The fraud and manipulation, which abounds in the church under the pretence that it is the work of the Holy Spirit, make this book required reading. Things excellent in themselves and acknowledged by all Christians are often counterfeited; the more worthy any thing is, the more destructive is the abuse of it.
All believers must “try the spirits” because false prophets and false teachers deprive us of liberty. Some people claim to know the Spirit’s inward enlightenment, but the darkness of Satan fills their imaginations. This false light is of no use to the souls of men; it is in opposition to Christ and his work. The only way to tackle this is by giving a plain and scriptural account of the nature and work of the Holy Spirit.
His work did not end at Pentecost, otherwise all faith in Christ would have ceased, and Christianity also. The Spirit continues to work in the hearts of men, convicting of sin; producing godly sorrow and humility; regenerating and sanctifying; supplying grace and helping in prayer.
John Newton spoke of Owen’s work as, “An epitome, if not the masterpiece of his writings.” No one who cares about the church in the 21st century can afford to ignore this exhaustive guide.
This is a very lightly edited text with a new layout and is fully subtitled which makes it more accessible to a new generation of readers.
Endorsements
"Whenever I return to read Owen I find myself at least in part wondering why I spend time reading lesser things.
Part of the contemporary value of Owen's work lies in the way it gives us biblical teaching and principles that can be applied to what we observe in the life of the churches today. He provides the tools we need to be discerning Christians in an undiscerning world. In the pages that follow you will find yourself quarrying theological treasures, and spiritual and pastoral riches, from the Owen Goldmine."
Sinclair B. Ferguson Chancellor’s Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi
"I assert unhesitatingly that the man who wants to study experimental theology will find no books equal to those of Owen for complete scriptural and exhaustive treatment of the subjects they handle. If you wish to study thoroughly the doctrine of sanctification I make no apology for strongly recommending Owen on the Holy Spirit".
J. C. Ryle First Bishop of Liverpool (1816 - 1900)
I have read through parts of the works of Owen and it is hard work. Intellectually rigorous is the word that comes to mind. I love Owen for the thoughts that he makes me think and this book has been a pleasure to read. Some of the redundancy has been removed for sake of clarity. At first I thought a real man would read the original works, but after 100 pages of this book I disagree. This is very helpful as to the ease of reading, a great stepping stone to reading Owen. Now to the content of this particular topic, Owen has amazing insights into the person and work of God the Holy Spirit. Buy this book you will not regret it!
Amongst the best known of the Puritans, John Owen (1616-1683) was a profound and thought provoking pastor-theologian. His writings continue to be widely read and greatly appreciated to this day.
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