April - the Free Presbyterian church of Scotland

TheFree Presbyterian MagazineVol 117 April 2012 No 4Thomas Manton and ContentmentManton was one of the better-known Puritans. Born in 1620 in Somerset,he was the son and the grandson of ministers. And, following studiesat Oxford University, he became a minister himself. His first charge was inStoke Newington, now a district of London. His published expositions onthe Epistles of James and Jude are both based on his preaching there. Afterspending seven years in Stoke Newington, he moved to St Paul’s Church inCovent Garden, London, where he succeeded Obadiah Sedgwick, anotherPuritan, a volume of whose writings were reprinted in the twentieth century.Among those who sometimes attended Manton’s preaching in this church wasArchbishop Usher, who used to describe him as one of the “best preachersin England”.On some special occasion, Manton was appointed to preach before the LordMayor; he took a difficult subject and preached a learned sermon. The bettereducated among the congregation appreciated the discourse, and Mantonwas publicly thanked. However, on his way to the evening service, a poorman came up behind him and gently tugged the sleeve of his gown. Havingattracted the minister’s attention, the man spoke about his experience underthe morning’s sermon: “I came here with earnest desire after the Word of Godand hopes of getting some good to my soul, but I was greatly disappointed;for I could not understand a great deal of what you said; you were quite aboveme”. Manton, who was not given to learned discourses, replied graciously:“Friend, if I did not give you a sermon, you have given me one; and by thegrace of God, I will never play the fool to preach before my Lord Mayor insuch a manner again”.In common with most of the other Puritans, Manton’s conscience wouldnot allow him to continue in his charge in the changed ecclesiastical conditionsafter Charles II came to the throne. He was offered the position of Dean ofRochester but refused to accept it. He continued to preach, however, and wasat one time arrested, though the conditions under which he was held wererelatively relaxed; sometimes he was even left with the keys of the jail. Sometime after his death in 1677, the 65 sermons he had preached on Hebrews 11