A53721:476
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.
Now if men have lived long in the profession of these things, saying that they are so, but indeed find nothing of Truth, Reality, or Power in them, have no experience of the effects of them, in their own hearts or souls, what stable ground have they of believing any thing else in the Gospel whereof they cannot have experience? A man professeth that the death of Christ will mortify sin, and subdue corruption; Why doth he believe it? because it is so affirmed in the Gospel: How then, doth he find it to be so? Hath it this effect upon his soul, in his own heart? not at all; he finds no such thing in him. How then can this man believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, because it is affirmed in the Gospel; seeing that he finds no real truth of that which it affirms to be in himself? So our Saviour argues, John 3. 12. If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not; how will you believe, if I tell you heavenly things? If you believe not the doctrine of Regeneration, which you ought to have experience of, as a thing that is wrought in the hearts of men on the earth; how can you assent unto those heavenly mysteries of the Gospel, which at first are to be received by a pure Act of faith, without any present sense or experience.
Now if men have lived long in the profession of these things, saying that they are so, but indeed find nothing of Truth, Reality, or Power in them, have no experience of the effects of them, in their own hearts or souls, what stable ground have they of believing any thing else in the Gospel whereof they cannot have experience? A man professeth that the death of Christ will mortifie sin, and subdue corruption; Why doth he believe it? because it is so affirmed in the Gospel: How then, doth he find it to be so? Hath it this effect upon his soul, in his own heart? not at all; he finds no such thing in him. How then can this man believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, because it is affirmed in the Gospel; seeing that he finds no real truth of that which it affirms to be in himself? So our Saviour argues, John 3. 12. If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not; how will you believe, if I tell you heavenly things? If you believe not the doctrine of Regeneration, which you ought to have experience of, as a thing that is wrought in the hearts of men on the earth; how can you assent unto those heavenly mysteries of the Gospel, which at first are to be received by a pure Act of faith, without any present sense or experience.