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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

John Owen on the Loveliness of Christ

I came across this beautiful passage in my reading today of John Owen's Treatise Of Communion with God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost (1657).  This short excerpt is found in the second part of the treatise where he is talking about the believer's communion with Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity:

Christ is:

Lovely in his person, — in the glorious all-sufficiency of his Deity,
gracious purity and holiness of his humanity, authority and majesty, love
and power.

Lovely in his birth and incarnation; when he was rich, for our sakes
becoming poor, — taking part of flesh and blood, because we partook of
the same; being made of a woman, that for us he might be made under the
law, even for our sakes.

Lovely in the whole course of his life, and the more than angelical holiness
and obedience which, in the depth of poverty and persecution, he exercised
therein; — doing good, receiving evil; blessing, and being cursed, reviled,
reproached, all his days.

Lovely in his death; yea, therein most lovely to sinners; — never more
glorious and desirable than when he came broken, dead, from the cross.
Then had he carried all our sins into a land of forgetfulness; then had
remade peace and reconciliation for us; then had he procured life and
immortality for us.

Lovely in his whole employment, in his great undertaking, — in his life,
death, resurrection, ascension; being a mediator between God and us, to
recover the glory of God’s justice, and to save our souls, — to bring us to
an enjoyment of God, who were set at such an infinite distance from him
by sin.

Lovely in the glory and majesty wherewith he is crowned. Now he is set
down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; where, though he be terrible
to his enemies, yet he is full of mercy, love, and compassion, towards his
beloved ones.

Lovely in all those supplies of grace and consolations, in all the
dispensations of his Holy Spirit, whereof his saints are made partakers.

Lovely in all the tender care, power, and wisdom, which he exercises in the
protection, safe-guarding, and delivery of his church and people, in the
midst of all the oppositions and persecutions whereunto they are exposed.

Lovely in all his ordinances, and the whole of that spiritually glorious
worship which he has appointed to his people, whereby they draw nigh and
have communion with him and his Father.

Lovely and glorious in the vengeance he taketh, and will finally execute,
upon the stubborn enemies of himself and his people.

Lovely in the pardon he has purchased and does dispense, — in the
reconciliation he has established, — in the grace he communicates, — in
the consolations he does administer, — in the peace and joy he gives his
saints, — in his assured preservation of them unto glory.

What shall I say? there is no end of his excellencies and desirableness; —
“He is altogether lovely. This is our beloved, and this is our friend, O
daughters of Jerusalem.”

1 comment:

  1. Merci John de nous partager ces écrits historiques riches en valeur théologique et de nous rappeler la beauté incomparable, indéniable, et inexprimable de notre Sauveur Adorable!

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