A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

John Owen • SECTION 1

Section 1

← The Works of John Owen — Volume 5

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PBINCETdX. X. J.

Collins Donation.

J 'C.»V^^*'tft«hfin Collins Uonat

BX 9315 .m 1850 V.5 Owen, John, 1616-1683. The works of John Owen

THE

WORKS

JOHN OWEN, D.D.

EDITED

BY THE REV. WILLIAM H. GOOLD,

EDINBURGH.

VOL. V.

l^EW YORK:

ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS,

285 BROADWAY.

M.DCCC.U.

CONTENTS OF VOL Y.

THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH.

Pa'53

Prefatouy Note by the Editor ........ 2

To the Reader 3

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

PREVIOUS UNTO THE EXPLANATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION.

First, The general nature of justification — State of the person to be justified ante- cedently thereunto, Rom. iv. 5, iii. 19, i. .32; Gal. iii. 10; John iii. 18, 36; Gal. iii. 22 — The sole inquiry on that state — Whether it be any thing that is our otvii inherently, or what is only imputed unto us, that we are to trust unto for our acceptance with God — The sum of this inquiry — The proper ends of teaching and learning the doctrine of justification— Things to be avoided therein . . 7

Secondly, A due consideration of God, the Judge of all, necessary unto the right stat- ing and apprehension of the doctrine of justification, Rom. yiii. 33; Isa. xliii. 25, xlv. 25 ; Ts. cxliii. 2 ; Rom. iii. 20 — What thoughts will be ingenerated hereby in the minds of men, Isa. xxxiii. 14; Micah vi. 6, 7; Isa. vi. 5 — The plea of Job against his friends, and before God, not the same, Job xl. 3-5, xlii. 4-6 — Direc- tions for visiting the sick given of old — Testimonies of Jerome and Ambrose — Sense of men in their prayers, Dan. ix. 7, IS; Ps. cxliii. 2, cxxx. 3,4 — Paraphrase of Austin on that place — Prayer of Pelagius — Public liturgies . . .13

TniKDLY, A due sense of our apostasy from God, the depravation of our natm-e thereby, with the power and guilt of sin, the holiness of the law, necessary luito a right understanding of the doctrine of justification — Method of the apostle to this puiTJose, Rom. i. ii. iii. — Grounds of the ancient and present Pclagianisra, in the denial of these things — Instances thereof— Boasting of perfection fi'om the same ground — Knowledge of sin and grace mutually promote each other . 20

Fourthly, Opposition between works and grace, as unto justification — Method of the apostle, in the Epistle to the Romans, to manifest this opposition — A scheme of others contrary thereunto — Testimonies witnessing this opposition — Judg- ment to be made on them — Distinctions whereby they are evaded — The useless- ness of them — Resolution of the case in hand by Kellarmine, Dan. ix. IS; J^uko xvii. 10 . . . .24

IV CONTENTS.

Fifthly, A commutation as unto sin and righteoiisness, by imputation, between Clu-ist and believers, represented in the Scripture — The ordinance of the scape- goat. Lev. xvi. 21,22 — The nature of expiatory sacrifices, Lev. iv. 29, etc. — Expia- tion of an uncertain murder, Dent. xxi. 1-9 — The commutation intended proved and vindicated, Isa. liii. 5, (5 ; 2 Cor. v. 21 ; Rom. viii. 3, 4 ; GaL iii. 1.3, 14 ; 1 Pet. ii. 24; Deut. xxi. 23 — Testimonies of Justin Martyr, Gregory Nyssen, Augustine, Chrysostom, Bernard, Taulerus, Pighius, to that purpose — The pro- per actings of faith with respect thereunto, Rom. v. 1 1 ; Matt. xi. 28 ; Ps. xxxviii. 4; Gen. iv. 13 ; Isa liii. 11 ; Gal. iii. 1 ; Isa. xlv. 22 ; John iii. 14, 15— A bold calumny answered . . . . . .34

Sixthly, Introduction of gi'ace by Jesus Christ into the whole of our relation unto God, and its respect unto all the parts of our obedience — No mystery of gi-ace in tlie covenant of works — All religion originally commensurate unto reason — No notions of natural light concerning the introduction of the mediation of Christ and mystery of grace, into our relation to God, Eph i. 17-19 — Reason, as cor- rupted, can have no notions of religion but what are derived from its piimitive state — Hence the mysteries of the gospel esteemed folly — Reason, as con-upted, repugnant unto the mystery of gi-ace — Accommodation of spiritual mysteries unto corrupt reason, wherefore acceptabje unto many — Reasons of it— Two pai-ts of corriipted nature's repugnancy unto the mystery of the gospel : — 1. That which would rediice it unto the private reason of men — Thence the Trinity denied, and the incarnation of the Son of God ; without Avhich the doctrine of justifi- cation cannot stand — Rule of the Socinians in the interpretation of the Scrip- ture. 2. \^'ant of a due comprehension of the harmony that is between all the parts of the mystery of grace — This harmony proved — Compared with the har- mony in the works of nature — To be studied — But it is learned only of them who arc taught of God ; and in experience — Evil effects of the want of a due comprehension hereof — Instances of them — All applied unto the doctrine of jus- tification .......... 44

Seventhly, General prejudices against the imputation of the righteousness of Chi-ist : — 1. That it is not in terms found in the Scriptm'e, answered. 2. That nothing is said of it in the writings of the evangelists, answered, John xx. 30, 31 — Natu^'C of Christ's personal ministry — Revelations Tiy the Holy Spiiit imme- diately from Christ — Design of the writings of the evangelists. 3. Diflerences among Protestants themselves about this doctrine, answered — Sense of the an- cients herein — What is of real difference among Protestants, considered . 55

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