Owen and the Use of Past Grace; Meditations from Amos 2:6-12

John Owen wrote "On the Mortification of Sin" in 1656. I've been reading it recently and have been impacted by it and its author to the point where my newborn boy was recently named "Owen." Something he wrote has shed fresh light on my passage for today in Amos 2:6-12.

In this passage, God begins by informing Israel of its sin.

6 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Israel,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they sell the righteous for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals—
7 those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth
and turn aside the way of the afflicted;
a man and his father go in to the same girl,
so that my holy name is profaned;
8 they lay themselves down beside every altar
on garments taken in pledge,
and in the house of their God they drink
the wine of those who have been fined.

But then God reminds them of the grace that had been shown to them...

9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,
whose height was like the height of the cedars
and who was as strong as the oaks;
I destroyed his fruit above
and his roots beneath.
10 Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt
and led you forty years in the wilderness,
to possess the land of the Amorite.
11 And I raised up some of your sons for prophets,
and some of your young men for Nazirites.
Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?”
declares the Lord.

But see what the people did that grace...

12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
and commanded the prophets,
saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.’

Now, here is Owen from chapter 11

Bring thy lust to the gospel, -- not for relief, but for farther conviction of its guilt; look on Him whom thou hast pierced, and be in bitterness. Say to thy soul, "What have I done? What love, what mercy, what blood, what grace have I despised and trampled on! Is this the return I make to the Father for his love, to the Son for his blood, to the Holy Ghost for his grace? Do I thus requite the Lord? Have I defiled the heart that Christ died to wash, that the blessed Spirit hath chosen to dwell in? ...Do I account communion with him of so little value, that for this vile lust's sake I have scarce left him any room in my heart? How shall I escape if I neglect so great salvation? ... Was my soul washed, that room might be made for new defilements? ..." Entertain thy conscience daily with this treaty. See if it can stand before this aggravation of its guilt. If this make it not sink in some measure, I fear thy case is dangerous.

Far from the weak modern view of repentence, this is a call to brokenheartedness over sin. "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret." (2 Corinthians 7:10) Owen and Amos are both calling us to repentence from sin through meditation upon God's previous grace to us, for God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.