Temptation of Christ: A Puritan's View of the Temptation

by Thomas Manton

Introduced by Maurice Roberts. Manton looks at the temptation Christ suffered from the devil in the wilderness and shows the origin and purpose of temptation. His classic study examines how Jesus can... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1857922263
• ISBN13: 9781857922264
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Christian Heritage
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Pastoral Expositions Full of Practical Theology

If John Owen's Trilogy published by Crossway on "Mortification of Sin," "The Nature and Power of Temptation," and "The Indwelling Sin" is too intimidating since they read more like a doctoral dissertation, the readers should get this volume of Thomas Manton's sermon collection on Mat 4:1-11. It is more pastoral, full of juicy lessons on practical theology. Manton's treatment on the subject of temptation in general, and temptation of Christ in particular as a case study consists of the nature of temptation and the tempter, specifically in the beginning by establishing a link between Satan's three attempts on Jesus to Satan's three-in-one attempt on Adam and Eve in Gen 3:8; brought together in 1 John 2:16 as the trinity of evil being the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. The lure to turn a stone into bread is parallel to that of the forbidden fruit looking tasty to the appetite, appealing to the lust of the flesh. The lust of the eyes is represented by the glamorous view of the kingdoms of the world; being parallel to the forbidden fruit that is pleasant to the eyes. The bait to draw Christ to throw Himself down is similar to the forbidden fruit having an appearance that is able to make one wise; an appeal to human pride (p.32). But the greater lesson here is to show that Christ, being the second Adam, conquered not only temptations, but also the tempter and his agents, in stark comparison to the fatal miserable failure of the first Adam who was conquered by, instead of conquering the enemy. Though I disagree with Manton on the extent of Satan's knowledge of a divine plan of the cross (p.111), I am grateful his sermons, like most Puritan sermons, are now available to the public. They are edifying to the saints, a sweet cordial, full of sustaining and strengthening grace to the souls in pilgrimage through the wilderness of this dangerous world.