A53721:733
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.
4. Find you not in your selves an impotency, a disability unto the duties of Obedience, as to their performance unto God in an acceptable manner? It may be you are not so sensible hereof as you ought to be. For respecting only or principally the outward part and performance of duties, you have not Experience of your own Weakness. How to enliven and fill up Duties with Faith, Love, and Delight, you know not; and are therefore unacquainted with your own insufficiency in this matter; yet if you have any Light, any Convictions, (and to such I speak at present) you cannot but perceive and understand, that you are not able in your Obedience to answer what you aim at; you have not strength or power for it. Now it is this faith of Forgiveness alone that will furnish you with the Ability, whereof you stand in need. Pardon comes not to the Soul alone; or rather Christ comes not to the ⟨p. 269⟩Soul with pardon only. It is that which he opens the door, and enters by; but he comes with a Spirit of life and Power. And as without him we can do nothing, so through his enabling us we may do all things. Receiving of Gospel Forgiveness engageth all the grace of the Gospel unto our assistance.
4. Find you not in your selves an impotency, a disability unto the dutyes of Obedience, as to their performance unto God in an acceptable manner? It may be you are not so sensible hereof as you ought to be. For respecting only or principally the outward part and performance of dutyes, you have not Experience of your own Weakness. How to enliven and fill up Duties with Faith, Love, and Delight, you know not; and are therefore unacquainted with your own insufficiency in this matter; yet if you have any Light, any Convictions, (and to such I speak at present) you cannot but perceive and understand, that you are not able in your Obedience to answer what you aim at; you have not strength or power for it. Now it is this faith of Forgiveness alone that will furnish you with the Ability, whereof you stand in need. Pardon comes not to the Soul alone; or rather Christ comes not to the ⟨p. 269⟩Soul with pardon only. It is that which he opens the door, and enters by; but he comes with a Spirit of life and Power. And as without him we can do nothing, so through his enabling us we may do all things. Receiving of Gospel Forgiveness engageth all the grace of the Gospel unto our assistance.