A godly man is a man of knowledge

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Godly Man’s Picture. It will be enquired in the next place, “Who is the godly man?” For the full answer to this I shall lay down several specific signs and characteristics of a […]

Sin is evil

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from A Body of Divinity. Sin is evil in its effects. [I] Sin has degraded us of our honour. Reuben by incest lost his dignity; and though he was the first-born, he could not excel. […]

Death – an inlet to happiness

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Christian’s Charter. Death to a believer is an inlet to happiness Samson found an honey-comb in the lion’s carcase; so may a child of God suck much sweetness from death. Death is the […]

The usefulness of Heaven’s crown

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Fight of Faith Crowned. In this passage, Watson is meditating on the usefulness of the promise of a crown of righteousness that will be granted to the believer in Heaven (2 Tim. 4:8). […]

Repentance is never out of season

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Doctrine of Repentance. The two great graces essential to a saint in this life are faith and repentance. These are the two wings by which he flies to heaven. Faith and repentance preserve […]

The blessedness of forgiveness

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Godly Man’s Picture. “For this cause shall everyone who is godly pray unto you.” (Psalm 32:6) Holy David at the beginning of this psalm, shows us wherein true happiness consists; not in beauty, […]

What is God’s justice?

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from A Body of Divinity. ‘Justice is to give every one his due.’ God’s justice is the rectitude of his nature, whereby he is carried to the doing of that which is righteous and equal. […]

When the world hates you, it’s for your good

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Christian’s Charter. The hatred of the world is for your good. Wicked men are instruments in God’s hand for good—albeit they do not intend this. They are flails to thresh off our husks, […]

Delight in Scripture

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Christian on the Mount, Preface: “The Saint’s Spiritual Delight.” To attain [a] blessed delight in the law of God, three things are required: 1. Set a high estimate upon the Word. What the […]

Some helps for godliness

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Godly Man’s Picture, chapter 8: “Prescribing Some Helps to Godliness.” Question: But what shall we do that we may be godly? Answer: I shall briefly lay down some rules or helps to godliness: […]

Hallow God’s name

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Lord’s Prayer, “The First Petition in the Lord’s Prayer.” When may we be said to hallow and sanctify God’s name? [1] When we profess his name.… [2] We hallow and sanctify God’s name […]

The grand reason why all things work for good

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from All Things for Good, chapter 3: “Why All Things Work for Good.” 1. The grand reason why all things work for good, is the near and dear interest which God has in His people. […]

The repentant are sin-haters

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is from The Doctrine of Repentance, chapter 4: “The Nature of True Repentance.” The fifth ingredient in repentance is hatred of sin. The Schoolmen distinguished a two-fold hatred: hatred of abominations, and hatred of enmity. Firstly, there […]

It was wonderful that Christ would die for us

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Lord’s Supper, Chapter 4: “Christ’s Love Displayed in the Sacrament.” Behold the amazing love of Christ. His body was broken. The cross, says St Augustine, was a pulpit in which Christ preached his […]

We glorify God by being contented

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from A Body of Divinity, Part I: “Man’s Chief End.” We glorify God, by being contented in that state in which Providence has placed us. We give God the glory of his wisdom, when we rest […]