Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The Danger of Unmortified Sin: Loss of Peace and Strength

In chapter 10 of John Owen's On Mortification of Sin, Owen discusses the manifold danger of unmortified sin.  One of the dangers is a loss of peace and strength all one's days.  Of this he says:
To have peace with God, to have strength to walk before God, is the sum of the great promises of the covenant of grace.  In these things is the life of our souls.  Without them in some comfortable measure, to live is to die.  What good will our lives do us if we see not the face of God sometimes in peace?  If we have not some strength to walk with him?  Now, both these will an unmortified lust certainly deprive the souls of men of.  This case is so evident in David, as that nothing can be more clear.  How often doth he complain that his bones were broken, his soul disquieted, his wounds grievous, on this account!  Take other instances: Isa. 57:17, 'For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth, and hid myself.'  What peace, I pray, is there to a soul while God hides himself, or strength whilst he smites? 
Hos. 5:15, 'I will go and return to my place, til they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face;'--'I will leave them, hide my face, and what will become of their strength?'  If ever, then, thou hast enjoyed peace with God, if ever his terrors have made thee afraid, if ever thou hast had strength to walk with him, ore ever hast mourned in they prayer, and been troubled because of they weakness, thin of this danger that hangs over they head.  It is perhaps but a little while and thou shallt see the face of God in peace no more.  Perhaps by tomorrow thou shalt not be able to pray, read, hear, or perform any duties with the least cheerfulness, life, or vigour; and possibly thou mayst never see a quiet hour whilst thou livest,--that thou may carry about thee broken bones, full of pain and terror, all the days of they life.  Yea, perhaps God will shoot his arrows at thee, and fill thee with anguish and disquietness, with fears and perplexities; make thee a terror and an astonishment to thyself and others; show thee hell and wrath every moment; frighten and scare thee with sad apprehensions of his hatred; so that thy sore shall run in the night season, and they soul shall refuse comfort; so that thou shalt wish death rather than life, yea, thy soul may choose strangling.  Consider this a little,--though God should not utterly destroy thee, yet he might cast thee into this condition, wherein thou shalt have quick and living apprehensions of thy destruction.  Wont they heart to thoughts hereof; let it know what is like to be the issue of its state.  Leave not this consideration until thou has made thy soul to tremble wthin thee (JO, Works, vol. 6, pp. 53-54).
This is why I read Owen.  Virtually no one today has this depth of pastoral insight, analysis, concern, and sobriety.

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