Category — Owen

No man shall ever behold the glory of Christ by sight in heaven who does not, in some measure, behold it by faith in this world. Grace is a necessary preparation for glory and faith for sight.

—John Owen
The Glory of Christ

Via: Of First Importance

When God planned the great work of saving sinners, he provided two gifts. He gave his Son and he gave his Spirit. In fact each person of the Trinity was involved in the great work of salvation. The love, grace and wisdom of the Father planned it; the love, grace and humility of the Son purchased it; and the love, grace and power of the Holy Spirit enabled sinners to believe and receive it.

The first great truth in this work of salvation is that God sent his Son to take our nature on him and to suffer for us in it. The second great truth is that God gave his Spirit to bring sinners to faith in Christ and so be saved.

—John Owen
The Holy Spirit

Via: Of First Importance

Via: Justin Taylor

How, then, can we behold the glory of Christ? We need, firstly, a spiritual understanding of his glory as revealed in Scripture. Secondly, we need to think much about him if we wish to enjoy him fully (1 Peter 1:8). If we are satisfied with vague ideas about him we shall find no transforming power communicated to us. But when we cling wholeheartedly to him and our minds are filled with thoughts of him and we constantly delight ourselves in him, then spiritual power will flow from him to purify our hearts, increase our holiness, strengthen our graces, and sometimes fill us ‘with joy inexpressible and full of glory.’

—John Owen
The Glory of Christ

Via: Of First Importance

Hereon depends the ruin of Satan and his kingdom. His sin, so far as we can conceive, consisted of two parts:

1. His pride against the person of the Son of God, by whom he was created. “For by him were all things created that are” (or were when first created) “in heaven, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or power,” Col. 1.16. Against him he lifted up himself; – which was the beginning of his transgression.
2. Envy against mankind, made in the image of God, of the Son of God the first born. This completed his sin; nothing was now left whereon to act his pride and malice.

Unto his eternal confusion and ruin, God, in infinite wisdom, unites both the natures he had sinned against in the one person of the Son; who was the first object of his pride and malice. Hereby his destruction is attended with everlasting shame in the discovery of his folly, wherein he would have contended with infinite wisdom, as well as misery, by the powers of the two natures united in one person.

—John Owen
The Glory of Christ

Via: Erik Raymond

Let faith look on Christ in the gospel as he is set forth dying and crucified for us. Look on him under the weight of our sins, praying, bleeding, dying; bring him in that condition into thy heart by faith; apply his blood so shed to thy corruptions: do this daily.

—John Owen
On the Mortification of Sin

Via: Of First Importance

“If I have observed anything by experience, it is this: a man may take the measure of his growth and decay in grace according to his thoughts and meditations upon the person of Christ, and the glory of Christ’s Kingdom, and of His love.”

—John Owen
A Puritan Golden Treasury

Via: Of First Importance

Look upon Him you have pierced. Say to thy soul, “What have I done? What love, what mercy, what blood, what grace have I despised and trampled on! Is this the return I make to the Father for his love, to the Son for his blood, to the Holy Spirit for his grace? Do I thus repay the Lord? Have I defiled the heart that Christ died to wash, that the lovely Spirit of God has chosen to dwell in? And what can I say to the dear Lord Jesus? How can I hold my head up before him? Do I account my intimacy with him of so little value, that for the sake of this sin I have scarce left him any room in my heart? How shall I escape if I neglect so great a salvation? Have I, through infinite cost to Christ, now obtained access to the countenance and presence of the Father that I might now provoke him to his very face? Was my soul washed and straightened up by God to make room for new defilements? Shall I now work to endeavor to frustrate the very end goal of all the mighty sufferings and torments an death of Jesus Christ? Shall I daily cause grief in the heart of that Spirit within me whereby I am sealed until the day of redemption?” Friends, entertain thy heart daily with such treaties. See if it can stand hard before this aggravation. If this makes it not melt in some measure, I fear the case is dangerous.

—John Owen
On the Mortification of Sin in Believers

Via: New City Church

Truth revealed to any, carries with it an immovable persuasion of conscience that it ought to be published and spoken to others!

—John Owen
The Duty of Pastors and People Distinguished

Following up on yesterday’s post about heros, this is a message on the life of John Owen delivered by John Piper at the 1994 Bethlehem Conference for Pastors.

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So many men that I admire (John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, R.C. Sproul, J.I. Packer, Jerry Bridges etc.) have listed John Owen as an influence on their lives that I can’t help but want to learn more about the man. Sadly, I’ve read more books about John Owen than I have books by John Owen. His writing style is difficult to be sure, but what a reward for those who engage the man and his words and persevere.

Related: You can read or download the message at Desiring God.