Of the mortification of sin in believers: the 1. Necessity, 2. Nature, and 3. Means of it. With a resolution of sundry cases of conscience thereunto belonging. By John Owen, D.D. a servant of Jesus Christ in the work of the Gospel.
John Owen 1616–1683London: printed for Nathanael Ponder, 1668
[6], 180, [4] p. · 43k words · Wing O787 · ESTC R214591
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The Prophet gives us the sad issue of wicked mens utmost Attempts for Mortification, by what Means soever that God affords them, Jer. 6.29, 30. The Bellows are burnt, and the Lead is consumed of the fire, the Founder melteth in vain, Reprobate Silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them; And what is the Reason hereof? v. 28. they were Brass and Iron when they were put into the Furnace. Men may refine Brass and Iron long enough before they will be good Silver.
The Prophet gives us the sad issue of wicked mens utmost Attempts for Mortification, by what Means soever that God affords them, Jer. 6.29, 30. The Bellowes are burnt, and the Lead is consumed of the fire, the Founder melteth in vain, Reprobate Silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them; And what is the Reason hereof? v. 28. they were Brass and Iron when they were put into the Furnace. Men may refine Brass and Iron long enough before they will be good Silver.
I say then, Mortification is not the present business of unregenerate men. God calls them not to it as yet. Conversion is their work. The Conversion of the whole Soul, not the Mortification of this or that particular Lust. You would laugh at a man, that you should see setting up a great Fabric, and never take any care for a Foundation; especially if you should see him so foolish, as that having a thousand Experiences, that what he built one day, fell down another, he would yet continue in the same course. So it is with convinced Persons; Though they plainly see▪ that what ground they get against Sin one day, they lose another, yet they will go on in the same Road ⟨p. 68⟩still, without enquiring where the destructive flaw in their progress lies. When the Jews upon the Conviction of their Sin were cut to the heart,
. and cried out what shall we do? What doth Peter direct them to? Does he bid them go and mortify their pride, wrath, malice, cruelty, and the like? no, he knew that was not their present work, but he calls them to Conversion and Faith in Christ in General, vers. 38. Let the Soul be first throughly converted, and then looking on him whom they had pierced, Humiliation and Mortification will ensue. Thus when John came to preach Repentance and Conversion, he said, The Axe is now laid to the root of the tree,
. The Pharisees had been laying heavy Burdens, imposing tedious Duties, and rigid means of Mortification, in Fastings, Washings, and the like, all in vain: Says John, The Doctrine of Conversion is for you, the axe in my hand is laid to the root. And our Saviour tells us what is to be done in this case; says he, Do men gather Grapes from Thorns?
. But suppose a Thorn be well pruned and cut, and have pains taken with him? Yea but he will never bear Figs; vers. 17, 18. It cannot be but every Tree will bring forth Fruit according to its own kind. What is then to be done, he tells us,
be good: The Root must be dealt with, the Nature of the Tree changed, or no good Fruit will be brought forth.
I say then, Mortification is not the present business of unregenerate men. God calls them not to it as yet. Conversion is their work. The Conversion of the whole Soul, not the Mortification of this or that particular Lust. You would laugh at a man, that you should see setting up a great Fabrick, and never take any care for a Foundation; especially if you should see him so foolish, as that having a thousand Experiences, that what he built one day, fell down another, he would yet continue in the same course. So it is with convinced Persons; Though they plainly see▪ that what ground they get against Sin one •day, they lose another, yet they will go on in the same Road ⟨p. 68⟩still, without enquiring where the destructive flaw in their progress lyes. When the Jewes upon the Conviction of their Sin were cut to the heart, Act. 2.37. and cryed out what shall we doe? What doth Peter direct them to? Does he bid them go and mortifie their pride, wrath, malice, cruelty, and the like? no, he knew that was not their present work, but he calls them to Conversion and Faith in Christ in General, vers. 38. Let the Soul be first throughly converted, and then looking on him whom they had pierced, Humiliation and Mortification will ensue. Thus when John came to preach Repentance and Conversion, he said, The Axe is now laid to the root of the tree, Mat. 3.10. The Pharisees had been laying heavy Burthens, imposing tedious Duties, and rigid means of Mortification, in Fastings, Washings, and the like, all in vain: Sayes John, The Doctrine of Conversion is for you, the axe in my hand is laid to the root. And our Saviour tells us what is to be done in this case; sayes he, Do men gather Grapes from Thorns? Matth. 6.16. But suppose a Thorn be well pruned and cut, and have pains taken with him? Yea but he will never bear Figgs; vers. 17, 18. It cannot be but every Tree will bring forth Fruit according to its own kind. What is then to be done, he tells us, Matt. 12.33. Make the Tree Good, and his Fruit will ⟨p. 69⟩be good: The Root must be dealt with, the Nature of the Tree changed, or no good Fruit will be brought forth.
This is that I aim at, unless a man be Regenerate, unless he be a Believer, all Attempts that he can make for Mortification, be they never so specious and promising, all Means he can use, let him follow them with never so much Diligence, Earnestness, Watchfulness and Contention of Mind and Spirit, are to no purpose; In vain shall he use many remedies, he shall not be healed. Yea there are sundry desperate Evils attending an Endeavour in convinced Persons that are no more but so, to perform this Duty.
This is that I aym at, unless a man be Regenerate, unless he be a Believer, all Attempts that he can make for Mortification, be they never so specious and promising, all Means he can use, let him follow them with never so much Diligence, Earnestness, Watchfulness and Contention of Mind and Spirit, are to no purpose; In vain shall he use many remedies, he shall not be healed. Yea there are sundry desperate Evils attending an Endeavour in convinced Persons that are no more but so, to perform this Duty.
First, The mind and Soul is taken up about that which is not the mans proper business, and so He is diverted from that which is so. God lays hold by his Word and Judgements on some Sin in him, galls his Conscience, disquiets his heart, deprives him of his Rest; now other Diversions will not serve his turn: He must apply himself to the work before him. The business in hand being to awake the whole Man unto a consideration of the State and Condition wherein he is, that he might be brought home to God; instead hereof, he sets himself to mortify the Sin that galls him; which is a pure issue of Self-love, to be freed from his trouble; and not at all to the work he is ⟨p. 70⟩called unto; and so is diverted from it. Thus God tells us of Ephraim, when he spread his Net upon them, and brought them down as the Fowls of Heaven, and chastised them, Hos. 7.12. caught them, entangled them, convinced them, that they could not escape; saith he of them, They return, but not to the most High: They set themselves to a Relinquishment of Sin, but not in that manner by universal conversion as God called for it. Thus are men diverted from coming unto God, by the most glorious ways that they can fix upon to come to him by. And this is one of the most common deceits whereby men ruin their own Souls; I wish that some whose Trade it is to daub with untempered Mortar in the things of God, did not teach this Deceit, and cause the People to err by their Ignorance: What do men do? what oft-times are they directed unto, when their Consciences are galled by Sin, and Disquietment from the Lord hath laid hold upon them? Is not a Relinquishment of the Sin as to Practice, (that they are in some Fruits of it perplexed withal, and making head against it,) the sum of what they apply themselves unto? and is not the Gospel End of their Convictions lost thereby? Here men abide and perish.
First, The mind and Soul is taken up about that which is not the mans proper business, and so He is diverted from that which is so. God layes hold by his Word and Judgements on some Sin in him, galls his Conscience, disquiets his heart, deprives him of his Rest; now other Diversions will not serve his turn: He must apply himself to the work before him. The business in hand being to awake the whole Man unto a consideration of the State and Condition wherein he is, that he might be brought home to God; instead hereof, he sets himself to mortifie the Sin that galls him; which is a pure issue of Self-love, to be freed from his trouble; and not at all to the work he is ⟨p. 70⟩called unto; and so is diverted from it. Thus God tells us of Ephraim, when he spread his Net upon them, and brought them down as the Fowls of Heaven, and chastised them, Hos. 7.12. caught them, intangled them, convinced them, that they could not escape; saith he of them, They return, but not to the most High: They set themselves to a Relinquishment of Sin, but not in that manner by universal conversion as God called for it. Thus are men diverted from coming unto God, by the most glorious wayes that they can fix upon to come to him by. And this is one of the most common deceits whereby men ruine their own Souls; I wish that some whose Trade it is to dawb with untempered Morter in the things of God, did not teach this Deceit, and cause the People to erre by their Ignorance: What do men doe? what oft-times are they directed unto, when their Consciences are galled by Sin, and Disquietment from the Lord hath laid hold upon them? Is not a Relinquishment of the Sin as to Practice, (that they are in some Fruits of it perplexed withall, and making head against it,) the summe of what they apply themselves unto? and is not the Gospel End of their Convictions lost thereby? Here men abide and perish.
Secondly, This Duty being a thing good in it self, in its proper place, a Duty evidencing ⟨p. 71⟩Sincerity, bringing home Peace to the Conscience; a man finding himself really engaged in it, his Mind and Heart set against this or that Sin, with purpose and Resolution to have no more to do with it, he is ready to conclude, that his state and Condition is good, and so to delude his own Soul. For,
(1.) When his Conscience hath been made sick with Sin, and he could find no rest, when he should go to the great Physician of Souls, and get healing in his Blood; the Man by this Engagement against Sin, pacifies and quiets his Conscience, and sits down without going to Christ at all. Ah! how many poor Souls are thus deluded to Eternity! When Ephraim saw his sickness, he sent to King Jareb, Hos. 5.13. which kept him off from God. The whole bundle of the Popish Religion is made up of Designs and contrivances to pacify Conscience without Christ; all described by the Apostle, Rom. 10.4.
(1.) When his Conscience hath been made sick with Sin, and he could find no rest, when he should go to the great Physitian of Souls, and get healing in his Blood; the Man by this Engagement against Sin, pacifies and quiets his Conscience, and sits down without going to Christ at all. Ah! how many poor Souls are thus deluded to Eternity! When Ephraim saw his sickness, he sent to King Jareb, Hos. 5.13. which kept him off from God. The whole bundle of the Popish Religion is made up of Designs and contrivances to pacifie Conscience without Christ; all described by the Apostle, Rom. 10.4.
(2.) By this means men satisfy themselves that their State and Condition is good, seeing they do that which is a work good in it self, and they do not do it to be seen. They know they would have the work done in sincerity, and so are hardened in a kind of self Righteousness.
(2.) By this means men satisfie themselves that their State and Condition is good, seeing they do that which is a work good in it self, and they do not do it to be seen. They know they would have the work done in sincerity, and so are hardened in a kind of self Righteousness.
(3.) When a man hath thus for a season been deluded, and hath deceived his o•• Soul, ⟨p. 72⟩and finds in a long course of Life, that indeed his sin is not mortified, or if he hath changed one, he hath gotten another; He begins a• length to think, that all contending is in vain, he shall never be able to prevail: He is making a Dam against Water that increaseth on him Hereupon he gives over, as one despairing of any success, and yields up himself to the power of sin, and that habit of Formality th•• he hath gotten.
And this is the usual Issue with Persons attempting the Mortification of sin without a• Interest in Christ first obtained. It deludes thempunc; hardens them, destroys them. And therefore w• see that there are not usually more vile an• desperate sinners in the world, than such a• having by Conviction been put on this Course have found it fruitless, and deserted it wit• out a discovery of Christ. And this is t•• substance of the Religion and Godliness […] the choicest Formalists in the world; and o• all those who in the Roman Synagogue a•• drawn to Mortification as they drive India• to Baptism, or Cattle to water. I say then that Mortification is the work of Believers, and Believers only. To kill sin is the work o• living men; where men are dead, (as all Unbelievers, the best of them are dead,) sin is alive, and will live.
And this is the usual Issue with Persons attempting the Mortification of sin without a• Interest in Christ first obtained. It deludes thempunc; hardens them, destroyes them. And therefore w• see that there are not usually more vile an• desperate sinners in the world, than such a• having by Conviction been put on this Cours• have found it fruitless, and deserted it wit• out a discovery of Christ. And this is t•• substance of the Religion and Godliness 〈…〉 the choisest Formalists in the world; and o• all those who in the Roman Synagogue a•• drawn to Mortification as they drive India• to Baptism, or Cattel to water. I say then that Mortification is the work of Believers, and Believers onely. To kill sin is the work o• living men; where men are dead, (as all Unbelievers, the best of them are dead,) sin is alive, and will live.
2. It is the work of Faith; the peculiar ⟨p. 73⟩work of Faith; Now if there be a work to be done that will be effected by one only instrument, it is the greatest madness for any to attempt the doing of it, that hath not that Instrument. Now it is Faith that purifies the Heart, Act. 15.9. or as Peter speaks, we purify our Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit, 1 Pet. 1.22. And without it, it will not be done.
2. It is the work of Faith; the peculiar ⟨p. 73⟩work of Faith; Now if there be a work to be done that will be effected by one only instrument, it is the greatest madness for any to attempt the doing of it, that hath not that Instrument. Now it is Faith that purifies the Heart, Act. 15.9. or as Peter speaks, we purifie our Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit, 1 Pet. 1.22. And without it, it will not be done.
What hath been spoken, I suppose is sufficient to make good my first general Rule: Be sure to get an Interest in Christ, if you intend to mortify any sin, without it it will never be done.
What hath been spoken, I suppose is sufficient to make good my first general Rule: Be sure to get an Interest in Christ, if you intend to mortifie any sin, without it it will never be done.
Ob. You will say, What then would you have unregenerate men, that are convinced of the Evil of sin do? Shall they cease striving against sin, live dissolutely, give their Lusts their swing, and be as bad as the worst of men? This were a way to set the whole world into Confusion, to bring all things into darkness, to set open the flood-gates of lust, and lay the Reins upon the Necks of men to rush into all sin with delight and greediness, like the horse into the battle.
Ob. You will say, What then would you have unregenerate men, that are convinced of the Evil of sin do? Shall they cease striving against sin, live dissolutely, give their Lusts their swinge, and be as bad as the worst of men? This were a way to set the whole world into Confusion, to bring all things into darkness, to set open the flood-gates of lust, and lay the Reins upon the Necks of men to rush into all sin with delight and greediness, like the horse into the battle.
Ans. 1. God forbid! It is to be looked on as a great issue of the Wisdom, Goodness, and Love of God, that by manifold ways and means he is pleased to restrain the Sons of men from running forth into that ⟨p. 74⟩compass of excess and riot, which the depravedness of their Nature would carry them out unto with violence. By what way soever this is done, it is an issue of the care, kindness, and Goodness of God, without which the whole Earth would be an Hell of Sin and Confusion.
Ans. 1. God forbid! It is to be looked on as a great issue of the Wisdom, Goodness, and Love of God, that by manifold wayes and means he is pleased to restrain the Sons of men from running forth into that ⟨p. 74⟩compass of excess and riot, which the depravedness of their Nature would carry them out unto with violence. By what way soever this is done, it is an issue of the care, kindness, and Goodness of God, without which the whole Earth would be an Hell of Sin and Confusion.
2. There is a peculiar convincing Power in the Word, which God is often-times pleased to put forth to the wounding, amazing, and in some sort humbling of Sinners, though they are never converted. And the Word is to be preached, though it hath this End, yet not with this End. Let then the Word be preached, and the sins of men rebuked, Lust will be restrained, and some Oppositions will be made against Sin, though that be not the Effect aimed at.
2. There is a peculiar convincing Power in the Word, which God is often-times pleased to put forth to the wounding, amazing, and in some sort humbling of Sinners, though they are never converted. And the Word is to be preached, though it hath this End, yet not with this End. Let then the Word be preached, and the sins of men rebuked, Lust will be restrained, and some Oppositions will be made against Sin, though that be not the Effect aymed at.
3. Though this be the work of the Word and Spirit, and it be good in it self, yet it is not profitable nor available as to the main End in them in whom it is wrought; they are still in the gall of Bitterness, and under the power of darkness.
4. Let men know it is their Duty, but in its proper place; I take not men from Mortification, but put them upon Conversion. He that shall call a man from mending a Hole in the Wall of his House, to quench a Fire that is consuming the whole Building, is not his ⟨p. 75⟩Enemy. Poor Soul! it is not thy Sore-finger but thy Hectic-Fever that thou art to apply thy self to the Consideration of. Thou settest thy self against a particular Sin, and doest not consider that thou art nothing but Sin.
4. Let men know it is their Duty, but in its proper place; I take not men from Mortification, but put them upon Conversion. He that shall call a man from mending a Hole in the Wall of his House, to quench a Fire that is consuming the whole Building, is not his ⟨p. 75⟩Enemy. Poor Soul! it is not thy Sore-finger but thy Hectick-Feaver that thou art to apply thy self to the Consideration of. Thou settest thy self against a particular Sin, and doest not consider that thou art nothing but Sin.
