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A53720 Pneumatologia, or, A discourse concerning the Holy Spirit wherein an account is given of his name, nature, personality, dispensation, operations, and effects : his whole work in the old and new creation is explained, the doctrine concering it vindicated from oppositions and reproaches : the nature also and necessity of Gospel-holiness the difference between grace and morality, or a spiritual life unto God in evangelical obedience and a course of moral vertues, are stated and declared / by John Owen ... Owen, John, 1616-1683. 1676 (1676) Wing O793; ESTC R16093 721,250 620

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there is a vertue and Efficacy in the Death of Christ unto this purpose cannot be denyed without a Renuntiation of all the Benefits thereof On the one hand the Scripture tells us that he is our Life our Spiritual Life the Spring Fountain and Cause of it we have nothing therefore that belongs thereunto but what is derived from him They cast themselves out of the verge of Christianity who suppose that the Lord Christ is no otherwise our Life or the Authour of Life unto us but as he hath revealed and taught the way of Life unto us He is our Life as he is our Head And it would be a sorry Head that should onely teach the feet to go and not communicate strength to the whole Body so to doe And that we have real influences of Life from Christ I have sufficiently proved before Unto our spiritual Life doth ensue the Death of sin for this on the other hand is peculiarly assigned unto his Death in the Testimonies before produced This therefore is by vertue derived from Christ That is in an especial manner from his Death as the Scripture testifies Sect. 35 All the Enquiry is How the Death of Christ is applyed unto us or which is the same How we apply our selves to the Death of Christ for this purpose And I answer We do it two wayes 1 By Faith The way to derive Vertue from Christ is by touching of him So the diseased Woman in the Gospel touched but the Hemme of his Garment and Vertue went forth from him to stay her Bloody Issue Math. 9. 22. It was not her Touching him outwardly but her Faith which she acted then and thereby that derived Vertue from him For so our Saviour tells her in his Answer Daughter be of good Comfort thy Faith hath made thee whole But unto what End was this touching of his Garment It was only a Pledge and Token of the particular Application of the healing Power of Christ unto her Soul or her Faith in him in particular for that End For at the same time many thronged upon him in a presse so as his Disciples marvelled he should ask who touched his Cloaths Mark 5. 30 31. yet was not any of them advantaged but the poor sick Woman A great Emblem it is of common Profession on the one hand and especial Faith on the other Multitudes presse and throng about Christ in a Profession of Faith and Obedience and in the real performance of many Duties but no Vertue goeth forth from Christ to heal them But when any one though poor though seemingly at a distance gets but the least touch of him by especial Faith this Soul is healed This is our Way with respect unto the Mortification of Sin The Scripture assures us that there is Vertue and Efficacy in the Death of Christ unto that End The Means whereby we derive this Vertue from him is by Touching of him that is by Acting Faith on him in his Death for the Death of Sin Sect. 36 But how will this effect it how will sin be mortified hereby I say how by what Power and Vertue were they healed in the Wilderness who looked unto the Brazen Serpent was it not because that was an Ordinance of God which by his Almighty Power he made effectual unto that purpose The Death of Christ being so as to the Crucifying of sin when it is looked on or applyed unto by Faith shall not Divine Vertue and Power go forth unto that End The Scripture and Experience of all Believers give Testimony unto the Truth and Reality thereof Besides Faith it self as acted on the Death of Christ hath a peculiar Efficacy unto the subduing of sin for beholding him thereby as in a Glass we are changed into the same Image 1 Cor. 3. 18. And that which we peculiarly behold we are peculiarly transformed into the Likeness of And moreover it is the only Means whereby we Actually derive from Christ the Benefits of our Vnion with him from thence we have all Grace or there is no such thing in the World And the Communication of it unto us is in and by the Actual Exercise of Faith principally So it being acted with respect unto his Death we have Grace for the Killing of sin and thereby become dead with him Crucified with him Buryed with him as in the Testimonies before produced This is that which we call the Application of the Death of Christ unto us or our Application of our selves to the Death of Christ for the Mortification of sin And they by whom this Means thereof is despised or neglected who are ignorant of it or do Blaspheme it must live under the Power of sin unto what Inventions soever they turn themselves for Deliverance According as we abide and abound herein will be our success Those who are careless and remiss in the Exercise of Faith by Prayer and Meditation in the Way described will find that Sin will keep its ground and maintain so much Power in them as shall issue in their perpetual Trouble And men who are much conversant with the Death of Christ not in Notions and Lifeless Speculations not in Natural or Carnal Affections like those which are raised in weak Persons by Images and Crucifixes but by holy Actings of Faith with respect unto what is declared in the Scripture as to its Power and Efficacy will be implanted into the Likeness of it and experience the Death of sin in them continually Sect. 37 2 We do it by Love Christ as Crucified is the great Object of our Love or should so be For he is therein unto sinners altogether Lovely Hence one of the Ancients cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Love is crucified and why doe I stay behind In the Death of Christ do his Love his Grace his Condescension most gloriously shine forth We may therefore consider three things with respect unto this Love 1 The Object of it 2 The Means of the Representation of that Object unto our Minds and Affections 3 The Effects of it as to the Case in hand The Object of it is Christ himself in his unsearchable Grace his unspeakable Love his infinite Condescension his patient Suffering and victorious Power in his Death or dying for us It is not his Death absolutely but himself as all these Graces conspicuously shine forth in his Death which is intended And there are various Wayes whereby this may be represented unto our Minds Sect. 38 1 Men may doe it unto themselves by their own Imaginations They may frame and fancy dolorous things unto themselves about it which is the way of Persons under deep and devout Superstitions But no Love in sincerity will ever be ingenerated towards Jesus Christ hereby 2 It may be done by others in pathetical and tragical Declarations of the Outward part of Christs sufferings Herein some have a great faculty to work upon the Natural Affections of their Auditors And great Passions accompanyed with Tears and Vows may be so excited