Owen: the covenant of forgiveness

Saturday, March 17, 2018
    Feast of Patrick, Bishop of Armagh, Missionary, Patron of Ireland, c.460
Meditation:
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
    and blot out all my iniquity.
    —Psalm 51:7-9 (NIV)
Quotation:
    God could, if I may so say, more easily have made a new world of innocent creatures, and have governed them by the old covenant, than have established this new one for the salvation of poor sinners; but then, where had been the glory of forgiveness? It could never have been known that there was forgiveness with Him. The old covenant could not have been preserved and sinners pardoned. Wherefore, God chose to leave the covenant than sinners unrelieved, than grace unexalted and pardon unexercised...
    Will we continue on the old bottom of the first covenant? All that we can do therein is but to set thorns and briars in the way of God, to secure ourselves from His coming against us and upon us with His indignation and fury. Our sins are so, and our righteousness is no better. And what will be the issue? Both they and we shall be trodden down, consumed, and burnt up. What way, then, what remedy is left unto us? Only this of layi ng hold on the arm and strength of God in that covenant wherein forgiveness of sin is provided.
    ... John Owen (1616-1683), An Exposition upon Psalm CXXX [1668], in Works of John Owen, v. VI, New York: R. Carter & Bros., 1851, p. 475 (see the book)
    See also Ps. 32:1-2; 51:7-9; 130:4; Isa. 27:2-5; Rom. 4:6-8; 1 John 2:1-2
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, I rest in Your strength. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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