PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Works of John Owen — Volume 2
John Owen · 248,045 words · 245 reading sections
Section 121
(2.) The second thing which the children of God have by adoption is title. They have title and right to all the privileges and advan- tages of the family whereinto they are translated. This is the pre- eminence of the true sons of any family. The ground on which Sarah pleaded the ejection of Ishmael was, that he was th…
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(2dli/.) The privileges of the house are such as they will not suit nor profit any other. To what purpose is it to give food to a dead man? Will he grow strong by it? will he increase upon it? The things of the family and house of God are food for living souls. Now, children only are alive, all others are dead in tresp…
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\st. The right they have is not as the right that Christ hath; that is, sovereign and supreme, to do what he will with his own ; but theirs is subordinate, and such as that they must be accountable for the use of those things whereunto they have a right and title. The right of Christ is the right of the Lord of the hou…
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(3.)^ Boldness with God by Christ is another privilege of our adop- tion. But hereof I have spoken at large before, in treating of the excellency of Christ in respect of our approach to God by him ; so that I shall not re-assume the consideration of it. (4.) Affliction, also, as proceeding from love, as leading to spi…
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224 OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST. your salvation : but your hearts are filled with sorrow and fears, and you do not so much as inquire after relief," verses 5, 6. Whereupon he adjoins that wonderful assertion, verse 7, " Nevertheless I tell you the truth ; It is expedient for you that I go away : for if I go not a…
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Who this Comforter is, our blessed Saviour had before declared, chap. XV. 26. He is ni/sD/ia r^s aXYi&uag, — " the Spirit of truth ;" that is, the Holy Ghost, who revealeth all truth to the sons of men. Now, ^ "'??. "'?''?'?, rendered in our translation, " My friends scorn me," is in the Tar- gum, to which Owen allude…
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Three things are considerable in the foundation of this dispensa- tion, in reference to our communion with the Holy Ghost : — [ls#.] That the will of the Spirit is in the work: 'ExTopiUrai, — " He comes forth himself" Frequent mention is made (as we shall see afterwaixl) of his being sent, his being given, and poured …
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[l5^.] Hence is the sin against the Holy Ghost (what it is I do not now dispute) unpardonable, and hath that adjunct of rebellion put upon it that no other sin hath, — namely, because he comes not, he acts not, in his own name only, though in his own also, but in the name and authority of the Father and Son, from and b…
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(Isi.) It considers the Spuit, in the economy before described, as promised. It is faith alone that makes profit of the benefit of the promises, Heb. iv. 2. Now he is called the Spirit of that promise, Eph. i. 13, — the Sphit that in the covenant is promised; and we re- ceive the promise of the Spuit through faith. Gal…
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[pthly.'] I deny that ever the Holy Spirit doth absolutely and uni- versally leave a believing soul without consolation. A man may be darkened, clouded, refuse comfort, — actually find none, feel none; but radically he hath a foundation of consolation, which in due time will be drawn forth: and therefore, when God prom…
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(^dly) That which remains, in the last place, for the explanation of the things proposed to be explained as the foundation of the com- munion which we have with the Holy Ghost, is, — The effects that, being thus sent and thus working, he doth pro- duce; which I shall do, not casting them mto any artificial method, but…
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Only here, as in all the particulars following, the manner of the 238 OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST. Spirit's working this thing is always to be borne in mind, and the interest of his power, will, and goodness in his working. He doth this, — 1st Poivevfully, or effectually ; Idly. Voluntarily; Sdly. Freely. 1st. …
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240 OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST. things of Christ, which lie hath procured for us; shows them to us for our comfort and estabhshment. These things, I say, he effectually declares to the souls of believers ; and makes them knoAv them for their own good ; — know them as originally the things of the Father, prepared…
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VOL. IL 16 2-42 OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST. but the work is not clone, the conquest is not fully obtained, until the Spu'it, who worketh freely and effectually, when and how he will, comes in with his testimony also; clothing his power with a word of promise, he makes all parties concerned to attend unto him, a…
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Thus, then, the Holy Ghost communicates unto us his own like- ness ; which is also the image of the Father and the Son. " We are changed into this image by the Lord the Spirit," 2 Cor. iii. ] 8 ; and herein he brings us into fellowship with himself Our likeness to liim giv€s us boldness with him. His work we look for, …
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God doth it to this purpose, to assure us and secure us of the in- heritance. Having given us so many ^securities without us, — his word, promises, covenant, oath, the revelation and discovery of his faithful- ness and immutability in them all, — he is pleased also graciously to give us one within us, Isa. lix. 21, tha…
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7. The Spirit anoints believers. Wo are " anointed" by the Spirit, 2 Cor. i. 21. We have " an unction from the Holy One, and we know all things," 1 John ii. 20, 27. I cannot intend to run this ex- pression up into its rise and original ; also, I have done it elsewhere. The use of unctions in the Judaical church, the me…
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OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST. 2-19 8. We have adoption also by the Spirit; hence he is called the " Spirit of adoption;" that is, either he who is given to adopted ones, to secure them of it, to beget in their hearts a sense and persuasion of the Father's adopting love ; or else to give them the privilege itself, …
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OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST. 251 From this rise of all our consolation are those descriptions which we have of it in the Scripture, from its properties and adjuncts ; as, — (1.) It is abiding. Thence it is called " Everlasting consolation," 2 Thess. ii. 1 6, " God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and giv^n…
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(1.) He doth it immediately hy\\\VLise\i; without the consideration of any other acts or works of his, or the interposition of any reason- ings, or deductions and conclusions. As in sanctification he is a well of water springing up in the soul, immediately exerting his effi- cacy and refreshment; so in consolation, he …
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This being the state of things, — that in our worship of and obedi- ence to God, in our own consolation, sanctilication, and ministerial em- ployment, the Spirit is the principle, the life, soul, the all of the whole; yet so desperate hath been the malice of Satan, and wicked- OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST. " 255 …
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From what hath been discoursed we may also try the spirits that are gone abroad in the world, and which have been exercising them- selves, at several seasons, ever since the ascension of Christ. The iniquity of the generation that is past and passing away lay in open, cursed opposition to the Holy Ghost. God hath been …
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Furthermore : the Holy Ghost sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts, as was declared, and thence fills them with joy, peace, and hope; quieting and refreshing the hearts of them in whom he dwells; giving them liberty and rest, confidence, and the boldness of children. This spirit whereof men now boast is a spiiit o…
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(2.) Men faint and sink under their trials and afflictions ; which the apostle farther reproves, verse 12. The first despise the assist- ance of the Holy Ghost through pride of heart ; the latter refuse it through dejectedness of spirit, and sink under the weight of their troubles. And who, almost, is there that offend…
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262 OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST. sad is the condition of poor souls destitute of these consolations! What poor shifts are they forced to betake themselves unto ! what giants have they to encounter in their own strength ! and whethei* they are conquered or seem to conquer, they have nothing but the misery of their…
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264 OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST. for US, and washed us with his blood. May we not hence, also, have a valuation of the dispensation of the Spirit for our consolation ? He proceeds to that end from the Father; he distributes as he will, works as he pleaseth. And what are we, towards whom he carrieth on this work? …
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^<)6 OF COMMUNION AVITII TUE HOLY GHOST. that we pursue universal holiness with regard unto, and upon the account of, the love, kindness, and tenderness, of the Holy Ghost. This is the foundation of our communion we have in general When the soul considers the love, kindness, and tenderness of the Holy Ghost unto him; …
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8. The third caution concerns liun and his woj-k, in the dispen- sation of that great ordinance of the tuorcl. Stephen tells the Jews, Acts vii. 51, that they " resisted the Holy Ghost." How did they do it? Why, as their fathers did it: "As your fathers did, so do ye." How did their fathers resist the Holy Ghost? Verse…
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Fourthly. These cautions being premised, I say that we are dis- tinctly to tvorship the Holy Ghost. As it is in the case of faith in respect of the Father and the Son, John xiv. 1, "Believe in God, believe also in me," — this extends itself no less to the Holy Ghost. Christ called the disciples for the acting of faith …
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And this glorifying of the Holy Ghost in thanksgivings, on a spi- ritual sense of his consolations, is no small part of our communion Avith him. Considerincj his free ena-asfement in this work, his cominor forth from the Father to this pui'pose, his mission by the Son, and condescension therein, his love and kindness, …
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(3.) If they do promise themselves any thing of the care of God towards them, and relieve themselves thereby, — as they often do, on one account or another, especially when they are driven from other holds, — all their relief is but like the dreaming of an hungry man, who supposeth that he eateth and drinketh, and is r…
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Sherlock's work against Owen was entitled, " A Discourse concerning the Know- ledge of Jesus Christ, and on Union and Communion with Him," etc. Owen con- fines himself, in his reply, to an exposure of the misrepresentations in which Sherlock had indulged. The latter, for example, sought to fix on the Puritan divine the…
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But yet, from those intimations of some men's good-will towards it, — sufficient to provoke the industry of such as either needed their assistance or valued their favour, — I was in expectation that one or other would possess that province, and attempt the whole discourse or some parts of it. Nor was I dissatisfied in …
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280 A VINDICATION OF which, as far as I can discex'n, upon consideration of their abihty for such a work, and their confidence therein, is not hke to be in haste ; — at least, they can change their course, and when they are out of breath in pursuit of one sort of calumnies, betake themselves unto another. Witness the …
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282 A VINDICATION OF forth much fruit;' but the branch severed from the vine -vvithereth. We are, therefore, adopted sons of God to eternal Hfe by participation of the only begotten Son of God, whose life is the well-spring and cause of ours. It is too cold an interpretation, whereby some men expound our being in Chri…
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284 A VINDICATION OF ing to eternal happiness. It must be confessed, that of Christ working as a creator and a governor of the world, by providence all are par- takers ; — not all partakers of that grace whereby he inhabiteth whom he saveth. Again: as he dwelleth not by grace in all, so neither doth he equally work in…
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This one testimony ought to be enough unto this sort of men, whilst they are at any consistency with their own reputation ; for it is evident that there is nothing concerning personal election, effectual vocation, justification by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, participation of him, union of believers u…
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288 A VINDICATION OF Whereas, therefore, by an acquaintance with the person of Christ, it is undeniably evident that I intended nothing but that knowledge of Christ which it is the duty of every Christian to labour after, — no other but what is revealed, declared, and delivered in the Scripture, as almost every page o…
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VOL. II. 19 290 A VINDICATION OF before, that it is impossible to understand any sacred truth savingly and clearly, without the knowledge of the person of Christ; and shall say so still, let this man and his companions say what they will to the contrary : but that in my so saying I exclude the consideration of the re…
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I beg his excuse : truth and good company will give a modest man a little confidence sometimes; and against his experience of the whole world, falsely pretended, I can oppose the testimonies of the Scripture, and all the ancient writers of the church, very few ex- cepted. We can know of God only what he hath, one way o…
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294 A VINDICATION OF satiated with the blood of Christ, God may," etc. I desire the reader to remember that the supposition whereon all these inferences are built, is only that of the necessity of the satisfaction of Christ vnth respect unto the holiness and righteousness of God as the author of the law, and the supre…
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' Owen, in all probability, alludes to his " Diatriba de Justitia Divina." See vol. X. of his Works. — Ec. 296 A VINDICATION OF whereof he was discoursing is the necessity of the satisfaction of Christ, and that must be it which he maketh his inference from ; but the passage he insists on, he lays down as expressive …
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298 A VINDICATION OF selves. Doth this man think that God's ends, as ours, have an exist- ence in themselves out of him, antecedent unto any acts of his divine wisdom? Doth he imagine that he balanceth probable means for the attaining of an end, choosing some and rejecting others? Doth he surmise that the acts of divi…
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Although there is nothing in the words here reported as mine which is not capable of a fair defence, seeing it is expressly affirmed that " God set forth his Son to be a propitiation to declare his righteousness," yet I know not how it came to pass that I had a mind to turn unto the passage itself in my discourse, whic…
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What is here interposed, — that we cannot do any good for the time to come, — must be interpreted of ourselves, without the aid or assist- ance of the grace of God. And the things here reported by this author, are so expressed and represented, to exjDOse them to reproach and scorn, to have them esteemed not only false,…
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From p. 57 to the end of his second section, p. 75, he giveth us a scheme of religion, which, in his scoffing language, he says, " men learn from an acquaintance with the person of Christ; and affirms, 304) A VINDICATION OF " that there needs no more to expose it to scorn with considering men than his proposal of it;…
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306 A VINDICATION OF tion, with some false glosses, whereof we shall have an immediate instance, be represented weak, or nntrue, or improper, or some way or other obnoxious to censure. When diligence, modesty, love of truth, sobriety, true use of learning, shall again visit the world in a more plentiful manner; though…
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308 A VINDICATION OF esteemed quite of another nature, so that herein the soul should only compliment, and be real in what is before expressed? What if one should say, it was real only in this latter expression and engagement, — that the former was only a " pretty compliment?" May it not, with respect unto my sense an…
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310 A VINDICATION OF give us from the gospel, seeing be hath told us we must learn our religion from his doctrine and not from his person) ; besides that it is liable unto innumerable exceptions in particular, which may easily be given in against it by such as have nothing else to do, whereas it makes no mention of th…
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312 A VINDICATION OF the mediator between God and man. To know Christ in the language of the Scripture, [of J the whole church of God ancient and present, in common sense and understanding, is to know the person of Christ as revealed and declared in the gospel, with respect unto the ends for which he is proposed and m…
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I find not myself concerned in his ensuing talk, but only in one reflection on the words of the Scripture, and the repetition of his old, putid, and shameless calumny, p. 108, until we come to p. 126, where 314 A VINDICATION OF he arraigns an occasional discourse of mine about the necessity of hohness and good works;…
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" \st. Our universal obedience and good works are indispensably necessary, from the sovereign appointment and luill of God ; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. " In general. ' This is the will of God, even your sanctification,' or holmess, 1 Thess. iv. 3. This is that which God Avills, which he requires of us, — that we be …
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" [Sdly.] The Spirit is glorified also by it. He is grieved by our disobedience, Eph. iv. 30 ; and therefore his glory is in our bringing forth fruit. He dwells in us, as in his temple; which is not to be defiled. Holiness becometh his habitation for ever. " Now, if this that hath been said be not sufficient to evince…
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" \^dly.^ The conversion of others. 1 Pet. ii. 12, ' Having your con- versation honest among the Gentiles ; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may, by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation,' Matt. v. 16. Even revilers, persecutors, evil-speakers, have been …
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THE PRECEDING DISCOURSE. 321 j)opular discourse, and never intended for scliolastie accuracy, yet, as to tlie assertions contained in it, I challenge this author to take and allow the ordinary, usual sense of the words, with the open design of them, and to answer them when he can. And, 8. In the meantime I appeal unto…
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The whole design of what remains of this section, is to insinuate that there can be no necessity of holiness or obedience imto God, unless we are justified and saved thereby; which I knew not before to have been, nor indeed do yet know it to be, the doctrine of the church of England. But be it whose it will, I am sure …
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But according to his exposition of this heavenly oracle, what shall any one imagine to be the sense of the context, where " I," and " me," spoken of Christ, do so often occur? Suppose that the words of that whole verse, " I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh to the Father but by me," have this sense, — …
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But he that shall consider what reflections are cast in this discourse on the necessity of satisfaction to be made vmto divine justice, and from whom they are borrowed; the miserable, weak attempt that is made therein to reduce all Christ's mediatoiy actings unto his kingly office, and, in particular, his intercession;…
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THE PRECEDING DISCOURSE. 329 first chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and see what account he can give thereof. And are not these such principles of Christian religion as no man ought to be ignorant of, or can deny, without the guilt of the heresies condemned in the first general councils? And they are no other pr…
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THE PRECEDING DISCOURSE. S31 triflings, I shall accept from him the kindness of an obligation to so much patience as is necessary unto the perusal of the ensuing leaves, wherein I am concerned. First, p. 202, he would pick something, if he knew what, out of my quotations of Cant. v. 9, to express or illustrate the ex…
1,071 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.