A53721:765
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.
But the matter is otherwise. The importance of it, not only as it is our life of comfort and joy, but also as it is the principal means of the flourishing of our Life of Holiness, hath been declared before; and might be further manifested, were that our present business; Yea and in times of trial, which are the proper seasons for the Effectual working and manifestation of Assurance, it will and doth appear, that many, yea that most of the Saints of God, are made partakers of this Grace and Privilege. I shall then in the pursuit of the Rule laid down, do these two things. (1.) Show what things they are which are not only consistent with Assurance, but are even necessary concomitants of it, which yet if not duly weighed and considered, may ⟨p. 285⟩seem so far to impeach a mans comfortable persuasion of his condition before God, as to leave him beneath the Assurance sought after. And, 2. I shall speak somewhat of its nature: Especially as manifesting its self by its Effects. 11. A deep sense of the evil of sin, of the guilt of mans own sin, is no way inconsistent with Gospel assurance of Acceptance with God through Christ, and of Forgiveness in him. By a sense of the guilt of sin; I understand two things. (1.) A clear conviction of sin by the Holy Ghost, saying unto the Soul, Thou art the man; and (2.) A sense of the displeasure of God, or the wrath due to sin, according to the sentence of the Law. Both these David expresseth in that complaint, Psal. 31. 10. My life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing, my strength faileth because of mine Iniquity, and my bones are consumed. His Iniquity was before him, and a sense of it pressed him sore. But yet notwithstanding all this, he had a comfortable persuasion that God was his God in Covenant, v. 14. I trusted in thee O Lord, I said, thou art my God. And the tenor of the Covenant, wherein alone God is the God of any person is, that he will be merciful unto their sin and iniquity. To whom he is a God, he is so according to the Tenor of that Covenant; so that here these two are conjoined. Saith he, Lord, I am pressed with the sense of the guilt of mine Iniquities, and thou act my God who forgivest them. And the ground hereof is, that God by the Gospel hath divided the work of the Law, and taken part of it out of its hand. Its whole work and duty is to condemn the sin and the sinner.