PREFATORY NOTE PREFACE CHAPTER 1. Peter’s Confession; Matthew 16:16 — Conceits of the Papists thereon — The Substance and Excellency of that Confession.

CHAPTER 2. Opposition made unto the Church as built upon the Person of Christ.

CHAPTER 3. The Person of Christ the most ineffable Effect of Divine Wisdom and Goodness — Thence the next Cause of all True Religion — In what sense it is so.

CHAPTER 4. To Person of Christ the Foundation of all the Counsels of God.

CHAPTER 5. The Person of Christ the great Representative of God and his Will.

CHAPTER 6. The Person of Christ the great Repository of Sacred Truth — Its Relation thereunto.

CHAPTER 7. Power and Efficacy Communicated unto the Office of Christ, for the Salvation of the Church, from his Person.

CHAPTER 8. The Faith of the Church under the Old Testament in and concerning the Person of Christ.

CHAPTER 9. Honor due to the Person of Christ — The nature and Causes of it.

CHAPTER 10. The Principle of the Assignation of Divine Honor unto the Person of Christ, in both the Branches of it; with is Faith in Him.

CHAPTER 11. Obedience unto Christ — The Nature and Causes of it.

CHAPTER 12. The especial Principle of Obedience unto the Person of Christ; which is Love — Its Truth and Reality Vindicated.

CHAPTER 13. The Nature, Operations, and Causes of Divine Love, as it respects the Person of Christ.

CHAPTER 14. Motives unto the Love of Christ.

CHAPTER 15. Conformity unto Christ, and Following his Example.

CHAPTER 16. An humble Inquiry into, and Prospect of, the infinite Wisdom of God, in the Constitution of the Person of Christ, and the Way of Salvation thereby.

CHAPTER 17. Other Evidences of Divine Wisdom in the Contrivance of the Work of Redemption in and by the Person of Christ, in Effects Evidencing a Condecency thereunto.

CHAPTER 18. The Nature of the Person of Christ, and the Hypostatical Union of his Natures Declared.

CHAPTER 19. The Exaltation of Christ, with his Present state and Condition in Glory during the Continuance of his Mediatory Office.

CHAPTER 20. The Exercise of the Mediatory Office of Christ in Heaven.

MEDITATIONS AND DISCOURSES ON THE GLORY OF CHRIST.

PREFATORY NOTE BY THE EDITOR PREFACE TO THE READER 1. — The Explication of the Text; John 17:24 2. — The Glory of the Person of Christ, as the only Representative of God unto the Church 3. — The Glory of Christ in the mysterious Constitution of his Person 4. — The Glory of Christ in his susception of the Office of a Mediator. — First, in his Condescension 5. — The Glory of Christ in his Love 6. — The Glory of Christ in the Discharge of his Mediatory Office 7. — The Glory of Christ in his Exaltation, after the accomplishment of the Work of Mediation in this World 9. — Representations of the Glory of Christ under the Old Testament 9. — The Glory of Christ in his intimate Conjunction with the Church 10. — The Glory of Christ in the Communication of himself unto Believers 11. — The Glory of Christ in the Recapitulation of all things in him 12. — Differences between our Beholding the Glory of Christ by Faith in this World and by Sight in Heaven — The First of them Explained . 13. — The Second Difference between our Beholding the Glory of Christ by Faith in this World and by Sight in Heaven 14. — Other Difference between our Beholding the Glory of Christ by Faith in this World and by Sight in Heaven MEDITATIONS AND DISCOURSES CONCERNING THE GLORY OF CHRIST, APPLIED, ETC.

ORIGINAL PREFACE 1. — Application of the foregoing Meditations concerning the Glory of Christ — First, in an Exhortation unto such as are not yet Partakers of him 2. — The Way and Means of the Recovery of Spiritual Decays, and of Obtaining fresh Springs of Grace TWO SHORT CATECHISMS.

PREPATORY NOTE BY THE EDITOR The Epistle Dedicatory The Lesser Catechism THE GREATER CATECHISM 1.— Of the Scripture 2. — Of God 3. — Of the Holy Trinity 4. — Of the Works of God; and, first, of those that are Internal and Immanent 5. — Of the Works of God that outwardly are of him 6. — Of God’s actual Providence 7. — Of the Law of God 8. — Of the State of Corrupted Nature 9. — Of the Incarnation of Christ 10. — Of the Person of Jesus Christ 11. — Of the Offices of Christ; and first, of his Kingly 12. — Of Christ’s Priestly Office 13. — Of Christ’s Prophetical Office 14. — Of the Twofold Estate of Christ 15. — Of the Persons to whom the Benefits of Christ’s Offices do belong 16. — Of the Church 17. — Of Faith 18. — Of our Vocation, or God’s Calling us 19. — Of Justification 20. — Of Sanctification 21. — Of the Privileges of Believers 22. — Of the Sacraments of the New Covenant in particular; a holy right whereunto is the Fourth Privilege of Believers 23. — Of Baptism 24. — Of the Lord’s Supper. 25. — Of the Communion of Saints — the Fifth Privilege of Believers 26. — Of Particular Churches 27. — Of the Last Privilege of Believers, — being the Door of Entrance into Glory GENERAL PREFACE.

IT would be presumption to enter upon any commendation of John Owen as an author and divine. His works will continue to gather round them the respect and admiration of the Church of Christ, so long as reverence is cherished for the Christian faith. They have defects, which it is impossible to disguise. His style in general is deficient in grace and vivacity. His mode of discussing a subject is often tedious and prolix. Whatever amount of imaginative power his mind possessed, it seems to have been little cultivated and developed; and his chief excellence as an author, it must be admitted, consists “non in flosculis verborum, — sed in pondere rerum” In the department of Biblical criticism, he himself disclaimed any pretentious to extensive learning. That science had made slender progress in his day, and the necessity for careful revision of the text of Scripture, as well as the abundance of the materials which providentially existed for the accomplishment of the task, were scarcely known. We feel the less surprise that he should have committed himself to a strain of animadversion, full of prejudice and misapprehension, on the principles asserted in the Prolegomena and Appendix to Walton’s Polyglot, when it is remembered that, after the lapse of half a century, and with all his eminent scholarship and erudition, Whitby, on the criticism of the sacred text, was not a step in advance of the Puritan divine.

With all this abatement on the praise which is due to Owen, his signal merits as an author have shed luster on his name. He was great in the higher attributes of erudition; for he excelled, if not in the learning that is conversant about dates, and facts, and words, most assuredly in the learning of thought; and his sentences are sometimes impregnated with an amount of meaning that indicates vast stores of information on the views prevalent in past ages regarding the doctrines of Christianity. His treatises on experimental religion are yet unrivalled; and it is wonderful with what ease and point he brings the highest principles of the faith to bear on the workings of the human heart, and the details of Christian experience. His controversial writings, apart from their intrinsic merits, have a relative value that is perhaps too much overlooked, and renders them indispensable in any good collection of British literature. His writings on toleration are an anticipation of much that has made the name of Locke immortal among the political authors of Great Britain; and there is truth in the assertion, that the philosopher “ploughed with the heifer of the Independent,” His work on Arminianism was the attempt to exhibit a systematic view of the theology which is known by that designation; and in his controversy with John Goodwin, he had to deal with by far its ablest advocate. His elaborate refutation of Socinianism is historically interesting and important, as addressed in reply to Biddle, who first established a Socinian congregation in England. Of his Work entitled, “A Vindication of the Animadversions on the Popish Controversy,” it is said by Orme, that “it embraces the substance of the Popish controversy.” But it is hardly our province to offer any criticism upon the writings of our author. We cannot refrain however, from quoting a brief but very complete judgment pronounced on his merits by a divine whose eminent worth and spiritual sagacity enabled him to appreciate the higher qualities of Owen, and who cannot be accused of any denominational prejudice in his favor. Indeed, some allusions at the close of the extract indicate, that, in the encomium he passes upon the Puritan, his candor triumphs over some degree of bias against him.

Stillingfleet, the champion of the Anglican Church, when he replied to Owen’s strictures on his sermon entitled, “The Mischief of Separation,” acknowledges “the civility and decent language” of his antagonist. “The divines of the Puritan school, however (with due allowance for the prevalent tone of scholastic subtleties), supply to the Ministerial student a large fund of useful and edifying instruction.

If they be less clear and simple in their doctrinal statements than the Reformers, they enter more deeply into the sympathies of Christian experience. Profoundly versed in spiritual tactics — the habits and exercises of the human heart — they are equally qualified to awaken conviction and to administer consolation, laying open the man to himself with peculiar closeness of application; stripping h in of his false dependencies, and exhibiting before him the light and influence of the Evangelical remedy for his distress. Owen stands pre-eminent among the writers of this school. ‘His scholars’ (as Mr. Cecil observes) ‘will be more profound and enlarged, and better furnished, than those of most other writers.’ Among his voluminous works, we may mark his Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews (with all its prolixity), as probably the most elaborate and instructive comment upon a detached portion of Scripture. His work on the Spirit (though discordant in some particulars from the principles of our church) embraces the most comprehensive view of this vitally-important subject. His Exposition of <19D001> Psalm 130 exhibits the most full and unfettered display of divine forgiveness, admirably suited to the perplexities of exercised Christians. His Tracts upon ‘Understanding the Mind of God in Scripture,’ and ‘The Reason of Faith,’ manifest his usual accuracy of spiritual discernment. His treatises upon Indwelling Sin, Mortification of Sin, the Power of Temptation, and the Danger of Apostasy, — mark uncommon depths of exploring the secretes of the heart. His view of Spiritualmindedness draws out a graphic delineation of the tastes and features of the new character. And indeed, upon the whole, — for luminous exposition, and powerful defense of scriptural doctrine, — for determined enforcement of practical obligation, — for skillful anatomy of the self-deceitfulness of the heart, and for detailed and wise treatment of the diversified exercises of the Christian’s heart, — he stands probably unrivalled. The mixture of human infirmity with such transcendent excellence will be found in an unhappy political bias — in an inveterate dislike to episcopal government, and (as regards the character of his Theology) a too close and construct endeavor to model the principles of the Gospel according to the proportions of human systems But who would refuse to dig into the golden mine from disgust at the base alloy that will ever be found to mingle itself with the ore?” And in a note he adds, “Though his works will be the Minister’s constant companion through his course, yet are they most valuable parts of his preparatory study, as exhibiting scriptural doctrines in an experimental mould and in practical influence, — a complete pattern of that form of Ministry which equally adapts itself to the various purposes of our office.” f1 It was to be expected, if such was their value, that his works should enjoy an extensive circulation. Nor was their popularity confined to England.