thomas watson
Thomas Watson (c. 1620–1686) was an English, Puritan preacher and author. He was ejected from his London parish after the Restoration, but continued to preach privately. Watson showed strong Presbyterian views during the civil war, with, however, an attachment to the king, and in 1651 he was imprisoned briefly with some other ministers for his share in Christopher Love's plot to recall Charles II of England. He was released on 30 June 1652, and was formally reinstated as vicar of St. Stephen's Walbrook. He obtained great fame and popularity as a preacher until the Restoration, when he was ejected for Nonconformity. Notwithstanding the rigor of the acts against dissenters, Watson continued to exercise his ministry privately as he found opportunity. Upon the Declaration of Indulgence in 1672 he obtained a licence to preach at the great hall in Crosby House. After preaching there for several years, his health gave way and he retired to Barnston, Essex, where he died suddenly, while praying in secret. He was buried on 28 July 1686.
Thomas Watson
“Question: What is it, to walk with God? Answer: Walking with God imports five things: 1. Walking as under God's eye. Noah reverenced God. A godly man sets himself as in God's presence, knowing that his judge is looking on: "I have set the Lord always before me" (Psalm 16:8). David's eyes were here. 2. The familiarity and intimacy which the soul has with God. Friends walk together and console themselves with one another. The godly make known their requests to God and he makes known his love to them. There is a sweet fellowship between God and his people: "Our fellowship (koinonia) is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3). 3. Walking above the earth. A godly man is elevated above all sublunary objects. The person who walks with God must ascend very high. A dwarf cannot walk among the stars, nor can a dwarfish, earthly soul walk with God. 4. Visible piety. Walking is a visible posture. Grace must be conspicuous to the onlookers. He who reveals something of God in his behavior, walks with God. He shines forth in biblical conduct. 5. Continued progress in grace. It is not only a step but a walk. There is a going on towards maturity. A godly man does not sit down in the middle of the way but goes on until he comes to the "end of his faith" (1 Pet. 1:9). Though a good man may be out of the path, he is not out of the way. He may through infirmity step aside (as Peter did)—but he recovers by repentance and goes on in progressive holiness: "The righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger" (Job 17:9).”
― Thomas Watson, The Essential Works Of Thomas Watson
― Thomas Watson, The Essential Works Of Thomas Watson
Thomas Watson
What is the duty which God requires of man? Obedience to his revealed will. It is not enough to hear God's voice, but we must obey. Obedience is a part of the honor we owe t God. "If then I be a Father, where is my honor?" (Mal 1.6.) Obedience carries in it the life-blood of religion. "Obey the voice of the Lord," and do his commandments. Obedience without knowledge is blind, and knowledge without obedience is lame....."To obey is better than sacrifice." (I Sam 15:22). Saul thought it was enough for him to offer sacrifices, though he disobeyed God's command; but to obey is better than sacrifice. God disclaims sacrifice, if obedience be wanting.
--Thomas Watson; A Body of Practical Divinity; 1692
--Thomas Watson; A Body of Practical Divinity; 1692
Thomas Watson
What are the ingredients in our obedience that makes it acceptable?
-) It must be cum animi prolubio, free and cheerful, or it is penance and not sacrifice. "If Ye be willing and obedient."(Is 1:19). Though we serve God with weakness, it may be willingness. You love to see your servants go cheerfully about their work. Under the law, God will have a free-will offering. Deut 16:10. Hypocrites obey God grudgingly, and against their will; facere bonum, but not velle (they do good but no willingly). Cain brought his sacrifice, but not his heart. I(t is a true rule, Quicquid cor non facit, non fit; what the heart does not do, is not done. Willingness is the soul of obedience. God sometimes accepts willingness without the work, but never of the work without willingness. Cheerfulness shows that there is love in the duty; and love is to our services what the sun is to fruit; it mellows and ripens them and makes them come off with a better relish.
--Thomas Watson; A Body of Practical Divinity; 1692
-) It must be cum animi prolubio, free and cheerful, or it is penance and not sacrifice. "If Ye be willing and obedient."(Is 1:19). Though we serve God with weakness, it may be willingness. You love to see your servants go cheerfully about their work. Under the law, God will have a free-will offering. Deut 16:10. Hypocrites obey God grudgingly, and against their will; facere bonum, but not velle (they do good but no willingly). Cain brought his sacrifice, but not his heart. I(t is a true rule, Quicquid cor non facit, non fit; what the heart does not do, is not done. Willingness is the soul of obedience. God sometimes accepts willingness without the work, but never of the work without willingness. Cheerfulness shows that there is love in the duty; and love is to our services what the sun is to fruit; it mellows and ripens them and makes them come off with a better relish.
--Thomas Watson; A Body of Practical Divinity; 1692
Thomas Watson
“We must love God more for what He is, than for what He bestows.”
― Thomas Watson, All Things for Good
“The pleasure of sin is soon gone, but the sting remains.”
― Thomas Watson
“Until sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.”
― Thomas Watson
“Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset; eternity to the wicked is a night that has no sunrise.” ― Thomas Watson
― Thomas Watson, All Things for Good
“The pleasure of sin is soon gone, but the sting remains.”
― Thomas Watson
“Until sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.”
― Thomas Watson
“Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset; eternity to the wicked is a night that has no sunrise.” ― Thomas Watson
Thomas Watson
“God can turn stones into bread, and a sinner can turn bread into stones; the bread of life into the stone of stumbling.”
― Thomas Watson, The Lord's Supper
Thomas Watson
First, we pray, "Hallowed be your name, may your kingdom come, may your will be done," before we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." God's glory ought to weigh down all before it; it must be preferred before our dearest concerns. Christ preferred his Father's glory before his own as he was man. "I honor my Father, I seek not my own glory." John 8:49, 50. God's glory is that which is most dear to him; it is the apple of his eye; all his riches lie here. As Micah said, "What more have I" (Judges 18:24)—so I may say of God's glory, what more has he? His glory is the most orient pearl of his crown—which he will not part with. "My glory I will not give to another." Isaiah 42:8. God's glory is more worth than heaven, more worth than the salvation of all men's souls. It is better that kingdoms be demolished, better men and angels be annihilated—than God lose any part of his glory! We are to prefer God's glory before our nearest concerns. But before we prefer God's glory to our private concerns—we must be born again. The natural man seeks his own personal interest before God's glory. He is "of the earth, earthly." John 3:31. Let him have peace and trading, let the rock pour out rivers of oil—and let God's glory go which way it will, he minds it not. A worm cannot fly and sing as a lark. Just so, a natural man, whose heart creeps upon the earth, cannot admire God, or advance his glory, as a man elevated by grace does.
― Thomas Watson, The Lord's Prayer
― Thomas Watson, The Lord's Prayer
Thomas Watson
Reputation is a highly valued jewel; like precious ointment, it casts a fragrant smell. But God's glory must be dearer than credit or applause. We must be willing to have our reputation trampled upon, that God's glory may be raised higher. The apostles rejoiced "that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name;" that they were graced, so far as to be disgraced for Christ. Acts 5:41.
― Thomas Watson, The Lord's Prayer
― Thomas Watson, The Lord's Prayer
Thomas Watson
"Give us this day our daily bread." The good things of this life are the gifts of God; he is the donor of all our blessings. "Give us." Not faith only—but food is the gift of God; not daily grace only is from God—but "daily bread." Every good thing comes from God. "Every good gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights." James 1:17. Wisdom is the gift of God. "His God instructs him to discretion." Isaiah 28:26. Riches are the gift of God. "I will give you riches." 2 Chron 1:12. Peace is the gift of God. "He makes peace in your borders." Psalm 147:14. Health, which is the cream of life, is the gift of God. "I will restore health unto you." Jer 30:17. Rain is the gift of God. "Who gives rain upon the earth." Job 5:10. All comes from God; he makes the grain to grow, and the herbs to flourish ― Thomas Watson, The Lord's Prayer
Thomas Watson
""Do you not fear me? says the Lord: will you not tremble at my presence?" Jer 5:22. We have enough of fear of men. Fear makes danger appear greater, and sin less; but let us fear the King of kings, who has power to cast body and soul into hell. Luke 12:5. As one wedge drives out another, so the fear of God would drive out all base carnal fear. Let us fear that God whose throne is set above all kings; they may be mighty—but he is almighty. Kings have no power—but what God has given them; their power is limited, his is infinite. Let us fear this King, whose eyes are "as a flame of fire." Rev 1:14. "The mountains quake at him; and the rocks are thrown down by him." Nahum 1:5, 6. If he stamps with his foot, all the creatures are presently up in a battalion to fight for him. Oh, tremble and fear before this God. The fear of God, is the doorkeeper of the soul. It keeps sin from entering. "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" Gen 39:9." ― Thomas Watson, The Lord's Prayer
Thomas Watson
“We glorify God by praising Him. Doxology, or praise, is a God-exalting work. The Hebrew word bara, "to create," and barak, "to praise," are little different, because the end of creation is to praise God... How sad that God receives so little glory from us in this way! Many Christians are full of murmuring and discontent, but seldom bring glory to God by giving Him praise due to His name. We read of the saints having harps in their hands, the emblems of praise. Many Christians today have tears in their eyes and complaints in their mouths, but few have harps in their hand, blessing and glorifying God. Let us honor God in this way.”
― Thomas Watson
― Thomas Watson
Thomas Watson
“Christ was born of a virgin, that we might be born of God. He took our flesh, that He might give us His Spirit. He lay in the manger that we might lie in paradise. He came down from heaven, that He might bring us to heaven. And what was all this but love? If our hearts be not rocks, this love of Christ should affect us. Behold, love that surpasses knowledge!”
― Thomas Watson
Thomas Watson
“As, when king Uzziah would offer incense without a priest, God was angry with him, and struck him with leprosy (2 Chron 26:20). Just so, when we do not come to God in and through Christ, we offer up incense to him without a priest, and what can we expect but severe rebukes?”
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments: The Expansive Commentary Collection
Thomas Watson
“Unless we deny our own will, we shall never do God’s will.”
― Thomas Watson
Thomas Watson
“God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer.”
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
“Many like to hear of the love of Christ, but not of loving their enemies; they like the comforts of the word, but not its reproofs.”
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
Thomas Watson
“Obedience must be sincere. We must aim at the glory of God in it. Finis specificat actionem; .in religion the end is all. The end of our obedience must not be to stop the mouth of conscience, or to gain applause or preferment; but that we may grow more like God, and bring more glory to him. 'Do all to the glory of God." I Cor:10:31. That which has spoiled many glorious actions, and made them lose their reward, is that men's aims have been wrong. The Pharisees gave alms, but blew a trumpet that they might have the glory of men. ”
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments; 1692
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments; 1692
Thomas Watson
“Obedience without knowledge is blind, and knowledge without obedience is lame.”
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
“What is the duty which God requireth of man? Obedience to his revealed will. It is not enough to hear God’s voice, but we must obey. Obedience is a part of the honour we owe to God.”
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
“What is the duty which God requireth of man? Obedience to his revealed will. It is not enough to hear God’s voice, but we must obey. Obedience is a part of the honour we owe to God.”
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
Thomas Watson
“God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer.”
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
“When we profess God’s name, but do not live answerably to it, we take it in vain.”
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
“If God should show mercy only to such as deserve it, he must show mercy to none.”
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
“Many like to hear of the love of Christ, but not of loving their enemies; they like the comforts of the word, but not its reproofs.” ― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
“When we profess God’s name, but do not live answerably to it, we take it in vain.”
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
“If God should show mercy only to such as deserve it, he must show mercy to none.”
― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
“Many like to hear of the love of Christ, but not of loving their enemies; they like the comforts of the word, but not its reproofs.” ― Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
Thomas Watson
“What is it to glorify God?
Glorifying God consists in four things: 1. Appreciation, 2. Adoration, 3. Affection, 4. Subjection. This is the yearly rent we pay to the crown of heaven.”
― Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity: Contained in Sermons upon the Westminster Assembly's Catechism
Thomas Watson
“Men could be content to have the kingdom of heaven; but they are loathe to fight for it. They choose rather to go in a feather bed to hell than to be carried to heaven in a ‘fiery chariot’ of zeal and violence.”
― Thomas Watson, Heaven Taken by Storm: Showing the Holy Violence a Christian Is to Put Forth in the Pursuit After Glory
Thomas Watson
“The Nature of True Repentance, Part 1 I shall next show what Gospel repentance is. Repentance is a grace of God’s Spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed. For a further amplification, know that repentance is a spiritual medicine made up of six special ingredients: 1. Sight of sin 2. Sorrow for sin 3. Confession of sin 4. Shame for sin 5. Hatred for sin 6. Turning from sin If any one is left out, it loses its virtue.”
― Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance
Thomas Watson
“Hence I infer that where there is no sight of sin, there can be no repentance. Many who can spy faults in others see none in themselves. They cry that they have good hearts. Is it not strange that two should live together, and eat and drink together, yet not know each other? Such is the case of a sinner. His body and soul live together, work together, yet he is unacquainted with himself. He knows not his own heart, nor what a hell he carries about him. Under a veil, a deformed face is hid. Persons are veiled over with ignorance and self-love; therefore they see not what deformed souls they have.”
― Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance
― Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance
Thomas Watson
“Christians must not be slothful. Idleness is the devil’s bath; a slothful person becomes a prey to every temptation. Grace, while it cures the heart, does not make the hand lame. He who is called of God, as he works for heaven, so he works in his trade.” - Thomas Watson”
― Thomas Watson
Thomas Watson
“The bare knowledge of God's will is inefficacious, it doth not better the heart. Knowledge alone is like a winter sun, which hath no heat or influence; it doth not warm the affections, or purify the conscience. Judas was a great luminary, he knew God's will, but he was a traitor.”
― Thomas Watson
Thomas Watson
“A contented Christian does not seek to choose his cross but leaves God to choose for him. He is content with both for the kind and the duration. A contented spirit says, 'let God apply what medicine he pleases and let it remain as long as it will, I know that when it has done it's cure and eaten the venom of sin out of my heart, God will take it off again.”
― Thomas Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment
Thomas Watson
“A man may read the figure on the dial, but he cannot tell how the day goes, unless the sun shines upon the dial: we may read the Bible over, but we can not learn the purpose, till the Spirit of God shines into our hearts. O implore this blessed Spirit! It is God's prerogative-royal to teach: "I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit." Is. 48. 17. Ministers may tell us our lesson, God only can teach us; we have lost both our hearing and eye-sight, therefore are very unfit to learn. Ever since Eve listened to the serpent, we have been deaf; and since she looked on the tree of knowledge we have been blind; but when God comes to teach, he removes these impediments.”
― Thomas Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment
― Thomas Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment
Thomas Watson
“We pray, 'lead us not into temptation'. Do we then lead ourselves into temptation?”
― Thomas Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment
"It is easy to catch a disease from another, but not to catch health. The bad will sooner corrupt the good, than the good will convert the bad.”
― Thomas Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment
Thomas Watson
“Keep a clear conscience. Contentment is the manna that is laid up in the ark of a good conscience: O take heed of indulging any sin! it is as natural for guilt to breed disquiet, as for putrid matter to breed vermin. Sin lies as Jonah in the ship, it raiseth a tempest. If dust or motes be gotten into the eye, they make the eye water, and cause a soreness in it; if the eye be clear, then it is free from that soreness; if sin be gotten into the conscience, which is as the eye of the soul, then grief and disquiet breed there; but keep the eye of conscience clear, and all is well. What Solomon saith of a good stomach, I may say of a good conscience, "to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet:"Pr. 27. 7 so to a good conscience every bitter thing is sweet; it can pick contentment out of the cross. A good conscience turns the waters of Marah into wine. Would you have a quiet heart? Get a smiling conscience. I wonder not to hear Paul say he was in every state content, when he could make that triumph, "I have lived in all good conscience to this day." When once a man's reckonings are clear, it must needs let in abundance of contentment into the heart. Good conscience can suck contentment out of the bitterest drug, under slanders; "our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience."2 Cor. 1. 12 In case of imprisonment, Paul had his prison songs, and could play the sweet lessons of contentment, when his feet were in the stocks.Ac. 16. 25 Augustine calls it "the paradise of a good conscience;" and if it be so, then in prison we may be in paradise. When the times are troublesome, a good conscience makes a calm. If conscience be clear, what though the days be cloudy? is it not a contentment to have a friend always by to speak a good word for us? Such a friend is conscience. A good conscience, as David's harp, drives away the evil spirit of discontent. When thoughts begin to arise, and the heart is disquieted, conscience saith to a man, as the king did to Nehemiah, "why is thy countenance sad?" so saith conscience, hast not thou the seed of God in thee? art not thou an heir of the promise? hast not thou a treasure that thou canst never be plundered of? why is thy countenance sad? O keep conscience clear, and you shall never want contentment! For a man to keep the pipes of his body, the veins and arteries, free from colds and obstructions, is the best way to maintain health: so, to keep conscience clear, and to preserve it from the obstructions of guilt, is the best way to maintain contentment. First, conscience is pure, and then peaceable.” ― Thomas Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment
Thomas Watson
“When men throw off the Word, then God throws them off, and then Satan takes them by the hand, and leads them into snares at his pleasure. He who thinks himself too good to be ruled by the Word, will be found too bad to be owned by God; and if God does not, or will not own him, Satan will by his stratagems overthrow him.”
― Thomas Watson, Richard Baxter, Jonathan Edwards, John Owen, Thomas Brooks, Gerald Mick, The Digital Puritan - Vol. I, No. 1
Thomas Watson
To glorify God is to set God highest in our thoughts, and to have a venerable esteem of him... There is in God all that may draw forth both wonder and delight; there is a constellation of all beauties; he is prima causa, the original and springhead of being, who sheds a glory upon the creature. We glorify God when we are God-admirers; admire his attributes, which are the glistening beams by which the divine nature shines forth; his promises which are the charter of free grace, and the spiritual cabinet where the pearl of price is hid; the noble effects of his power and wisdom in making the world, which is called 'the work of his fingers.' Psa 8:3. To glorify God is to have God-admiring thoughts; to esteem him most excellent, and search for diamonds in this rock only.”
― Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity: Contained in Sermons upon the Westminster Assembly's Catechism
― Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity: Contained in Sermons upon the Westminster Assembly's Catechism