Here is an example of how reading former saints can fast forward our growth in the things of God.
Here is a bit of Thomas Watson on repentance;
(6) Repentance is necessary for God’s own people, who have a real work of grace and are Israelites indeed. They must offer up a daily sacrifice of tears. The Antinomians8 hold that when anyone becomes a believer, a writ of ease is given to them; there remains nothing for them now to do but to rejoice. Yes, they have something else to do, and that is to repent.
Repentance is a continuous act. Godly sorrow will not fully end till death.
Jerome, writing in an epistle to Laeta, tells her that her life must be a life of repentance.
Repentance is called “crucifying the flesh” (Gal 5.24), which is not done suddenly, but over time; it will be going on all our life.
And are there not many reasons why God’s own people should go into the weeping bath?
“Are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord?” (2Chr 28.10). Do you not have sins of daily incursion? Though you are diamonds, do you have no flaws?
Do we not read of the “spot of God’s children” (Deu 32.5). Search into your hearts with the candle of the word and see if you can find nothing needing repentance there.
(a) Repent of your rash censuring. Instead of praying for others, you are ready to pass a verdict on them. It is true that the saints shall judge the world (1Cor 6.2), but bide your time! Remember the apostle’s caution in 1Cor 4.5: “judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes.”
(b) Repent of your vain thoughts. These swarm in your minds as the flies did in Pharaoh’s court (Exo 8.24). What bewilderment there is in the imagination! If Satan does not possess your bodies, he possesses your imaginations. “How long will your vain thoughts lodge within you?” (Jer 4.14). A man may think himself into hell. O you saints, be humbled for this lightness in your head.
(c) Repent of your vain fashions. It is strange that the garments which God gave to cover shame would reveal pride. The godly are bid not to be conformed to this world (Rom 12.2). People of the world are garish and light in their dresses. It is in fashion nowadays to go to hell. But whatever others do, do not let Judah offend (Hos 4.15). The apostle Paul has set down what upper garment Christians must wear: “modest apparel” (1Tim 2.9); and what under-garment they must wear: “be clothed with humility” (1Pet 5.5).
(d) Repent of your decays in grace: “you have left your first love” (Rev 2.4). Christians, how often it is low tide in your souls! How often does your cold fit come upon you! Where are those flames of affection, those sweet meltings of spirit that you once had? I fear they are melted away. Oh repent for leaving your first love!
(e) Repent of not improving your talents. Health is a talent; estate is a talent; wit and parts are talents; and God has entrusted these to you to improve with for his glory. He has sent you into the world as a merchant sends his agent beyond the seas to trade for his master’s advantage; but you have not done the good you might. Can you say, “Lord, your pound has gained five pounds” (Luk 19.18)? Or do you mourn at the burial of your talents? Let it grieve you that so much of your life has not been time lived but time lost; that you have filled up your golden hours more with froth than with spirits.
(f) Repent of forgetting sacred vows. A vow binds one’s soul to God (Num 30.2). Christians, since you have been bound to God, have you not forfeited your other indentures? Have you served for common uses after you have been the Lord’s by solemn 7 It’s theirs for the asking, and they can do with it whatever they want. 8 Those who assert that there is no law any longer; they claim we may live in rabid disobedience and still be saved. 32 dedication? By breach of vows you have breached your peace. Surely this calls for a fresh basin of tears.
(g) Repent of your unresponsiveness to the blessings you received. You have lived all your life on free quarter. You have spent your stock of free graces. You have been miraculously blessed with mercy. But where are your returns of love to God? The Athenians sued ungrateful persons at law. Christians, may not God sue you at law for your unthankfulness? “I will recover my wool and my flax” (Hos 2.9); I will recover them by law.
(h) Repent of your worldliness. By your profession you seem to resemble the birds of paradise that soar aloft and live on the dew of heaven. Yet as serpents you lick the dust. Baruch, a good man, was taxed with this: “do you seek great things for yourself?” (Jer 45.5).
(i) Repent of your divisions. These are a blot in your coat of armor. They make others stand aloof from religion. Separating from the wicked imitates Christ who was “separate from sinners” (Heb 7.26). But for the godly to divide themselves and look askew at one another, if we had as many eyes as there are stars, they would be too few to weep for this! Divisions eclipse the church’s beauty and weaken her strength. God’s Spirit brought cloven tongues of fire among the saints (Act 2.3), but the devil has brought cloven hearts. Surely this deserves a shower of tears:
(j) Repent for the iniquity of your holy things. How often have the services of God’s worship been frozen with formality and soured with pride? There have been more of the peacock’s plumes than the mourning of the dove. It is sad that duties of religion should be made a stage for vainglory to act upon. O Christians, there is such a thick crust on your duties that it may be feared there is little meat left in them for God to feed upon.10 Behold: repenting work is cut out for the best. And what may make the tide of grief swell higher is to think that the sins of God’s people provoke God more than the sins of others (Deu 32.19). The sins of the wicked pierce Christ’s side. The sins of the godly go to his heart. Peter’s sin, being acted out against so much love, was most unkind, which made his cheeks furrowed with tears: “When he thought about it, he wept” (Mar 14.72).
The Doctrine of Repentance. Thomas Watson c. 1620—1686 Modernized American-English, formatting, corrections, and additional notes (in blue)
Here is a bit of Thomas Watson on repentance;
(6) Repentance is necessary for God’s own people, who have a real work of grace and are Israelites indeed. They must offer up a daily sacrifice of tears. The Antinomians8 hold that when anyone becomes a believer, a writ of ease is given to them; there remains nothing for them now to do but to rejoice. Yes, they have something else to do, and that is to repent.
Repentance is a continuous act. Godly sorrow will not fully end till death.
Jerome, writing in an epistle to Laeta, tells her that her life must be a life of repentance.
Repentance is called “crucifying the flesh” (Gal 5.24), which is not done suddenly, but over time; it will be going on all our life.
And are there not many reasons why God’s own people should go into the weeping bath?
“Are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord?” (2Chr 28.10). Do you not have sins of daily incursion? Though you are diamonds, do you have no flaws?
Do we not read of the “spot of God’s children” (Deu 32.5). Search into your hearts with the candle of the word and see if you can find nothing needing repentance there.
(a) Repent of your rash censuring. Instead of praying for others, you are ready to pass a verdict on them. It is true that the saints shall judge the world (1Cor 6.2), but bide your time! Remember the apostle’s caution in 1Cor 4.5: “judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes.”
(b) Repent of your vain thoughts. These swarm in your minds as the flies did in Pharaoh’s court (Exo 8.24). What bewilderment there is in the imagination! If Satan does not possess your bodies, he possesses your imaginations. “How long will your vain thoughts lodge within you?” (Jer 4.14). A man may think himself into hell. O you saints, be humbled for this lightness in your head.
(c) Repent of your vain fashions. It is strange that the garments which God gave to cover shame would reveal pride. The godly are bid not to be conformed to this world (Rom 12.2). People of the world are garish and light in their dresses. It is in fashion nowadays to go to hell. But whatever others do, do not let Judah offend (Hos 4.15). The apostle Paul has set down what upper garment Christians must wear: “modest apparel” (1Tim 2.9); and what under-garment they must wear: “be clothed with humility” (1Pet 5.5).
(d) Repent of your decays in grace: “you have left your first love” (Rev 2.4). Christians, how often it is low tide in your souls! How often does your cold fit come upon you! Where are those flames of affection, those sweet meltings of spirit that you once had? I fear they are melted away. Oh repent for leaving your first love!
(e) Repent of not improving your talents. Health is a talent; estate is a talent; wit and parts are talents; and God has entrusted these to you to improve with for his glory. He has sent you into the world as a merchant sends his agent beyond the seas to trade for his master’s advantage; but you have not done the good you might. Can you say, “Lord, your pound has gained five pounds” (Luk 19.18)? Or do you mourn at the burial of your talents? Let it grieve you that so much of your life has not been time lived but time lost; that you have filled up your golden hours more with froth than with spirits.
(f) Repent of forgetting sacred vows. A vow binds one’s soul to God (Num 30.2). Christians, since you have been bound to God, have you not forfeited your other indentures? Have you served for common uses after you have been the Lord’s by solemn 7 It’s theirs for the asking, and they can do with it whatever they want. 8 Those who assert that there is no law any longer; they claim we may live in rabid disobedience and still be saved. 32 dedication? By breach of vows you have breached your peace. Surely this calls for a fresh basin of tears.
(g) Repent of your unresponsiveness to the blessings you received. You have lived all your life on free quarter. You have spent your stock of free graces. You have been miraculously blessed with mercy. But where are your returns of love to God? The Athenians sued ungrateful persons at law. Christians, may not God sue you at law for your unthankfulness? “I will recover my wool and my flax” (Hos 2.9); I will recover them by law.
(h) Repent of your worldliness. By your profession you seem to resemble the birds of paradise that soar aloft and live on the dew of heaven. Yet as serpents you lick the dust. Baruch, a good man, was taxed with this: “do you seek great things for yourself?” (Jer 45.5).
(i) Repent of your divisions. These are a blot in your coat of armor. They make others stand aloof from religion. Separating from the wicked imitates Christ who was “separate from sinners” (Heb 7.26). But for the godly to divide themselves and look askew at one another, if we had as many eyes as there are stars, they would be too few to weep for this! Divisions eclipse the church’s beauty and weaken her strength. God’s Spirit brought cloven tongues of fire among the saints (Act 2.3), but the devil has brought cloven hearts. Surely this deserves a shower of tears:
(j) Repent for the iniquity of your holy things. How often have the services of God’s worship been frozen with formality and soured with pride? There have been more of the peacock’s plumes than the mourning of the dove. It is sad that duties of religion should be made a stage for vainglory to act upon. O Christians, there is such a thick crust on your duties that it may be feared there is little meat left in them for God to feed upon.10 Behold: repenting work is cut out for the best. And what may make the tide of grief swell higher is to think that the sins of God’s people provoke God more than the sins of others (Deu 32.19). The sins of the wicked pierce Christ’s side. The sins of the godly go to his heart. Peter’s sin, being acted out against so much love, was most unkind, which made his cheeks furrowed with tears: “When he thought about it, he wept” (Mar 14.72).
The Doctrine of Repentance. Thomas Watson c. 1620—1686 Modernized American-English, formatting, corrections, and additional notes (in blue)
