Some things

Nothing in May...eh. Sorry it was a busy month. Here are some brilliant thoughts from John Owen, dealing with the forsaking of what he always calls "true religion."

The great design of the generality of men is, to live in sin with as little trouble at present and as little fear of what is future, as they can arrive unto. And there are but two ways whereby such a posture of mind may be attempted.

The one is by obliterating all notions of good and evil, all sense of future rewards and punishments, or of God's government in the world...But God hath inlaid the minds of men, antecedently unto all actings of their wills and affections, with such a tenacious and unanswerable witness to the contrary, that it is very difficult for any to bring themselves unto any tolerable satisfaction this way.

Another way, therefore, must be found out unto the same end, and this must be by a religion Nothing but religion can convert men from sin, and nothing but religion can secure them therein [that is, can give them security in their sin...Owen is contrasting the two results of religion].

Sin and conscience are stubborn in their conflict whilst immediately opposed, conscience pleading that there should be no sin and sin contending that there may be no conscience; but, as nature is corrupted, they will both comply with an accommodation. Wherefore a device to satisfy sin and to deceive conscience will not fail of a ready entertainment; and this is the design in part or in whole of every false way in religion that men apostatize unto from the purity and simplicity of the gospel.