PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Works of John Owen — Volume 4
John Owen · 278,582 words · 269 reading sections
Section 1
LIBRARY ©hcaiogicat f emimmu PRINCETON, N. ■). The Stephen Collins Donation. £X 9315 .08 1850 v. 4 Owen, John, 1616-1683. The works of John Owen THE WORKS JOHN OWEN, D.D. BY THE REV. WILLIAM H. GOOLD, EDINBURGH. VOL. IY. NEW YORK: ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS, 2 8 5 BROADWAY. M.DCCC.LII. CONTENTS OF VOLUME IY…
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the Holy Spirit, ........ 368 III. — Unto whom the Holy Spirit is promised and given as a comforter, or the object of his acting in this office, ..... 379 IV. — Inhabitation of the Spirit the first thing promised, . . . 383 V. — Particular actings of the Holy Spirit as a comforter — How he is an unc- tion, 389 VI.—…
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It has sometimes been questioned if Owen, with all his excellencies and gifts, has any claim to be regarded as an original thinker. This treatise of itself substantiates such a claim in his behalf. It is the first recognition of the experimental evidence of Christi- anity,—that great branch in the varied evidences of o…
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MayU, 1677. THE KEASON OF EAITH; Oil, THE GROUNDS WHEREON THE SCRIPTURE IS BELIEVED TO BE THE WORD OF GOD WITH FAITH DIVINE AND SUPERNATURAL, CHAPTER I. The subject stated — Preliminary remarks. The principal design of that discourse whereof the ensuing treatise is a part, is to declare the work of the Holy Ghost…
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CHAP. I.] PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 9 church if they had not carried along with them their own evidence that they were from God. Of what nature that evidence was we shall afterwards inquire. For the present I shall only say, that it was an evidence unto faith, and not to sense; as is that also which we have now by the Scri…
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CHAP. I.] PRELIMINARY REMARKS. ] 1 hammedanism, and idolatry, I say, this hath not come to pass through any defect in the way and means of illumination, or the communi- cation of the truth unto them, but God hath given them up to be de- stroyed for their wickedness and ingratitude ; and " except we repent we shall all…
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CHAP. I.] PEELIMINARY REMARKS. 13 keep, drive, or persuade men from reading and meditating on the Scripture, do take an effectual course to keep them in and under the power of darkness. 2. The mutual instruction of one another in the mind of God out of the Scripture is also required hereunto ; for we are obliged by t…
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That which I shall first inquire into is, the way how, and the ground whereon, we come to believe the Scripture to be the word of God in a due manner: for that this is required of us in a way of duty, namely, that we should believe the Scripture to be the word of God with faith divine and supernatural, I suppose will n…
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CHAP. II.] WHAT IT IS TO BELIEVE THE SCRIPTURE. 17 2. We do not, in this inquiry, intend any kind of persuasion or faith but that which is divine and infallible ; both which it is from its formal reason or objective cause. Men may be able to give some kind of reasons why they believe what they profess so to do, that w…
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As things are proposed unto us to be believed as true, faith in its assent respects only the truth or veracity of God ; but whereas this faith is required of us in a way of obedience, and is considered not only physically, in its nature, but morally also, as our duty, it respects also the authority of God, which I ther…
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This is that which is principally to be proved, and therefore to prepare for it and to remove prejudices, something is to be spoken to prepare the way thereunto. CHAPTER III. Sundry convincing external arguments for divine revelation. There are sundry cogent arguments, which are taken from exter- nal considerations …
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This argument is pursued by many at large, as that which affordeth a great variety of historical and chronological observations; and it hath been so scanned and improved that nothing but the giving of it a new dress remains for present or future diligence. But the real force of it lies in the consideration of the peopl…
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CHAP. III.] EXTERNAL ARGUMENTS FOR DIVINE REVELATION. 25 the very infancy of the Babylonian empire, with which it afterwards contemporized about nine hundred years. By £his monarchy, that people which alone had these oracles of God committed to them were oppressed, destroyed, and carried into captivity; but this book …
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CHAP. III.] EXTERNAL ARGUMENTS FOR DIVINE REVELATION. 27 himself in his room, and was become " the god of this world," as he is called, 2 Cor. iv. 4, and had appropriated all the religious devotion and worship of the generality of mankind unto himself; for "the things which the Gentiles sacrificed, they sacrificed to …
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(2.) The second end of this doctrine is, to direct mankind in their proper course of living unto God, and attaining that rest and blessed- ness whereof they are capable, and which they cannot but desire. These things are necessary to our nature, so that without them it were better not to be ; for it is better to have n…
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(1.) The church is said to be the pillar and ground of truth, 1 Tim. iii. 15; which is the only text pleaded with any sobriety to give countenance unto the assertion of the authority of the Scripture with respect unto us to depend on the authority of the church. But the weakness of a plea to that purpose from hence hat…
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[1.] And, in the first place, the testimony of those by whom the several books of the Scripture were written is to be considered. They all of them, severally and jointly, witnessed that what they wrote was received by inspiration from God. This is pleaded by the apostle Peter in the name of them all: 2 Pet. i. 16-21, "…
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vol. iv. 3 34 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. seasons wherein they lived, the difference of the languages wherein they wrote, with the great variety of their parts, abilities, education, and other circumstances, yet there is upon the whole and all the parts of their writing such gravity, majesty, and authorit…
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36 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VL, PART I. pretended unto any other assurance of the things they professed, nor any other reason of their faith and obedience, but that the Scripture, wherein all these things are contained, was given immediately from God, or was his word ; and, therefore, they were always esteemed no le…
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38 THE REA.SON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. mind, and consolation thereon, than in the verbal declaration of the most splendid, numerous church in the world, who evidence not such an inward sense of its power and efficacy. There is, therefore, that force in the real testimony which hath been given in all ages, by all …
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40 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VL, PART I. judged that it all tended to sedition, and that commotions would ensue thereon. These things enraged the generality of mankind against them and their converts ; who therefore made havoc of them with incredible fury. And yet, notwithstanding all these disadvan- tages, and again…
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42 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. Avisdom, and power, with honour, profit, interest, reputation, were all forced to give way to its power and efficacy. [2.] The world was at that time in the highest enjoyment of peace, prosperity, and plenty, that ever it attained from the entrance of sin ; and it is known h…
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44 . THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. power in its administration, whereby the world was subdued unto the obedience of it ; and the time will come when he will revive the same work of power and grace, to retrieve the world into a subjection to Jesus Christ, And although he doth not in these latter ages cause it…
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Some think fit here to stay, — that is, in these or the like external arguments, or rational motives of faith, such as render the Scriptures so credible as that it is an unreasonable thing not to assent unto them. " That certainty which may be attained on these arguments and motives is," as they say, "the highest which…
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Wherefore, I shall do these two things before I proceed to our principal argument designed: — 1. I shall give some few reasons, proving that the faith whereby we believe the Scripture to be the vjord of God is not a mere firm moral persuasion, built upon exter- nal arguments and motives of credibility, but is divine an…
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2. The moral certainty treated of is a mere effect of reason. There is no more required unto it but that the reasons proposed for the assent required be such as the mind judgeth to be convincing and prevalent; whence an inferior kind of knowledge, or a firm opinion, or some kind of persuasion which hath not yet gotten …
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52 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. resolved into that which is of an inferior, and must betake itself on all occasions thereunto for relief and confirmation; for the faith whereby we believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God is on all oc- casions absolutely melted down into that whereby we believe the Scriptur…
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2. The excellency of the doctrine, or things revealed in the Scrip- tures, respects not so much the truth of them in speculation as their goodness and suitableness unto the souls of men as to their present condition and eternal end. Now, things under that consideration respect not so much faith as spii'itual sense and …
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Wherefore, that we may believe the Scriptures to be the word of God according to our duty, as God requireth it of us, in a useful, profitable, and saving manner, above and beyond that natural, human faith and assent which is the effect of the arguments and motives of credibility before insisted on, with all others of t…
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Herein "he who commanded the light to shine out of darkness shineth in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," 2 Cor. iv. 6. He irradiates the mind with a spiritual light, whereby it is enabled to discern the glory of spiritual things. This they cannot do " in wh…
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But yet we plead not for external immediate revelations, such as were granted unto the prophets, apostles, and other penmen of the Scripture. The revelation we intend differs from them both in its especial subject and formal reason or nature, — that is, in the whole kind; for, 1. The subject-matter of divine, prophetic…
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It remains only that we inquire whether our faith in this matter be not resolved into an immediate internal testimony of the Holy Ghost, assuring us of the divine original and authority of the Scrip- ture, distinct from the work of spiritual illumination, before de- scribed; for it is the common opinion of protestant d…
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But yet neither, as it is so explained, can we allow it to be the formal object of faith, nor that wherein it doth acquiesce; for, — 1. It hath not the proper nature of a divine testimony. A divine work it may be, but a divine testimony it is not; but it is of the nature of faith to be built on an external testimony. …
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And because it is somewhat strange that, after a long, quiet pos- session of the professed faith, and assent of the generality of the minds of men thereunto, there should now arise among us such an open opposition unto the divine authority of the Scriptures as we find there is by experience, it may not be amiss in our …
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68 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. influenced by the poison of these disputes to think it no way neces- sary to believe the Scripture to be the word of God, or at least are shaken off from the grounds whereon they have professed it so to be. And the like disservice is done unto faith and the souls of men by su…
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70 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PAKT I. to believe it so to be unto whom it is proposed? And the reason why I shall be the briefer herein is, because I have long since, in another discourse, cleared this argument, and I shall not here again call over any thing that was delivered therein, because what hath been unto…
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72 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. yet to apprehend much of their force and efficacy, when they are proposed unto thera. Most persons, therefore, are effectually con- verted to God, and have saving faith, whereby they believe the Scrip- ture, and virtually all that is contained in it, before they have ever onc…
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Some, it may be, will ask whether this prove the Scripture to be the word of God, because it says so of itself, when any other writing may say the same; but we are not now giving arguments to prove unto others the Scripture to be the word of God, but only proving and showing what our own faith resteth on and is resolve…
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2. But is it of this authority and efficacy in itself? See Luke xvi. 27-31, "Then he said" (the rich man in hell), "I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him" (Lazarus, who was dead) "to my father's house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of t…
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78 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. So is the whole object of faith proposed by the same apostle, 2 Pet. iii. 2, " The words which were spoken before by the holy pro- phets, and of the commandment of the apostles of the Lord and Saviour." And because our faith is resolved into them, we are said to be "built upo…
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80 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. And for the revelations which they superadded, they pleaded that they had them immediately from God "by Jesus Christ," Gal. i. 1. And this was accompanied with such an infallible assurance in them that received them as to be preferred above a supposition of the high- est mira…
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As the issue of this whole discourse, it is affirmed that our faith is built on and resolved into the Scripture itself, which carries with it its own evidence of being a divine revelation ; and therefore doth that faith ultimately rest on the truth and authority of God alone, VOL. IV. 6 82 THE EEASON OF FAITH. [BOOK …
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84 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART L to live unto God, the diverting of their principal exercise unto other ends is an act of enmity against him and affront unto him. (1.) He makes himself known unto us by the innate principles of our nature, unto which he hath communicated, as a power of appre- hending, so an i…
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86 THE EEASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PAET I. and have fortuitous events, or such as, from a concatenation of ante- cedent causes, are fatally necessary, and are not disposed by an in- finitely wise, unerring, holy jDrovidence. And this also is directly contradictory unto the first principles and notions of natural light…
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88 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. creation and providence, doth not evince itself unto the first prin- ciples of natural light, so as that an assent should be given thereunto, without the actual exercise of reason, or the discursive faculty of our minds about them, but thereunto it doth infallibly evidence it…
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90 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. And if I declare unto any one that the Scripture is the word of God, a divine revelation, and that it doth evidence and manifest itself so to be, if he shall say that he hath the vise and exercise of his sense and reason as well as others and yet it doth not appear unto him s…
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92 THE KEASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PAET I. contrary asserted, — namely, that God, as the immediate author of the Scripture, hath left in the very word itself evident tokens and impressions of his wisdom, prescience, omniscience, power, goodness, holiness, truth, and other divine, infinite excellencies, sufficiently ev…
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94 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. word also, in its place and use, " pierceth even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner," or passeth a critical judgment on " the thoughts and intents of the heart," or makes manifest the secrets of men's hearts, as it is …
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But yet, although this testimony be privately received (for in it- self it is not so, but common unto all believers), it is ministerially pleadable in the church as a principal motive unto believing. A declaration of the divine power which some have found by experience in the word is an ordinance of God to convince oth…
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(2.) It doth it by the light that is in it, and that spiritual illumi- nating efficacy wherewith it is accompanied. Hence it is called a "light shining in a dark place/' 2 Pet. i. 19 ; that light whereby God " shines in the hearts" and minds of men, 2 Cor. iv. 4, 6. Without the Scripture all the world is in darkness: "…
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But it is not merely the grounds and reasons whereon we believe the Scripture to be the word of God which we designed to declare ; the whole work of the Holy Spirit enabling us to believe them so to be was proposed unto consideration. And beyond what we have insisted on, there is yet a farther peculiar work of his, whe…
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102 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. (1.) That this ability of assent upon testimony is the highest and most noble power or faculty of our rational souls; and, therefore, where it hath the highest evidence whereof it is capable, — which it hath in the testimony of God, — it giveth us the highest certainty or as…
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104 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART L The truth is, if we will attend unto our own and the experience of the whole church of God, the way whereby we come to believe the Scripture to be the word of God ordinarily is this, and no other. God having first given his word as the foundation of our faith and obedience, h…
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106 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. 3. It will be objected, " That if this be so, then none can be obliged to receive the Scripture as the word of God who hath not faith, and none have faith but those in whom it is wrought by the Spirit of God, and thereinto all will be resolved at last." Ans. 1. Indeed there…
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108 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I. the Saviour of the world ; and so did many of them upon his preach- ing only, John iv. 42, [viii. SO.] And in like manner they were bound to believe the doctrine of John Baptist, and to submit unto his institu- tions, although he wrought no miracle ; and those who did not re…
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5. From the arguments and testimonies of this nature, a firm persuasion of mind, defensible against all objections, that the Scripture is the word of God, may be attained, and that such, as that those who five not in contradiction unto their own light and reason, through the power of their lusts, cannot but judge it th…
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II. This being the substance of what is declared and pleaded for in the preceding treatise, to prevent the obloquy of some and confirm the judgment of others, I shall add the suffrage of ancient and modern writers given unto the principal parts of it, and whereon all other things asserted in it do depend : — Clemens A…
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APPENDIX. 113 hence to thee, for he is not now before me; for if he were, I would hold him, and ask him, and beseech him, for thy sake, that he would open these things unto me; and I would apply the ears of my body to the sounds breaking forth from his mouth. But if he should use the Hebrew language, in vain should he…
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The design of Stapleton, De Principiis Fidei, controver. 4, lib. viii. cap. 1, is to prove, "impossibile esse sine speciali gratia, ac dono fidei divinitus infuso, actum veras fidei producere, aut ex veri nominis fide credere," — which he there proves with sundry arguments, — namely, "that it is impossible to produce a…
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Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. — Ps. cxix. 18. Give me understanding, and I shall live.— Verse 144. LONDON: 1673. Imprimatur, Guil. Sill., May 13, 167a PREFATORY NOTE. The following work is the latter part of our author's treatise on the operations of the Holy Spirit in illu…
912 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.