A second volume of sermons preached by the late reverend and learned Thomas Manton…

1. Senselessness, in not discerning and weighing the things that befall us, good or evil. An Instance of the one we have, Hos. 7.8. For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil. The Lord is very liberal to us; yet little notice is taken of it. An Instance of the other we have, Isa. 42.25. Yet he laid it not to heart. In Mercies we neither consider their Author, nor their End, nor their Cause. Their Author; we are like Swine, that eat the Acorns, but never look up to the Oak from whence they fall. 'Tis said of the Church, she hath doves eyes; they peck and look upward. We should see God in every Mercy. A drowsy unattentive Soul heedeth it not, but is swallowed up in present delights and enjoyments, and looketh no further. 'Tis our Privilege above the Beasts to know the first Cause. Other creatures live upon God, but are not capable of knowing God. Idolatry and Profaneness had never crept into the world, if men had kept up the sense of Gods bounty. Some never regard the End of Mercies, which is to draw in our hearts to God; therefore called the Cords of a man, Hos. 6.4. being so many bonds and ties upon us. What honour hath been done to God for this and that mercy? I allude to that in Hest. 6.3. See how David reasoneth, 2 Sam. 7.2. I dwell in an house of Cedar, but the Ark of God within Curtains. When the Heart is urging to Duty upon this score, God hath been good to me, given me food and raiment, and plentiful provision for the comfort of this life, what have I done for God? Not only the Impenitent abuse mercy, Rom. 2.4. but David lost his awe of God, because he had not a thankful sense of the mercies of God, 2 Sam. 12.7, 8. So for corrective Providences: The Body is a tender part with most men, though they are sensible of the smart of the lash, yet they do not consider the hand that striketh, nor the deserving procuring Cause; they do not look upward nor inward; they do not see the hand of God in it,