The Barnabas Blog

The next portion of Thomas Watson’s material that I would like to encourage you to read is a book that is almost the same length as The Mischief of Sin. It is a book called, The Godly Man’s Portrait . The initial title was Drawn with a Scripture Pencil or Some Characteristic Marks of a Man who is Going to Heaven. It was first published in 1666. Watson takes his stimulus from Psalm 32:6, ‘For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee.’ As before I want to provide you some of the quotes from the preface which he begins, “To the Reader, Christian Reader. . .” The soul being so precious and salvation so glorious, it is the highest point of prudence to make preparations for another world.

I am continuing from yesterday’s post about Thomas Watson and will for the rest of the week introduce you to his writings. After stumbling across the book by Jack Hughes Expository Preaching with Word Pictures, I purchased Watson’s The Mischief of Sin. Never had I read a book that exposed sin in such a way as this one did.

The ministers of Christ should wait for all opportunities of soul service, because the preaching of the Word meets so many adverse forces that hinder the progress and success of it. Never did a pilot meet with so many Euroclydons and cross winds in a voyage, as the spiritual pilots of God’s Church do when they are transporting souls to heaven. Some hearers have bad memories (James 1:25). Their memories are like leaking vessels. All the precious wine of the holy doctrine that is poured in runs out immediately. Ministers cannot by study find a truth as fast as others can lose it. If the meat does not stay in the stomach it can never breed good blood. If a truth delivered does not stay in the memory, we can never be, as the apostle says, ‘nourished up the words of the faith’ (1 Timothy 4:6). How often does the devil, that fowl of the air, pick up the good seed that is sown! If people suffer at the hands of thieves, they tell everyone and make their complaint they have been robb...