PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Works of John Owen — Volume 15
John Owen · 234,856 words · 240 reading sections
Section 1
Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2010 with funding from University of Toronto littp://www.archive.org/details/worksofjolinow15owen TV»eo1 O THE WORKS JOHN OWEN, D.D. EDITED BY THOMAS RUSSELL, M.A. MEMOIRS OF HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS, BY WILLIAM ORME. VOL. XV. CONTAINING SERMONS. LONDON: PRINTED FOR RI…
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SERMONS. VOL. XV. AMPLISSIMO SENATUI, INCLYTISSIMO POPULl ANGLICANI CONVENTUl, ob Prisca Anglo-Britannorum jura strenue &, iideliter asserta ; Libertatem patriam (nefariis quorundam molitionibus paene pessundatam) recuperatam ; Justitiam fortiter, to-wc. Ittlhkwq, airpo<Tto7ro\i7rT<ng administratam ; 'Apxnv i…
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Secondly, To root out that atheistical corruption, which depresses the thoughts of men, not permitting thera in the highest products of Providence, to look above contingen- cies, and secondary causes; though God * hath wrought all our works for us;' Isa. xxvi. 12. and ' known unto him are all his works from the beginni…
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2. For the second, or time of this vision, I need say no more, than what before I intimated. 3. The bringer of the message, avrip tiq ^v MokeSwv eotwc, he was a man of Macedonia in a vision : the Lord made au appearance unto him, as of a man of Macedonia, discovering even to his bodily eyes a man, and to his mind, tha…
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I. Begin we with the first of these ; The rule whereby. See. All events and effects, especially concerning the pro- pagation of the gospel, and the church of Christ, are in their greatest variety, reafulated by the eternal purpose and counsel of God.'' All things below in their events are but the wax,' where- on the e…
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' Gen. iii. 15. iv. 26. " Gen. vi. 5. " Gen. v. 24. vi. 18. f Gen. xii. 1. xviii, 1, 2. Psal. Ixxvi. 1, 2. John iv. 22. Gal. iv, 4. John xii. 32. Acts xvii. 30. Mark xvi. 15. Mai. iii. 4. Prov. viii. 31. P See Tertuljian, lib. ad. Jud. Reckoning i almost all the known nations of the world, and affirming that they all…
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» Gen. iv, 5—7. 1 Kings xxii. 19 — 21. 2 Kings v. 18, 19. Psal. Ixxvi. 10. Eccles. vii. 26. Isa. vi. 9 — 11, &c. » Deus non operatur in mails, quod eidisplicet; sed operatur per eos quod ei placet, recipientur vero non pro eo, quod Deus bene usus est ipsorum operibuj Ktalis, sed pro eo, quod ipsi male abusi sunt Dei o…
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18 A VISION OV the one, and not the other to himself by Christ. ' The Lord added to the church such as should be saved ;' Acts ii. 47. The purpose of saving is the rule of adding; to the church of believers. And Acts xiii. 48. ' As many be- lieved as were ordained to eternal life.' There fore-ordaining to life eternal…
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20 A VISION OK building ; John ii. 20. During which space, how often did the hearts of the people of God faint in their troubles, as though thev should never have seen an end ? And there- fore, ever and anon they were ready to give over, as Hag. i. 2. But yet we see the decree was fixed, and all those va- rieties did …
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22 A VISIOX OF India; hath not a storm driven some to the discovery of the richer mines of the love of God in Christ ? (3.) Had not Esau come against him with four hundred men, Jacob had not been called Israel ; he had not been put to it to try his strength with God, and so to prevail. Who would not purchase with the…
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(2.) In that economy and dispensation of the grace of the new covenant, breaking forth in these latter days, where- by all external distinction of places and persons,' people and nations being removed, Jesus Christ taketh all* nations to be his inheritance, dispensing to all men the grace of the gospel, bringing salvat…
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I deny not but God may, and perhaps sometimes doth, reveal himself to some in a peculiar and extraordinary man- ner. Whereunto tends that story in Aquinas,^ of a corpse taken up in the days of Constantine and Irene, with a plate of gold, and this inscription on it, ' Christus nascetur ex virgine, ego credo in ilium. O …
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1st. In the first way, how do we find the Jews, putting far from them the word of life, and rejecting the counsel of God at its first entrance, calling for night at the rising of the sun? Hence, Acts xiii. 41. Paul concludes his sermon to them, with, ' Hear, ye despisers. wonder and perish :' and ver. 46. it was necess…
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'■ Brilaiinoruni inaccessa Ronianis loca, Christo vero subdita. Tertiil. UNCHANGEABLE, FREE IMEKCY. 31 what shall we say to these things ? 'O (iaOoc;, O the depth, &c. Use 2. Let England consider with fear and trembling the dispensation that it is now under: I say, with fear and trembling, for this day is the Lord's…
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[L] The darling errors of late years were all of them stones of the old Babel, closing and coupling with that tre- mendous fabric, which the man of sin had erected to de- throne Jesus Christ; came out of the belly of that Trojan horse, that fatal engine, which was framed to betray the city of God. They were popish erro…
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" Rome's Masterpiece. " Royal Favourite. D 2 3G A VI SI ox OF cedonians give for one enjoyment? O tliat Wales! O that Ireland! O that France ! Where shall I stop? I would offend none, but give me leave to say, O that every, I had almost said, O that any part of the world had such helps and means of grace, as these p…
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38 A VISION' OF the word ; tliougli for faitli and persuasion we do not find that they were corrupted, and do find that they were tena- cious enough of antique discipline, as appeared in their following oppositions to the Roman tyranny, as in Beda. Secondly, It was lost in regard of the purity and power thereof, by bl…
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40 A VISIOX OK banished for nonconformity to the golden rule of love and peace; James iii. 17. But aTrs'xa). Come we now to the last proposition. III. iVo men in the world want help, like them that want the gospel. Or, of all distresses, want of the gospel cries the loudest for relief. Rachel wanted children, and sh…
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• Mallem ruere cum Christo, quam regnare cum Caesare,' said Luther. A dungeon with Christ, is a throne ; and a throne without Christ, a hell. Nothing so ill, but Christ'' will compensate. The greatest evil in the world is sin, and the greatest sin was the first ; and yet Gregory feared not to cry, ' O felix culpa, quae…
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3. Because being in all this want, they know not that they want any thing, and so never make out for any supply. Laodicea knew much, but yet because she knew not her wants,' she had almost as good have known nothing. Gos- pelless men know not that they are blind, and seek not for eye-salve ; they know not that they are…
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Use 2. Shews that such great mercies, if not esteemed, if not improved, if abused, will end in great judgments. Woe be to that nation, that city, that person, that shall be called to an account for despising the gospel; Amos ii. 2. 'You only have I known of all the families of the earth.' What then ? Surely some great …
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(2.) Of the magistrates, I mean of this honourable assem- bly, to turn themselves every lawful way, for the help of poor INIacedonians. The truth is, in this I could speak more than I intend; for perhaps my zeal and some men's judg- ments would scarce make good harmony. This only I shall I UNCHANGEABLE, FREE MERCY. 4…
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* Noli irritare crabrones. Si lapidcs teras nonne ignis erurapit? Ambros. lib. 1. cap. 21. Prov. xxx.33. Job xxxiii. 21. Prov. xxv. 18. Vid. Reined, contra gravam natioiiis Germanicac. Luth. praefat. ad lib. de conci!. Protest. 34. ministrornm. 4. Conclus. That generally all writers at the beginning of the Reformation.…
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2. I dare not aflBrm that the parliament hath not established a government already, for the essentials of ^ V^id. catal. liaeret. apud Tertul. de praiscript. Epipban. Aug. Vincent. Ivi PREFACE. it, themselves affirming that they have/ and their ordi- nances about rulers, rules, and persons to be ruled (the ' requis…
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'" Nunc vero si nominis odium est, quis nominum reatus? quaB accusatio voca- buloruni? nisi aut Barbaruin sonat aliqua vox iioniinis, aut iiialedicuni, aut iiupu- dicuni? Tcrtul. Apol. PREFACE. lix because a Protestant ;" amongst Protestants, at least the one half account all men of my persuasion, calvinisti- cal, sa…
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" 'Afji'c^M y ila-TE^ai /MopTU^E? cro^iouTaTOi, Pind. Od. 1. Ol^ni. Ixii PREFACE. and parallel ; yea, did not extreme haste now call it from me, so that I have no leisure, so much as to tran- scribe the first draught, I doubt not but by God's as- sistance, it might be so set forth, as not to be thought altogether und…
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In the several parishes let things be thus ordered. ' 1. Let every minister continue in his station, taking es- pecial care of all them that live within the precincts of his parish ; preaching, exhorting, rebuking, publickly, and from house to house, warning all, using all appointed means to draw them to Jesus Christ, …
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2. If only civil divisions of men that may conveniently be taught by one pastor, and ruled by elders, whereof some may be fit to partake of all the ordinances, some not, as Presby- terians esteem them, then by this way they receive no injury, nor are abridged of any of their privileges. Obj. 2. This is to erect church…
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'l. Satanica. 2. Ethnica. 3. Belluiiia. 4. Iscariotica. ."). Tyrannica. 6. He- Todiana. 7. Ventris causa. lUiricus, de variis sectis ap. papistas. ' Solitudineni ubi faciunt, pacem appellant. Tacitus vita Agr. cap. 10. *■ Huraani juris, etnaturalis potestatis est, unicuique quod putaverit colere. Tertal. Quis imponet…
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72 A COUNTRY ESSAY FOR THK PRACTICE all, their tenets being unto them the only form of wholesome words: moreover (for these things recounted make not the difference, for it is so with all sects of men) the magistrates, or those who are intrusted with all the power over men, which for the preservation of human society,…
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2. That any doctrine tending undeniably in its own na- ture (and not by strained consequences) to the disturbance of the civil state may be suppressed, by all such means as are lawfully to beused,forthe conservation of the peace andsafety OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT THERE. 75 of the state. Jesus Christ, though accused of se…
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Luther feared not to affirm of the first and best of gene- ral synods, that he * understood not the Holy Ghost to speak in it;* and that the canons thereof were but plain hay and stubble.'' Yea, and Beza, that such was the ' folly, ignorance, ambition, wickedness of many bishops in the best times, that you would suppos…
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so A COUNTIIY ESSAY FOR THE PRACTICE tenance men walking disorderly in any regard, especially in the particulars before recounted ; but only to shew how warily, and upon what sure principles, that cannot be retorted on us, we ought to proceed, when any severity is necessarily required, in case of great danger; and how…
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•' Theophanes. histor. Miscel. lib. 22. cap. 30. > Euseb. vit. Const, lib. 2. cap. 27. ■' Socrat. Evag. Rufinus. Sozom. OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT THERE. 83 nations' must be slaughtered, that he may be drunk with blood. He sends whole armies to crucify Christ afresh, he gives every one of his soldiers a cross ; hence follo…
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OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT THERE. 85 things in this kingdom, that the work of recovering his worship to its purity, and restoring the civil state to its li- berty, should be both carried on at the same time by the same persons. Are there none now in this kingdom, to whom this reforming is an almost everting of God's worship…
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And so hoping the courteous reader will look with a can- did eye upon these hasty lines, rather poured out than writ- ten ; and consider that a da\j's pains in these times may serve for that, which is but for a day's use ; the whole is submitted to his judgment by him who professeth his all in this kind to be, the love…
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■^ Kent, Essex. XCII THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. you not that you are worth ten thousands of us, why should you quench such a light in Israel V Sir, I account it among those blessings of provi- dence, wherewith the days of my pilgrimage have been seasoned, that I had the happiness for a short season to attend your excel…
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Sirs, Your most humble and obliged servant, In the work of the Lord, John Owen. Coggeshall, Oct. 5, 1648. 96 A MEMORIAL OF THE DELIVERANCE SERMON II. A prayer of Habahknk the prophet upon Sigionoth, O Lord, I have heard thy speech and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the tnidst of…
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2. That it is 'upon Sigionoth,* a little may be spoken, VOI-. XV. H 98 A MEMORIAL OF THE DELIVERANCE The word is once in another place (and no more) used in the title of a song, and that is Psal. vii. * Shiggaion of David:' and it is variously rendered. It seems to be taken from the word nJli/ 'erravit/ to err, or w…
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H 2 100 A MEMORIAL OF THE DELIVEUANCE fully, towards the haven where we would be. ^ A song upon Sigionoth leaves not one string of our affections untuned. It is a song that reacheth every line of our hearts, to be framed by the grace and Spirit of God, Therein hope, fear, reverence, with humility and repentance have …
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Ver. 2. The beginning of it in ver. 2. hath two parts. 1. The frame of the prophet's spirit in his address to God; ' O Jehovah, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid.' 2. His request in this his condition ; ' O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known, in wrath remember …
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VI. Observation. The church's mercies and deliverance have their appointed season. In the midst of the years it shall be accomplished. As there is a decree bringing forth the wicked's destruction, Zeph. ii. 2. so there is a decree goes forth in its appointed season for the church's deliverance, which cannot be gain- s…
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Ver. 3. * God came from Teman, the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, the earth was full of his praise.' ° Teman was a city of the Edomites, whose land the people of Israel compassed in the wilderness, when they were stung with fiery serpents and healed with looking on a brazen serpent se…
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o o o tions, time, place, and the like, ofttimes take deep impres- OF ESSEX COUNTY, AND COMMITTEE. 109 sions ; mercies should be remembered with them. So doth the apostle again, 2 Tim. iv. 17, 18. ' He did deliver me from the mouth of the lion :' Nero, that lion-like tyrant. And what then ? * he will deliver me from…
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OF ESSEX COUNTY, AND COMMITTEE. Ill VIII. Observation. When God is doing great things, he gives glorious manifestations of his excellencies to his secret ones. The appearance on Sinai goes before his passage into Canaan. * Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants the prophet…
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IX. Observation. God never wants instruments to execute his anger, and ruin his enemies. His treasury of judgments can never be exhausted. If Israel be too weak for the Amorites, he will call in the pes- tilence and burning diseases to their assistance. What * Exod. k. 15. Lev. xxvi. 25. 2 Sara. xxiv. 13. Ezek. xiv. …
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i2 116 A MEMORIAL OF THE DELIVERANCE apiece of land, and exactly measuring it out, as intending it for his own, weighing and considering the bounds and limits of it, to see if it will answer the end for which he purposeth it. God's exact notice and knowledge of his people's pos- session is in those words held out. He…
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(2.) In point of ordinances, and Christ-purchased privi- leges. Here it is dangerous encroaching indeed.^ God exactly measured Canaan because it was to be the seat of a national church. If you love your lives, if you love your souls, be tender in this point. Here if you meddle with that which belongs not unto you, were…
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Use. I^p and be doing, you that are about the work of thp Lord. Your enemies are bread ready to be eaten, and OF ESSEX COUNTY, AND COMMITTEE. 121 yield you refreshment. Do you think if our armies had not walked in a trodden path, they could have made such journeys as they have done of late? Had not God marched before…
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3. The prophet's view of all this : * I saw' it, or 'I see' it. Though it were eight hundred and seventy years before, supposing him to prophecy about the end of Josiah, or be- ginning of Jehoiakim, yet taking it under the consideration of faith he makes it present to his view. Faith looketh backwards and forwards, to…
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[1.] From the nature of faith. Though it do not make the thing believed to be (the act cannot create its own ob- ject), yet applying it, it makes it the believer's. It is the bond of union between the soul and the thing promised. He that believes in Christ, by that believing receives Christ, John i. 12. he becomes his.…
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128 A MEMORIAL Of THE DF.LIVEUANCE might become as children, their persons slain, and trodden down in the field, can we but cry, ' Lord, what are we, and what is our house that thou shouldst do such thin<j;s for us V A serious view of what God hath done in this nation of late, what armies he hath destroyed, what stron…
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The reasons of this are taken, 1 . From their envy, 2. From their carnal fear ; the two principles whereby they are acted in reference to the saints of God. 1. Their envy. They have a devouring envy at them,s which at length shall shame them and consume them ; Isa. xxvi. 11. They are of their father the devil, and he …
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1 . Because at the deliverance of his people, God will plead with their enemies for their oppressions. ' It is the day of the Lord's vengeance, the year of recompences for the controversy of Sion ;' Isa. xxxiv. 8. It is the vengeance of the Lord and his temple that lights upon them in that day; Jer. 1. 28. ' The violen…
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This admiring interrogation includes a negation. * Was the Lord kindled against the rivers, was thy face against the rivers,' &c. Was it that the deep had offended the Most High, that by thine angels, winds, and clouds, thou OF ESSEX COUNTY, AND COMMITTEE. 135 didst SO disturb the floods in their ancient course, and …
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Use. I. Have we seen nothing of this in our days? noseas divided? no Jordans driven back? no mountains revelled? no hills made to tremble ? Whence then was the late confusion of armies ? casting down of mighty ones ? reviving of dead bones? opening of prison doors? bringing out the captive ap- pointed to beslain? Isitn…
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God's workings are squared to his engagements. This is still the close of all gracious issues of providence, God hath done all 'according as he promised;' Josh. xxii. 4. 2 Sam. vii. 21. He brought out his people of old, 'with a mighty hand, with temptations, signs, and wonders, and a stretched out arm, and all because …
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142 A MEMORIAL OF THE DELIVERANCE him and his followers? It is of indispensable necessity, that he gives them glorious assistance in their undertakings. They shall be assisted, protected, carried on, though it cost him the making of his bow quite naked. According to the se- veral conditions he calls them to, the sever…
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(2.) In ordering all events to his own praise. The timing of the enemies' eruptions in several places is that which fills all hearts with wonder, and all mouths with discourse in these days. From the first to the last they had their season. Had they come together, to the eyes of flesh the whole nation had been swallowe…
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OF ESSEX COUXTY, AND COMMITTEE. 147 now to the particular confirmation of it by instance. ' Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.' Cleave the earth, or make channels in the earth, for waters to flow in. Another most eminent work of Almighty power is here set forth. Eminent in itself, and eminent in its typical sig…
980 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1850–1870); OCR text from Internet Archive. OCR may contain scanning/transcription errors. Verify quotations against page images when precision matters.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.