The Works of John Owen, D.D.

THE

WORKS

JOHN OWEN, D. D.

EDITED

BY THE REV. WILLIAM H. GOOLD,

EDINBURGH.

VOL. VII.

QVÆRAMVS

SVPERNA

JOHNSTONE AND HUNTER,

LONDON AND EDINBURGH.

M.DCCC.LII.

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I.-The nature of apostasy from the gospel declared, in an exposition of Heb.

vi. 4-6,

IL-Partial apostasy from the gospel-Pretences of the church of Rome against

the charge of this evil examined and rejected,

III-Apostasy from the mystery, truth, or doctrine of the gospel-Proneness

of persons and churches thereunto-Proved by all sorts of instances,

IV. The reasons and causes of apostasy from the truth or doctrine of the gos-

pel, and the inclination of all sorts of persons thereunto in all ages, in-

quired into and declared-Uncured enmity in the minds of many against

spiritual things, and the effects of it in a wicked conversation, the first

cause of apostasy,

V.-Darkness and ignorance another cause of apostasy,

VI.-Pride and vanity of mind, sloth and negligence, love of the world, causes

of apostasy-The work of Satan and judgments of God in this matter,

VII.-Instance of a peculiar defection from the truth of the gospel; with the rea-

sons of it,

VIII.-Apostasy from the holiness of the gospel; the occasion and cause of it-Of

that which is gradual, on the pretence of somewhat else in its room,

IX.-Apostasy into profaneness and sensuality of life-The causes and occa-

sions of it-Defects in public teachers and guides in religion,

X.-Other causes and occasions of the decay of holiness,

XI.-Apostasy from evangelical worship,

XII.-Inferences from the foregoing discourses-The present danger of all sorts
of persons, in the prevalency of apostasy from the truth and decays in
the practice of evangelical holiness,

XIII.-Directions to avoid the power of a prevailing apostasy,

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241

II.-A particular account of the nature of this grace and duty of being spiri-

tually minded-How it is stated in and evidenced by our thoughts, .

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III.-Outward means and occasions of such thoughts of spiritual things as do

not prove men to be spiritually minded-Preaching of the word-Exer-

cise of gifts-Prayer-How we may know whether our thoughts of spi-

ritual things in prayer are truly spiritual thoughts, proving us to be

spiritually minded,

IV. Other evidences of thoughts about spiritual things arising from an inter-

nal principle of grace, whereby they are an evidence of our being spiri-

tually minded-The abounding of these thoughts, how far, and wherein,

such an evidence, .

V.-The objects of spiritual thoughts, or what they are conversant about;

evidencing them in whom they are to be spiritually minded-Rules

directing unto steadiness in the contemplation of heavenly things-

Motives to fix our thoughts with steadiness on them, .

VI.-Directions unto the exercise of our thoughts on things above, things future,

invisible, and eternal; on God himself; with the difficulties of it, and

oppositions unto it, and the way of their removal-Right notions of

future glory stated,

VII.-Especial objects of spiritual thoughts on the glorious state of heaven, and

what belongs thereunto-First, of Christ himself-Thoughts of heavenly

glory in opposition unto thoughts of eternal misery-The use of such

thoughts-Advantage in sufferings,

VIII.-Spiritual thoughts of God himself-The opposition unto them and neglect

of them, with their causes and the way of their prevalency-Predomi-

nant corruptions expelling due thoughts of God, how to be discovered,

eto -Thoughts of God, of what nature, and what they are to be accom-

panied withal, etc.,

IX.-What of God or in God we are to think and meditate upon-His being-

Reasons of it: oppositions to it; the way of their conquest-Thoughts

of the omnipresence and omniscience of God peculiarly necessary- The

reasons hereof-As also of his omnipotence-The use and benefit of such

thoughts,

X.-Sundry things tendered unto such as complain that, they know not how,

they are not able to abide in holy thoughts of God and spiritual or hea-

venly things, for their relief, instruction, and direction-Rules concern-

ing stated spiritual meditation,

XI. The seat of spiritual mindedness in the affections-The nature and use of

them-The ways and means used by God himself to call the affections

of men from the world,

XII.-What is required in and unto our affections that they may be spiritual-

A threefold work on the affections described,

XIII. The work of the renovation of our affections-How differenced from any

other impression on or change wrought in them; and how it is evi-

denced so to be-The 1st instance, in the universality accompanying

of affections spiritually renewed-The order of the exercise of our affec-

tions.ith respect unto their objects,

XIV.-The second difference between affections spiritually renewed and those

which have been only changed by light and conviction-Grounds and

reasons of men's delight in duties of divine worship, and of their dili-

gence in their performance, whose minds are not spiritually renewed,

XV.-Delight of believers in the holy institutions of divine worship-The

grounds and reasons thereof-The evidence of being spiritually minded

thereby, etc.,

XVI.—Assimilation unto things heavenly and spiritual in affections spiritually

renewed-This assimilation the work of faith; how, and whereby-

Reasons of the want of growth in our spiritual affections as unto this

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