Top 180 John Owen Quotes (2025 Update)
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151. “The stronghold of the contemplation of Christ’s glory affords the soul rest, for it will be made evident that our troubles grow on the root of an over-valuation of temporal things. The mind is its own greatest troubler.”

— John Owen

152. “I did not hear what I should have listened to.”

— John Owen

153. “The pretended desires of many to behold the glory of Christ in heaven, who have no view of it by faith while they are here in this world, are nothing but self-deceiving imaginations.”

— John Owen

154. “He can make the dry parched ground of my soul to become a pool and my thirsty barren heart as springs of water. Yes he can make this habitation of dragons this heart which is so full of abominable lusts and fiery temptations to be a place of bounty and fruitfulness unto Himself.”

— John Owen

155. “Ignorance of God and of ourselves is the great principle and cause of all our disquietments; and, this ariseth mostly not from want of light and instruction, but for want of consideration and application.”

— John Owen

156. “Let, then, the word be preached, and the sins of men will be rebuked, lust will be restrained, and some oppositions will be made against sin, though that be not the effect aimed at.”

— John Owen

157. “He that is more frequent in his pulpit to his people than he is in his closet for his people, is but a sorry watchman.”

— John Owen

158. “Reader, if thou intendest to go any farther, I would entreat thee to stay here a little. If thou art, as many in this pretending age, a sign or title gazer, and comest into books as Cato into the theatre, to go out again, – thou hast had thy entertainment; farewell!”

— John Owen

159. “He works in us and with us, not against us or without us; so that his assistance is an encouragement to the facilitating of the work, and no occasion of neglect as to the work itself.”

— John Owen

160. “If our principal treasure be as we profess, in things spiritual and heavenly, and woe unto us if it be not so! on them will our affections, and consequently our desires and thoughts, be principally fixed.”

— John Owen

161. “Let faith look on Christ in the gospel as he is set forth dying and crucified for us. Look on him under the weight43 of our sins, praying, bleeding, dying; bring him in that condition into thy heart by faith; apply his blood so shed to thy corruptions: do this daily.”

— John Owen

162. “There is no way of deliverance from the state and condition of being in the flesh, but by the Spirit of Christ.”

— John Owen

163. “It is often those who are despised and trampled on that bear up the weight of a whole nation.”

— John Owen

164. “There neither is, nor ever was, in the world, nor ever shall be, the least dram of holiness, but what, flowing from Jesus Christ, is communicated by the Spirit, according to the truth and promise of the gospel.”

— John Owen

165. “All other ways of mortification are vain, all helps leave us helpless; it must be done by the Spirit.”

— John Owen

166. “All spiritual acts well-pleasing unto God, as faith, repentance, obedience, are supernatural; flesh and blood revealeth not these things.”

— John Owen

167. “There is not a day but sin foils or is foiled, prevails or is prevailed on; and it will be so whilst we live in this world.”

— John Owen

168. “Christ so loves his people that he sings with joy over them.”

— John Owen

169. “Arminians pretend, very speciously, that Christ died for all men, yet, in effect, they make him die for no one man at all.”

— John Owen

170. “I wish thy lot, now bad, still worse, my friend, for when at worst, they say, things always mend.”

— John Owen

171. “He that loves works out good to those that he loves, as he is able. God’s power and will are equal; what He wills He works.”

— John Owen

172. “But whatever dismal appearance of things there may be in the world, we need not fear the ruin of the church by the most bloody oppositions. Former experiences will give security against future events. It is built on the rock, and those gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

— John Owen

173. “If we believe not with faith divine and supernatural, we believe not at all.”

— John Owen

174. “The use of means for the obtaining of peace is ours; the bestowing of it is God’s prerogative.”

— John Owen

175. “The least grace is a better security for heaven than the greatest gifts or privileges whatsoever.”

— John Owen

176. “What do we want? What would we be at? What do our souls desire? Is it not that we might have a more full, clear, stable comprehension of the wisdom, love, grace, goodness, holiness, righteousness, and power of God, as declared and exalted in Christ unto our redemption and eternal salvation?”

— John Owen

177. “This day was yesterday to-morrow nam’d: To-morrow shall be yesterday proclaimed: To-morrow not yet come, not far away, What shall to-morrow then be call’d? To-day.”

— John Owen

178. “We are taught in an especial manner to pray that God would give his Holy Spirit unto us, that through his aid and assistance we may live unto God in that holy obedience which he requires at our hands.”

— John Owen

179. “Pardon comes not to the soul alone; or rather, Christ comes not to the soul with pardon only! It is that which He opens the door and enters by, but He comes with a Spirit of life and power.”

— John Owen

180. “Consider that it is not failing in this or that attempt to come to Christ, but a giving-over of your endeavors, that will be your ruin.”

— John Owen

181. “As among all the doctrines of the gospel, there is none opposed with more violence and subtlety than that concerning our regeneration by the immediate, powerful, effectual operation of the Holy Spirit of grace.”

— John Owen

182. “The death of Christ is their meritorious cause; the Spirit of God and his effectual grace their efficient, working instrumentally with power by the word and ordinances.”

— John Owen

183. “And, therefore, seeing he doth not intercede and pray for every one, he did not die for every one.”

— John Owen

184. “The real view that we may have of Christ and His glory in this world comes through faith in the divine revelation of Scripture.”

— John Owen

185. “And truly, for sinners to have fellowship with God, the infinitely holy God, is an astonishing dispensation.9.”

— John Owen

186. “Killing sin is the work of the Holy Spirit. By Him alone is it to be done and by no other power will it ever be done.” Trying to kill sin and behave morally through personal strength and efforts using personal tools and techniques is the foundation of all the false religion in the world.”

— John Owen