John Owen Quotes - Page 2

Nothing shall be lost that is done for God or in obedience to Him.

Unless we are thoroughly convinced that without Christ we are under the eternal curse of God, as the worst of His enemies, we shall never flee to Him for refuge.

If we would talk less and pray more about them, things would be better than they are in the world: at least, we should be better enabled to bear them.

If Scripture has more than one meaning, it has no meaning at all.

Faith, if it be a living faith, will be a working faith.

The purpose of our holy and righteous God was to save his church, but their sin could not go unpunished. It was, therefore, necessary that the punishment for that sin be transferred from those who deserved it but could not bear it, to one who did not deserve it but was able to bear it.

All that may be known of God for our salvation, especially his wisdom, love, goodness, grace and mercy on which the life of our souls depends, are represented to us in all their splendour in and through Christ. No wonder then that Christ is glorious in the eyes of believers!

We speak much of God, can talk of him, his ways, his works, his counsels, all the day long; the truth is, we know very little of him.

For to pretend that men may live habitually sinful lives without any attempt by the Spirit to mortify sin in them, nor with any desire for repentance, is to deny the Christian religion.

There is no death of sin without the death of Christ.

Though we are commanded to 'wash ourselves', to 'cleanse ourselves from sins', to 'purge ourselves from all our iniquities', yet to imagine that we can do these things by our own efforts is to trample on the cross and grace of Jesus Christ. Whatever God works in us by his grace, he commands us to do as our duty. God works all in us and by us.

Christ is the meat, the bread, the food of our souls. Nothing is in him of a higher spiritual nourishment than his love, which we should always desire.

To believe that He will preserve us is, indeed, a means of preservation. God will certainly preserve us, and make a way of escape for us out of the temptation, should we fall. We are to pray for what God has already promised. Our requests are to be regulated by His promises and commands. Faith embraces the promises and so finds relief.

Let no man pretend to fear sin that does not fear temptation also! These two are too closely united to be separated. He does not truly hate the fruit who delights in the root.

The indulgence of one sin opens the door to further sins. The indulgence of one sin diverts the soul from the use of those means by which all other sins should be resisted.

He that hath slight thoughts of sin, never had great thoughts of God.

As a tender and loving friend is grieved at the unkindness of his friend... so is it with this tender and loving Spirit, who hath chosen our hearts for a habitation to dwell in.

There is no true gospel fruit without faith and repentance.

What then is holiness? Holiness is nothing but the implanting, writing and living out of the gospel in our souls (Eph 4:24).

There is no broader way to apostasy than to reject God's sovereignty in all things concerning the revelation of himself and our obedience.

When someone sets his affections upon the cross and the love of Christ, he crucifies the world as a dead and undesirable thing. The baits of sin lose their attraction and disappear. Fill your affections with the cross of Christ and you will find no room for sin.

The most tremendous judgment of God in this world is the hardening of the hearts of men.

On Christ’s glory I would fix all my thoughts and desires, and the more I see of the glory of Christ, the more the painted beauties of this world will wither in my eyes and I will be more and more crucified to this world. It will become to me like something dead and putrid, impossible for me to enjoy.

The first and principal duty of a pastor is to feed the flock by diligent preaching of the word

See in the meantime that your faith brings forth obedience, and God in due time will cause it to bring forth peace.