A53721:869
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.
2. As to what was alleged to the nothingness, the selfishness of Duty; I say,
2. As to what was alledged to the nothingness, the selfishness of Duty; I say,
It is certain whilst we are in the flesh, our duties will taste of the vessel whence they proceed. Weakness, defilements, treachery, hypocrisy will attend them. To this purpose whatever some pretend to the contrary, is the Complaint of the Church, Isa. 64. 6. The Chaff oftentimes is so mixed with the Wheat that Corn can scarce be discerned. And this know, that the more spiritual any man is, the more be sees of his unspiritualness in his spiritual Duties. An outside performance will satisfy an outside Christian. Job abhorred himself ⟨p. 353⟩most, when he knew himself best. The clearer discoveries we have had of God, the viler will every thing of self appear. Nay further, duties and performances are oftentimes very ill measured by us; and those seem to be first, which indeed are last, and those to be last, which indeed are first. I do not doubt but a man when he hath had distractions to wrestle withal, no outward advantage to further him, no extraordinary provocations of hope, fear or sorrow on a natural account in his duty, may rise from his knees with thoughts that he hath done nothing in his duty but provoked God; when there hath been more workings of Grace in contending with the deadness cast on the soul by the condition that it is in, than when by a concurrence of moved natural affections, and outward provocations, a frame hath been raised, that hath to the party himself seemed to reach to Heaven; so that it may be this perplexity about duties, is nothing but what is common to the people of God, and which ought to be no obstruction to peace and settlement.
It is certain whilest we are in the flesh, our duties will taste of the vessel whence they proceed. Weakness, defilements, treachery, hypocrisie will attend them. To this purpose whatever some pretend to the contrary, is the Complaint of the Church,