# If You Could Only Buy One Volume of John Owen's Works, Which One Would You Buy?



## Backwoods Presbyterian (Aug 20, 2009)

And why?


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## rbcbob (Aug 20, 2009)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> And why?



Volume Six, _Of Sin and Temptation_. Because of a jealous concern for the health of my soul!


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## VictorBravo (Aug 20, 2009)

rbcbob said:


> Backwoods Presbyterian said:
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I immediately thought the same thing.

My wife often says, "my therapist died in 1683." This particular volume shows a greater insight into the problems of living, the plight of mankind, and the solutions to recovery (eternal and temporal) than the entire body of secular psychology.


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## FenderPriest (Aug 20, 2009)

rbcbob said:


> Backwoods Presbyterian said:
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I would agree, but offer Volume 1 - _The Glory of Christ_ as an important alternative. I have found that much of Owen's work on various topics, particularly his work on holiness and killing sin, all hang together for him (rightly) on the doctrine of the glory of Christ, the subject of V.1. I think Volume 1 gives somewhat more of a positive thrust in his teaching on holiness and the glory of Christ than his work in V.6 does; that is not to turn down V.6, but merely noting that one might say V.6 is the "put off" of holiness, and V.1 is the "how" of the "put on" of holiness. 

Since I own all of it (save his Latin work, and the editions by Peter Toon) I thankfully don't have to worry about this question! My advice: Save up and buy it all.


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## dr_parsley (Aug 20, 2009)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> And why?



Although 6 is clearly vital, the rest of volumes 1 to 7 can't be neglected. You can get all of Owen cheaply in good quality pdfs (and it also includes Calvin and Augustine) here John Owen Collection - AGES Library, Bringing the Words of the Wise to your Computer &hellip; Inexpensively either as a download or a CD.


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## fredtgreco (Aug 20, 2009)

Depends. For personal growth, Volume 6. For the teacher, Vole 3 for sure. Perhaps the best treatment of the most neglected subject in Reformed theology - the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.


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## Peairtach (Aug 20, 2009)

Where in his works does Owen discuss the reason(s) why God leaves regenerated men with the remains of sin within them, and does not wholly sanctify them at regeneration?


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## Theogenes (Aug 20, 2009)

There's no way that I would buy just one...and I didn't! I got em all. And BTW, that's like asking which one of your children would you like to keep...


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## FenderPriest (Aug 20, 2009)

Richard Tallach said:


> Where in his works does Owen discuss the reason(s) why God leaves regenerated men with the remains of sin within them, and does not wholly sanctify them at regeneration?



He discusses this in various parts of Volume 3, in the course of his works in Volume 6, and in one little section on Volume 7 (which I posted here if you're interested in reading it).


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## Pilgrim72 (Aug 20, 2009)

rbcbob said:


> Backwoods Presbyterian said:
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What a wonderful response. Thanks!


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## DonP (Aug 20, 2009)

Vol 6 - esp Mortification of Sin 

but I have them all and Hebrews 
and the 3 or 4" thick Biblical theology which I have not read yet. 

But of course the proper answer is : 

It would be poor stewardship to buy one since it is more expensive so you have to buy the entire set, well at least that is what I told my wife 33 years ago.


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## dannyhyde (Aug 20, 2009)

Just one volume? Are you serious? It's impossible to choose just one!

Anyways, volumes 3–4. These are really one treatise in nine books on the person and work of the Holy Spirit, Owen's great development of catholic and Calvinist pneumatology.


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Aug 20, 2009)

dr_parsley said:


> Backwoods Presbyterian said:
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Do you know if these are searchable PDFs or just scanned images?

AMR


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## Prufrock (Aug 20, 2009)

Ask Mr. Religion said:


> dr_parsley said:
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Searchable.


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## Prufrock (Aug 20, 2009)

Ask Mr. Religion said:


> dr_parsley said:
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Searchable. 


As long as I am at it, I'll cast my vote for volume 10 (although the volumes on the Spirit are hard to pass up, as are the Hebrews volumes, the "practical works," his Vindiciae -- pretty much each volume...) But in volume 10, you get to witness his profound interaction with both Twisse and Rutherford in his _Dissertation_, and the acute scholastic subtlety of his interaction with Baxter in _The Death of Christ_. Add to this that famous work _The Death of Death in the Death of Christ_, and his _Display of Arminianism_ (which, if used in conjunction with Du Moulin's work on the same subject provides quite a little theological education in itself), and you have one useful volume.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Aug 20, 2009)

Thanks for all the great advice as usual guys. I only have the funds to buy one and I really wanted to read Owen in hardback.


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## py3ak (Aug 20, 2009)

If you can only buy one now, it makes most sense to me to buy the _Biblical Theology_, because that isn't part of the set. Plus, it contains the work which Owen himself described as his most important.


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