April - the Free Presbyterian church of Scotland

Thomas Manton and Contentment 99behind Eli’s evident submission to the will of God after Samuel told him allthat had been revealed to him; the gracious old man said, “It is the Lord: letHim do what seemeth Him good” (1 Sam 3:18).None of God’s children should expect their lives to run perfectly smoothly.And it is easy to think of Manton having Eli’s words in his mind as heconfronted the difficulties that followed 1660. We find him asking: “Can yousubmit to hardships?” One thing is sure: although unconverted people maydemonstrate a considerable degree of natural patience, we would be unwiseto promise ourselves a spirit of submission to hardships unless God will giveus the necessary grace. Manton also asks, “Are carnal affections mortified?”In other words, Are our natural desires being put to death? And are spiritualdesires – for the good of our souls, for example, for the progress of thegospel throughout the world, and for the downfall of Satan’s kingdom –becoming stronger?Especially Manton sees contentment and submission flowing from a realisationof the perfection of heaven. “A little thing will serve on earth,” he states,“because we expect so much in heaven.” A believing view of the fullness ofheavenly blessedness should make believers content in this world, no matterhow little they possess and no matter how difficult their circumstances maybecome. Manton points out that “Abraham was not covetous; he lookedupon the spiritual rather than the earthly part of the promise; he was not forfields and lands; he saw that his Canaan must be heaven, and was content”.God had promised Abraham His blessing. So Abraham could be sure that hisMaker would provide for all his temporal needs. Yet that was not his focus;his real focus was on spiritual things.That is how it should be with us. We should, as Christ Himself directs,seek “first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness”. Like the poor manhoping to get some good for his soul, we should be seeking Christ in themeans of grace, especially in the preaching of the gospel. But Christ furtherassures His followers that “all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt6:33); by all these things He is referring to food and drink and clothing and,by implication, everything else they need. So believers have every reason tobe content; their heavenly Father gives them all that they need – as He seesfit. He knows what is best for them. They may have strong desires for anynumber of things; if they ask God for them, they will receive them – if thatwill be for their good. The rich man had his “good things” in this world;Lazarus did not. But Lazarus is now enjoying what is eminently better –as is Abraham, in the heavenly Canaan – and will do so for ever. May we all,in our varied situations, be made willing to believe that “godliness withcontentment is great gain” (1 Tim 6:6) – like Abraham and Thomas Manton.