AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. › General Scope of the whole Psalm. › Verse 4 › Section, A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm (John Owen, 1669) | AskReformation

A53721:670

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.

John Owen 1616–1683London: printed by Robert White for Nathaniel Ponder, 1669

[6], 410 [i.e. 408] p. · 166k words · Wing O794 · ESTC R26853

Title page: Internet Archive scan of the Early English Books microfilm (opens the Internet Archive in a new tab)

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.

[ Earlier:667–682 of 1,036

:667p. 242

¹We shall now proceed unto the direct uses of this great Truth. For having laid our foundation in the Word that will not fail, and having given as we hope, sufficient Evidence unto the truth of it, our last work is to make that improvement of it unto the Good of the Souls of men, which all along was aimed at. The persons concerned in this Truth are all Sinners whatever. No sort of sinners are unconcerned in it, none are excluded from it. And we may cast them all under Two heads.

1Exhortations unto Believing.

:668p. 242–243

First, Such as never yet sincerely closed with the promise of Grace; Nor have ever yet received forgiveness from God, ⟨p. 243⟩in a way of believing. These we have already endeavoured to undeceive; and to discover those false presumptions whereby they are apt to ruin and destroy their own souls. These we would guide now into safe and pleasant paths, wherein they may find assured Rest and Peace.

First, Such as never yet sincerely closed with the promise of Grace; Nor have ever yet received forgiveness from God, ⟨p. 243⟩in a way of believing. These we have already endeavoured to undeceive; and to discover those false presumptions whereby they are apt to ruine and destroy their own souls. These we would guide now into safe and pleasant paths, wherein they may find assured Rest and Peace.

:669p. 243

Secondly, Others there are, who have received it, but being again entangled by sin, or clouded by darkness and temptations, or weakened by unbelief, know not how to improve it to their Peace and Comfort. This is the condition of the soul represented in this Psalm: And which we shall therefore apply our selves unto in an especial manner, in its proper place.

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Cited: :670
On this page: :667–682
Section: :666–750
Whole work: 1,036 passages

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John Owen, A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm (London, 1669), verse 4, p. 243. EEBO-TCP A53721.

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The book

Title as printed: 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.
Author: John Owen 1616–1683
Place: London
Printer: Robert White
Bookseller: Nathaniel Ponder
Year: 1669
Size: [6], 410 [i.e. 408] p.
Words: 165,835
Catalogue: Wing O794 · ESTC R26853
Text: EEBO-TCP A53721

Passages: 1,036
Sections: 48

The author

John Owen 1616–1683

PuritansEngland

Congregationalist theologian; Dean of Christ Church and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford.

Transcription key

•

:672p. 243–244

Be it, that you have heard or read the same word before, or others like unto it, to the same purpose: It may be often, it may be an hundred times. It is your concernment to hear it again. God would have it so; The Testimony of Jesus Christ is thus to be accomplished. This Counsel of God we must declare that we may be free from the blood of all men, Acts 20. 26, 27. And that not once or twice, but in preaching the Word, we must be instant in season, out of season, reproving, rebuking, exhorting, with all long-suffering and doctrine, 2 Tim. 4. 2. And for you, woe unto you, when God leaves thus speaking unto you; when he refuseth to Exhort you any more, woe unto you. This is Gods departure from any person or people, when he will deal with them no more about forgiveness; and faith he, Woe unto them when I depart from them, Hos. 9. 12. O that God therefore ⟨p. 244⟩would give unto such persons, seeing Eyes, and hearing Ears, that the word of Grace may never more be spoken unto them in vain. Now in our Exhortation to such persons, we shall proceed gradually, according as the matter will bear, and the nature of it doth require. Consider therefore,

Be it, that you have heard or read the same word before, or others like unto it, to the same purpose: It may be often, it may be an hundred times. It is your concernment to hear it again. God would have it so; The Testimony of Jesus Christ is thus to be accomplished. This Counsel of God we must declare that we may be free from the blood of all men, Acts 20. 26, 27. And that not once or twice, but in preaching the Word, we must be instant in season, out of season, reproving, rebuking, exhorting, with all long-suffering and doctrine, 2 Tim. 4. 2. And for you, wo unto you, when God leaves thus speaking unto you; when he refuseth to Exhort you any more, wo unto you. This is Gods departure from any person or people, when he will deal with them no more about forgiveness; and faith he, Wo unto them when I depart from them, Hos. 9. 12. O that God therefore ⟨p. 244⟩would give unto such persons, seeing Eyes, and hearing Ears, that the word of Grace may never more be spoken unto them in vain. Now in our Exhortation to such persons, we shall proceed gradually, according as the matter will bear, and the nature of it doth require. Consider therefore,

:673p. 244¶1

1. That notwithstanding all your sins, all the evil that your own hearts know you to be guilty of, and that hidden Mass or evil treasure of sin which is in you, which you are not able to look into; notwithstanding that charge that lies upon you from your own Consciences, and that dreadful sentence and curse of the Law which you are obnoxious unto; notwithstanding all the just grounds that you have to apprehend that God is your Enemy, and will be so unto eternity; yet there are Terms of Peace and Reconciliation, provided and proposed between him and your souls. This in the first place is spoken out by the Word we have insisted on. Whatever else it informs us of, this it positively asserts; namely, that there is a way whereby sinners may come to be accepted with God: For there is forgiveness with him that he may be feared. And we hope that we have not confirmed it by so many Testimonies, by so many Evidences in vain. Now that you may see how great a privilege this is, and how much your concernment lies in it; Consider,

1. That notwithstanding all your sins, all the evil that your own hearts know you to be guilty of, and that hidden Mass or evil treasure of sin which is in you, which you are not able to look into; notwithstanding that charge that lyes upon you from your own Consciences, and that dreadful sentence and curse of the Law which you are obnoxious unto; notwithstanding all the just grounds that you have to apprehend that God is your Enemy, and will be so unto eternity; yet there are Terms of Peace and Reconciliation, provided and proposed between him and your souls. This in the first place is spoken out by the Word we have insisted on. Whatever else it informs us of, this it positively asserts; namely, that there is a way whereby sinners may come to be accepted with God: For there is forgiveness with him that he may be feared. And we hope that we have not confirmed it by so many Testimonies, by so many Evidences in vain. Now that you may see how great a priviledge this is, and how much your concernment lyes in it; Consider,

:680p. 245–246¶2

2. By whom these terms are proposed unto you, and by whom they were procured for you. By whom are they proposed? Who shall undertake to umpire the business, the controversy between God and Sinners? No creature doubtless is either meet or worthy to interpose in this matter. I mean originally on his own account. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor? Wherefore it is God himself who proposeth these terms; and not only proposeth them, but invites, exhorts, and persuades you to accept of them. This the whole Scriptures testify unto. It is fully expressed, 2 Cor. 5. 18, 19, 20. He hath provided them, he hath proposed them, and makes use only of men, of Ministers, to act in his Name. And excuse us if we are a little earnest with you in this matter. ⟨p. 246⟩Alas, our utmost that we can by zeal for his glory, or compassion unto your souls, raise our thoughts, minds, spirits, words unto, comes infinitely short of his own pressing earnestness herein. See Isa. 55. 1, 2, 3, 4. Oh infinite condescension! O blessed Grace! Who is this that thus bespeaks you? He, against whom you have sinned, of whom you are justly afraid. He whose Laws you have broken, and whose name you have dishonoured; He who needs not you, nor your Love, nor your Friendship, nor your Salvation. It is He who proposeth unto you these terms of Reconciliation and Peace. Consider the Exhortation of the Apostle upon this consideration, Heb. 12. 25. See that you refuse not him that speaketh from Heaven. It is God that speaks unto you in this matter: And he speaks unto you from Heaven. And he doth therein forego all the Advantage that he hath against you for your destruction. Woe would be unto your souls, and that for ever, if you should refuse him.

2. By whom these terms are proposed unto you, and by whom they were procured for you. By whom are they proposed? Who shall undertake to umpire the business, the controversie between God and Sinners? No creature doubtless is either meet or worthy to interpose in this matter. I mean originally on his own account. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor? Wherefore it is God himself who proposeth these terms; and not only proposeth them, but invites, exhorts, and perswades you to accept of them. This the whole Scriptures testifie unto. It is fully expressed, 2 Cor. 5. 18, 19, 20. He hath provided them, he hath proposed them, and makes use only of men, of Ministers, to act in his Name. And excuse us if we are a little earnest with you in this matter. ⟨p. 246⟩Alas, our utmost that we can by zeal for his glory, or compassion unto your souls, raise our thoughts, minds, spirits, words unto, comes infinitly short of his own pressing earnestness herein. See Isa. 55. 1, 2, 3, 4. Oh infinite condescention! O blessed Grace! Who is this that thus bespeaks you? He, against whom you have sinned, of whom you are justly afraid. He whose Laws you have broken, and whose name you have dishonoured; He who needs not you, nor your Love, nor your Friendship, nor your Salvation. It is He who proposeth unto you these terms of Reconciliation and Peace. Consider the Exhortation of the Apostle upon this consideration, Heb. 12. 25. See that you refuse not him that speaketh from Heaven. It is God that speaks unto you in this matter: And he speaks unto you from Heaven. And he doth therein forego all the Advantage that he hath against you for your destruction. Wo would be unto your souls, and that for ever, if you should refuse him.

:682p. 246–247¶4

4. Consider, that you are sinners, great sinners, cursed sinners; Some of you it may be, worse than innumerable of your fellow sinners were, who are now in Hell. God might long since have cast you off everlastingly, from all expectation of mercy, and have caused all your hopes to perish. Or he might have lest you alive, and yet have refused to deal with you any more. He could have caused your Son to go down at noon day, and have given you darkness instead of vision. He could respite your lives for a season, and yet swear ⟨p. 247⟩in his wrath, that you should never enter into his rest. It is now otherwise. How long it may be so, nor you, nor I know any thing at all. God only knows what will be your time, what your continuance. We are to speak whilst it is called to day. And this is that for the present which I have to offer unto you. God declares that there is forgiveness with him; that your condition is not desperate nor helpless. There are yet terms of Peace proposed unto you. Methinks it cannot but seem strange, that poor sinners should not at the least stir up themselves to enquire after them. When a poor man had sold himself of old, and his Children to be servants, and parted with the land of his inheritance unto another because of his poverty; with what heart do you think did he hear the sound of the Trumpet, when it began to proclaim the year of Jubilee, wherein he and all his were to go out at liberty, and to return unto his possession and Inheritance? And shall not poor servants of sin, slaves unto Satan, that have forfeited all their Inheritance in this world, and that which is to come, attend unto any Proclamation of the year of Rest, of the acceptable year of the Lord? And this is done in the tender of terms of Peace with God in this matter. Do not put it off; this thing belongs unto you; The great concernment of your souls lies in it. And it is a great matter; for consider,

4. Consider, that you are sinners, great sinners, cursed sinners; Some of you it may be, worse than innumerable of your fellow sinners were, who are now in Hell. God might long since have cast you off everlastingly, from all expectation of mercy, and have caused all your hopes to perish. Or he might have lest you alive, and yet have refused to deal with you any more. He could have caused your Son to go down at noon day, and have given you darkness instead of vision. He could respite your lives for a season, and yet swear ⟨p. 247⟩in his wrath, that you should never enter into his rest. It is now otherwise. How long it may be so, nor you, nor I know any thing at all. God only knows what will be your time, what your continuance. We are to speak whilst it is called to day. And this is that for the present which I have to offer unto you. God declares that there is forgiveness with him; that your condition is not desperate nor helpless. There are yet terms of Peace proposed unto you. Methinks it cannot but seem strange, that poor sinners should not at the least stir up themselves to enquire after them. When a poor man had sold himself of old, and his Children to be servants, and parted with the land of his inheritance unto another because of his poverty; with what heart do you think did he hear the sound of the Trumpet, when it began to proclaim the year of Jubilee, wherein he and all his were to go out at liberty, and to return unto his possession and Inheritance? And shall not poor servants of sin, slaves unto Satan, that have forfeited all their Inheritance in this world, and that which is to come, attend unto any Proclamation of the year of Rest, of the acceptable year of the Lord? And this is done in the tender of terms of Peace with God in this matter. Do not put it off; this thing belongs unto you; The great concernment of your souls lyes in it. And it is a great matter; for consider,