John Owen on the Mortification of Sin
In 1656, a Puritan theologian named John Owen wrote a book called The Mortification of Sin. On Sunday, we talked about the extent and seriousness of sin, and how to fight it as a believer. These are Owen’s 9 summary prescriptions for mortifying (killing) sin in your life:
1. Consider the symptoms that accompany a lust.
2. Get a clear and abiding sense upon your mind and conscience of the guilt, danger, and evil of the sin with which you are troubled.
3. Charge your conscience with the guilt of indwelling sin.
4. Seek a constant longing and thirsting to be delivered from the power of sin.
5. Consider whether the trouble that you are perplexed with is related to your particular make-up and nature.
6. Consider what occasions your sin has taken advantage of to exert itself in the past, and watch carefully at such times.
7. Rise mightily against the first sign of sin!
8. We need to be exercised with such meditations as will fill us at
all times with self-abasement and thoughts of our own vileness.
9. When God stirs your heart about the guilt of your sin, concerning either its root and indwelling, or its breaking out, be careful you do not speak peace to yourself before God speaks it. Listen carefully to what he says to your soul.
