Law and obedience qualifies us for communion with God...

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:57 pm

I've been reading Thomas Manton's sermons on Psalm 119. He's was an amazing puritan who Spurgeon called "chief among theologians", and his sermons have confirmed a suspicion I've had for a while - that the early puritans had a much more wholistic understanding of the Covenant, the Law, and soteriology. Notice what Manton says here, without qualification (note that he is writing about God's law in Psalm 119:2)

"The end of God's testimonies is to direct us how to seek after God, to bring home the wandering creature to its centre and place of rest; partly, because whoever keeps the commandments of God, he will be forced to seek God for light and help. Obedience doth not only qualify us for communion with God, but (where it is regarded in good ernest) necessitates us to look after it; for we cannot come to God without God; and therefore if we would keep his testimonies, we must be seeking of God." [Rev. Thomas Manton D.D., One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on the Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm. (1680) Sermon II. Verse II. Pg 16]

Fore more on Manton visit http://www.theologylog.com and http://adamnaranjo.typepad.com/adamdaily/

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 12:09 am

Someone may or may not ask what my point is here, and if there is any qualification for Manton's statment. What do you think?