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.

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 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 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 I wish thy lot, now bad, still worse, my friend, for when at worst, they say, things always mend.     Topics: Good and Evil Poor souls are apt to think that all those whom they read of or hear of to be gone to heaven, went thither because they were so good and so holy. Yet not one of them, not any man that is now in heaven (Jesus Christ alone excepted), did ever come thither any other way but by forgiveness of sins. And that will also bring us higher, though we come short of many of them in holiness and grace.     Topics: Heaven, Salvation All other ways of mortification are vain, all helps leave us helpless, it must be done by the Spirit.     Topics: Holy Spirit It is not the glorious battlements, the painted windows, the crouching gargoyles that support a building, but the stones that lie unseen in or upon the earth. It is often those who are despised and trampled on that bear up the weight of a whole nation.     Topics: Humility All thing I thought I knew; but now confess, the more I know I know, I know the less.     Topics: Humility, Humorous The house built on the sand may oftentimes be built higher, have more fair parapets and battlements, windows and ornaments, than that which is built upon the rock; yet all gifts and privileges equal not one grace.     Topics: Hypocrisy, Gifts