PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Works of John Owen — Volume 5
John Owen · 250,432 words · 247 reading sections
Section 121
I answer, first, in general, that the whole fallacy of this objection lies in the opposing one part of the design and method of God's grace in this mystery of our justification unto another ; or the taking of one })art of it to be the whole, which, as to its efficacy and perfection, depends on somewhat else. Hereof we …
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21 S ON JUSTIFICATION. what lie did and suffered in our stead, by that grant, donation, and imputation of it unto us; or that we may be interested in it, that it may be made ours : which is all we contend for. And this is our actual coalescency into one inystical 2)erson with liim by faith. Hereon doth the necessity o…
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That any have so expressed the imputation pleaded for, " that every believer should be personally righteous in the very individual acts of Christ's righteousness," I know not ; I have neither read nor heard any of them who have so expressed their mind. It may be some have done so : but I shall not undertake the defence…
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6. It is, moreover, urged, " That upon the supposed imputation of the righteousness of Christ, it will follow that every believer is justi- fied by the works of the law ; for the obedience of Christ was a legal righteousness, and if that be imputed unto us, then are we justified by the law ; which is contrary unto expr…
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Our inquiry is, how convinced sinners do, on their believing, obtain the remission of sins, acceptance with God, and a right unto eternal life? and if this can no other way be done but by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ unto them, then thereby alone are they justified in the sight of God, And this asserti…
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If no man can stand a trial before God upon his oiun obedience, so as to be justified before him, because of his own personal iniqui- ties; and if our only plea in thai, case be the righteousness of God, the rigliteousness of God only, and not our oiun; then is there nojjer- sonal, inherent righteousness in any believe…
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The reason the psalmist gives why he will not put it unto the trial, whether he should be acquitted or justified upon his own obe- dience, is this general axiom : " For in thy sight," or before thee, '■' shall no man living be justified." This must be spoken absolutely, or with respect unto some one way or cause of jus…
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Another testimony we have unto the same purpose in the prophet Isaiah, speaking in the name of the church, chap. Ixiv. 6, " We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." It is true the prophet doth in this place make a deep confession of the sins of the people; but yet withal he joins…
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This being the constant doctrine of all the Reformed churches and divines, it is an open calumny whereby the contrary is ascribed unto them, or any of those who believe the imputation of the righteous- ness of Christ unto our justification before God. So Bellamiine affirms that no Protestant writers acknowledge an inhe…
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And that the gospel requires all these thmgs entirely and equally, as the condition of our justification before God, and so antecedently thereunto, is not yet proved, nor ever will be. It is hence concluded that " this is our righteousness, according unto the evangelical law which requires it ; by this we are made righ…
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236 ON JUSTIFICATION. search in any measure, by a spiritual light, into his own heart and soul, will find " God be merciful to me a sinner," a better plea than any he can be furnished withal from any worth of his own. " What is man, that he should be clean ? and he that is bom of a woman, that he should be righteous?"…
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(3.) I know not what some men intend. On the one hand they 238 ON JUSTIFICATION. aiSrm that our Lord Jesus Christ hath enlarged and heightened the spiritual sense of the moral law ; and not only so, but added unto it new precepts of more exact obedience than it did require ; — but on the other, they would have him to…
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240 ON JUSTIFICATION. determination must be, '' This is my righteousness whicli I present unto God that I may be justified," and they will find difficulty in arriving at it, if I be not much mistaken. 3. None of the holy men of old, whose faith and experience are recorded in the Scripture, did ever plead their own pe…
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VOL. V. 16 242 ON JUSTIFICATION. principle of this law, tliat God in all things was absolutely to he trusted and obeyed. 7. " Known unto God are all his works from the foundation of the world." In the constitution of this order of things he made it possible, and foresaw it would be future, that man would rebel again…
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[3.] It is granted that man continued not in the observation of this law, as it was the ride of the covenant between God and him. The covenant it was not, but the rule of it ; which, that it should be, Mi ON JUSTIFICATION. was superadded unto its being as a law. For the covenant com- prised things that were not any p…
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If there be no other way whereby the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us, without which we cannot be justified, but 246 ON JUSTIFICATION. must fall inevitably under the penalty threatened unto the transgres- sion of itj but only the righteousness of Christ imputed unto us, then is that the sole righteousn…
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It is true, as was observed before, that this law was made the instrument of a covenant between God and man; and so there is another reason of it, for God hath actually introduced another cove- nant inconsistent with it, and contrary unto it. But yet neither doth this instantly, and " ipso facto," free all men unto the…
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19. It is added, that both these depend on, and are the procure- ments of, the obedience, suffering, and merits of Christ. For on their account it is that our weak and imperfect obedience is accepted as if it were perfect ; and the power of the law, to require obedience absolutely perfect, is taken away. And these bein…
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THE IMPUTATION OF CHRIST S OBEDIENCE. 2ol CHAPTER XII. The imputation of tlie obedience of Christ unto the lav/ declared and vindicated. From the foregoing general argument another doth issue in par- cular, with respect unto the imputation of the active obedience or righteousness of Christ unto us, as an essential p…
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II. It is pretended to be useless from hence, because all " our sins of omission and commission being pardoned in our justification on the account of the death and satisfaction of Christ, we are thereby made completely righteous; so as that there is not the least necessity fcfTf, or use of, the imputation of the obedie…
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To this purpose is his discourse, part iii. cap. 5. De Servat. : " Jam vero manifestum est, Christum quia homo natus fuerat, et quid em, ut inquit Paulus, factus sub lege, legi divinas inquam, qua3 roterua et immutabilis est, non minus quam casteri homines obnoxiuni fuisse. Alioqui potuisset Christus geternam Dei legem…
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Socinus, I confess, evades the force of this argument, by denying the divine person of Christ. But in this disputation I take that for granted, as having proved it elsewhere beyond what any of his fol- THE IMPUTATION OF CHRIST'S OBEDIENCE. 257 lowers are able to contradict. And if we may not build on truths by him de…
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3. Setting aside the consideration of the grace and love of Christ, and the compact between the Father and the Son as unto his under- taking for us, which undeniably proves all that he did in the pursuit THE I3IPUTATI0N OF CHRTST'S OBEDIENCE. 259 of tliem to be done for us, and not for himself; I say, setting aside t…
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5. The Lord Christ, in his obedience, was not a private but a piih- lic person. He obeyed as he was the surety of the covenant, — as the mediator between God and man. This, I suppose, will not be denied. He can by no imagination be considered out of that capacity. But what a public person doth as a public person, — tha…
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II. The second part of the objection or charge against the impu- tation of the obedience of Christ unto us is, " That it is useless unto the persons that are to be justified; for whereas they have in their justification the pardon of all their sins, they are thereby righteous, and have a right or title unto life and bl…
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2. It proceeds on this supposition, that the laiu, in case of sin, doth not oblige unto punishment and obedience both, so as that it is not satisfied, fulfilled, or complied withal, unless it be answered with respect unto both; for if it doth so, then the pardon of sin, which only frees us from the penalty of the law, …
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And this greatly strengtheneth the argument in whose vindication we are engaged ; for we being sinners, we were obnoxious both unto the command and curse of the law. Both must be answered, or we cannot be justified. And as the Lord Christ could not by his most perfect obedience satisfy the curse of the law, " Dying tho…
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And these things are represented unto us in the Scripture as dis- tinct, and depending on distinct causes: so are they in the vision 268 ON JUSTIFICATION. concerning Joshua the high priest, Zech. iii. 4, 5, " And he an- swered and spake unto those that stood before him sa3dng, Take away the filthy garments from him. …
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And, in truth, this is the opinion of the most of our adversaries in this cause: for they do contend, that over and above the remission of sin, which some of them say is absolute, without any respect unto the merit or satisfaction of Christ, others refer it unto them ; they all contend that there is, moreover, a righte…
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Hitherto we have treated of and vindicated the imputation of the active obedience of Christ unto us, as the truth of it was deduced from the preceding argument about the obligation of the law of crea- tion. I shall now briefly confirm it with other reasons and testi- monies : — 1. That which Christ, the mediator and s…
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VOL. V. 18 274 ON JUSTIFICATION. James i. 25; but to yield perfect obedience unto it: the same that our Saviour calls -rX^ipwca; 'xacrav dixatosljvriv, Matt. iii. 15, " to fulfil all righteousness;" that is, by obedience unto all God's commands and institutions, as is evident in the place. So the apostle useth the sa…
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276 ON JUSTIFICATION. whatever variations may be made in, or additions unto, the dispen- sation of the first covenant, so long as this rule is retained, " Do this, and five," it is still the same covenant for the substance and essence of it 8. Hence two things Iselonged unto this covenant : — Fhst, That all things lu…
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278 ON JUSTIFICATION. CHAPTER XIV. The exclusion of all sorts of worlcs from an interest in justification — What is in- tended by " the law," and the " works " of it, in the epistles of Paul. We shall take our fourth argument from the express exclusion of all works, of luhat sort soever, from our justification befor…
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280 ON JUSTIFICATION, intends, — namely, that of Abraham, — was some hundreds of years before the giving of the ceremonial law. Neither yet do I say that the ceremonial law and the works of it are excluded from the intention of the apostle : for when that law was given, the observation of it was an especial instance o…
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282 ON JUSTIFICATION. 4. Some say, in general, it is the Jewish law that is intended; and think thereby to cast ofif the whole difficult3^ But if, by the Jewish law, they intend only the ceremonial law, or the law absolutely as given by Moses, we have already showed the vanity of that pretence ; but if they mean there…
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284 ON JUSTIFICATION. nance unto boasting, Rom. iv. 2, iii. 27; Eph. ii. 9; 1 Cor. i. 29-31. But this is done more by the good works of regenerate persons than by any works of unbelievers. (5.) The law required faith and love in all our works ; and therefore if all the works of the law be excluded, the best works of b…
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3. " The law" under the Old Testament doth immediately refer unto the law given at mount Sinai, nor is there any distinct mention of it before. This is commonly called "the law" absolutely; but most frequently " the law of God," " the law of the Lord ;" and sometimes " the law of Moses," because of his especial ministr…
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This being "the lavv^" in the sense of the apostle, and those with whom he had to do, our next inquiry is. What was their sense of "tuorks," or "works of the law?" And I say it is plain that they intended hereby the universal sincere obedience of the church unto God, according unto this law. And other works the law of …
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The truth is, so far as I can discern, the real difference that is at this day amongst us, about the doctrine of our justification before God, is the same that was between the apostle and the Jeivs, and no other. But controversies in religion make a great appearance of be- ing new, when they are only varied and made di…
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I know that many expressions used in the declaration of the na- ture and work of faith herein are metaphorical, at least are generally esteemed so to be ; — but they are such as the Holy Ghost, in his infinite wisdom, thought meet to make use of for the instruction and edification of the church. And I cannot but say, t…
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FAITH ALONE. 293 types of the guilt of sin, and the sentence of the fierj^ laAV thereon ; for these things happened unto them in types, 1 Cor. x. 11, When any was so stang or bitten, if he betook himself unto any other remedies, he died and perished. Only they that looked unto the brazen serpent that was lifted up wer…
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All that I woidd infer from these things is, that the faith whereby we believe unto the justification of life, or which is required of us in a way of duty that we may be justified, is such an act of the whole soul whereby convinced sinners do wholly go out of themselves to rest upon God in Christ for mercy, pardon, lif…
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• The works of Dan. Brenius will be found in one of the two supplementary volumes to the " Bibliotheca Fratrum Poloiioruni." — Ed. TESTIMONIES FROM THE PROPHETS. 2.07 be said to be our satisfaction and righteousness. And in this sense it would not be absurd if any one should say that the righteousness of Christ and h…
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TESTIMONIES FROM THE EVANGELISTS. 299 CHAPTER XVII. Testimonies out of the evangelists considered. The reasons why tlie doctrine of justification by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ is more fully and clearly delivered in the following writings of the New Testament than it is in those of the evangelists,…
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' Dr Owen refers to a treatise written by David Clarkson, his colleague in the charge of his congregation in London, and published in 1676. Clarkson had been tutor to Archbishop Tillotson, and in 1662 had been ejected from Mortlake in Surrey. lie was held in high esteem, and wrote some other works, which are considered…
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2. In an ascription of all that he did unto God : " God, I thank thee." Although he did all this, yet he owned the aid and assistance of God by his grace in it all. He esteemed himself much to differ from other men; but ascribed it not unto himself that so he did. All the righteousness and holiness which he laid claim …
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Some few testimonies may be added out of the other evangelist, in whom they abound : " As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name," John i. 12. Faith is expressed by the receiving of Christ; for to receive him, and to believe on his name, are the same…
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VOL. V. 20 306 ON JUSTIFICATION. eousness of Christ unto us, which is the thing principally inquired after; but if nothing be required on our part unto justification but faith acted on Christ, as the ordinance of God for our recovery and salvation, it is the whole of what we plead for. A justification by the remissio…
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308 ON JUSTIFICATION. eousness of God by three properties: — 1. That it is %wp/$ voi^ov, — " without the law," verse 21 ; separated iu all its concerns from the law ; not attainable by it, nor any works of it, which they have no influence into. It is neither our obedience unto the law, nor attain- able thereby. Nor ca…
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Here it is that we ma}^ and ought, if anywhere, to expect the interest of our 2iersonal uhedience, under some qualification or other, in our justification to be declared. For if it should be supposed (which yet it cannot, with any pretence of reason) that, in the fore- going discourse, the apostle had excluded only the…
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Having asserted this righteousness of God as the cause and means of our justification before him, in opposition unto all righteousness of our own, and declared the cause of the communication of it unto us on the part of God to be mereofree, sovereign grace, the means on our part whereby, according unto \the ordination …
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8. He asserts from hence, that we " do not make void the law through grace," but establish it, verse 31 ; which, how it is done, and how alone it can be done, hath been before declared. This is the substance of the resolution the apostle gives unto that great inquiry, how a guilty convinced sinner may come to be justi…
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And, first, it is said of him that he is 6 imti l^ya^o/isi/og, — " who worketh not." It is not required unto his justification that he should not work, that he should not perform any duties of obedience unto God in any kind, which is working ; for every person in the world is always obliged unto all duties of obedience…
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Concerning this person, the apostle afiirmeth that " his faith is counted for righteousness ;" — that is, he is justified in the way and manner before declared. But there is a difference about the sense of these words. Some say the meaning of them is, ihaX faith, as an act, a grace, a duty, or work of ours, is so imput…
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(6.) Faith, as we said before, is our own; and that which is our own may be imputed unto us. But the discourse of the apostle is about that which is not our own antecedently unto imputation, but is made ours thereby, as we have proved ; for it is of grace. And the imputation unto us of what is really our own antecedent…
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JUSTIFICATION AS DECLARED BY PAUL. 321 scribes their blessedness by it;— not tliat their whole blessedness doth consist therein, but this concurs unto it, wherein no respect can pos- sibly be had unto any works whatever. And he may justly from hence describe the blessedness of a man, in that the imputation of righteou…
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The differences that are among intei'preters about the exposition of these words relate unto the use of some particles, prepositions, and the dependence of one passage upon another; on none of which the confirmation of the truth pleaded for doth depend. But the plain design of tlie apostle, and his express propositions…
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Having mentioned sin and death, the one as the only cause of the other, the guilt of sin of the punishment of death, — sin deserving nothing but death, and death being due unto nothing but sin, — he declares how all men iniiversally became liable unto this punishment, or guilty of death : 'Ep' o5 m-avrsc -/i/j^aprov, —…
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Some grant, therefore, that the apostle doth conceal the expres- sion of what is ascribed unto Christ, in opposition unto what he had affirmed of Adam and his sin, unto verse 19 ; but the truth is, it is sufficiently included in the close of verse 14, where he affirms of Adam that, in those things whereof he treats, he…
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A/' ivos a,u.oi,pT7]savrog, " By one that sinned," is the same with di' svog 'TapaTTUfiarog, " by one sin," one offence, the one sin of that man. KpTjj^a,, we render "judgment." Most interpreters do it by " reatus," " guilt," or " crimen," which is derived from it. So ^3^P, "judicium," is used in the Hebrew for guilt: …
974 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.