A53721:475
A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm
A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm wherein the nature of the forgiveness of sin is declared, the truth and reality of it asserted, and the case of a soul distressed with the guilt of sin and relieved by a discovery of forgiveness with God is at large discoursed / by John Owen.
London: printed by Robert White for Nathaniel Ponder, 1669
AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. › General Scope of the whole Psalm. › Verse 4 › Section
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.
11. Men living under the profession of Religion, and not experiencing the power, virtue, and efficacy of it in their hearts are, whatever they profess, very near to Atheism, or at least exposed to great temptations thereunto. If they profess they know God, but in works deny him, they are abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate, Tit. 1. 16. Let such men lay aside Tradition and Custom, let them give up themselves to a free and a rational consideration of things, and they will quickly find that all their profession is but a miserable self-deceiving; and that indeed they believe not one word of the Religion which they profess. For of what their Religion affirms to be in themselves, they find not any thing true or real. And what Reason have they then to believe that the things which it speaks of that are without them, are one jot better? If they have no Experience of what it affirms to be within them, what confidence can they have of the Reality of what it reveals to be without them? John tells us, that he who saith he loves God whom he hath not seen, and doth not love his Brother whom he hath seen, is a liar. Men who do not things of an equal concernment unto them wherein they may be tried, are not to be believed in what they profess about greater things whereof no trial can be had. So he that believes not, who experienceth not the power of that which the Religion he professeth affirms to be in him, if he says that he doth believe other things which he can have no Experience of, he is a liar. For instance, he that professeth the Gospel, avows that the death of Christ doth crucify sin, that faith purifieth the heart, that the Holy Ghost quickens and enables the soul unto duty; that God is good and gracious unto all that come unto him; that there is precious Communion to be obtained with him by Christ; ⟨p. 166⟩that there is great Joy in believing. These things are plainly, openly, frequently insisted on in the Gospel? Hence the Apostle presseth men unto Obedience on the account of them; and as it were leaves them at liberty from it, if they were not so, Phil. 2. 11.