The Highway Forums General Discussion Devotional Quotes Some John Owen Quotes

When He took on Him the form of a servant in our nature, He became what He had never been before, but He did not cease to be what He always had been in His divine nature. He who is God cannot ever cease to be God.
John Owen

To suppose that whatever God requireth of us that we have power of ourselves to do, is to make the cross and grace of Jesus Christ of none effect.
John Owen


The foundation of true holiness and true Christian worship is the doctrine of the gospel, what we are to believe. So when Christian doctrine is neglected, forsaken, or corrupted, true holiness and worship will also be neglected, forsaken, and corrupted.
John Owen


The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay upon the Father, the greatest unkindness you can do to Him is not to believe that He loves you.
John Owen

We are never nearer Christ than when we find ourselves lost in a holy amazement at His unspeakable love.
John Owen

These are all great... doubtless as they came from the pen of John Owen!

But this one:

The foundation of true holiness and true Christian worship is the doctrine of the gospel, what we are to believe. So when Christian doctrine is neglected, forsaken, or corrupted, true holiness and worship will also be neglected, forsaken, and corrupted.

is incredibly applicable to our own day. Sound doctrine and the very Gospel itself is being neglected, obscured, twisted, corrupted and even disdained. The result as anyone can plainly see is a 'church' that engages in worldly worship 'performed' by worldly people who profess to be saved and followers of Christ. (Matt 24:24; 2Thess 2:8-14)

AMEN! Thank you.

"Let us live in the constant contemplation of the glory of Christ, and virtue will proceed from him to repair all our decays, to renew a right spirit within us, and to cause us to abound in all duties of obedience. It will fix the soul unto that object which is suited to give it delight, complacency, and satisfaction. . . when the mind is filled with thoughts of Christ and his glory, when the soul thereon cleaves unto him with intense affections, they will cast out, or not give admittance unto, those causes of spiritual weakness and indisposition..And nothing will so much excite and encourage our souls hereunto as a constant view of Christ and his glory."~ John Owen

They who do not endeavor to behold the glory of Christ in this world, as has been often said, shall never behold Him in glory hereafter to their satisfaction; nor do they desire so to do, only they suppose it a part of that relief which they would have when they are gone out of this world. For what should beget such a desire in them? Nothing can do it but some view of it here by faith, which they despise or totally neglect. Every pretense of a desire of heaven and of the presence of Christ therein that does not arise from, that is not resolved into, that prospect which we have of the glory of Christ in this world by faith, is mere fancy and imagination. —John Owen

We used to sing;

Turn your eyes unto Jesus

Look full in his wonderful face

And the cares of this world

Will grow strangely dim

In the light of his glory and grace....

Not exactly what you were talking about but perhaps even more insidious.

Let our hearts admit, "I am poor and weak. Satan is too subtle, too cunning, too powerful; he watches constantly for advantages over my soul. The world presses in upon me with all sorts of pressures, pleas, and pretences. My own corruption is violent, tumultuous, enticing, and entangling. As it conceives sin, it wars within me and against me. Occasions and opportunities for temptation are innumerable. No wonder I do not know how deeply involved I have been with sin. Therefore, on God alone will I rely for my keeping. I will continually look to Him. ~ John Owen