By John Owen
A sin is not mortified when it is only diverted.
He that is appointed to kill an enemy, if he leave striking before the other ceases living, doth but half his work.
The Comforter may always abide with us, though not always comfort us; he who is the Comforter may abide, though he do not always that work. For other ends and purposes he is always with us; as to sanctify and make us holy.
All other ways of mortification are vain, all helps leave us helpless; it must be done by the Spirit.
Christ is exceedingly delighted in tasting of the sweet fruits of the Spirit in the saints.
The presence of the Holy Ghost with believers as a comforter, sent by Christ for those ends and purposes for which he is promised, is better and more profitable for believers than any corporeal presence of Christ can be, now he hath fulfilled the one sacrifice for sin which he was to offer.
When a lust hath lain long in the heart, corrupting, festering, cankering, it brings the soul to a woful condition.
Christ comes in with his embraces when the soul faints with love and spiritual longings.
The grace exhibited by Christ in his ordinances is refreshing, strengthening, comforting, and full of sweetness to the souls of the saints.
He works upon our understandings, wills, consciences, and affections, agreeably to their own natures; he works in us and with us, not against us or without us; so that his assistance is an encouragement as to the facilitating of the work, and no occasion of neglect as to the work itself.
Consider what ways, what companies, what opportunities, what studies, what businesses, what conditions, have at any time given, or do usually give, advantages to thy distempers, and set thyself heedfully against them all.
For sinners to have fellowship with God, the infinitely holy God, is an astonishing dispensation.
Our communion, then, with God consisteth in his communication of himself unto us, with our returnal unto him of that which he requireth and accepteth, flowing from that union which in Jesus Christ we have with him.
Sin doth not only still abide in us, but is still acting, still labouring to bring forth the deeds of the flesh.
In such a case an ordinary course of humiliation will not do the work: whatever it be, it will by this means insinuate itself more or less into all the faculties of the soul, and habituate the affections to its company and society.
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