Why post a lengthy excerpt from 17th century puritan John Owen’s Mortification of Sin in Believers?

Since getting John Owen’s complete works for Christmas, I have been reading as much Owen as I can—and I can’t get enough. We would all do well to read more Owen. (Also, I am very grateful Banner of Truth has made such beautiful and consequential volumes available to the church.)

I read the paragraphs below last night, and I believe these words have something to contribute to contemporary conversations surrounding sexuality—specifically disordered sexual desires (both homosexual and heterosexual lusts), especially since conversations about orientation and sin often revolve around nature and constitution.

Also, not directly related, but coincidentally embedded in this same section, John Owen’s words in his fifth direction, point 3. and sub-points (1.) and (2.), could help frame the current conversation around believers and bodily discipline in a more helpful way.

A bit of context: After giving general rules regarding mortification of sin, John Owen addresses the soul of the believer and gives particular directions “for its guidance under the sense of a disquieting lust or distemper.” The following paragraphs are the fifth, sixth, and seventh directions that Owen recommends for fighting indwelling sin and lust. I have taken the liberty to put in bold some sentences to which I would want to draw the hurried reader’s attention:

The FIFTH direction is,—

Consider whether the distemper with which thou art perplexed be not rooted in your nature, and cherished, fomented, and heightened from thy constitution. A proneness to some sins may doubtless lie in the natural temper and disposition of men. In this case consider,—

1. This is not in the least an extenuation of the guilt of thy sin. Some, with an open profaneness, will ascribe gross enormities to their temper and disposition; and whether others may not relieve themselves from the pressing guilt of their distempers by the same consideration, I know not. It is from the fall, from the original depravation of our natures, that the fomes and nourishment of any sin abides in our natural temper. David reckons his being shapen in iniquity and conception in sin as an aggravation of his following sin, not a lessening or extenuation of it. That thou art peculiarly inclined unto any sinful distemper is but a peculiar breaking out of original lust in thy nature, which should peculiarly abase and humble thee.

2. That you have to fix upon on this account, in reference to your walking with God, is, that so great an advantage is given to sin, as also to Satan, by this your temper and disposition, that without extraordinary watchfulness, care, and diligence, they will assuredly prevail against thy soul. Thousands have been on this account hurried headlong to hell, who otherwise, at least, might have gone at a more gentle, less provoking, less mischievous rate.

3. For the mortification of any distemper so rooted in the nature of a man, unto all other ways and means already named or further to be insisted on, there is one expedient peculiarly suited; this is that of the apostle, 1 Cor. ix. 27, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.” The bringing of the very body into subjection is an ordinance of God tending to the mortification of sin. This gives check unto the natural root of the distemper and withers it by taking away its fatness of soil. Perhaps, because the Papists, men ignorant of the righteousness of Christ, the work of his Spirit, and whole business in hand, have laid the whole weight and stress of mortification in voluntary services and penances, leading to the subjection of the body, knowing indeed the true nature neither of sin nor mortification, it may, on the other side, be a temptation to some to neglect some means of humiliation which by God himself are owned and appointed. The bringing of the body into subjection in the case insisted on, by cutting short the natural appetite, by fasting, watching, and the like, is doubtless acceptable to God, so it be done with the ensuing limitations:—

(1.) The outward weakening and impairing of the body should not be looked upon as a thing good in itself, or that any mortification does consist therein,—which were again to bring us under carnal ordinances; but only as a means for the end proposed,—the weakening of any distemper in its natural root and seat. A man may have leanness of body and soul together.

(2.) The means whereby this is done,—namely, by fasting and watching, and the like,—be not looked on as things that in themselves, and by virtue of their own power, can produce true mortification of any sin; for if they would, sin might be mortified without any help of the Spirit in any unregenerate person in the world. They are to be looked on only as ways whereby the Spirit may, and sometimes does, put forth strength for the accomplishing of his own work, especially in the case mentioned. Want of a right understanding and due improvement of these and the like considerations has raised a mortification among the Papists that may be better applied to horses and other beasts of the field than to believers.

This is the sum of what has been spoken: When the distemper complained of seems to be rooted in the natural temper and constitution, in applying our souls to a participation of the blood and Spirit of Christ, an endeavor is to be used to give check in the way of God to the natural root of that distemper.

The SIXTH direction is,—

Consider what occasions, what advantages thy distemper has taken to exert and put forth itself, and watch against them all.

This is one part of that duty which our blessed Savior recommends to his disciples under the name of watching: Mark xiii. 37, “I say unto you all, Watch;” which, in Luke xxi. 34, is: “Take heed lest your hearts be overcharged.”

Watch against all eruptions of your corruptions. I mean that duty which David professed himself to be exercised unto. “I have,” saith he, “kept myself from mine iniquity.” He watched all the ways and workings of his iniquity, to prevent them, to rise up against them. This is that which we are called unto under the name of “considering our ways.” Consider what ways, what companies, what opportunities, what studies, what businesses, what conditions, have at any time given, or do usually give, advantages to thy distempers, and set thyself heedfully against them all. Men will do this with respect unto their bodily infirmities and distempers. The seasons, the diet, the air that have proved offensive shall be avoided. Are the things of the soul of less importance? Know that he that dares to dally with occasions of sin will dare to sin. He that will venture upon temptations unto wickedness will venture upon wickedness. Hazael thought he should not be so wicked as the prophet told him he would be. To convince him, the prophet tells him no more but, “Thou shalt be king of Syria.” If he will venture on temptations unto cruelty, he will be cruel. Tell a man he shall commit such and such sins, he will startle at it. If you can convince him that he will venture on such occasions and temptations of them, he will have little ground left for his confidence. Particular directions belonging to this head are many, not now to be insisted on. But because this head is of no less importance than the whole doctrine here handled, I have at large in another treatise, about entering into temptations, treated of it.

The SEVENTH direction is,—

Rise mightily against the first actings of your distemper, its first conceptions; suffer it not to get the least ground. Do not say, “Thus far it shall go, and no farther.” If it have allowance for one step, it will take another. It is impossible to fix bounds to sin. It is like water in a channel,— if it once break out, it will have its course. Its not acting is easier to be compassed than its bounding. Therefore doth James give that gradation and process of lust, chap. i. 14, 15, that we may stop at the entrance. Dost thou find thy corruption to begin to entangle thy thoughts? rise up with all thy strength against it, with no less indignation than if it had fully accomplished what it aims at. Consider what an unclean thought would have; it would have thee roll thyself in folly and filth. Ask envy what it would have;—murder and destruction is at the end of it. Set thyself against it with no less vigour than if it had utterly debased thee to wickedness. Without this course thou wilt not prevail. As sin gets ground in the affections to delight in, it gets also upon the understanding to slight it.

John Owen, Mortification of Sin in Believers, vol. 2 of The Works of John Owen, ed. by William H. Goold. (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1965), 60–62.