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

A53721:672

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:669–684 of 1,036

: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.

Secondly, Others there are, who have received it, but being again entangled by sin, or clouded by darkness and temptations, or weakned 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.

:670p. 243

Our Exhortation then is unto both; to the first, that they would receive it, that they may have life, to the latter, that they would improve it, that they may have peace. To the former that they would not overlook, disregard, or neglect so great salvation as is tendered unto them; to the latter, that they would stir up the Grace of God that is in them, to mix with the Grace of God that is declared unto them.

Our Exhortation then is unto both; to the first, that they would receive it, that they may have life, to the latter, that they would improve it, that they may have peace. To the former that they would not overlook, disregard, or neglect so great salvation as is tendred unto them; to the latter, that they would stir up the Grace of God that is in them, to mix with the Grace of God that is declared unto them.

:671p. 243

I shall begin with the first sort, those who are yet utter strangers from the Covenant of Grace; who never yet upon saving grounds believed this forgiveness; who never yet once tasted of Gospel Pardon. Poor sinners! this word is unto you.

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Cited: :672
On this page: :669–684
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, pp. 243–244. 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

•

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,

:683p. 247–248¶5

5. That when the Angels came to bring the news of the Birth of our Lord Jesus, they say, we bring tidings of great joy to the whole people, Luke 2. 10. What are these joyful tidings? What was the matter of this report? Why, this day is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord, v. 11. It is only this; a Saviour is born; a way of escape is provided, and further they do not proceed. Yet this they say is a matter of great joy, as it was indeed. It is so to every burdened convinced sinner, a matter of unspeakable joy and rejoicing. Oh blessed words! a Saviour is born. This gives life to a sinner, and opens a door of hope in the valley of Achor. The first rescue of a sin distressed soul. Upon the matter, it was all that the Saints for many Ages had to live upon; and that not in the enjoyment, but only the expectation. They lived on that Word, the seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head; that is, a way ⟨p. 248⟩of deliverance is provided for sinners. This with all diligence they enquired into, 1 Pet. 1. 10, 11, 12. and improved it to their eternal advantage. As of old, Jacob when he saw the Waggons that his Son Joseph had sent to bring him unto him, it is said his Spirit revived: So did they upon their obscure discovery of a way of forgiveness. They looked upon the Promise of it as that which God had sent to bring them unto him; and they saw the day of the coming of Christ in it, and rejoiced. How much more have Sinners now Reason so to do, when the substance of the Promise is exhibited, and the news of his Coming proclaimed unto them. This then is a great matter; namely, that terms of Peace and Reconciliation are proposed; in that it is made known, that there is forgiveness with God. Upon these Considerations then we pursue that Exhortation which we have in hand.

5. That when the Angels came to bring the news of the Birth of our Lord Jesus, they say, we bring tydings of great joy to the whole people, Luke 2. 10. What are these joyful tydings? What was the matter of this report? Why, this day is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord, v. 11. It is only this; a Saviour is born; a way of escape is provided, and further they do not proceed. Yet this they say is a matter of great joy, as it was indeed. It is so to every burdned convinced sinner, a matter of unspeakable joy and rejoycing. Oh blessed words! a Saviour is born. This gives life to a sinner, and opens a door of hope in the valley of Achor. The first rescue of a sin distressed soul. Upon the matter, it was all that the Saints for many Ages had to live upon; and that not in the enjoyment, but only the expectation. They lived on that Word, the seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head; that is, a way ⟨p. 248⟩of deliverance is provided for sinners. This with all diligence they enquired into, 1 Pet. 1. 10, 11, 12. and improved it to their eternal advantage. As of old, Jacob when he saw the Waggons that his Son Joseph had sent to bring him unto him, it is said his Spirit revived: So did they upon their obscure discovery of a way of forgiveness. They looked upon the Promise of it as that which God had sent to bring them unto him; and they saw the day of the coming of Christ in it, and rejoyced. How much more have Sinners now Reason so to do, when the substance of the Promise is exhibited, and the news of his Comeing proclaimed unto them. This then is a great matter; namely, that terms of Peace and Reconciliation are proposed; in that it is made known, that there is forgiveness with God. Upon these Considerations then we pursue that Exhortation which we have in hand.

:684p. 248–249

If any of you were justly condemned to a cruel and shameful death, and lay trembling in the expectation of the execution of it, and a man designed for that purpose should come unto him, and tell him that there were terms propounded on which his life might be spared, only he came away like Ahimaaz before he heard the particulars; would it not be a reviving unto him? would he not cry out, Pray enquire what they are, for there is not any thing so difficult which I will not undergo to free my self from this miserable condition? Would it not change the whole frame of the spirit of such a man, and as it were put new life into him? But now if instead hereof, he should be froward, stubborn and obstinate, take no notice of the Messenger, or say, Let the Judge keep his terms to himself, without inquiring what they are; that he would have nothing to do with them; would not such a person be deemed to perish deservedly? doth he not bring a double destruction upon himself; first of deserving death by his crimes, and then by refusing the honest and good way of delivery tendered unto him? I confess it often times falls out, that men may come to enquire after these terms of Peace, which when they are revealed, they like them not, but with the young man in the Gospel they go away sorrowful. The cursed wickedness and misery of which condition, which ⟨p. 249⟩befalls many convinced persons, shall be spoken unto afterwards. At present I speak unto them who never yet attended in sincerity unto these terms, nor seriously enquired after them. Think you what you please of your Condition, and of your selves; or choose whether you will think of it or no, pass your time in a full regardlessness, of your present and future Estate. Yet indeed thus it is with you, as to your eternal concerns; you lye under the sentence of a bitter, shameful, and everlasting death; you have done so in the midst of all your jollity, ever since you came into this world: And you are in the hand of him, who can in the twinkling of an eye destroy both body and soul in Hell fire. In this state and condition, men are sent on purpose, to let you know that there are terms of Peace, there is yet a way of escape for you: And that you may not avoid the issue aimed at, they tell you, that God that cannot lye, hath commanded them to tell you so;

If any of you were justly condemned to a cruel and shamefull death, and lay trembling in the expectation of the execution of it, and a man designed for that purpose should come unto him, and tell him that there were terms propounded on which his life might be spared, only he came away like Ahimaaz before he heard the particulars; would it not be a reviving unto him? would he not cry out, Pray enquire what they are, for there is not any thing so difficult which I will not undergoe to free my self from this miserable condition? Would it not change the whole frame of the spirit of such a man, and as it were put new life into him? But now if instead hereof, he should be froward, stubborn and obstinate, take no notice of the Messenger, or say, Let the Judge keep his terms to himself, without inquiring what they are; that he would have nothing to do with them; would not such a person be deemed to perish deservedly? doth he not bring a double destruction upon himself; first of deserving death by his crimes, and then by refusing the honest and good way of delivery tendred unto him? I confess it often times falls out, that men may come to enquire after these terms of Peace, which when they are revealed, they like them not, but with the young man in the Gospel they go away sorrowfull. The cursed wickedness and misery of which condition, which ⟨p. 249⟩befalls many convinced persons, shall be spoken unto afterwards. At present I speak unto them who never yet attended in sincerity unto these terms, nor seriously enquired after them. Think you what you please of your Condition, and of your selves; or choose whether you will think of it or no, pass your time in a full regardlesness, of your present and future Estate. Yet indeed thus it is with you, as to your eternal concerns; you lye under the sentence of a bitter, shamefull, and everlasting death; you have done so in the midst of all your jollity, ever since you came into this world: And you are in the hand of him, who can in the twinkling of an eye destroy both body and soul in Hell fire. In this state and condition, men are sent on purpose, to let you know that there are terms of Peace, there is yet a way of escape for you: And that you may not avoid the issue aimed at, they tell you, that God that cannot lye, hath commanded them to tell you so;