A51847:312

Sermons preached

Name: Sermons preached
Author: Thomas Manton

Sermons preached by the late reverend and learned divine, Thomas Manton ...

Thomas Manton 1620–1677London: printed for Brabazon Aylmer, 1678

[8], 412 p. · 142k words · Wing M536 · ESTC R7578

Title page: Internet Archive scan of the Early English Books microfilm (opens the Internet Archive in a new tab)

SERMON VI. › Doct. That we cannot have or keep up any true Love to God, unless t…: Doct. That we cannot have or keep up any true Love to God, unless the Lord set our Hear…

Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.

[ Earlier:309–324 of 1,178

:309p. 116¶1

1. The Necessity of God's Direction to Persons unregenerate. They cannot love God, till the Lord direct and set their Hearts straight. It is a hard thing to say (but we must not mince the matter) that in the carnal State we were all Haters of God, Rom. 1. 13. And it were well if this Enmity and Hatred were throughly got out of our Hearts. How can this be? Nature tells us, that he from whom we have received Being, and Life, and all Things, deserves our Love. I answer; Though Men may see some Reason of Love to God, as he is our Creator and Preserver; but as he is a Law-giver and a Judge, so we all hate him. Three Reasons there are of that natural Enmity that is in the Hearts of Men against God. I would have you consider them seriously, that we may feelingly bewail our own Aversion from God.

1. The Necessity of God's Direction to Persons unregenerate. They cannot love God, till the Lord direct and set their Hearts streight. It is a hard thing to say (but we must not mince the matter) that in the carnal State we were all Haters of God, Rom. 1. 13. And it were well if this Enmity and Hatred were throughly got out of our Hearts. How can this be? Nature tells us, that he from whom we have received Being, and Life, and all Things, deserves our Love. I answer; Though Men may see some Reason of Love to God, as he is our Creator and Preserver; but as he is a Law-giver and a Judge, so we all hate him. Three Reasons there are of that natural Enmity that is in the Hearts of Men against God. I would have you consider them seriously, that we may feelingly bewail our own Aversion from God.

:310p. 117¶1

(1.) Our Inclination to carnal things, which prepossesseth our Hearts, and then there is no Room for any Inclination to God. Naturally Men are addicted to vain and sensual Delights; for that which is born of the Flesh, is Flesh, 2 Joh. 16. Having no Principle to incline them to God, they wholly seek to please the Flesh. When Men once lost Original Righteousness, they took up with what came next to hand, and so became Lovers of Pleasures, more than Lovers of God,

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