John Owen Quotes

93 Sourced Quotes

The house built on the sand may oftentimes be built higher, have more fair parapets and battlements, windows and ornaments, than that which is built upon the rock; yet all gifts and privileges equal not one grace.

John Owen
Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.

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

John Owen
To some men it is hard seeing a call of God through difficulties; when if it would but clothe itself with a few carnal advantages, how apparent it is to them! They can see it through a little cranny.

John Owen
The root of an unmortified course is the digestion of sin without bitterness in the heart.

John Owen
The person who understands the evil in his own heart is the only person who is useful, fruitful, and solid in his beliefs and obedience. Others only delude themselves and thus upset families, churches, and all other relationships. In their self-pride and judgment of others, they show great inconsistency.

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

John Owen
When we have communion with God in the doctrine we contend for-then shall we be garrisoned by the grace of God against all the assaults of men.

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

John Owen
Physicians take Gold, but seldom give: They Physick give, take none; yet healthy live. A Diet They prescribe; the Sick must for't Give Gold; Each other Thus supply-support.

John Owen
Consider that it is not failing in this or that attempt to come to Christ, but a giving-over of your endeavors, that will be your ruin.

John Owen
Unless men see a beauty and delight in the worship of God, they will not do it willingly.

John Owen
What do we want? What would we be at? What do our souls desire? Is it not that we might have a more full, clear, stable comprehension of the wisdom, love, grace, goodness, holiness, righteousness, and power of God, as declared and exalted in Christ unto our redemption and eternal salvation?

John Owen
We can have no power from Christ unless we live in a persuasion that we have none of our own.

John Owen
In or towards whomsoever the Holy Spirit puts forth His power, or acts his grace for their regeneration, he removes all obstacles, overcomes all oppositions, and infallibly produces the intended effect.

John Owen
Ignorance of God and of ourselves is the great principle and cause of all our disquietments; and, this ariseth mostly not from want of light and instruction, but for want of consideration and application.

John Owen
It is a throne of grace that God in Christ is represented to us upon; but yet is is a throne still whereon majesty and glory do reside, and God is always to be considered by us as on a throne.

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

John Owen
I do not understand how a man can be a true believer, in whom sin is not the greatest burden, sorrow and trouble.

John Owen
He that is more frequent in his pulpit to his people than he is in his closet for his people, is but a sorry watchman.

John Owen
There are two things that are suited to humble the souls of men, and they are, first, a due consideration of God, and then of themselves - of God, in His greatness, glory, holiness, power, majesty, and authority; of ourselves, in our mean, abject, and sinful condition.

John Owen
All attempts, then, for mortification of any lust, without an interest in Christ, are vain.

John Owen
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.

John Owen
God hath work to do in this world; and to desert it because of its difficulties and entanglements, is to cast off His authority. It is not enough that we be just, that we be righteous, and walk with God in holiness; but we must also serve our generation, as David did before he fell asleep. God hath a work to do; and not to help Him is to oppose Him.

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

John Owen
We are taught in an especial manner to pray that God would give his Holy Spirit unto us, that through his aid and assistance we may live unto God in that holy obedience which he requires at our hands.

John Owen
The new goddess contingency could not be erected until the God of heaven was utterly despoiled of his dominion over the sons of men, and in the room thereof a home-bred idol of self-sufficiency set up, and the world persuaded to worship it. But that the building climb no higher, let all men observe how the word of God overthrows this babylonian tower.

John Owen
Fill your affections with the cross of Christ that there may be no room for sin.

John Owen
If our principal treasure be as we profess, in things spiritual and heavenly, and woe unto us if it be not so! on them will our affections, and consequently our desires and thoughts, be principally fixed.

John Owen
There is not a day but sin foils or is foiled, prevails or is prevailed on; and it will be so whilst we live in this world.

John Owen