Here’s a much longer than two of my previous posts calling attention to the great English theologian John Owen whoch provides a thorough look at the life of John Owen by Pastor and poet John Piper which gets to the heart of the man John Owen as only Piper can.
Highly recommended as we explore God’s Library and introduce you to the historical minds of the Christian world who mine the depths of Scripture as few are able to do and bring forth gems of inestimable value according the promise of God that ‘He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Me.’ We are wise who profit from the labor of su h men. The Puritans brought forth such a richness of theological reflection during their age they were likened to the glorious redwoods and Owen the greatest among the redwoods. His life was marked by trials. He lost all eleven of his children, two to the great plague which swept Europe and his wife as well. He was a chaplain to Oliver Cromwell during the war with Ireland, he was asked at a young age to deliver a sermon to the Parliament and was a chaplain to the military, politicians, and to his own flock. He was a at one time the Chancellor of Christchurch at Oxford assigned to bring it to order and later after the Puritans fell out of favor with the changing government was kicked out his position as a state supported pastor and became a non conformist who was allowed to preach only as long as he abided by very severe restrictions and was no longer funded by the government. In all that he did he was labeled a doer by his adversaries, but do he did and wrote over 16 volumes on issues ranging from from Communion to the Holy Spirit to the great theological controversies of his day and six volumes on Hebrews alone. He tried with all his connections without success to rescue Bunyan from the Bedford jail for 12 years but failed. However, he was able to make arrangements with his printer to get Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress published once he was released from jail.
Great work from Pastor Piper. Enjoy and be edified.
