by Thomas Manton
in ePub, .mobi & .pdf formats
The drift of the apostle in this chapter is to show that free justification by faith in Christ greatly tendeth to promote holiness; which he first proveth from the tenor of Christianity, and then exhorteth the justified to get, increase, and exercise this holiness in all their actions. In these words there are three things --
An objection supposed.
A rejection of it with abhorrence and indignation.
A confutation of it.
The objection is a preposterous inference from what the apostle had said, chap. 5:20, 'That where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.' The apostle propoundeth it by way of interrogation, 'What shall we say then? shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?' The words may be conceived as a slander raised by Jewish prejudice to make the doctrine of the gospel odious, as if it did foster people in sin -- an unjust calumny; or as a temptation incident to loose, carnal, and careless Christians, who are apt to abuse grace, and have such wretched reasonings in their own hearts, that they might take the more liberty to sin, that the grace of God might thereby appear more illustrious and abundant. You may therefore look upon it as produced either as a check to an objection already made, or as a prevention of an abuse that might afterwards be made.
He rejecteth this inference as absurd and blasphemous, by a form of speech familiar to him, Galatians 2:17, Romans 3:6, 31, μὴ γένοιτο; let this thought be far from us, or, this is a thing that all Christian hearts should abominate.
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Table of Contents
Sermon I. "What shall we say then?" vers. 1, 2
Sermon II. "Know ye not, that as many," ver. 3
Sermon III. "Therefore we are buried with him," ver. 4
Sermon IV. "For if we have been planted together," ver. 5
Sermon V. "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified," ver. 6
Sermon VI. "For he that is dead is freed from sin," ver. 7
Sermon VII. "Now, if we be dead with Christ," ver. 8
Sermon VIII. "Knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more," vers. 9, 10
Sermon IX. "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead," ver. 11
Sermon X. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body," ver. 12
Sermon XI. "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness," ver. 13
Sermon XII. "For sin shall not have dominion over you," ver. 14
Sermon XIII. "For sin shall not have," ver. 14
Sermon XIV. "For sin shall not have," ver. 14
Sermon XV. "For sin shall not have," ver. 14
Sermon XVI. "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law," ver. 15
Sermon XVII. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves," ver. 16
Sermon XVIII. "But God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin," ver. 17
Sermon XIX. "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness," vers. 18, 19
Sermon XX. "For when ye were the servants of sin," ver. 20
Sermon XXI. "What fruit had ye then in those things?" ver. 21
Sermon XXII. "But being made free from sin," ver. 22
Sermon XXIII. "And the end everlasting life," ver. 22
Sermon XXIV. "For the wages of sin is death," ver. 23