Our Puritan Book Club is currently working through Thomas Watson’s The Godly Man’s Picture. And so, I present to you some choice quotes from my reading thus far… (Boldface is mine in the quotes below.)
The soul being so precious, and salvation so glorious, it is the highest point of prudence to make preparations for another world.” (Introduction, opening line.)
Godliness consists in an exact harmony between holy principles and practices… Policy without piety is profound madness.
Godliness is the sacred impression and workmanship of God in a man, whereby from being carnal he is made spiritual. (Watson’s definition of godliness.)
Godliness is an extensive thing. It is a sacred leaven that spreads itself into the whole soul… He who is godly is good all over; he is regenerate only in part, yet it is in every part. (Italics Watson’s.)
The man who is a pretender to saintship, but whose heart tells him he has nothing but the name, carries Christ in his Bible but not in his heart.
The wicked hate the hypocrite because he is almost a Christian, and God hates him because he is only almost one.
To know God out of Christ is to know him as an enemy, but to know him in Christ is sweet and delicious.
Saving knowledge is not changeable or doubtful, but has a certainty in it.
Oh, what comfort it is when I have a bad cause, to know Christ is my advocate, who never lost any cause he pleaded!
He who rightly applies Christ puts these two together, Jesus and Lord: “Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8). Many take Christ as Jesus, but refuse him as Lord.
It is a reproach to a Christian to live in a contradiction to his knowledge, to know he should be strict and holy, yet to live loosely.
Many Christians are no better than baptized heathens. What a shame it is to be without knowledge! “Some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:34). Men think it is a shame to be ignorant of their trade, but no shame to be ignorant of God. There is no going to heaven blindfold.
And that’s just in the first 17 pages!