PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Works of John Owen — Volume 6
John Owen · 348,200 words · 344 reading sections
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Mi L I B PI ^^ i^^sr ®hcoloflical f-cminavtu ^ i-niycKT'ty. .v. j. The Stephen Collins Uonatiou^/ BX 9315 .08' TSSO v. 6 Owen, John, 1616-1683. The works of John Owen THE WORKS JOHN OWEN, D.D. EDITED BY THE REV. WILLIAM H. GOOLD, EDINBURGH. YOL. VI. :N^EW YORK: ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS, 285 BROADWAY. M.D…
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CONTENTS. CHAPTER XL Page The THIRD direction proposed : Load thy conscience with the guilt of the pei-plexing^ distemper — The ways and means whereby that may be done — Tlie foukth direction : Vehement desire for deliverance — The fifth : Some distempers rooted deeply in men's natural tempers — Considerations of su…
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CHAPTER IX. General exhortation to the duty prescribed ...... 149 CONTENTS. VII THE NATURE, POWER, DECEIT; AND PREVALENCT OF THE REMAINDERS OF INDWELLING SIN IN BELIEVERS. Prefatory Note by the Editor . . . . . . . .154 Preface ........... 155 CHAPTER I. Indwelling sin in believers treated of by the apostle, Rom…
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Grounds of miscarriages when persons are convinced of sin and humbled — Resting in that state— Resting on it ........ 373 VERSE FOURTH. The words explained, and the design or scope of the psalmist in them discovered . 379 Propositions or observations from the former exposition of the words — The first pro- posed to…
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We learn from the preface, that it embodies what he had preached with such acceptance that " sundry persons, in whose hearts are the ways of God," pressed him to ])ublish it. lie bad a desire also to correct certain " dangerous mistakes" into which some preachers or writers of that day had fallen, who recommended and e…
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4 PREFACE. use, as a fruit of choice, not necessity. On these and the like accounts is this short discourse brought forth to public view, and now presented unto thee. I hope I may own in sincerity, that my heart's desire unto God, and the chief design of my life in the station m herein the good providence of God hath …
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2. The next thing we meet withal in the words is the persons to Avhom this duty is prescribed, and that is expressed in the word " Ye," in the original included in the verb, ^avarovn, "if ye mortify ;" — that is, ye believers ; ye to whom " there is no condemnation," verse 1 ; ye that are " not in the flesh, but in the…
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(3.) To mortify. E/ ?iavarovTi, — " If ye put to death;" a metaphori- cal expression, taken from the putting of any living thing to death. To kill a man, or any other living thing, is to take away the principle of all his streng-th, vigour, and power, so that he cannot act or exert, or put forth any proper actings of h…
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1. Indwelling sin always abides whilst we are m this world; there- fore it is always to be mortified. The vain, foolish, and ig-norant disputes of men about perfect keeping the commands of God, of perfection in this life, of being wholly and perfectly dead to sin, I meddle not now with. It is more than probable that th…
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I shall discharge him from this duty who can bring sin to a com- position, to a cessation of arms in this warfare; if it will spare him any one day, in any one duty (provided he be a person that is ac- quainted with the spirituality of obedience and the subtlety of sm). 12 MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS. let him s…
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14 MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS. complying with the men of the world and tilings of the world, to the scandal of religion and the fearful temptation of them that know them ? The truth is, what between placing mortification in a rigid, stubborn frame of spirit, which is for the most part earthly, legal, censorious…
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2. To others. It hath an evil influence on them on a twofold account : — (1.) It hardens them, by begetting in them a persuasion that they are in as good condition as the best professors. Whatever they see in them is so stained for want of this mortification that it is of no IG MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS. val…
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(2.) Because those things that are ajDpointed of God as means are not used by them in their due place and order, — such as are praying, fasting, watching, meditation, and the like. These have their use in the business in hand ; but whereas they are all to be looked on as streams, they look on them as the fountain. Wher…
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[2.] By a real physical efficiency on the root and habit of sin, for the weakening, destroying, and taking it away. Hence he is called a " Spirit of judgment and burning," Isa. iv. 4, really consuming and destroying our lusts. He takes away the stony heart by an almighty efficiency; for as he begins the work as to its …
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Now, all these do much depend on a constant course of mortifica- tion, concerning which observe, — 1. I do not say they proceed from it, as though they were neces- sarily tied to it. A man may be carried on in a constant course of mortification all his days; and yet perhaps never enjoy a good day of peace and consolat…
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(2.) Mortification prunes all the graces of God, and makes room for them in our hearts to grow. The life and vigour of our spiritual lives consists in the vigour and flourishing of the plants of grace in our hearts. Now, as you may see in a garden, let there be a pre- cious herb planted, and let the ground be unfilled,…
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(2.) I think I need not say it is not the dissimulation of a sin. When a man.on some outward respects forsakes the practice of any sin, men perhaps may look on him as a changed man. God knows that to his former iniquity he hath added cursed hypocrisy, and is got in a safer path to hell than he was in before. He hath go…
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[2.] In a time of some judgment, calamity, or pressing affliction ; the heart is then taken up with thoughts and contrivances of flying' from the present troubles, fears, and dangers. This, as a convinced person concludes, is to be done only by relinquishment of sin, Avhich gains peace with God. It is the anger of God …
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I shall desire to give one caution or rule by the way, and it is this : Though every lust doth in its OAvn nature equally, universally, incline and impel to sin, yet this must be granted with these two limita- tions:— [1.] One lust, or a lust in one man, may receive many accidental improvements, heightenings, and stre…
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(2.) In constant Jightinr/ and contending against sin. To be able always to be laying load on sin is no small degree of mortification. When sin is strong and vigorous, tlie soul is scarce able to make any MORTIFICATION IN PARTICULAR DESCRIBED. SI head against it; it sighs, and groans, and mourns, and is troubled, as …
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IIORTIFICATION THE WOEK OF BELIEVERS. 33 such a universal conquest as the soul may never more sensibly feel its opposition, and shall, however, assuredly arise to an allowance of peace to the conscience, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace. CHAPTER VIL General rules, without which no lust will be mortifi…
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MORTIFICATION THE WORK OF BELIEVERS. 85 in liim. All attempts, then, for mortification of any lust, without an interest in Christ, are vain. Many men that are galled with and for sin, the arrows of Christ for conviction, by the preaching of the word, or some affliction having been made sharp in their hearts, do vigoro…
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MORTIFICATION THE WORK OF BELIEVERS. 37 (2.) This duty being a thing good in itself, in its jaroper place, a duty evidencing sincerity, bringing home peace to the conscience; a man finding himself really engaged in it, his mind and heart set against this or that sin, with purpose and resolution to have no more to do w…
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3. Though this be the ^uorIc of the word and Spirit, and it be good in itself, yet it is not profitable nor available as to the main end in them in wliom it is \vrought ; they are still in the gall of bitterness, and under the power of darkness. 4. Let men know it is their duty, but in its proper place ; I take not me…
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CHAPTER VIII. The second general rule proposed — Without universal sincerity for the mortifying of every lust, no lust will be mortified — Partial mortification always from a corrupt principle — Perplexity of temptation from a lust oftentimes a chasten- ing for other negligences. 2. The second principle which to this…
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(2.) How knowest thou but that God hath suffered the lust where- with thou hast been perplexed to get strength in thee, and power over thee, to chasten thee for thy other negligences and common lukewarmness in walking before him ; at least to awaken thee to the consideration of thy ways, that thou mayst make a thorough…
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thou hast received by it, for some long season, thy distemper is dan- gerous. Hast thou permitted worldliness, ambition, greediness of study, to eat up other duties, the duties wherein thou oughtest to hold constant communion with God, for some long season? or unclean- ness to defile thy heart with vain, and foolish, a…
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(2.) By applying grace and mercy to an unmortified sin, or one not sincerely endeavoured to be mortified, is this deceit carried on. This is a sign of a heart greatly entangled with the love of sin. When a man hath secret thoughts in his heart, not unlike those of Naaman about his worshipping in the house of Rimmon,^ "…
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Such a person hath cast off, as to the particular spoken of, the con- duct of renewing grace, and is kept from ruin only by restraining grace; and so far is he fallen from grace, and returned under the power of the law. And can it be thought that this is not a great pro- vocation to Christ, that men should cast off his…
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Unspeakable are the evils which attend such a frame of heart. Every joarticular warning to a man in such an estate is an inestimable mercy; how then doth he despise God in them who holds out against them ! And what infinite patience is this in God, that he doth not cast off such a one, and swear in his wrath that he sh…
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Let this, then, be the first care of him that would mortify sin, — to fix a right judgment of its guilt in his mind. To Avhich end take these considerations to thy assistance: — (1.) Though the power of sin be weakened by inherent grace in them that have it, that sin shall not have dominion over them as it hath over o…
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(3.) Loss of peace and strength all a man's days. To have peace with God, to have strength to walk before God, is the sum of the great promises of the covenant of grace. In these things is the life of our souls. Without them in some comfortable measure, to live is to die. What good will our lives do us if we see not th…
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A SENSE OF THE EVIL OF SIN KEQUIRED. 55 upon such a soul, if it desire to be freed from the entanglement of its lusts. 3. Consider the evils of it; I mean its present evils. Danger re- spects Avhat is to come; evil, what is present. Some of the many evils that attend an unmortified lust may be mentioned : — ■ (1.) I…
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This is my third direction, — Load thy conscience with the guilt of it. Not only consider that it hath a guilt, but load thy conscience with the guilt of its actual eruptions and disturbances. For the right improvement of this rule I shall give some parti- cular directions: — THE CONSCIENCE TO BE CHAEGED WITH GUILT.…
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2. Descend to particulars. As under the general head of the gospel all the benefits of it are to be considered, as redemption, justi- fication, and the like ; so, in particular, consider the management of the love of them towards thine own soul, for the aggravation of the guilt of thy corruption. As, — (L) Consider th…
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2. That thou hast to fix upon on this account, in reference to thy walking with God, is, that so great an advantage is given to sin, as also to Satan, by this thy temper and disposition, that Avithout ex- traordinary watchfulness, care, and diligence, they will assuredly pre- vail against thy soul. Thousands have been …
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The SEVENTH direction is, — Rise mightily against the first actings of thy distemper, its first conceptions; suffer it not to get the least ground. Do not say, " Thus far it shall go, and no farther." If it have allowance for one step, it will take another. It is impossible to fix bounds to sin. It is like water in a …
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You will say that Moses was under the law when God wrapped up himself in darkness, and his mind in types and clouds and dark institutions; — under the glorious shining of the gospel, which hath brought life and immortality to light, God being revealed from his own bosom, we now know him much more clearly, and as he is;…
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(1.) We know so little of God, because it is God who is thus to be known, — that is, he who hath described himself to us very much by this, that we cannot know him. What else doth he intend where he calls himself invisible, incomprehensible, and the like? — that is, he whom we do not, cannot, know as he is. And our far…
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G8 MOllTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS. raony, not au evidence upon demonstration; and the object of it is, as was said before, above us. Hence our faith, as was formerly ob- served, is called a " seeing darkly, as in a glass." All that we know this way (and all that we know of God we know this way) is but low, and dar…
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1st. The intendment of all gospel revelation is, not to unvail God's essential glory, that we should see him as he is, but merely to de- clare so much of him as he knows sufficient to be a bottom of our faith, love, obedience, and coming to him, — that is, of the faith which here he expects from us ; such services as b…
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Take these two previous observations, and I shall give some rales whereby men may know whether God speaks peace to them, or whe- ther they speak peace to themselves only: — 1. Men certainly speak peace to themselves when their so doing is not attended with the greatest detestation imaginable of that sin in reference A…
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1 1 John ii. 15. 7i MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS. conviction of some sin upon his conscience; lie hath not walked up- rightly as becometh the gospel; all is not Avell and right between God and his soul. He considers now what is to be done. Light he hath, and knows what path he must take, and how liis soul hath b…
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(3.) Such a course, though it may quiet the conscience and the mind, the rational concluding part of the soul, yet it doth not siveeten > Hos. ix. y. 2 Ps. cxxx. 6, cxxiii. 2. 3 ig^. xx^•iii. 16. 76 MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS. the heart with rest and gracious contentation. The answer it receives is much like t…
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But you will say, " We are where we were. When God speaks it, we must receive it, that is true; but how shall we know ivhen he speaks r' (L) I woidd we could all practically come up to this, to receive peace when we are convinced that God speaks it, and that it is our duty to receive it. But, — (2.) There is, if I ma…
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80 MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS. ance. He can take my drooping, dying soul and make me more than a conqueror.^ ' Why sayest thou, O my soul, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the end…
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Now, farther to engage thee to this expectation, — (1.) Consider his mercifulness, tenderness, and kindness, as he is our great High Priest at the right hand of God. Assuredly he pities thee in thy distress; saith he, " As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you," Isa. Ixvi. 13. He hath the tenderness of…
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[2.] It engages the heart to attend diligently to all the ways and means whereby Christ is wont to communicate himself to the soul ; and so takes in the real assistance of all graces and ordinances what- ever. He that expects any thing from a man, applies himself to the ways and means whereby it may be obtained. The be…
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NECESSITY OF FAITH ON CHRIST, 85 tliis is from the death of Christ itself: "Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed;"' ffuvsaravpudrj, " is cru- cified with him," not in respect of time, but causality. We are cmcified with him meritoriously, in that he procured the Spirit for us to m…
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• li Cor. xii. 8. OF TEMPTATION: THE NATURE AND POWER OE IT; THE DANGER OF ENTERING INTO IT; AND THE MEANS OF PREVENTING THAT DANGER: A RESOLUTION OF SUNDRY CASES THEREUNTO BELONGING. ' Bocauae thou hast hept the word of my patience, I nlso will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which Miall come upon all the w…
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But now, reader, if thou art amongst them, who takest no notice of these things, or carest not for them, — who hast no sense of the efficacy and dangers of tempta^ tions in thine own walking and profession, nor hast observed the power of them upon others, — who discernest not the manifold advantages that they have got …
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92 OF TEMPTATION, entreated them to tarry and watch with him, now he was dying, and that for them. In this condition, leaving them but a httle space, ]ihe men forsaken of all love towards him or care of themselves, they fall fast asleep ! Even the best of saints, being left to themselves, will qnickly appear to be les…
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(2.) God doth it to show himself unto man, and that, — [].] In a way oi preventing grace. A man shall see that it is God alone who keeps from all sin. Until we are tempted, we think we live on our own strength. Though all men do this or that, we will not. When the trial comes, we quickly see whence is our preserva- 1…
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I might also show how the world and our oa\ti corruptions do act singly by themselves, and jointly in conjunction with Satan and one another, in this business of temptation. But the truth is, the prin- ciples, ways, and means of temptations, the kinds, degrees, eflficacy, and causes of them, are so inexpressibly large …
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4. It is, as the apostle expresseth it, 1 Tim. vi. 9, g/Aff/Vrs/i', " to fall into temptation," as a man falls into a pit or deep place where are gins or snares, wherewith he is entangled ; the man is not pre- sently killed and destroyed, but he is entangled and detained, — he knows not how to get free or be at liberty…
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\st. It doth the first by several ways: — (Is^.) By long solicitations, causing the mind frequently to con- verse with the evil solicited unto, it begets extenuating thoughts of it. If it makes this process, it is coming towards its hour. It may be when first it began to press upon the soul, the soul was amazed with t…
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CHRIST S DIRECTIONS IN REGARD TO TEMPTATION. 101 ness and diligence, exercising itself in and by all ways and means prescribed by God, over our hearts and ways, the baits and methods of Satan, the occasions and advantages of sin in the world, that we be not entangled, is that which in this word is pressed on us. 2. F…
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S. Let us to this purpose consider the general issues of men's en- tering into temptation, and that of bad and good men, of ungrounded professors, and of the choicest saints. (1.) For the first I shall offer but one or two texts of Scripture. Luke viii. 13, " They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive t…
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In nothing doth the folly of the hearts of men show itself more openly, in the days wherein we live, than in this cursed boldness, after so many warnings from God, and so many sad experiences every day under their eyes, of running into and putting themselves upon temptations. Any society, any company, any conditions of…
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[2.] Consider the particular ways and means that such a heart hath or can use to safeguard itself in the hour of temptation, and their iasufliciency to that purpose will quickly appear. I shall in- stance in some few only: — I St. Love of honour in the world. Reputation and esteem in the church, obtained by former pro…
900 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.