts doe but see God in all The Creature is as a Glass and Image wherein to read your Creators Goodness and as helps and means to inable you to his Service therefore still they must be received with Thanksgiving 1 Tim. 4.3 For every creaâ—ure of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving Man is to use the Inferiour Creatures for God not as the Lord of them but as the Steward of the Creator to whom he is accountable for that use not to sacrifice them to his own pleasure and Will and to gratifie his fleshly Mind They are neither his nor for him but for God for he hath not the right of a Lord but a Servant 6. In all your wayes acknowledge God depending upon him for Direction and Success and consulting with him and approving thy Heart and Life unto him Prov. 3.6 In all thy wayes acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Especially Duties must be done by vertue of influence from Christ Phil. 2.13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Gal. 2.20 I live by the faith of the son of God In our ordinary Actions we must still ask his Leave Counsel and Blessing acknowledging his Dominion over us and all that we do there we must call in his help and aim at his Glory 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God That doing things by him we may do them for him 7. God should be worshipped by every Faithful Person in his own House in as God like a manner as he was worshipped by the Iews in the Temple A Christian must be alike every where at home and abroad Phil. 2.12 Wherefore my beloved as ye alwaies have obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your own salvation with fear and trembling So David Psalm 101.2 I will walk within my house with a perfect heart There where we familiarly converse we should shew most of Holiness ordering all our Affairs and Actions as may best demonstrate the sincerity of our Hearts A SERMON On JOHN iii. 14 15. And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life THE former part of this Chapter is spent in a Discourse with Nicodemus 1. About Regeneration That great Pharisee needed to be catechized and taught the plainest Principles of Christianity 2. About Salvation by Christ the great secret which our Lord brought out of his Fathers Bosom He instructed him in two things mainly 1. The manner of purchasing 2. The manner of applying this salvation As the whole Context may be comprized under these two heads so also the words read to you The manner of purchasing is by Christs coming into the World and dying for Sinners The way of applying is by Faith in the Son of God He instructeth him in the manner of purchasing partly that he might not think light of Sins seeing he must dye for them partly that he might not be scandalized at his Sufferings as afterwards he buried Christ and provided a mixture of Myrrhe and Aloes for his Funerals Iohn 19.39 He instructeth him in the way of applying and obtaining the purchased benefits partly that he might not be ashamed of professing himself one of Christs Followers and Disciples partly to ingage his Heart to own him as the Saviour of lost Sinners having sufficient vertue to cure the sinfulness and misery of such as fly to him by Faith These things are represented to him by a Type and that a notable one The Type of the Brazen Serpent In the words take notice 1. Of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or proposition as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness 2. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the reddition or explication of it Even so must the son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life In which 1. The way of saving Mankind the son of man must be lifted up 2. The means of applying it that whosoever believeth in him 3. The benefit propounded negatively he should not perish positively but have eternal life I shall open the words by a short illustration and then come to the point 1. For the protasis as Moses by Gods appointment though the Minister be only mentioned Numb 21.8 The Lord said unto Moses make thee a fiery serpent it was not his device but God's Ordinance no invention and institution of his he had Gods express Command and Warrant for it Lifted up That is set upon a Pearch or Pole as an object to be looked upon by the stung Israelites The Serpent That is the Brazen-Image and Figure of a Serpent Signs are often called by the name of the thing represented and signified In the Wilderness A Figure of this World through which we have our passage to the Heavenly Canaan You may add that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or proposition of the Type may be more full That the people might not perish but be healed and live for then the reddition or explication of the Type will run more smoothly 2. The Apodosis even so must the son of man That is Christ spoken of in the former verse The Son of Man that Ascended and descended That was in Heaven and knew the depths of Gods Counsel and came down to make them known to us This Son of Man must be lifted up believed on or looked unto by Faith and then the guilty Sinner is healed and shall not perish but have Eternal Life The lifting up of the Son of Man in the sound and first hearing seemeth to note his exaltation but it doth not carry that notion here but such a lifting up as is correspondent to the Erection of the Brazen Serpent on a Tree or Pole it signifieth the Crucifixion of the Son of God not his Exaltation but the lowest Act of his Humiliation So in many other places Iohn 8.28 When ye have lifted up the son of man then shall ye know that I am he He speaketh it to the wicked Iews and how did the Iews lift him up but by crucifying him Surely they intended no Honour to him yet there it is made their Act. So Iohn 12.32 33. I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men after me This he said signifying what death he should die as the