Sorrow and melting of heart fits us for every holy duty. A piece of lead, while it is in the lump, can be put to no use, but melt it, and you may then cast it into any mould, and it is made useful. So a heart that is hardened into a lump of sin is good for nothing, but when it is dissolved by repentance, it is useful.
– Thomas Watson –
from The Doctrine of Repentance, 1668
“Of his fullness have all we received” (John 1:16). Put a glass under a [faucet] and it receives water out of the [faucet], drop by drop. So those who are united to Christ have the dews and drops of His grace distilling on them.
– Thomas Watson –
from The Godly Man’s Picture, 1666
“They shall be filled.” God never bids us seek Him in vain. “He hath filled the hungry with good things” (Luke 1:53). “He satisfieth the longing soul” (Psalm 107:9). God will not let us lose our longing.
– Thomas Watson –
1620-1686
I will conclude with that excellent saying of Bernard: “Lord, I will never come away from Thee without Thee.” Let this be a Christian’s resolution, not to leave off his meditations of God till he find something of God in him.
– Thomas Watson –
There is as much difference between sin in the wicked and sin in the godly—as between poison being in a serpent and poison being in a man. Poison in a serpent is in its natural place and is delightful—but poison in a man’s body is harmful and he uses antidotes to expel it. So sin in a wicked man is delightful, being in its natural place—but sin in a child of God is burdensome and he uses all means to expel it.
– Thomas Watson –
from The Doctrine of Repentance
A godly man’s heart is the library to hold the Word of God; it dwells richly in him (Col 3:16).
– Thomas Watson –
from The Godly Man’s Picture, 1666
Godly sorrow is ingenious. It is sorrow for the offense rather than for the punishment. God’s law has been infringed, his love abused. This melts the soul in tears. A man may be sorry, yet not repent, as a thief is sorry when he is taken, not because he stole, but because he has to pay the penalty. … “My sin is ever before me” (Ps. 51:3); David does not say, “The sword threatened is ever before me,” but “my sin.” O that I should offend so good a God, that I should grieve my Comforter! This breaks my heart!
– Thomas Watson –
from The Doctrine of Repentance, 1668
Afflictions add to the saints’ glory. The more the diamond is cut, the more it sparkles; the heavier the saints’ cross is, the heavier shall be their crown.
– Thomas Watson –
It was wonderful love that Christ should die for such as we are. What are we? Not only vanity, but enmity. When we were fighting, he was dying; when we had the weapons in our hands, then he had the spear in his side (Romans 5:8).
– Thomas Watson –
from The Lords Supper, 1665