Quotes about John Owen

Mortification from a self-strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, unto the end of a self-righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world. And this is a second principle of my ensuing discourse.

If prayer do not constantly endeavour the ruin of sin, sin will ruin prayer, and utterly alienate the soul from it.

A ministry devoid of spiritual gifts is a sufficient evidence of a church under a degenerating apostasy.

for as gospel gifts are useless without attending unto gospel institutions, so gospel institutions are found to be fruitless and unsatisfactory without the attaining and exercising of gospel gifts.

Well did the Puritan John Owen say, "Mortification from a self-strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, unto the end of a self-righteousness is the soul and substance of all false religion." Mortification must be done by the strength and under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

The will is the sovereign faculty and power of the soul; whatever principle acts in it and determines it, that hath the rule. Notwithstanding

All spiritual acts well-pleasing unto God, as faith, repentance, obedience, are supernatural; flesh and blood revealeth not these things.

A natural man hath no such thing as free-will at all, if you take it for a power of doing that which is good and well-pleasing unto God in things spiritual.

Be it so, therefore, that these gifts we intend are not in themselves saving graces, yet are they not to be despised; for they are, as we shall show, the "powers of the world to come," by means whereof the kingdom of Christ is preserved, carried on, and propagated in the world.

Mortification from a self-strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, unto the end of a self-righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world.

Christ is the meritorious cause of the bestowing of those good gifts, faith and constancy unto martyrdom, upon you.

It is one thing to fear God as threatening, with a holy reverence, and another to be afraid of the evil threatened.