"The Doctrine of Repentance"
“Martyrs shed blood for Christ, and penitents shed tears for sins.”
- Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance, pg 19
This book, written in 1668 by the Puritan Thomas Watson, is one of two books I have recently read on the subject of repentance (the second book is titled "Repentance" by the Puritan Thomas Boston, which I will write a review for shortly). In Watson's book, one aspect of repentance that seemed to be a theme throughout is the necessary connection of sorrow to repentance. Watson strongly emphasizes that true repentance will always be accompanied by a deep and heart-wrenching sorrow for sins against a holy and majestic God. Watson wrote, “Godly sorrow goes deep, like the vein which bleeds inwardly. The heart bleeds for sin... As the heart bears a chief part in sinning, so it must in sorrowing.” Repentance is not merely repeating the words "I'm sorry" to God after we have sinned, but rather it is to be a felt disturbance in our souls: a disturbance that makes our hearts wish to no longer offend our glorious Savior. That is where sorrow comes in and makes our repentance an acceptable fragrance to God, for without sorrow in our repentance it will not be received but will be rejected because of its superficiality and unchanging nature. Repentance that does not hurt us cannot change us, as Watson solemnly warned, “He that can repent without sorrowing, suspect his repentance.”
The most meaningful way to make your repentance meaningful itself is to focus on Jesus Christ on the Cross dying for the very sins you are to repent of. When you think of your sin simply as a bad and unfortunate thing - without contemplating what your sin did to Jesus - you might feel somewhat regretful for it, but that will be the totality of your repentance. However when you meditate on your sins being the cause of Jesus' terrible sufferings and eventual death on the Cross, than you would find it impossible to repent without sorrow. You cannot genuinely repent without your soul shedding painful tears for what they have caused on so beautiful a person as the Son of God. Watson concludes, “Can we look upon a suffering Saviour with dry eyes? Shall we not be sorry for those sins which made Christ a man of sorrow? Shall not our infirmities, which drew blood from Christ, draw tears from us?”
I recommend Thomas Watson's book "The Doctrine of Repentance" for those who seek a deepening of their repentance that will affect their hearts with godly sorrow, making a true change in your lives away from sin, thereby being a repentance that will be received by God.
“Moist tears dry up sin and quench the wrath of God. Repentance is the cherisher of piety, the procurer of mercy.”
- Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance, pg 7
“Martyrs shed blood for Christ, and penitents shed tears for sins.”
- Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance, pg 19
This book, written in 1668 by the Puritan Thomas Watson, is one of two books I have recently read on the subject of repentance (the second book is titled "Repentance" by the Puritan Thomas Boston, which I will write a review for shortly). In Watson's book, one aspect of repentance that seemed to be a theme throughout is the necessary connection of sorrow to repentance. Watson strongly emphasizes that true repentance will always be accompanied by a deep and heart-wrenching sorrow for sins against a holy and majestic God. Watson wrote, “Godly sorrow goes deep, like the vein which bleeds inwardly. The heart bleeds for sin... As the heart bears a chief part in sinning, so it must in sorrowing.” Repentance is not merely repeating the words "I'm sorry" to God after we have sinned, but rather it is to be a felt disturbance in our souls: a disturbance that makes our hearts wish to no longer offend our glorious Savior. That is where sorrow comes in and makes our repentance an acceptable fragrance to God, for without sorrow in our repentance it will not be received but will be rejected because of its superficiality and unchanging nature. Repentance that does not hurt us cannot change us, as Watson solemnly warned, “He that can repent without sorrowing, suspect his repentance.”
The most meaningful way to make your repentance meaningful itself is to focus on Jesus Christ on the Cross dying for the very sins you are to repent of. When you think of your sin simply as a bad and unfortunate thing - without contemplating what your sin did to Jesus - you might feel somewhat regretful for it, but that will be the totality of your repentance. However when you meditate on your sins being the cause of Jesus' terrible sufferings and eventual death on the Cross, than you would find it impossible to repent without sorrow. You cannot genuinely repent without your soul shedding painful tears for what they have caused on so beautiful a person as the Son of God. Watson concludes, “Can we look upon a suffering Saviour with dry eyes? Shall we not be sorry for those sins which made Christ a man of sorrow? Shall not our infirmities, which drew blood from Christ, draw tears from us?”
I recommend Thomas Watson's book "The Doctrine of Repentance" for those who seek a deepening of their repentance that will affect their hearts with godly sorrow, making a true change in your lives away from sin, thereby being a repentance that will be received by God.
“Moist tears dry up sin and quench the wrath of God. Repentance is the cherisher of piety, the procurer of mercy.”
- Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance, pg 7
