The Foundation of Communion With God (John Owen)

The Foundation of Communion with God

The Trinitarian Piety of John Owen

Introduces readers to the deeply Trinitarian theology and holiness of John Owen (1616–1683). Ryan McGraw’s sketches the major events of this important theologian’s life and shows how his circumstances shaped his thought on the themes of the Trinity and public worship.

The second part of the book presents 41 brief selections from Owen’s writings that trace his thoughts on knowing God as triune, on Scripture and worship, on heavenly-mindedness, and on covenant and the church. Appendixes provide readers with a chronological list of Owen’s writings and a guide to them for those who wish to delve deeper into this great theologian’s thoughts.

Table of Contents

Section One: Knowing God as Triune

1. Experimental Theology
2. Communion with God
3. How we Communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
4. Communion with the Father in Love
5. Communion with Christ in Personal Grace
6. Communion with Christ in Spiritual Desertion
7. Communion with Christ in Purchased Grace
8. Communion with Christ in Holiness
9. Communion with Christ and Mortifying Sin
10. Communion with Christ in Adoption
11. Nine Marks of Communion with the Holy Spirit
12. Without the Spirit we May as well Burn our Bibles

Section Two: Public Worship and Scripture

13. A Heavenly Directory for Worship
14. Worshiping the Father
15. Worshiping through Jesus Christ
16. Images of Christ
17. Worshiping by the Holy Spirit
18. A Few Simple Ceremonies
19. The Main Design of the Second Commandment
20. Forced into a Howling wilderness

Section Three: Heavenly Mindedness and Apostasy

21. Gospel Faith and Gospel Worship go Together
22. A Spiritually Thriving Christian
23. The Danger of Pride in Biblical Worship
24. Misplaced Trust in External Duties
25. Fortifying the Soul against Christ
26. Losing the Power of Religion in our Hearts
27. Faith, Love, and Delighting in God
28. Means of Communicating Divine Love
29. The Means of Grace
30. The Principal End of All Duties of Religion

Section Four: Covenant and Church

31. The Chief Glory of new Covenant Worship
32. The Great Gift of the New Testament
33. The Glory of Spiritual Worship
34. The Internal Beauty of New Covenant Worship
35. Benedictions
36. Ministers as Benedictions
37. How to obtain the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
38. The Minister’s Experience in Preaching
39. The People’s Experience in Preaching
40. Communion with Christ in the Lord’s Supper
41. The Sabbath as a Pledge of Communion with God in Heaven

About the Editor

Ryan M. McGraw is pastor of First Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sunnyvale, California; research associate, university of the Free State; adjunct professor of systematic theology, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Endorsements

“Imagine being invited to a feast prepared by a great chef, but you have no experience with exquisite foods. Now, someone trained in the culinary arts wants you to appreciate what is before you. He explains the various dishes and then brings you a sample of each to whet your appetite. By the end, you are satisfied, yet hungry for more. This is what we have here, thanks to Ryan McGraw, who has ably introduced and edited this anthology of insights from John Owen’s many volumes. Prepare to be fed by master chef Owen and by your guide McGraw. Enjoy.”
— Kelly M. Kapic, author of Communion with God: The Divine and Human in the Theology of John Owen

“If the very sight of a single six-hundred-page volume of John Owen’s Works is daunting or produces a sense of (false) guilt because page-long paragraphs discourage you, then here is the book for you— ‘bite-size’ Owen without being ‘Owen-light.’ Dr Ryan McGraw proves to be one of the best kinds of experts (he is one on John Owen): he shows us the heart of the matter. In the case of these pages that means both edification and pleasure rolled into one.”
— Sinclair B. Ferguson, author of John Owen on the Christian Life