John Owen Quotes (28 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.

    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.

    Some relate ... that the eagle tries the eyes of her young by turning them to the sun which if they cannot look steadily on, she rejects them as spurious. We may truly try our faith by immediate intuitions of the Sun of Righteousness. Direct faith to act itself, immediately and directly on the incarnation of Christ and His mediation and if it be not the right kind and race, it will turn its eyes aside to anything else.

    We expect to report an operating margin between 2 percent and 4 percent, and that should bring us to a net loss for the full year. And for full-year, we are using an assumed fuel price of 1.92 (for a gallon of jet fuel). So, basically, 1.92 in the first quarter and an average of about 2 for each of the remaining three quarters.

    Since we're not making money, I think there is skepticism that is out there and it is legitimate skepticism.


    Temptation is like a knife, that may either cut the meat or the throat of a man; it may be his food or his poison, his exercise or his destruction.

    All thing I thought I knew; but now confess, the more I know I know, I know the less.

    It is not the distance of the earth from the sun, nor the sun's withdrawing itself, that makes a dark and gloomy day but the interposition of clouds and vaporous exhalations. Neither is thy soul beyond the reach of the promise, nor does God withdraw Himself but the vapours of thy carnal, unbelieving heart do cloud thee.

    Faith, if it be a living faith, will be a working faith.

    There is a state of perfect peace with God which can be attained under imperfect obedience.

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

    All other ways of mortification are vain, all helps leave us helpless, it must be done by the Spirit.

    We are not doing this willingly, but the trouble is we are all limited companies and have to make a profit.

    In the divine Scriptures, there are shallows and there are deeps; shallows where the lamb may wade, and deeps where the elephant may swim.

    I wish thy lot, now bad, still worse, my friend, for when at worst, they say, things always mend.

    We've gone from being a big small company to a small big company,

    When sin lets us alone we may let sin alone but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still, so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times and in al

    After hearing the evidence, I will record a verdict of natural causes.

    Leanness of body and soul may go together.

    We admit no faith to be justifying, which is not itself and in its own nature a spiritually vital principle of obedience and good works

    Faith is the leading grace in all our spiritual warfare and conflict but all along, while we live, it hath faithful company that adheres to it and helps it. Love works, and hope works, and all other graces self-denial, readiness to the cross they all work and help faith. Yet when we come to die, faith is left alone. Now, try what faith will do. Not to be surprised with any thing is the substance of human wisdom not to be surprised with death is a great part of the substance of our spiritual wisdom.

    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.

    We are never nearer Christ than when we find ourselves lost in a holy amazement at His unspeakable love.

    The vigor and power and comfort of our spiritual life depends on our mortification of deeds of the flesh.

    I do not know a warning that I judge more necessary to be given to those who are called this day, than to charge them not to trade too much with their natural gifts, and abilities, and learning. These are talents in their kind but it is the Spirit that must manage all that learning they have, or it will prejudice them, and you also. I have known some good men who have been so addicted to their study, that they have thought the last day of the week sufficient to prepare for their ministry, though they employ all the rest of the week in other studies. But your business is to trade with your spiritual abilities.... A man may preach a very good sermon, who is otherwise himself but he will never make a good minister of Jesus Christ, whose mind and heart are not always in the work. Spiritual gifts will require continual ruminating on the things of the Gospel in our minds.

    You have your season, and you have but your season neither can you lie down in peace, until you have some persuasion that your work as well as your life is at an end.

    The custom of sinning takes away the sense of it, the course of the world takes away the shame of it.

    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.


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