Prayer Meeting 23/1/2024

How To Deny Ungodliness, and Carnal Lusts - Part 2

(Thomas Manton)

Tonight we will start with the same prayer from our last prayer meeting, which is by Thomas Manton, whose work we will continue to look at tonight. Our puritan prayer tonight is from ‘Into His Presence’ page 80. This prayer by Manton is called ‘Heaven In My Eyes’. I am going to read the first half of it, as we did previously, as it’s very much in line with tonight’s topic:

May heaven be in my eyes that sin might have less power upon my heart. May faith give substance to my hopes that I might mortify corruption. May I set the pleasures that are at your right hand against the pleasures of sin. When Christ calls me to suffer unpleasant austerities, may I know heaven makes amends for them all. When the devil would make me lazy in your service, may faith present the brevity of the present difficulty. May views and foretastes of heaven give birth to such strong persuasion in my heart, that all the reasons in the world shall not alter or break the force of my spiritual purpose. When the devil tempts me to filthiness and uncleanness may faith present hopes of being a companion of the unspotted and immaculate Lamb. When I am tempted to neglect duty for worldly advantages may faith respond with the glory of my inheritance, the riches of the new Jerusalem, the hope of my high calling, and the good treasure of the new covenant.

We are again tonight drawing from a tiny section of Manton’s vast 22 volumes of work, mostly made up of sermons. The tiny section we are going to draw from tonight is from Manton’s sermons on Titus chapter 2, verses 11-14

Titus, as I said last time, is another of Apostle Paul’s pastoral epistles. Titus being another one of Paul’s spiritual sons along with Timothy.

Paul most likely (or there is a least a good chance), wrote to Titus from Corinth. So among pastoring there, and planting, and building the church there, he was helping and pastoring others including Timothy and Titus.

The letter is mostly about encouraging Titus to stick to sound teaching and warn the people what happens when they do not stick to it. Manton preached 22 sermons: 250 pages packed with depth and wisdom from Titus 2:11:14

Last time I mentioned that we will be only touching on one of the verses, and in fact only three words from one verse, in which Manton preached two sermons on.

Let me again read the four verses, then hone in on the three words.

Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Last time we delved into the first of two sermons on ‘and worldly lusts’. Tonight we will walk through, and draw from his second sermon.

We have entitled these sermons: ‘How To Deny Ungodliness and Carnal Lusts’ - For the sake of not simply taking Manton’s titles. I wonder how long he pondered on the title? Not at all, he simply called it the three words of the verse.

Manton starts his second sermon by saying:

Grace has denied us nothing, it has given us Christ and all things with Him, and shall we stick at our lusts, that are certainly not worth the keeping?

Isn’t it so fickle, that we have all these riches in Christ, we have communion with Him, we have His righteousness, are co-heirs to the throne, we are partakers with the saints i.e. we get to share this with God’s greatest servants, yet we trade it for our lusts?

Manton then tells us how much God loved Christ. Way, way more than, as Manton says: ‘we can love the world’.

God loves His Son way more than we could ever love anything. Yet Manton says: ‘yet God gave up the Son of His love’.

Whom did He give it up for? -  For us to be called sons. For us to gain that same love. Yet we trade it at times for lusts; for carnal desires. What a trade-off that is.

Isn’t it amazing that God never ripped our lusts, or our desires from us, but His love is so pure, so holy, that instead He trades it with grace; with mercy. That, and so much more than what I’ve said is in Manton’s first paragraph.

How do we find it so easy at times to forget what grace we have and have been given? Is it not that we turn lusts and carnal desires into something more than the crass desires that they are?

We don’t capture them as carnal lusts, do we? Due to our lack of deep devotion and prayer life, and deep time spent with God in His Word, we find it so easy to turn it into something less sinister.

We would notice way more quickly, we would sense way more quicky the ungodliness of them if we, as Manton says:

If we could see what victory we have over ourselves, it’s a fit occasion to express self-denial, and to show what we can do for God.

Manton adds:

Without self-denial there can be no good done in religion.

Manton then mentions natural desires and compares them to lusts. He says:

Natural desire is the calor vitalis (vital heat) which preserves nature. But lust is like the feverish heat that oppresseth nature.

He added:

Natures desires are temperate and soon satisfied, but lusts are immoderate and ravenous.

The example he uses is this:

If a man eats and drinks and is still unsatisfied then he is sick and in more need of a physician than of meat and drink.

Listen - this is a wonderful litmus test. How many say “well if I just got that, or if you just loved me more I would be okay”? Or “if you just done xyz I wouldn’t mind”…? Yet still you’re not satisfied. Still it’s not enough, still you want more and more, and demand more, and go off on one when you don’t get what you want. It’s not natural. Its sick lust and it’s a soul sickness, not a natural need.

Maton then adds more profundity when he says:

When we are not content with God’s allowance, we need to be cured, not satisfied.

He adds:

Better to mortify the lust than satisfy it.

How damaging it is to the soul to continually seek for satisfaction that will just never satisfy?

John 4:13-14

Jesus answered and said to her, “whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

I love what happens next. Watch this:

John 4:15

The woman said to Him, “sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

The woman immediately asks for it. But look at what she says in the second part: ‘that I may not thirst, or come here to draw.’

She is not wanting satisfied of anything other than her external world, she thinks what she gets externally will help her be more loved and able, and acceptable - and she can avoid being shamed, or hurt.

Look at Jesus’ answer:

John 4:16

Jesus said to her, “go, call your husband, and come here.”

The water Jesus offers is not physical, but it’s an internal satisfaction, it’s not physical water but it’s a holy spring we can draw from without ever it running out.

My point is, often many are like the woman, they say ‘give me that drink, that I may not thirst or come here again’, yet it’s not because they desire Jesus to fill them - but that they will feel loved and not feel the pain they do as much.

Jesus wasn’t trying to satisfy the woman’s thirst, but mortify it. Hence why He said “go get your husband.” You can’t hide behind, ‘oh give me that drink’.

Manton says:

Were it not for lusts, nothing in this world could harm us. All other things are conquered if man could subdue his own affections…. ….It is lusts that so hinder our peace.

As we move through his sermon Manton then talks about pleasure. He really then draws from:

1 John 2:16

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the father but is of the world.

He says:

It is the first thing you must do, if you mean to do anything in religion, to renounce pleasure.

2 Timothy 3:4

Men are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.

Thats all we see around us in this world; people perusing pleasure. All that is sold is pleasure, or what will stop pleasure.

What was one of the main reason people took a very, very untested vaccine? – ‘so they could go on holiday’ - for pleasure. Why do people get in debt? – ‘pleasure’. Why do people pursue such heinous actions? – ‘Pleasure’.

And when they start, like the woman at the well, they keep thirsting, and the pleasure needs more pleasure to be satisfied. Which it never is.

Manton brilliantly quotes Proverbs 25:28

Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.

No self-control; no defence. And soon, that which was just a little bit of pleasure, becomes a full-blown riot running through your life. Nothing is now out of bounds. Anything goes, anything is now welcome. There is no barrier to stop it.

Hence why as Manton goes on to say: ‘we cannot be watchful enough.’

Yet we are often not. We way too often find it our first port of call to look to the world and the things in it to bring us substance, to fix the lack, to solve the pain, and to bring us meaning and hope.

Manton says these very sobering words; not that the others aren’t:

When we are so solicitous (keen, anxious) about outward supports, what shall we do, and what will become of us, that is a sure sign of a worldly heart.

He adds:

We dare not trust God’s providence but cark (worry) ourselves.

It’s a truly worldly Christian who does not seek God but man, and things of the world to fix their dilemmas, temptations, dramas etc. Too many try to solve them not by seeking God, but by going it alone, or looking to some worldly means of solving it.

How much more could God solve your issues if you never carried them yourself, and started to look elsewhere to fix them, or carry them as a burden?

Manton says:

This is to take God’s work out of His hands… …it’s a sign of lack of trust.

1 Peter 5:6-7

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

However, look what Peter says next. This is not such a struggle if you have applied verse 6-7 But what if you have not?

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Peter sure does know that verse personally. Because when he followed Jesus at a distance, when he pulled Jesus aside and rebuked him, for sure Satan was waiting to pounce. And what happened? Peter denied Christ.

Peter’s pride was his most dangerous adversary. His pride caused him to not humble himself; it led to great temptation to deny truth.

Manton says:

Pride is nothing but excessive self-love.

Manton furnishes the statement by saying.:

Pride in the mind is when we ascribe to ourselves that what we have not.

Oh how much does pride sell to others that which is evidently clear that they don’t have? “Stop selling me your pride, I know you don’t have it, or haven’t done it.”

How many times do we furnish our mistakes, lack, need for our own greatness in the eyes of man? Saying:  “I have it, I done it, I didn’t do it. It wasn’t me”.

We are, as Manton says ‘ascribing to ourselves that which we do not have’.

All the while we say to God: “I don’t need you. I can solve this myself.”

1 John 2:16

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

Manton then says: ‘what have we got to be proud of?’ And then lists a whole lot of reasons why we should not be.

If you do struggle with pride. And know we all do - some more so, then get a read at the last section of Manton’s sermon . It will both challenge and help. Especially of you use knowledge, or are able to talk your way around pride as if you don’t have it.

Manton ends the sermon so beautifully. And to remind us of truly whom God is and what He has done for us, and continues to do.

He says:

Consider what God has done for you already, and prize the opportunity of a private life, and improve it to frequency of duty, and converse with God. It is better to be a violet known by its own smell rather than our greatness.

Oh my, as I read that. My heart leapt.

Brothers and sisters. Rather than look to the world, rather than try to find solutions. Rather than act full of pride; that you're better than you are - Come humbly to the throne of grace.

As I read Manton’s ending about ‘a violet known by its own smell’, we ought to just come as we are. With all our baggage. And allow God to say “here he comes. Here she comes. I know your smell, I saw you coming , I know your worries. I know your struggles. You don’t need to dress it up, you don’t need to disguise your smell . You don’t need to show me your greatness. I saved you when you had nothing. You don’t need to bring anything but you to Me. Because when I saved you took on the fragrance of My Son.”

Amen.

Excerpt from Thomas Manton’s 2nd Sermon on ‘And Worldly Lusts’:

3. The third lust is pride of life. The most natural affection is selflove, and pride is nothing else but the excess of self-love. We suck it in with our milk. Our first parents fell by pride; they soon catched at that bait, 'You shall be as gods,' Gen. 3:5; and we see it takes with us, and surpriseth us upon every small occasion; a fine garment, a lock of hair, a good horse, or a serviceable creature. There is nothing so high and nothing so low but pride can make use of it; if we go back any degrees, it is to rise the higher. Yea, rather than not be proud, we can be proud of sin.

The apostle speaks of some 'that glory in their shame,' Phil. 3:19, as their revenge and glutting themselves with their unchaste pleasures. It is a sin that will put us upon much selfdenial. How can men rack their spirits to promote their own praise and exaltation? How can they pinch themselves of the conveniences of life to feed pride and to supply pomp and state? Nay, a man may be proud after his death in funeral-pomp and in the glory of the sepulchre.

Now pride is twofold—in mind, and in desire. Pride in the mind is self-conceit, and pride in the desire is an inordinate affection of glory or high place. Pride in mind is when we ascribe to ourselves what we have not, or transfer upon ourselves the praise of what we have. To boast of what we have not is folly; to boast of what we have is sacrilege, and we rob God; this is like a man deeply in debt, who boasts of an estate he has borrowed. Pride in the desire is an inordinate affectation of our own glory: all that men do is to set up themselves.

[1.] Against pride in the mind. Consider what little reason we have to be proud. Poor men! in whose birth there is sin, in whose life there is misery, and in whose death there is sorrow and perplexity. What should we be proud of? Not of strength, which is inferior to many beasts. Not of beauty; many flowers are decked with a more glorious paintry. Beauty it is but skin-deep; it is blasted with every sickness, it is the laughing-stock of every disease. And then he that is proud of his clothes is but proud of his rags wherewith his wounds are bound up. Clothes you know were occasioned by sin; in innocency holiness was a garment for man, and men might have conversed naked without shame. And so for birth; we have no reason to be proud of that. Omnis sanguis concolor—all blood is of a colour: 'He hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth,' Acts 17:26. Not of estates; they are but as trappings to a horse, things without us. We do not value a horse for his trappings, but by his courage, mettle, and strength. Not of learning; there is none so learned but he hath ignorance enough to humble him. To be proud of learning shows our ignorance.

A little river seems deep when it runs between narrow banks, but when there is a broad channel it is very shallow; so men seem to be profound till their thoughts run out into the breadth of learning. Nor should we glory in preferment and in being advanced. When men are put into great places, they grow proud, but it is their folly: thy preferment may be in judgment; God many times chooseth wicked men to rule. He gives kingdoms to the basest of men, Dan. 4:17. God's providence is not only seen in preferring wise and godly governors, but in setting up the base for a judgment to the nation.

Nebuchadnezzar is called God's servant, Jer. 25:9. The sins of Egypt and Judah did require such a servant. A devout man complained of a bloody prince, Lord! why hast thou made him emperor? He did seem to hear this answer, Because I could not find a worse for such a wicked people. So when such an one was chosen bishop, he grew proud upon it, and there was a voice heard, Thou art lifted up, not because thou art worthy of the priesthood, but because the city is worthy of no better a bishop. Some may be preferred, not because they are worthy, but because the sins of the nation deserved no better governors. So in any good actions, when they are done commendable before men, remember, God makes another judgment: 'All the ways of man are clean in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits,' Prov. 16:2.

Man hath but a partial hatred of sin, but God hath an exact balance, and he weighs the spirits: Luke 16:15, 'Ye are they that justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.' When men praise you, say, These men cannot see my heart. Usually after some eminency there afterward comes a blasting. Jacob wrestled with God, and then his thigh was broken. Paul was rapt up into the third heaven, then presently there was sent him a thorn in the flesh.

Sometimes God blasts the creature before the work, as Moses's hand was made leprous before he wrought the miracle, Exod. 4:6. Sometimes after the work, to show we are but vile instruments; there is something left to remember the creature of his own vileness. Then be not proud of thy holiness, for what is this to God's? Ps. 130:3, 'If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who should stand?'

And God hates this sin so much that he lets men fall into many scandalous sins when they grow proud of their holiness. The ornament of a high and honourable estate in the world is not outward splendour, but the humble mind; James 1:10, 'Let the rich rejoice in that he is made low.' This is true nobleness and eminency, and an argument of a great mind, to be like a spire, least and low in our own account when most exalted by God.

[2.] Against the other, pride in desires and inordinate affectation of greatness. Consider what God hath done for you already, and prize the opportunity of a private life, and improve it to frequency of duty and converse with God. It is better to be like a violet, known by our own smell rather than our greatness. The mountains are exposed to blasts and winds, and they are generally barren; but the low valleys are watered and fruitful; therefore men know not what they do when they seek great things. The true ambition is to seek the great things of heaven and the great things of Christ, and for other things, to refer ourselves to the fair invitation and allowance of God's providence. A vainglorious man is nothing in Christianity.

Paul can count a man's judgment but a small thing: 1 Cor. 4:3, 'With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment.' God is our judge, and the business of our lives is to approve ourselves to God; man's judgment must not be valued. And besides, it is a vain thing to affect that in which we may be soon crossed. One man's opinion may disturb our quiet; one Mordecai can cross Haman in all his pomp. To doat upon that which is in the power of those whose humours are as inconstant as the waves, or their breath, or the wind, is a very great folly; where one word may deject us and cast us into sorrow. And lastly; consider, this is nothing to eternal glory.