AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. › General Scope of the whole Psalm. › Verses 5, 6: Verse 5, 6., A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm (John Owen, 1669) | AskReformation

A53721:914

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. › Verses 5, 6: Verse 5, 6.

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:911–926 of 1,036

:911p. 362

Let us then now Consider the Words, as they contain the frame and working of a sin entangled soul.

:912p. 362

Having been raised out of his depths by the discovery of forgiveness in God, as was before declared, yet not being immediately made partaker of that forgiveness, as to a comforting sense of it, he gathers up his soul from wandering from God, and supports it from sinking under his present condition.

Having been raised out of his depths by the discovery of forgiveness in God, as was before declared, yet not being immediately made partaker of that forgiveness, as to a comforting sense of it, he gathers up his soul from wandring from God, and supports it from sinking under his present condition.

:913p. 362

It is, saith he, Jehovah alone with whom is forgiveness that can relieve and do me good; his favour, his loving kindness, his communication of mercy and Grace from thence, is that which I stand in need of; on him therefore do I with all heedfulness attend; on him do I wait, my soul is filled with expectation from him; surely he will come to me, he will come and refresh me; though he seem as yet to be afar of, and to leave me in these depths, yet I have his word of promise to support and stay my soul, on which I will lean until I obtain the enjoyment of him, and his kindness which is better than life.

It is, saith he, Jehovah alone with whom is forgiveness that can relieve and do me good; his favour, his loving kindness, his communication of mercy and Grace from thence, is that which I stand in need of; on him therefore do I with all heedfulness attend; on him do I wait, my soul is filled with expectation from him; surely he will come to me, he will come and refresh me; though he seem as yet to be afar of, and to leave me in these depths, yet I have his word of promise to support and stay my soul, on which I will lean untill I obtain the enjoyment of him, and his kindness which is better than life.

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Cited: :914
On this page: :911–926
Section: :882–1002
Whole work: 1,036 passages

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John Owen, A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm (London, 1669), verses 5, 6, pp. 362–363. 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

•

:914p. 362–363

And this is the frame of a sin entangled Soul, who hath really by faith discovered forgiveness in God, but is not yet made partaker of a comforting refreshing sense of it. And we may represent it in the ensuing Observations.⟨p. 363⟩ Obs. 1. The first proper fruit of faiths discovery of forgiveness in God unto a sin distressed soul, is waiting in patience and Expectation. Obs. 2. The proper Object of a sin distressed souls waiting and expecting, is God himself as reconciled in Christ; I have waited for Jehovah. Obs. 3. The Word of promise is the souls great supportment in waiting for God; in thy Word do I hope. Obs. 4. Sin distressed Souls wait for God with earnest intention of mind, diligence, and expectation; from the redoubling of the Expression. Obs. 5. Continuance in waiting until God appears to the soul, is necessary and prevailing; Necessary as that without which we cannot attain assistance; and prevailing as that wherein we shall never fail. Obs. 6. Establishment in waiting where there is no present sense of forgiveness, yet gives the soul much secret Rest and Comfort; This Observation ariseth from the influence that these Verses have unto those that follow. The Psalmist having attained thus far, can now look about him, and begin to deal with others, and exhort them to an Expectation of Grace and mercy.

And this is the frame of a sin entangled Soul, who hath really by faith discovered forgiveness in God, but is not yet made partaker of a comforting refreshing sense of it. And we may represent it in the ensuing Observations.⟨p. 363⟩ Obs. 1. The first proper fruit of faiths discovery of forgiveness in God unto a sin distressed soul, is waiting in patience and Expectation. Obs. 2. The proper Object of a sin distressed souls waiting and expecting, is God himself as reconciled in Christ; I have waited for Jehovah. Obs. 3. The Word of promise is the souls great supportment in waiting for God; in thy Word do I hope. Obs. 4. Sin distressed Souls wait for God with earnest intention of mind, diligence, and expectation; from the redoubling of the Expression. Obs. 5. Continuance in waiting untill God appears to the soul, is necessary and prevailing; Necessary as that without which we cannot attain assistance; and prevailing as that wherein we shall never fail. Obs. 6. Establishment in waiting where there is no present sense of forgiveness, yet gives the soul much secret Rest and Comfort; This Observation ariseth from the influence that these Verses have unto those that follow. The Psalmist having attained thus far, can now look about him, and begin to deal with others, and exhort them to an Expectation of Grace and mercy.

:923p. 365–366¶1

¹1. Quietness. Hence this waiting it self is sometimes expressed by silence. To wait, is to be silent, Lam. 3. 6. It is good both to hope, [Greek or Hebrew] and to be silent for the salvation of the Lord; that is, to wait quietly, as we have rendered the word. And the same word we render sometimes to rest. as Psal. 37. 7. Rest on the Lord, [Greek or Hebrew] be silent unto him; where it is joined with hoping or waiting, as that which belongs unto the nature of it; and so in sundry other places. And this God in an especial manner calleth souls unto in straights and distresses. In quietness and confidence, saith he, shall be your strength, Isa. 30. 15. And the effect of the Righteousness of God by Christ, is said to be Quietness and Assurance for ever, Isa. 32. 17. First Quietness, and then Assurance. Now this silence and quietness which accompanieth waiting, yea which is an essential part of it, is opposed first to Haste; and Haste is the souls undue lifting up its self, proceeding from a weariness of its condition, to press after an end of its troubles, not according to the conduct of the Spirit of God. Thus when God calleth his people to waiting, he expresseth the contrary acting unto this duty, by the lifting up of the soul, Hab. 2. 3, 4. Though the vision tarry, wait for it; behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him, but the Just shall live by faith. God hath given unto the soul a vision of Peace, through the discovery of that forgiveness which is with him; but he will have us wait for an actual participation of it unto rest and comfort. He that will not do so, but lifts up his soul, that is, in making haste beyond the Rule and Method of the Spirit of God in this matter, his heart is not upright in him, nor will he know what it is to live by faith. This ruins and disappoints many a soul in its attempts for forgiveness. The Prophet speaking of this matter, tells us, that He that believeth shall not, nor will not make haste, Isa. 28. 16. Which words the Apostle twice making use of, Rom. 9. 33, chap. 10, 11. in both places renders them, Whosoever believeth on him shall not ⟨p. 366⟩be ashamed, or confounded. And that because this Haste turns men off from believing, and so disappoints their hopes, and leaves them unto shame and confusion.

¹1. Quietness. Hence this waiting it self is sometimes expressed by silence. To wait, is to be silent, Lam. 3. 6. It is good both to hope, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 and to be silent for the salvation of the Lord; that is, to wait quietly, as we have rendred the word. And the same word we render sometimes to rest. as Psal. 37. 7. Rest on the Lord, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 be silent unto him; where it is joyned with hoping or waiting, as that which belongs unto the nature of it; and so in sundry other places. And this God in an especial manner calleth souls unto in straights and distresses. In quietness and confidence, saith he, shall be your strength, Isa. 30. 15. And the effect of the Righteousness of God by Christ, is said to be Quietness and Assurance for ever, Isa. 32. 17. First Quietness, and then Assurance. Now this silence and quietness which accompanieth waiting, yea which is an essential part of it, is opposed first to Haste; and Haste is the souls undue lifting up its self, proceeding from a weariness of its condition, to press after an end of its troubles, not according to the conduct of the Spirit of God. Thus when God calleth his people to waiting, he expresseth the contrary acting unto this duty, by the lifting up of the soul, Hab. 2. 3, 4. Though the vision tarry, wait for it; behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him, but the Just shall live by faith. God hath given unto the soul a vision of Peace, through the discovery of that forgiveness which is with him; but he will have us wait for an actual participation of it unto rest and comfort. He that will not do so, but lifts up his soul, that is, in making haste beyond the Rule and Method of the Spirit of God in this matter, his heart is not upright in him, nor will he know what it is to live by faith. This ruines and disappoints many a soul in its attempts for forgiveness. The Prophet speaking of this matter, tells us, that He that believeth shall not, nor will not make haste, Isa. 28. 16. Which words the Apostle twice making use of, Rom. 9. 33, chap. 10, 11. in both places renders them, Whosoever believeth on him shall not

1Waiting on God wherein it consists.

:926p. 366–367

Secondly, Diligence, in Opposition unto spiritual sloth, is included in it also. Diligence is the activity of the mind in the regular use of means, for the pursuit of any end proposed. The End aimed at by the soul, is a comforting refreshing interest in that forgiveness that is with God. For the attaining hereof, there are sundry means instituted and blessed of God. A neglect of them through regardlessness or sloth, will certainly disappoint the soul from attaining that end. It is confessedly so in things natural. He that soweth not, must not think to reap; he that clotheth not himself will not be warm; nor he enjoy health, who neglects the means of it. Men understand this as ⟨p. 367⟩to their outward concerns. And although they have a due respect unto the blessing of God, yet they expect not to be rich without industry in their ways. It is so also in things spiritual. God hath appointed one thing to be the means of obtaining another; in the use of them doth he bless us, and from the use of them doth his Glory arise, because they are his own appointments. And this diligence wholly respecteth practice, or the regular use of means. A man is said to be diligent in business, to have a diligent hand; though it be an Affection of the mind, yet it simply respects Practice and Operation. This diligence in his waiting David expresseth, Psal. 40. 1. [Greek or Hebrew]. We render it, I have waited patiently, that is, waiting I have waited, that is diligently, earnestly in the use of means. So he describes this duty by an elegant similitude, Psal. 123. 2. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters; and as the eyes of a Maiden to the hand of her Mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us. Servants that wait on their Masters, and look to their hands, it is to expect an intimation of their minds, as to what they would have them do, that they may address themselves unto it. So, saith he, do we wait for mercy; not in a slothful neglect of duties, but in a constant readiness to observe the Will of God in all his commands. An instance hereof we have in the Spouse, when she was in the condition here described, Cant. 3. 1, 2. She wanted the presence of her Beloved, which amounts to the same state which we have under consideration. For where the presence of Christ is not, there can be no sense of forgiveness.

Secondly, Diligence, in Opposition unto spiritual sloth, is included in it also. Diligence is the activity of the mind in the regular use of means, for the pursuit of any end proposed. The End aimed at by the soul, is a comforting refreshing interest in that forgiveness that is with God. For the attaining hereof, there are sundry means instituted and blessed of God. A neglect of them through regardlesness or sloth, will certainly disappoint the soul from attaining that end. It is confessedly so in things natural. He that soweth not, must not think to reap; he that cloatheth not himself will not be warm; nor he enjoy health, who neglects the means of it. Men understand this as ⟨p. 367⟩to their outward concerns. And although they have a due respect unto the blessing of God, yet they expect not to be rich without industry in their waies. It is so also in things spiritual. God hath appointed one thing to be the means of obtaining another; in the use of them doth he bless us, and from the use of them doth his Glory arise, because they are his own appointments. And this diligence wholly respecteth practice, or the regular use of means. A man is said to be diligent in business, to have a diligent hand; though it be an Affection of the mind, yet it simply respects Practice and Operation. This diligence in his waiting David expresseth, Psal. 40. 1. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. We render it, I have waited patiently, that is, waiting I have waited, that is diligently, earnestly in the use of means. So he describes this duty by an elegant similitude, Psal. 123. 2. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters; and as the eyes of a Maiden to the hand of her Mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us. Servants that wait on their Masters, and look to their hands, it is to expect an intimation of their minds, as to what they would have them do, that they may address themselves unto it. So, saith he, do we wait for mercy; not in a slothfull neglect of duties, but in a constant readiness to observe the Will of God in all his commands. An instance hereof we have in the Spouse, when she was in the condition here described, Cant. 3. 1, 2. She wanted the presence of her Beloved, which amounts to the same state which we have under consideration. For where the presence of Christ is not, there can be no sense of forgiveness.