'By Faith' is 20 years old, but is being reviewed now as a compilation of 3 volumes of a newly released 22-volume set of Manton’s works, also published by Banner of Truth. Read the near 700 pages of this book and you may want to buy the full set!

Sixty-five sermons on Hebrews 11 make for a meaty read, but this is meat that is cooked until it is tender and well worth digesting. Manton, in typical Puritan style, comprehensively tackles every lesson that can be drawn from the text. He highlights not only the historical progression of the characters but also the progression of revelation e.g. “Abel was a type of Christ’s death, and Enoch ….a type of his ascension.” There is a lot to be learned in each sermon and a comprehensive presentation of the gospel in the collected set.

The language is, not surprisingly, a little dated but not overly so. Manton is easy to read but I noticed that he seemed to get steadily better as I progressed. This may simply have been me becoming more attuned to his style of expression. The 3 sermons on Moses refusing to be known as Pharaoh’s daughter were a highlight. He brings out superbly how Moses had the best of what the world could offer but it was as nothing compared to identifying himself with God’s people as God’s servant.

This book, and the full set of Thomas Manton's 'Works', are available from Banner of Truth.

Duncan MacPherson, North Harris Free Church