Originally posted by Scott
How is Owen's Mortitifcation book? I am thinking about picking that up.
It is excellent. I'm only yet in Chapter 3, but there is so much for the Christian's life packed into every part. Chapter 1 is essentially a brief exegesis (and
some application) of Romans 8:13, and in considering just that verse, it addresses the
certainty of the promised link between mortification and life, the means-end nature of that promise as opposed to a cause-effect link, it being promised only to those in Christ and the danger to the Gospel of trying to apply it otherwise, the Spirit's necessary work in the process, the essence of the flesh, how that relates to, is rooted in, and applies to the "deeds" of the flesh, and what it really means to mortify it. And that's just Chapter 1!
In addition to Owen's pastoral wisdom and application, his wit and his deep grasp of sound theology, and his extensiveness and directness of logical explanation, what really gives the book so much life-giving meat is the vast amount of Scripture that constantly permeates every page, and fully governs, guides, tempers and elaborates on his entire discourse and all of his particular points.
Owen said in the prefaratory note to the reader that the work was the result of his promise to some people to make a treatise on
communion with God, and since he had not yet written that work, he figured he would at least give the people a work on
variance with themselves. And for taking up anew and always continuing that essential and rewarding part of our lives in Christ, I could hardly recommend the work more highly from what I have read so far.
Have you read any of Owen's other works yet? For me, this is the first one.
