John Owen Quotes

       John Owen
       1616-1683
      
       Owen was by common consent the weightiest Puritan theologian, and many would bracket him with Jonathan Edwards as one of the greatest Reformed theologians of all time.
      
       Born in 1616, he entered Queen's College, Oxford, at the age of twelve and secured his M.A. in 1635, when he was nineteen. In his early twenties, conviction of sin threw him into such turmoil that for three months he could scarcely utter a coherent word on anything; but slowly he learned to trust Christ, and so found peace.
      
       In 1637 he became a pastor; in the 1640s he was chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, and in 1651 he was made Dean of Christ Church, Oxford's largest college. In 1652 he was given the additional post of Vice-Chancellor of the University, which he then reorganized with conspicuous success. After 1660 he led the Independents through the bitter years of persecution till his death in 1683.

Labour to grow better under all your afflictions, lest your afflictions grow worse, lest God mingle them with more darkness, bitterness and terror.     Topics: Affliction I will not judge a person to be spiritually dead whom I have judged formerly to have had spiritual life, though I see him at present in a swoon (faint)as to all evidences of the spiritual life. And the reason why I will not judge him so is this -- because if you judge a person dead, you neglect him, you leave him; but if you judge him in a swoon,(faint) though never so dangerous, you use all means for the retrieving of his life.     Topics: Apathy, Rebellion, Judging The most tremendous judgment of God in this world is the hardening of the hearts of men.     Topics: Apathy, The Heart The purpose of our holy and righteous God was to save His church, but their sin could not go unpunished. It was, therefore, necessary that the punishment for that sin be transferred from those who deserved it but could not bear it, to one who did not deserve it but was able to bear it.     Topics: Atonement     Source: Meditation on the Glory of Christ, 1684, ch. 9. There is only one way to be revived and healed from our backslidings so that we may become fruitful even in old age. We must take a steady look at the glory of Christ in His special character, in His grace and work, as shown to us in the Scripture.     Topics: Backsliding     Source: Meditation on the Glory of Christ, 1684, ch. 16. Did you never run for shelter in a storm, and find fruit which you expected not? Did you never go to God for safeguard, driven by outward storms, and there find unexpected fruit?     Topics: Blessings I do not understand how a man can be a true believer, in whom sin is not the greatest burden, sorrow and trouble.     Topics: Conviction Unless we are thoroughly convinced that without Christ we are under the eternal curse of God, as the worst of His enemies, we shall never flee to Him for refuge.     Topics: Conviction     Source: Meditation on the Glory of Christ, 1684, ch. 15. See in the meantime that your faith brings forth obedience, and God in due time will cause it to bring forth peace.     Topics: Faith, Obedience, Peace We admit no faith to be justifying, which is not itself and in its own nature a spiritually vital principle of obedience and good works.     Topics: Faith, Obedience, Justification It is not the distance of the earth from the sun, nor the sun's withdrawing itself, that makes a dark and gloomy day; but the interposition of clouds and vaporous exhalations. Neither is thy soul beyond the reach of the promise, nor does God withdraw Himself; but the vapours of thy carnal, unbelieving heart do cloud thee.     Topics: God, Faith, Carnality When He took on Him the form of a servant in our nature, He became what He had never been before, but He did not cease to be what He always had been in His divine nature. He who is God cannot ever cease to be God.     Topics: God     Source: Meditation on the Glory of Christ, 1684, ch. 4.