PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Works of John Owen — Volume 3
John Owen · 363,303 words · 345 reading sections
Section 301
5G6 NECESSITY OF HOLINESS FROM THE [BOOK V. BOOK V. CHAPTER I. NECESSITY OF HOLINESS FROM THE CONSIDERATION OF THE NATURE OF GOD. The necessity of evangelical holiness owned by all Christians — Doctrines falsely charged with an inconsistency with it — Though owned by all, yet practised by few, and disadvantageously …
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5G8 NECESSITY OF HOLINESS FKOM THE [BOOK V. consideration hereof I shall at present omit, and pursue what I have proposed. Thirdly, In my discourse concerning the necessity of holiness, with the grounds and reasons of it, and arguments for it, I shall con- fine myself unto these two things : — 1. That the reasons, a…
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If we had no other argument to prove the necessity of holiness, and that it is indispensably required of us, but only this, that the God whom we serve and worship is absolutely holi/, that his being and nature is such as that he can have no delightful intercourse with any that are unholy, it were abundantly sufficient …
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3. Together with a representation of the holiness of God in Christ, there is a revelation made of what holiness in us he doth require and will accept. As was observed before, the consideration of it absolutely neither requires nor admits of any but that which is ab- solutely perfect ; and where there is any one failing…
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He, therefore, whose design is not to be like unto God, according to his measure and the capacity of a creature, always misseth both of his end, his rule, and his way. Our Saviour would have his disciples to do all things so as that they may be the "children of their Father which is in heaven," Matt. v. 45; that is, li…
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CHAP, I.] CONSIDERATION OF THE NATURE OF GOD. 675 tliey see any thing in him that should give them rest or satisfaction ; nor can there be any medium whereby God should communicate him- self unto them, supposing them to continue thus unholy, as all must do who depart out of this life in that condition. Holiness, indee…
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CHAP. I.] CONSIDERATION OF THE NATURE OF GOD. 577 with him here and are led towards the enjoyment of him? If these are the things which they intend, what is the matter with them? Why are they so afraid of the words and expressions of the Scripture ? Why will they not speak of the things of God in words that the Holy G…
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' Thougli most translations give the definite article, it does not exist in the Greek text. Owen seems to hit the true meaning of the phrase in the remark appended to the quotation, -when he refers it, not to the divine nature, but to one resembling or corresponding to it. — Ed. CHAP. I.] CONSIDERATION OF THE NATURE O…
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CHAP. I.] CONSIDERATION OF THE NATURE OF GOD. 581 2. Again, this is that which gives privilege and pre-eminence unto the persons of some above others. " The righteous," saith the wise man, " is more excellent than his neighbour," Prov. xii. 26. It is seldom that this is so upon the account of civil wisdom, wealth, gre…
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CHAP. I.] CONSIDERATION OF THE NATURE OF GOD. 583 Ps. xvii. 15. How, then, shall we make approaches towards this glory spiritually, which at least may answer the approaches we make towards our end naturally, seeing not to do so is folly and in- tolerable negligence? We have no other way but thriving and growing in tha…
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CHAP. I.J CONSIDERATION OF THE NATURE OF GOD. 5S5 according to the promise of the gospel. This is the great arcanum of growing up into the likeness of God, without which, however men may multiply duties in a compliance with their convictions, they will have never the more conformity to God ; and all professors who com…
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Secondly, There are graces which are declarative of this assimila- tion, or which evidence and manifest our likeness unto God. I shall instance only in two of them, — 1. And the first is such as I shall give many names unto it in its description, as the Scripture doth also; but the thing intended is one and the same. …
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CHAP. I.] CONSIDERATION OF THE NATURE OF GOD. 689 it as a very great stain to their profession, whatever else it be : and by this rule would I have my own ways examined. 2. Truth is another grace, another part of holiness, of the same imjiort and nature. Truth is used in the Scripture for uprightness and integrity, —…
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o. We do, we ought to declare the rich and free love, grace, mercy, and bounty of God unto sinners in and by Jesus Christ. And woe unto us if we should not be found in that work all our days, and thereby encourage all sorts of sinners to come unto him for the free pardon of their sins, " without money or price," withou…
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Hence we may see wherein lies the force of the argument for the necessity of holiness from God's decree of election ; and it consists in these two things: — First, That such is the nature of the unalterable decree of God in CHAP. II.] AND MOTIVE UNTO HOLINESS. 593 this matter, that no person living can ever attain t…
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CHAP. II.] AND MOTIVE UNTO HOLINESS. 595 objection proceeding only from the craft of Satan, opposing the ways and methods of God's grace when he dareth not openly oppose the thing itself, it is safer for a believer to rest quietly in the clear Scrip- ture revelation than to attend unto such proud, perverse, and fro- w…
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CHAP, II.] AND MOTIVE UNTO HOLINESS. 597 they are not elected but from this supposition, that they are in a state and condition wherein it is impossible that ever they should have either grace or holiness ; which cannot be supposed concerning any man but him that knows himself to have sinned against the Holy Ghost. W…
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1. Humility in all things is a necessary consequent of a due con- sideration of this decree of God ; for what were we when he thus set his heart upon us, to choose us, and to do us good for ever?-^- poor, lost, undone creatures, that lay perishing under the guilt of our apostasy from him. What did he see in us to move …
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4. Contempt of the world, and all that belongs unto it, will hence also be ingenerated in us. Did God set his heart upon some from eter- nity? Did he choose them to be his own peculiar [people], to distin- guish them as his from all the residue of mankind? Doth he design to give them the highest, greatest, best fruits …
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Suppose a man that is on his journey knoweth himself to be in the right way, and that, passing on therein, he shall certainly and CHAP II.] AND MOTIVE UNTO HOLINESS. 603 infallibly come to his journey's end, especially if he will a little quicken his speed as occasion shall require, will you say that this is enough t…
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CHAPTER III. HOLINESS NECESSARY FROM THE COMMANDS OF GOD. Necessity of holiness proved from the commands of God in the law and the gospel. III. We have evinced the necessity of holiness from the nature and the decrees of God ; our next argument shall be taken from his word CHAP. III.] THE COMMANDS OF GOD. 605 or c…
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Men may be subdued by the power of the law, and compelled to habituate themselves unto a strict course of duty, and being advan- taged therein by a sedate natural constitution, desire of applause, self-righteousness, or superstition, may make a great appearance of holiness; but if the principle of what they do be only …
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(1.) If God can accept of a righteousness unto justification infe- rior unto or short of what he required by the law, how great se- verity must it be thought in him to bind his creatures unto such an exact obedience and righteousness at first as he could and might have dispensed withal ! If he doth accept of sincere ob…
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1. He who commands us to be holy is our sovereign lawgiver, he that hath absolute power to prescribe unto us what laws he pleaseth. When commands come from them who have authority, and yet are themselves also under authority, there may be some secret abatement of the power of the command. Men may think either to appeal…
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Be of good courage, all ye that trust in the Lord ; you may, you ought, without fear or dauntedness of spirit, to engage into the pur- suit of universal holiness. He who hath commanded it, who hath required it of you, will bear you out in it. Nothing that is truly evil or finally disadvantageous shall befall you on tha…
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[1.] As to persons. Let them, in an especial manner, have a con- tinual regard hereunto, who on any account are great, or high, or nohle in the world, and that because their especial temptation is to be lifted up unto a forgetfulness or regardlessness of this authority of God. The prophet [Jeremiah] distributes incorri…
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Secondly, The command of God that we should be holy is not to be considered only as an effect of power and authority, which we Tnust submit unto, but as a fruit of infinite wisdom and goodness also, which it is our highest advantage and interest to comply withal. And this introduceth a peculiar necessity of holiness, f…
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are not initiated in the new covenant, yet to have a power of their own to fulfil the command of the one or the other ; which God neither giveth nor is obliged to give. Nor is it necessary to prove that the command is equal and holy; for, as was observed, God giveth us no command for holiness and obedience but in, with…
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(1.) We do not say that any one hath this power and ability in himself ox from himself God hath not in the new covenant brought down his command to the power of man, but by his grace he raiseth the power of man unto his command. The former were only a co'in- pliance with the sin of our nature, which God abhors; the lat…
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(5.) There is a twofold gracious power necessary to render the command for holiness and obedience thereunto easy and pleasant: — [1.] That which is habitually resident in the hearts and souls of believers, whereby they are constantly inclined and disposed unto all fruits of holiness. This the Scripture calls our " lif…
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624 HOLINESS NECESSARY FROM [BOOK V. it hath in the soul with the command. See to this purpose the ar- guing of our apostle, Rom. vii. 20-22. It is true, there is a natural light in conscience, complying with the command in its proposal, and urging obedience thereunto, which doth not make it easy to us, but, where it …
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VOL. III. 40 626 HOLINESS NECESSARY FROM [BOOK V. which become him to whom God speaks immediately. And that it may be effectual towards us we may consider, — (1.) How God hath imdtiplied his commands unto this purpose, to testify not only his own infinite care of us and love unto us, but also our eternal concernment…
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628 NECESSITY OF HOLINESS FROM [BOOK V. Wherefore the force of this argument is evident and exposed unto all. God hath in this matter positively declared his will, interposing his sovereign authority, commanding us to be holy, and that on the penalty of his utmost displeasure ; and he hath therewithal given us redoubl…
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680 NECESSITY OF HOLINESS FROM [BOOK V. sacerdotal actings respect us, and are also of two .sorts: — (1.) Moral, as our justification and pardon of sin. (2.) Real, in our sanctifi- cation and holiness. And hereunto, as God doth design them, so he effecteth hohness in all believers by virtue of the oblation and interce…
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(1.) The first, which took up much of his personal ministry in the flesh, consisted in the declarations, exposition, and vindication, that he gave unto the church of all divine precepts for obedience which had been given before. God had from the beginning, and in an especial manner at the promulgation of the law on Sin…
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[1.] Hereby, I say, the doctrine of Christ for universal obedience, in all the duties of it, comes to be absolute, every way complete and perfect. And it is a notable effect of the atheistical pride of men, that, pretending to design obedience (at least in moral duties) unto God, they betake themselves unto other rules…
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^dly. Very few of the 'precepts of it are certain, so as that we may take them for an undoubted and infallible rule. There are some general commands, I acknowledge, so clear in the light of nature as that no question can be made but that what is required in them is our duty to perform; such are they, that God is to be …
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CHAP. IV.] god's sending JESUS CHEIST. 637 operation on the minds of men, that commonly they are delighted in by the most profligate and obstinate sinners ; as is the preaching of them who act in the same spirit and from the same principles. [3.] Whereas the last thing considerable in those whose instruc- tions we sh…
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CHAP. IV.] god's sending JESUS CHRIST. 639 not more (I may say, not so much) dishonour the one and the other than those do who, professing to own them both, yet continue to hve and walk in an unholy condition: for as to the open enetnies of Christ, they are judged and condemned already, and none have occa- sion to thi…
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In these things lie the sum of our present argument. If the Lord Christ act no otherwise for our good but in and by his blessed offices of priest, prophet, and king; and if the immediate effect of the grace of Christ acting in all these offices towards us be our holiness and sanctification, — those in whom that effect …
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CHAP, v.] OUR CONDITION IN THIS WORLD, 643 would appear, by the confusion and horror they Hve in, that they are on the very confines of hell. Hence is the life of man full of vanity, trouble, disappointments, vexations, and endless self-dissatisfactions ; which those who were wise among the heathens saw, complained o…
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Ans. 1. [As] for that peace and order which is pretended to be in the minds of men under the power of sin, and not sanctified, it is like that which is in hell and the kingdom of darkness. Satan is not divided against himself, nor is there such a confusion and dis- order in his kingdom as to destroy it, but it hath a c…
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Wherefore, notwithstanding this opposition and all that is ascribed unto it, there is peace and order preserved by the power of holiness in a sanctified mind and soul. Secondly, But it will* be farther objected, " That many professors who pretend highly unto sanctification and holiness, and whom you judge to be partak…
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The Lord Christ, coming into the world as the mediator between God and man, wrought and accomplished a mighty work amongst us; and what he did may be referred to three heads: — 1. The life which he led; 2. The doctrine which he taught; and, 3. The death which he nndei'ivent Concerning all these, there ever was a great …
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S. The poiver and efficacy of the death of Christ, as for other ends, so to " purify us from all iniquity," and to " purge our conscience from dead works, that we may serve the hving God," is herein also required. The world, indeed, sometimes riseth unto that height of pride and contemptuous atheism as to despise all a…
834 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.