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John Owen – Fight to See Beauty

6 Oct

Labor to possess the mind with the beauty and excellency of spiritual things, so that they may be presented lovely and desirable to the soul; and this cursed aversation of sin will be weakened thereby. It is an innate acknowledged principle that the soul of man will not keep up cheerfully unto the worship of God unless it has a discovery of a beauty and comeliness in it. Hence, when men had lost all spiritual sense and savor of the things of God, to supply the want that was in their own souls, they invented outwardly pompous and gorgeous ways of worship, in images, paintings, pictures, and I know not what carnal ornaments; which they have called “The beauties of holiness!” [Ps. 110:3]. Thus much, however, was discovered therein, that the mind of man must see a beauty, a desirableness in the things of God’s worship, or it will not delight in it; aversation will prevail. Let, then, the soul labor to acquaint itself with the spiritual beauty of obedience, of communion with God, and of all duties of immediate approach to him, that it may be rifled with delight in them.

~John Owen~


Overcoming Sin & Temptation (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2006) p.269-270. Indwelling Sin – Part 1, Chapter 2: The Power and Efficacy of Indwelling Sin. http://www.crosswaybooks.com. eBook.

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John Owen – Struggle Gives Evidence of Life

1 Oct

Believers have experience of the power and efficacy of indwelling sin. They find it in themselves; they find it as a law. It has a self-evidencing efficacy to them that are alive to discern it. They that find not its power are under its dominion. Whosoever [would] contend against it shall know and find that it is present with them, that it is powerful in them. He shall find the stream to be strong who swims against it, though he who rolls along with it be insensible of it.

~John Owen~


Overcoming Sin & Temptation – Indwelling Sin (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2006) p.235. Part 1, Chapter 1: The Nature of Indwelling Sin. http://www.crosswaybooks.com. eBook.

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John Owen – Christ Gives Himself to the Soul

31 Aug

Christ gives himself to the soul, with all his excellencies, righteousness, preciousness, graces, and eminencies, to be its Savior, head, and husband, forever to dwell with it in this holy relation.

~John Owen~


Communion With The Triune God (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2007) p. 156

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John Owen – Double Imputation

25 Jul

These two things, then, complete our grace of acceptation. Sin being removed, and righteousness bestowed, we have peace with God—are continually accepted before him. There is not any thing to charge us with: that which was, is taken out of the way by Christ, and nailed to his cross—made fast there; yea, publicly and legally cancelled, that it can never be admitted again as an evidence. What court among men would admit of evidence that has been publicly cancelled and nailed up for all to see it? So has Christ dealt with that which was against us; and not only so, but also he puts that upon us for which we are received into favor. He makes us comely through his beauty; gives us white raiment to stand before the Lord. This is the first part of purchased grace wherein the saints have communion with Jesus Christ. In remission of sin and imputation of righteousness does it consist; from the death of Christ, as a price, sacrifice, and a punishment—from the life of Christ spent in obedience to the law, does it arise. The great product it is of the Father’s righteousness, wisdom, love, and grace—the great and astonishable fruit of the love and condescension of the Son—the great discovery of the Holy Ghost in the revelation of the mystery of the gospel.

~John Owen~


Communion With The Triune God (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2007) p. 290-291

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John Owen – An Astonishing Dispensation

1 Jul

But the way into the holiest was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was standing (Heb. 9:8). Though they had communion with God, yet they had not parrēsian—a boldness and confidence in that communion. This follows the entrance of our High Priest into the Most Holy Place (Heb. 4:16; 10:19). The veil also was upon them, that they had not eleutherian—freedom and liberty in their access to God (2 Cor. 3:15–16, etc.). But now in Christ we have boldness and access with confidence to God (Eph. 3:12). This boldness and access with confidence the saints of old were not acquainted with. By Jesus Christ alone, then, on all considerations as to being and full manifestation, is this distance taken away. He has consecrated for us a new and living way (the old being quite shut up), “through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Heb. 10:20); and “through him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Eph. 2:18). “You who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ, for he is our peace,” etc. (Eph. 2:13–14)… Upon this new bottom and foundation, by this new and living way, are sinners admitted into communion with God, and have fellowship with him. And truly, for sinners to have fellowship with God, the infinitely holy God, is an astonishing dispensation.

~John Owen~


Communion With The Triune God (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2007) p. 91

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John Owen – Ways the Spirit Comforts Us

23 Jun

It is not with an increase of corn, and wine, and oil, but with the shining of the countenance of God upon us, that he comforts our souls (Ps. 4:6–7). “The world hates me,” may such a soul as has the Spirit say; “but my Father loves me. Men despise me as a hypocrite; but my Father loves me as a child. I am poor in this world; but I have a rich inheritance in the love of my Father. I am straitened in all things; but there is bread enough in my Father’s house. I mourn in secret under the power of my lusts and sin, where no eyes see me; but the Father sees me, and is full of compassion. With a sense of his kindness, which is better than life, I rejoice in tribulation, glory in affliction, triumph as a conqueror. Though I am killed all the day long, all my sorrows have a bottom that may be fathomed—my trials, bounds that may be compassed; but the breadth, and depth, and height of the love of the Father, who can express?” I might render glorious this way of the Spirit’s comforting us with the love of the Father, by comparing it with all other causes and means of joy and consolation whatever; and so discover their emptiness, its fullness—their nothingness, its being all;

~John Owen~


Communion With The Triune God (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2007) p. 409

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John Owen – Jesus is the Medium

20 Jun

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6

He [Jesus] is the medium of all communication between God and us. In him we meet; in him we walk. All influences of love, kindness, mercy, from God to us, are through him; all our returns of love, delight, faith, obedience unto God, are all through him.

~John Owen~



Communion With The Triune God (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2007) p. 218

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John Owen – God As A Father

15 Jun

This is the will of God, that he may always be eyed as benign, kind, tender, loving, and unchangeable therein; and that peculiarly as the Father, as the great fountain and spring of all gracious communications and fruits of love. This is that which Christ came to reveal – God as a Father (Jn 1:18); that name which he declares to those who are given him out of the world (Jn 17:6). And this is that which he effectually leads us to by himself, as he is the only way of going to God as a Father (Jn 14:5–6); that is, as love: and by doing so, gives us the rest which he promises; for the love of the Father is the only rest of the soul.

~John Owen~

 

 

Communion With The Triune God (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2007) p. 112

 

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John Owen – The Love of the Father

10 Jun

So much as we see of the love of God, so much shall we delight in him, and no more. Every other discovery of God, without this, will but make the soul fly from him; but if the heart be once much taken up with this the eminency of the Father’s love, it cannot choose but be overpowered, conquered, and endeared unto him. This, if anything, will work upon us to make our abode with him. If the love of a father will not make a child delight in him, what will? Put, then, this to the venture: exercise your thoughts upon this very thing, the eternal, free, and fruitful love of the Father, and see if your hearts be not wrought upon to delight in him. I dare boldly say: believers will find it as thriving a course as ever they pitched on in their lives. Sit down a little at the fountain, and you will quickly have a further discovery of the sweetness of the streams. You who have run from him, will not be able, after a while, to keep at a distance for a moment.

~John Owen~


Communion With The Triune God (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2007) p. 128

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John Owen – “Sin,” says he, “is Crucified.”

23 May

As a man nailed to the cross he first struggles and strives and cries out with great strength and might, but, as his blood and spirits waste, his strivings are faint and seldom, his cries low and hoarse, scarce to be heard; when a man first sets on a lust or distemper, to deal with it, it struggles with great violence to break loose; it cries with earnestness and impatience to be satisfied and relieved; but when by mortification the blood and spirits of it are let out, it moves seldom and faintly, cries sparingly, and is scarce heard in the heart; it may have sometimes a dying pang, that makes an appearance of great vigor and strength, but it is quickly over, especially if it be kept from considerable success. This the apostle describes, as in the whole chapter, so especially Romans 6:6.

“Sin,” says he, “is crucified; it is fastened to the cross.” To what end? “That the body of death may be destroyed,” the power of sin weakened and abolished by little and little, that “henceforth we should not serve sin,” that is, that sin might not incline, impel us with such efficacy as to make us servants to it, as it has done heretofore.

~John Owen~


Overcoming Sin & Temptation – On The Mortification of Sin in Believers (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2006) Part 2, Chapter 6, Section:”Mortification Consists in a Habitual Weakening of Sin”. http://www.crosswaybooks.com. eBook.

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