PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Works of John Owen — Volume 9
John Owen · 335,461 words · 337 reading sections
Section 181
Besides, there is a great aptness in such a season to work indiffer- ency in the minds of those who do not intend utterly to forsake the truth. Little did I think I should ever have lived in this world to find the minds of professors grown altogether indifferent as to the doctrine of God's eternal election, the soverei…
1,013 wordsSECTION 182Section 182
III. A third thing that makes a perilous season is, professors mix- ing themselves with the world, and learning their manners. And if the other perilous seasons are come upon us, this is come upon us also. This was the foundation and spring of the first perilous season that was in the world, that first brought in a del…
905 wordsSECTION 183Section 183
PERILOUS TIMES. 331 As to our duty in such a perilous season, let me leave three cau- tions with you, and the Lord fix them upon your hearts : — (I.) The profession of religion, and the performance of duties, under a world-like conversation, are nothing but a sophistical means to lead men blindfold into hell. We must…
902 wordsSECTION 184Section 184
(3.) Pray that God would give us grace to be sensible of the perils of the day wherein we live. It may be we have had confidence, that though thousands fall at our right hand and at our left, yet we shall be able to carry it through. Believe me, it is great grace. Point your private, closet prayers, and your famiiy pra…
923 wordsSECTION 185Section 185
Use 6. Lastly, take that great rule which the apostle gives in such times as those wherewith we are concerned, " Nevertheless the foun- dation of God stands sure," — 0 blessed be God for it! — " God knows who are his." What, then, is required on our part? " Let him that nameth the name of Christ depart from evil." You…
943 wordsSECTION 186Section 186
It may have a double sense, " I am every day, by reason of preach- ing the gospel, exposed to dangers and death." For he doth speak both before and after of the dangers he underwent in the work of preach- ing the gospel. " I die daily;" or, " ' I die daily/ by continually pre- paring myself to die ; I am always in a pr…
1,023 wordsSECTION 187Section 187
vol. ix. 22 338 the christian's work of dying daily. body and soul, but destroy our being, so that we shall be no more to eternity? So some would have it; for it is their interest it should be so. Is the soul going into a state of wandering in the air, under the influence of more powerful spirits? — which was the opi…
949 wordsSECTION 188Section 188
It is both a great and eminent act of faith, and is the last victori- ous act of faith, so to do : — 1. It is a great and eminent act of faith. [See] Heb. xi., where the mighty efficacy and great success of faith is spoken of. One of the particulars, and that wherein many of the rest did centre, is, " These all died i…
938 wordsSECTION 189Section 189
(1.) As to the especial and immediate object of this exercise of faith, and which must take with it a special motive, — that, I say, is God, under the consideration of his sovereignty, power, and faithfulness; and this upon the motive of some experience of his kindness and grace. So speaks the psalmist, Ps. xxxi. 5, " …
906 wordsSECTION 190Section 190
(2.) As to the special form of this duty, there are two words wherein it is expressed, and both of the same import : for in one place it is rendered, " commending;" in another, " committing," Luke xxiii. 46, and Ps. xxxi. 5. But it is a re-commending or commit- ting, as men commit a trust. If a man lay a-dying, and had…
1,040 wordsSECTION 191Section 191
I have showed you now how you may exercise this duty ; and I do reckon myself to be near my account, and speak as one that is sensible of it. Would I could prevail with you to bring it more or less into actual exercise, before you give rest to your eyes, or slumber to your eyelids ! THE CHRISTIAN'S WORK OF DYING DAILY…
932 wordsSECTION 192Section 192
There are two things yet remaining necessary to the same end, — at least I find them so ; which, if God will, I shall despatch at this time. II. There is required, unto this great end, a readiness and willing- ness to part with this body which we carry about us, and to lay it clown in the dust. The soul's natural aver…
1,205 wordsSECTION 193Section 193
And therefore this is in us all, brethren; it is our first desire, which we have upon a prospect that we cannot continue here, " to be clothed upon;" and, as the apostle says, "that mortality may be swallowed up of life,"— that the body and soul together may go into immorta- lity and glory. But this is not God's way; t…
1,073 wordsSECTION 194Section 194
This is the second thing that is required in men that would die with their eyes open, that would die cheerfully and comfortably, ac- cording to the will of God, — to be willing to leave the body to God's disposal, to be laid up in the dust; because thereby it shall come to see Christ, and likewise shall have an end of …
1,202 wordsSECTION 195Section 195
SERMON XXX.1 THE EVIL AND DANGER OF OFFENCES. "Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" — Matt, xviii. 7. It is very evident that our Lord Jesus Christ lays very great weight upon this matter of offences. He represents them like…
1,067 wordsSECTION 196Section 196
2. Offences taken. Now offences are taken two ways: — (1.) As they occasion grief; and (2.) Sin. A given offence may be taken either of these ways : — (1.) As they occasion grief. Born, xiv., " See that by thy miscar- riage 'thou grieve not thy brother.'" Men's offences who are pro- fessors are a grief, trouble, and b…
928 wordsSECTION 197Section 197
I shall give you a few rules from hence, and so conclude: — Rule 1. The giving offence being a great aggravation of sin, let this rule lie continually in your hearts, — that the more public persons are, the more careful they ought to be that they " give no offence either to Jew or Gentile, or to the church of God." Wh…
1,068 wordsSECTION 198Section 198
Casuistry is liable to abuse, and has often been abused. It tends to foster a morbid subjectivity, and to enei-vate principle. Every Christian pastor, however, in the course of his official duties, must sometimes be called to resolve the doubts CONVICTION OF SIN. 359 nnd scruples which are apt to embarrass the tender…
1,049 wordsSECTION 199Section 199
Another direction of Christ is, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick," Matt. ix. 12. There are, in my apprehension, two things in a sick person that have need of a physi- cian: First, He hath an uneasiness. A man who is sick, though he would shift it, yet his uneasiness will cause him to sen…
1,075 wordsSECTION 200Section 200
EVIDENCE OF AN INTEREST IN CHRIST. 363 me when things are so ; but when a soul in all those charges that sometimes come upon it abides the issue, — " Here I will trust upon Christ, let the worst come upon me;" — this I call a permanency in our choice against opposition. I hope you have experience of it. 2. There must…
918 wordsSECTION 201Section 201
Give me leave to add this one thing more : — Fourthly. That a delight in obedience unto God by Christ, in the ways of his own appointment, is a great evidence that we have chosen Christ, and he us; — chosen him as our king, prophet, and priest. The ways of the worship of God in his church and ordinances, are the ways …
951 wordsSECTION 202Section 202
These things are matter of fact. The whole question is, Whether we are greatly to be concerned in these things or not? " They are the sins of wicked men, and they are the sins of the persecutors of God's people, and the like ; and what have we to do with them V The psalmist of old said, that " rivers of waters ran dow…
986 wordsSECTION 203Section 203
3GS RECOVERY FROM SPIRITUAL DECAY. God according to rule, as God requires of us. Our primitive love, — how is it decayed ! Value of the ordinances of Christ, and the society of Lis people for edification, — how cold are we grown in these things ! How little is the church society upon our hearts, which some of us remem…
976 wordsSECTION 204Section 204
But you will say, " How shall we do so ? how shall we abide, more than we have done, at this well-head of life V 1. We are to abide at the well-head of life by a frequency of the acts of faith upon the person of Christ. Faith is that grace, not only vol. ix. 24 370 RECOVERY FROM SPIRITUAL DECAY. whereby we are impl…
951 wordsSECTION 205Section 205
4. And then, brethren, seeing we have, in the next place, felt de- cays in the midst of the performance of multiplied duties, labour to bring spirituality into your duties. " What is that," you will say, " and wherein doth it consist?" It is the due exercise of every grace that is required to the dis- charge of that d…
1,024 wordsSECTION 206Section 206
Secondly. The person of Christ is the immediate and proper object of all divine worship. The worship of Christ is commanded in the first commandment. By worship, I intend faith, love, trust, subjec- tion of soul, invocation on the name of Christ, — every act of the soul and mind whereby we ascribe infinite divine excel…
1,055 wordsSECTION 207Section 207
All that I shall add hereunto is this : — Seeing there is in Scripture a double worship of Christ that is immediate (for his person is con- sidered absolutely, and as mediator between God and man), which of these ought we principally to apply ourselves unto? I answer plainly, — (] .) Our direction for solemn worship …
1,145 wordsSECTION 208Section 208
Well, then, Ave abide Avith Christ in the acts of our mind, by im- mediate thoughtfulness and contemplation upon Christ in the night, and upon our beds, and in our Avalkings, and by the Avayside, and in times Ave set apart for meditation. We are greatly to labour after an intuitive vieAV of Christ ; that is, a direct v…
1,031 wordsSECTION 209Section 209
I shall not speak unto the nature of that faith we exercise, or what assurance we may have of God's hearing our prayers ; but I will tell you plainly what hinders in us the answer of our prayers : — 1. We are not clear that our persons are accepted. God had re- spect unto Abel and his offering, and not unto Cain and h…
1,083 wordsSECTION 210Section 210
382 WHEN IS SIN HABITUALLY PREVALENT ? the face of the whole earth, than this, that it comes " as a snare." " Men do not take notice of it; do you, therefore, take heed to your- selves, you that are my disciples : believers, ' take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and dr…
916 wordsSECTION 211Section 211
Brethren, I take it for granted the vilest of those lusts which our Saviour and his apostles warn us against, to mortify and crucify, may be working in the hearts and minds of the best of us ; and that a particular lust may be habitually prevalent, where, for particular reasons, it never brings forth outward effects: t…
949 wordsSECTION 212Section 212
4. When the soul, if it will examine itself, will find it is gone from under the conduct of renewing grace, and is, at the best, but under the evidence [influence?] of restraining grace. Believers are under the con- duct of renewing grace ; and I grant that sometimes, when, under the power of corruption and temptation,…
996 wordsSECTION 213Section 213
Thirdly. The third thing I would say is this, — that if a prevalent corruption be not inconsistent with the truth of grace, it is certainly inconsistent with the true exercise of grace. It is not, indeed, incon- sistent with the performance of duties; but it is inconsistent with the true exercise of grace in the perfor…
913 wordsSECTION 214Section 214
Fifthly. There is a prevalency of sin that is inconsistent with true grace, which may befall those who have been professors. So the apostle doth plainly declare, Rom. vi. 1 6, " Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedienc…
901 wordsSECTION 215Section 215
HOW TO DEAL WITH PREVAILING SIN. 391 ways go down to the chambers of death. Do not please yourselves, imagining you are members of the church, and have good hopes of salvation by Jesus Christ ; but consider whither this tends, and affect your minds with it. Secondly. When the person is affected with the danger of it,…
949 wordsSECTION 216Section 216
First. What are those things that make a season of providence dark and difficult? I find four things in Scripture that make a dark season of provi- dence; and, if I mistake not, they are all upon us: — 1. The long-continued prosperity of wicked men. This you are sensible is the most known case of all the Old Testamen…
1,040 wordsSECTION 217Section 217
2. It is so when God's warnings are despised : " When thine hand is lifted up, they will not see." That is a difficult season; for, saith God, " The fire of thine adversaries shall consume thee." Never had people more warnings than we have had ;— warning in heaven above, and warning on the earth beneath; warnings by le…
1,215 wordsSECTION 218Section 218
1 See this meaning supported in Willet on Daniel. The highest modern autho- rities consider the word as equivalent to two words combined, — viz., "^"S — an in- dividual; ^ W — one icho is nameless. — Ed. CHRISTIAN DUTY IN DARK DISPENSATIONS. 397 him, "O Lord, how long?" And he will give in secret satisfaction to our …
981 wordsSECTION 219Section 219
I would offer a few words that may stir us up unto this duty : — The Scripture doth everywhere, upon all such occasions, call ex- pressly unto us for a special preparation, by the exercise of grace, in reformation and holiness : " Judgment must begin at the house of God;" and " what will be the end of them that obey no…
949 wordsSECTION 220Section 220
Here lies the truth of it, — when there are two things concurring in the deliverance of the church, God will deliver them, notwithstanding all their sins and unworthiness, without any previous humiliation in themselves : — first, When God hath fixed and limited a certain season in his word and promise for their deliver…
1,113 wordsSECTION 221Section 221
I mention it only to let you know that there is more than an ordinary earnestness and fervency of spirit and wrestling with God required of us at this day for the cause of Zion, the interest of Christ, and defeating of his adversaries. What way God will work we know not. If he be at work, he hath said, that when a floo…
1,151 wordsSECTION 222Section 222
If it be so, let us every day pray that God would keep this thing CHRISTIAN DUTY UNDER DIVINE WARNINGS. 405 in the imagination of the thoughts of our hearts; not only of our- selves, but of one another. Observe the phrase of the Holy Ghost : when you come to " the thoughts of the heart/' you think you can go no farth…
946 wordsSECTION 223Section 223
Now there are three parts of this last prophecy of David : — The first of them concerns the subject of all prophecy and pro- mises that he had preached about and declared; and that is Christ himself, in the 3d and 4th verses; the second of them concerns himself, as he was a type of Christ, verse 5 ; and the third part…
998 wordsSECTION 224Section 224
I now return unto that part which I shall a little more distinctly open unto you, that concerns David himself, as he was chosen to be the great type of Christ. Saith he, " This Ruler of men, he shall be as the clear morning without clouds; although my house be not so with God." There are two things in the words : — Fi…
906 wordsSECTION 225Section 225
You know how great a surprisal befell Job. See what his thoughts were, Job xxix. 18. After, in all the foregoing part of the chapter, he had related the manifold blessings of God upon him in his pros- perity, the uprightness of his own heart, his righteousness in his way, as he declares them to the utmost in the beginn…
989 wordsSECTION 226Section 226
I will give you some instances of it: — Gen. xv. 1, 2. There God leads us to this I now mentioned. Abraham was in a perplexed con- dition; God comes to him in the 1st verse, and renews his covenant with him : " The word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram : I am thy shield, and thy exceedin…
1,275 wordsSECTION 227Section 227
This is the first reason why David makes his retreat in straits and difficulties unto this covenant, — because of the author of it, God him- self, who made this covenant. Secondly. The second reason is taken from the properties of the covenant, — what kind of one it is; and they are three: — It is an "everlasting" cov…
984 wordsSECTION 228Section 228
(2.) It had a solemn confirmation in the blood of the Son ; hence the blood of Christ is called " The blood of the covenant." The cove- nant was solemnly confirmed in the blood of Christ. It is the design of the apostle, in the 10th chapter of the Hebrews, to prove the solemn confirmation of the new covenant in the blo…
926 wordsSECTION 229Section 229
Secondly, We should seek unto God in covenant, for strength to support us under our surprisals and distresses. When Abraham was going to battle, he took with him Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner, who were the men of his covenant, Gen. xiv. 13. When our souls are engaged in battle with our sins, oppositions, and fears, let us ta…
1,202 wordsSECTION 230Section 230
Shall I give you one instance more ? David gives it us in his own person, Ps. xxxi. 9-13. He makes as sad a complaint of such a com- plication of distresses upon him as there is anywhere extant in the whole book of the Psalms. " Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble : mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my …
921 wordsSECTION 231Section 231
Now, he that retreats to God in his distresses, reminds God of his covenant: " Thou saidst thou wouldst do me good." And the bring- ing forth of God's word of promise is as good a token as his own bringing forth the bow in the cloud. And this is the foundation of all the good he doth for us, or in us. Thirdly. What is…
993 wordsSECTION 232Section 232
426 THE EVERLASTING COVENANT, 2. The next thing to be done is, an actual resting upon God, or casting of ourselves upon him for all things. Where these things are not, we do, in speaking of the covenant, but flatter God with our lips. There is no solemn covenant between God and us. This God required when he came to A…
1,056 wordsSECTION 233Section 233
Sixthly. I have one consideration more, which is the last I shall insist upon ; and that is, to consider in this covenant, whereunto I 428 THE EVERLASTING COVENANT, make my retreat, — who it is that hath made it ivith me. And therein I would consider two things; — the one whereof will have the endearment of admiratio…
1,004 wordsSECTION 234Section 234
That is the first thing that will greatly refresh our souls under distresses, if we consider God's gracious condescension in taking us into covenant with him, upon the account of his greatness, his holi- ness, and his self-sufficiency; and it is an endearing condescension. " What am I," said Elisabeth, " that the mothe…
932 wordsSECTION 235Section 235
First. It is a gift, Aiirb$ Uuxe, verse 11, " He himself gave." The foundation of the ministry is in the gift of Christ. Let me answer that question which he put once to the Pharisees, " The baptism of John, is it from heaven? or is it of men?" In like manner, I say, The ministry, is it from heaven? or is it of men? Th…
918 wordsSECTION 236Section 236
2. There is no power in any church to choose any one whom Christ hath not chosen before; that is, no church can make a man forjnalh/ a minister, that Christ hath not made so materially, if I may so say. If Christ hath not pre-instructed and prefurnished him with gifts, it is not in the power of the church to choose or …
939 wordsSECTION 237Section 237
THE MINISTRY THE GIFT OF CHRIST. 435 church of their liberty; which any man now, who is far from an apostle, you know, will take upon him at any time. A third Scrip- ture where it is mentioned, is Acts xiv. 28, " And when they had ordained them elders in every church/' etc. I confess I am not free to manage the argume…
956 wordsSECTION 238Section 238
And on the part of him, or of any of us who are called to the ministry, undoubtedly it is incumbent upon us so to behave ourselves, and so to approve ourselves, as that we may own ourselves to be a gift of Christ unto the church, and be owned by the church as a gift of Christ. I do not know, for my own part, a more tre…
1,238 wordsSECTION 239Section 239
THE MINISTRY THE GIFT OF CHRIST. 439 this was to represent the glorious conquest at the ascension of Christ, expressed, Col. ii. 15, " And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it," or in himself. When he spoiled Pharaoh, he triumphed over him glori- ously,— "…
1,009 wordsSECTION 240Section 240
Or, 2. The lower part of the earth intends a comparison between some part of the earth itself ; and so may be taken for the grave; — " He descended into the grave." The burial of Christ, which was a great and evident testimony of his real death, is that which is intended; and so I look upon it in this place. The very d…
976 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.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.