“The Foundation of Communion with God” The Trinitarian Piety of John Owen

    

      

                               

The puritan pastor Richard Baxter has said  "imitate the most powerful preacher you ever heard" Who would that be for you? For J.I. Packer this man is clearly John Owen. Packer calls Owen "one of the greatest of English theologians. In an age of giants, he over topped them all" Charles Spurgeon is quoted as having called him the prince of divines. 

  What is it about this man that has others enamored with him, a guy who's writing was so difficult to read (even for a puritan) and who lived over 300 years ago. Who is John Owen? Is there anything we can learn from this man beyond the grave. Biographers often minimize the theology of their subjects because they want to sell to both Arminian and Calvinist readers but the convictions of one's views about God are at the heart of their lives and how and why they lived the way they did. Desiring then to imitate their faith we must know what they believe. We must meet with those who's walk we wish to imitate and follow after them as they follow Christ... even if they're dead. 

  Who then can introduce us to this man that we may ask his advice on how we should live and commune with God?  I recommend to you Ryan M. McGraw and his book “The Foundation of Communion with God” The Trinitarian Piety of John Owen. 

McGraw takes the reader through select texts of Owen's work and let's this 17th century pastor and theologian speak to those seeking to better commune with God and live for Him in the 21st century.

The book's beginnings start with a brief overview of what it means to be reformed and then a concise biographical sketch of Owen's life and how his view about the trinity effected his worship of the Triune God. Owen believed that the doctrine of the trinity was not just a piece of head knowledge but had practical implications that effected public worship and our Communion with God. The biographical sketch is not very long but very informative and the author concludes the introduction with a look at Owen's theology and an overview of the works being sited through out the book. Ryan M. McGraw's aim for this book is to teach this generation about a great man of church history and to give them a taste of the writings of John Owen with the hope they thirst for more. 

The chapters of this book with the exception of the beginning is entirely John Owen. Ryan M. McGraw has done a great job working through the works of Owen to bring us a great book filled with the words and advice of this great man of God. This is not just a book of quotes from Communion with God. McGraw draws from numerous passages of Owen's books and writings hoping to exhort us with the words of this pastor and theologian who is speaking even now, 331 years later. 

The layout of the main text is divided into 3 sections

                  -SECTION ONE Knowing God as Triune

                  -SECTION TWO Heavenly-Mindedness and Apostasy

                  -SECTION THREE Covenant and Church

 Each section includes numerous chapters which are excerpts from the writings of Owen relating to the topic of each section. Each section and the order of the chapters are meant to flow in unison to teach the editors aim. 

  Owen's teachings on communion with the trinity was rare in his time and still is today. Who else is speaking about communion with the distinct members of the God Head? Owen teaches that what we do and think about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit effects the way we live and worship and how we choose to live and worship effects our Communion with God. For example Owen speaks on the means of Grace and their relationship with God. Prayer Owen says "is the way of His (God) appointment for the application of our souls to Him to obtain a participation of all needful grace," In other words it is through the discipline of prayer that we unite our hearts to God and enjoy his relationship with us. Not that God is persuaded by our praying but rather we set ourselves within the path that God has set to receive his mercy. And like a child who has a relationship with his father, his relationship is more enjoyed when the Son runs to the Father and the Father embraces his child and kisses him. When we begin to trust in ourselves for the power of our duties we become prideful and Owen speaks of the dangers of pride in worship and how this sin can ruin our communion with God. "Although we ought greatly to prize and to endeavor after the true order of the church of Christ, the purity of worship, and regular administration of ordinances, yet let us take heed that we prize not ourselves too much on what we have attained. For if we do so, we shall be very apt to countenance ourselves in other defects thereby, which will certainly bring us into spiritual sickness and declension…."

As a reader and lover of Owen I kept finding some of the sweetest sections from books I read long ago and not having read some of the works used in this book I was delighted to be introduced to another work of this great man. Owen was a very practical writer for his time and this book is likewise very practical for the  modern reader but more importantly the subjects discussed in this book are of great importance to the conditions of our souls and right relationship with God. Being such a weighty subject why would you not look to the man most capable of handling it and who's exemplary life testifies that he lived as he believed. Look then to  John Owen and let this book lead you to him.


I recommend this book to anyone wanting to be introduced to the writings of John Owen, I thought the editor Ryan M. McGraw did a good job at presenting these writings in a way that leads the reader through a series of readings that sets one up to be exhorted and encourage. My prayer is for Ryan M.  McGraw to have success with his book and hopefully produce more like it, I pray also for the reader to grow in godliness and enjoy a greater communion with God through the writings of this book.

I received a copy of this book from Reformation Heritage Books via Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review.