Volume 22: Sermons IV, including Funeral Sermon and Indices

About this book

‘God had furnished him with a rare union of those parts that are requisite to form an excellent minister of his word. A clear judgement, rich fancy, strong memory, and happy elocution met in him, and were excellently improved by his diligent study.’ William Bate, D.D., from a sermon preached at Manton’s funeral.

This product is Volume 22 of The Works of Thomas Manton (1620-1677), and contains sermons on several texts of Scripture, a sermon preached at Manton’s funeral, and the indices to the Works. Manton’s Works present us with an outstanding example of what was most characteristic in the ministry of the English Puritans: careful, solid, warm-hearted applicatory exposition of the Scriptures.

The set is a facsimile of the James Nisbet & Co. edition of 1870.

‘I have come to know him so well that I could choose him out from among a thousand divines if he were again to put on his portly form, and display among modern men that countenance wherein was a ‘great mixture of majesty and meekness.’ His works occupy twenty-two volumes in the Victorian reprint: a mighty mountain of sound theology. They mostly consist of sermons; but what sermons! They are not so sparkling as those of Henry Smith, nor so profound as those of Owen, nor so rhetorical as those of Howe, or so pithy as those of Watson, nor so fascinating as those of Brooks; and yet they are second to none of these. For solid, sensible instruction forcibly delivered they cannot be surpassed. Manton is not brilliant, but he is always clear; he is not oratorical, but he is powerful; he is not striking, but he is deep. There is not a poor discourse in the whole collection: he is evenly good, constantly excellent. Ministers who do not know Manton need not wonder if they are themselves unknown.’ — CHARLES SPURGEON

‘If ever there was an English divine who must be classed as a Puritan, that man is Manton…his works, like [Bunyan’s] Pilgrim’s Progress, deserve the attention of all true Christians…As an expositor of Scripture I regard Manton with unmingled admiration. Here, at any rate, he is facile princeps [easily first] among the divines of the Puritan school…In days like these, I am thankful that the publishers of Manton’s Works have boldly come forward to offer real literary gold to the reading public.’ — J. C. RYLE