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The Doctrine of Repentance
‘ The Doctrine of Repentance is probably one of the most needed books, not only for us as ministers, but for our people, because repentance is so trivialized today. [This book] stresses the need for ongoing repentance, a daily repentance, a lifestyle of repentance. Like Luther said, “God will have his people repenting all life long.” Watson shows you how to do that.’ — JOEL BEEKE A good case could be made out for believing that ‘repentance’ is one of the least used words in the Christian church today. Few better guides have existed in this or any other area of spiritual experience than Thomas Watson. He was a master of both Scripture and the human heart, and wrote with a simplicity and directness that keeps his work fresh and powerful for the twenty-first century.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1688
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About the author
Thomas Watson
664 books242 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Thomas Watson (c. 1620 - 1686) was an English, non-conformist, Puritan preacher and author. He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he was noted for remarkably intense study. In 1646 he commenced a sixteen year pastorate at St. Stephen's, Walbrook. He showed strong Presbyterian views during the civil war, with, however, an attachment to the king, and in 1651 he was imprisoned briefly with some other ministers for his share in Christopher Love's plot to recall Charles II of England. He was released on 30 June 1652, and was formally reinstated as vicar of St. Stephen's Walbrook. He obtained great fame and popularity as a preacher until the Restoration, when he was ejected for nonconformity. Not withstanding the rigor of the acts against dissenters, Watson continued to exercise his ministry privately as he found opportunity. Upon the Declaration of Indulgence in 1672 he obtained a license to preach at the great hall in Crosby House. After preaching there for several years, his health gave way, and he retired to Barnston, Essex, where he died suddenly while praying in secret. He was buried on 28 July 1686.
(Information from wikipedia.org)
Thomas Watson (c. 1620 - 1686) was an English, non-conformist, Puritan preacher and author. He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he was noted for remarkably intense study. In 1646 he commenced a sixteen year pastorate at St. Stephen's, Walbrook. He showed strong Presbyterian views during the civil war, with, however, an attachment to the king, and in 1651 he was imprisoned briefly with some other ministers for his share in Christopher Love's plot to recall Charles II of England. He was released on 30 June 1652, and was formally reinstated as vicar of St. Stephen's Walbrook. He obtained great fame and popularity as a preacher until the Restoration, when he was ejected for nonconformity. Not withstanding the rigor of the acts against dissenters, Watson continued to exercise his ministry privately as he found opportunity. Upon the Declaration of Indulgence in 1672 he obtained a license to preach at the great hall in Crosby House. After preaching there for several years, his health gave way, and he retired to Barnston, Essex, where he died suddenly while praying in secret. He was buried on 28 July 1686.
(Information from wikipedia.org)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 325 reviews
January 15, 2016
I am thankful to have picked this up when I did. Watson is both biblical and theological in persuading you to repent. Also, this is probably one of the most quotable books I have ever read. Here is just a taste!
"Smite your soul, said Chrysostom, smite it; it will escape death by that stroke. How happy it would be if we were more deeply affected with sin, and our eyes did swim in their orb."
"Repentance is pure gospel grace."
"A wicked man may be troubled for scandalous sins; a real convert laments heart-sins."
"Godly sorrow, however, is chiefly for the trespass against God, so that even if there were no conscience to smite, no devil to accuse, no hell to punish, yet the soul would still be grieved because of the prejudice done to God."
"We are to find as much bitterness in weeping for sin as ever we found sweetness in committing it."
"A broken heart and a broken Christ do well agree. The more bitterness we taste in sin, the more sweetness we shall taste in Christ."
"They who will not confess their sin as David did, that they may be pardoned, shall confess their sin as Achan did, that they may be stoned."
"Confession of sin endears Christ to the soul."
"Unthankfulness is a sin so great that God himself stands amazed at it: 'Hear, o Heavens, and give ear, O each: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me' (Isa 1:2).
"Can we look upon a suffering Savior with dry eyes? Shall we not be sorry for those sins which made Christ a man of sorrow? Shall not our enormities, which drew blood from Christ, draw tears from us? Shall we sport any more with sin and so rake in Christ's wounds? Oh that by repentance we would crucify our sins afresh!"
"A repenting person fears and sins not; a graceless person sins and fears not."
"Thus I have laid down the means or helps to repentance. What remains now but that we set upon the work. And let us be in earnest, not as fencers but as warriors."
"Smite your soul, said Chrysostom, smite it; it will escape death by that stroke. How happy it would be if we were more deeply affected with sin, and our eyes did swim in their orb."
"Repentance is pure gospel grace."
"A wicked man may be troubled for scandalous sins; a real convert laments heart-sins."
"Godly sorrow, however, is chiefly for the trespass against God, so that even if there were no conscience to smite, no devil to accuse, no hell to punish, yet the soul would still be grieved because of the prejudice done to God."
"We are to find as much bitterness in weeping for sin as ever we found sweetness in committing it."
"A broken heart and a broken Christ do well agree. The more bitterness we taste in sin, the more sweetness we shall taste in Christ."
"They who will not confess their sin as David did, that they may be pardoned, shall confess their sin as Achan did, that they may be stoned."
"Confession of sin endears Christ to the soul."
"Unthankfulness is a sin so great that God himself stands amazed at it: 'Hear, o Heavens, and give ear, O each: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me' (Isa 1:2).
"Can we look upon a suffering Savior with dry eyes? Shall we not be sorry for those sins which made Christ a man of sorrow? Shall not our enormities, which drew blood from Christ, draw tears from us? Shall we sport any more with sin and so rake in Christ's wounds? Oh that by repentance we would crucify our sins afresh!"
"A repenting person fears and sins not; a graceless person sins and fears not."
"Thus I have laid down the means or helps to repentance. What remains now but that we set upon the work. And let us be in earnest, not as fencers but as warriors."
November 11, 2017
On the plus side of good. Listened to it again in April of 2017, and thought it improved a star, from three to four. Listened to it again in November of 2017.
October 3, 2023
Read in 2007
Read in 2014
Read in 2022
Read in 2023
Read in 2014
Read in 2022
Read in 2023
May 27, 2021
Very rich work on the doctrine of repentance. Specifically helpful is Watson's constant distinguishing between genuine and false repentance. A short book, but packed!
October 9, 2023
Deeply convicting and full of rich illustrations.
April 14, 2025
Absolutely fantastic! It seems that books on this topic are relatively rare - especially modern ones. This is the best I’ve read on Repentance - and Watson never disappoints. A book worthy to be read by every follower of Jesus.
January 13, 2023
Listened to the book twice through to get the most out of it. Such an encouraging, convicting, precise, and thorough work on repentance. Watson is so good at being exactly biblical, yet never sacrificing applicability in favor of intellectuality.
May 18, 2015
A really good book on repentance. Uncovers all the false ways we repent, gives a picture of what true repentance looks like, as well as motivations to repent. The only drawback is one can leave feeling like they have never really repented at all. As with most Puritans, they uncover our the deceitfulness of our heart, which can leave someone feeling unsure that they are even saved. I am not sure that is such a bad thing. Carl Trueman said when he was in England he had to convince folks they really were Christians. But when he came to America he had the opposite problem. This book is an excellent antidote to the self-assured presumption of many American Christians who think they can follow Jesus without leading a life of repentance.
As an aside, Watson would have been a beast on Twitter. He is one of the most quotable Puritans.
As an aside, Watson would have been a beast on Twitter. He is one of the most quotable Puritans.
September 3, 2025
4.5, a banger indeed.
Takeaways/Thoughts/Etc:
1. Confession is self-accusation. Accuse yourself of sin before the devil can.
2. I love the continual image that Watson puts forth of painful but necessary repentance. Confession is “opening the abscess of the soul." We need the painful cutting of ribs and cartilage that God might then remove the tumor from our hearts.
3. When you defend your sin, you act as the devil's attorney.
4. We need to feel bad about sin. To have shame. Sin turns men into foolish animals. Into blind men. Dead men. Enslaved, ignorant, filthy, rotten debtors. To look soberly in disgust upon our sin is essential.
5. Our sin is worse than the devil's. Not only have we seen the devil's example and followed him, but we have seen Christ's blood and yet we still sin against light.
5. Incredibly God-exalting. Watson is clear: repentance should never collapse into despair. The glories of His patient, enduring, long suffering love is front and center. He calls us to return to him, again and again and again. And He accepts our repentance over and over and over. Our merciful Father says to us, "As far as the east is from the west, so far do I remove your transgressions from you."
6. Incredibly Christ-exalting. The heart of Christ is to save sinners. "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17). Christ's blood, NOT our repentance, has the merit to save us and heal us. And better yet: "Upon our turning to God, we have more restored to us in Christ than ever was lost in Adam."
A fantastic (but painful) book. I highly recommend.
Takeaways/Thoughts/Etc:
1. Confession is self-accusation. Accuse yourself of sin before the devil can.
2. I love the continual image that Watson puts forth of painful but necessary repentance. Confession is “opening the abscess of the soul." We need the painful cutting of ribs and cartilage that God might then remove the tumor from our hearts.
3. When you defend your sin, you act as the devil's attorney.
4. We need to feel bad about sin. To have shame. Sin turns men into foolish animals. Into blind men. Dead men. Enslaved, ignorant, filthy, rotten debtors. To look soberly in disgust upon our sin is essential.
5. Our sin is worse than the devil's. Not only have we seen the devil's example and followed him, but we have seen Christ's blood and yet we still sin against light.
5. Incredibly God-exalting. Watson is clear: repentance should never collapse into despair. The glories of His patient, enduring, long suffering love is front and center. He calls us to return to him, again and again and again. And He accepts our repentance over and over and over. Our merciful Father says to us, "As far as the east is from the west, so far do I remove your transgressions from you."
6. Incredibly Christ-exalting. The heart of Christ is to save sinners. "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17). Christ's blood, NOT our repentance, has the merit to save us and heal us. And better yet: "Upon our turning to God, we have more restored to us in Christ than ever was lost in Adam."
A fantastic (but painful) book. I highly recommend.
June 11, 2019
Watson can be fairly repetitive in parts, but he hammers it into you, and it is helpful for a topic that is a part of the Christian’s all day, everyday life.
Nothing will whet the appetite for a repentant posture like this book. He helps the reader see the sinfulness of sin and how disgusting it is. But many times reveals the joy and peace to be found in hating and forsaking sin, and turning your face and affections towards the Lord.
Nothing will whet the appetite for a repentant posture like this book. He helps the reader see the sinfulness of sin and how disgusting it is. But many times reveals the joy and peace to be found in hating and forsaking sin, and turning your face and affections towards the Lord.
September 16, 2020
The first of Martin Luther’s ninety-five theses was: "Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance." If that is true and I believe it is, then this book is a huge help! I always thought the Puritans would be too hard to read but they really aren’t. Very clear and readable and motivating towards repentance. As Christians we sometimes find this side of following Christ to be so sobering but it’s truly the path to joy and so this book is clearly an aide in that path to joy. I highly recommend it!
November 14, 2025
If this book doesn’t crank your tractor then you need a new tractor
July 21, 2023
Convicting. A wonderful, practical book on repentance.
January 3, 2023
Like a salve covered sword that can pierce and soothe in the same swing.
August 8, 2019
I think I enjoyed this one even more than his work on contentment. It took what I thought was a simple doctrine and showed the reader its beauty and depth. Excellent.
July 8, 2023
Must read
July 13, 2022
This is an incredible exposition of repentance. Written by Thomas Watson, an English puritan, we encounter topics like: the sinfulness of sin, the penitents heart, the price of impenitence, the sweet grace of repentance, the roadblocks to repentance, and blessings of repentance. All within a relatively short read (190 pages)
Watson used vivid imagery which captured my heart and opened up the weighty topic as repentance. This has surely grown my faith and has encouraged me to pray for a heart that weeps and blushes over the shame of my sin. (And convinced me there is nothing more I could hope for than a life full of such weeping!)
A summary in Watsons own words are here:
“But what is that to repentance? Yes, faith breeds union with Christ, and there can be no separation from sin till there is union with Christ. The eye of faith looks on mercy and that thaws the heart. Faith carries us to Christ’s blood, and that blood mollifies it. Faith persuades us of the love of God, and that love sets us to weeping.
Thus I have laid down the means or helps to repentance. What remains now is only that we begin the work. And let us be in earnest, not as fencers but as warriors.
I will conclude with the words of the psalmist: “One who goes out and weeps, bearing precious seed, will doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psa 126.6).”
Excerpt From
Repentance
Thomas Watson
This material may be protected by copyright.
Watson used vivid imagery which captured my heart and opened up the weighty topic as repentance. This has surely grown my faith and has encouraged me to pray for a heart that weeps and blushes over the shame of my sin. (And convinced me there is nothing more I could hope for than a life full of such weeping!)
A summary in Watsons own words are here:
“But what is that to repentance? Yes, faith breeds union with Christ, and there can be no separation from sin till there is union with Christ. The eye of faith looks on mercy and that thaws the heart. Faith carries us to Christ’s blood, and that blood mollifies it. Faith persuades us of the love of God, and that love sets us to weeping.
Thus I have laid down the means or helps to repentance. What remains now is only that we begin the work. And let us be in earnest, not as fencers but as warriors.
I will conclude with the words of the psalmist: “One who goes out and weeps, bearing precious seed, will doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psa 126.6).”
Excerpt From
Repentance
Thomas Watson
This material may be protected by copyright.
November 19, 2024
The concept of repentance sometimes has felt vague to me, and has led me to worry if my repentance was biblically correct or even thorough enough. At times I would worry if I was “sorry enough.”
Watson spelled out, drawing from just about every book in the Bible, how repenting is essential to true Christianity. The whole book hinges on the 6 ingredients of repentance:
1. Sight for sin
2. Sorrow for sin
3. Confession of sin
4. Shame for sin
5. Hatred for sin
6. Turning from sin
Watson warns readers of the grave dangers of living an unrepentant life and our motives behind repentance, while presenting the great joys we have in turning to Christ.
My only knock on the book is it felt repetitive at times, but I think that’s just because he was makes sure to get the point clearly across.
Overall, this was a rich read for me. Repentance is a great means of grace that God has poured out to us. “Upon our turning to God we have more restored to us in Christ that ever was lost in Adam.”
Psalm 126:6
[6] He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.
Watson spelled out, drawing from just about every book in the Bible, how repenting is essential to true Christianity. The whole book hinges on the 6 ingredients of repentance:
1. Sight for sin
2. Sorrow for sin
3. Confession of sin
4. Shame for sin
5. Hatred for sin
6. Turning from sin
Watson warns readers of the grave dangers of living an unrepentant life and our motives behind repentance, while presenting the great joys we have in turning to Christ.
My only knock on the book is it felt repetitive at times, but I think that’s just because he was makes sure to get the point clearly across.
Overall, this was a rich read for me. Repentance is a great means of grace that God has poured out to us. “Upon our turning to God we have more restored to us in Christ that ever was lost in Adam.”
Psalm 126:6
[6] He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.
December 5, 2022
I need to read more books by Puritans
November 6, 2025
WOW. short but deep and dense. "Therefore beg of God a repentant spirit. He can make the stony heart bleed. His is a word of creative power. We must have recourse to God for blessing because he has promised to bestow it: 'I will give you a heart of flesh' (Ezekial 36:26). I will soften your adamant hearts in my Son's blood...Lord give me grace to return unto thee with my whole heart." p. 121
December 9, 2025
thomas did not have to go that hard. came for my throat at times but soooo good
August 15, 2024
A must-read for every believer. It is short and easy to read.
January 3, 2023
This book tackles a very miss understood topic. Many people may not even be Christians because their repentance is not genuine and not real. Watson examines in depth what true repentance is and why so many fall short of it. It is a challenging read and it produces a desire even in true believers to return back to God in humility and sincerity. Highly recommended and a must read for every seeker of Christ
October 24, 2021
Such a detailed look at repentance & how we should relate to our own sin as Christians. This book has given me so much to think on & is already shaping how I view & confess my own sin. Watson provides a valuable resource for such an important discipline that can often be overlooked. What a wonderful book!
November 11, 2024
"There is no rowing to paradise except upon the stream of repenting tears. Repentance is required as a qualification. It is not so much to endear us to Christ as to endear Christ to us. Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet." - Thomas Watson
Excellent book on the doctrine of repentance, a word largely missing from modern evangelicalism. Watson opens with the assertion that the two "great graces" essential to a saint are faith and repentance, the "two wings by which he flies to heaven."
Lest one accuse him of asserting repentance as work, he makes it clear that repentance is a "pure gospel grace" that has been "brought to light" only by the gospel: "Christ has purchased in His blood that repenting sinners shall be saved."
He defines repentance as: "a grace of God's Spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed." He then launches into a study on the nature of repentance by analyzing the six special ingredients that make up this "spiritual medicine":
1. Sight of sin
2. Sorrow for sin
3. Confession of sin
4. Shame for sin
5. Hatred for sin
6. Turning from sin
He spends the second half of the book seriously considering the motivations, impediments, and means to repentance with an excellent conclusion on the necessity of God as the decisive actor in leading men and women to repent: "The angel rolled away the stone from the sepulchre, but no angel, only God Himself, can roll away the stone from the heart."
Some Quotes:
- "He that can believe without doubting, suspect his faith; and he that can repent without sorrowing, suspect his repentance."
- "The Christian has arrived at a sufficient measure of sorrow when the love of sin is purged out."
- "It is one thing to confess sin and another thing to feel sin."
- "We are never more precious in God's eyes than when we are lepers in our own."
- "When God bruises us with affliction, it is to enrich us with the golden graces and comforts of his Spirit. All is in love."
- "The greatest judgment God lays upon a man in this life is to let him sin without control."
- "If God turns to us, all things shall turn to our good, both mercies and afflictions; we shall taste honey at the end of the road."
- "England is an island encompassed by two oceans, an ocean of water, and an ocean of wickedness. O that it might be encompassed with a third ocean, that of repenting tears!"
- "Repentance is a continuous act. The issue of godly sorrow must not be quite stopped till death."
- "The Lord esteems no heart sound but the broken heart ... prayer is delightful to God when it ascends from the altar of a broken heart."
- "Let a man, said Augustine, grieve for his sin and rejoice for his grief."
- "God will not save us without repentance, nor yet for it. Repentance is a qualification, not a cause."
- "God is the supreme good, and our blessedness lies in union with him ... every step forward in sin is a step backward from God."
- "If men knew God in His purity and justice they would not dare go on in a course of sinning ... ignorance and lust are joined together."
- "We can harden our hearts, but we cannot soften them."
Excellent book on the doctrine of repentance, a word largely missing from modern evangelicalism. Watson opens with the assertion that the two "great graces" essential to a saint are faith and repentance, the "two wings by which he flies to heaven."
Lest one accuse him of asserting repentance as work, he makes it clear that repentance is a "pure gospel grace" that has been "brought to light" only by the gospel: "Christ has purchased in His blood that repenting sinners shall be saved."
He defines repentance as: "a grace of God's Spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed." He then launches into a study on the nature of repentance by analyzing the six special ingredients that make up this "spiritual medicine":
1. Sight of sin
2. Sorrow for sin
3. Confession of sin
4. Shame for sin
5. Hatred for sin
6. Turning from sin
He spends the second half of the book seriously considering the motivations, impediments, and means to repentance with an excellent conclusion on the necessity of God as the decisive actor in leading men and women to repent: "The angel rolled away the stone from the sepulchre, but no angel, only God Himself, can roll away the stone from the heart."
Some Quotes:
- "He that can believe without doubting, suspect his faith; and he that can repent without sorrowing, suspect his repentance."
- "The Christian has arrived at a sufficient measure of sorrow when the love of sin is purged out."
- "It is one thing to confess sin and another thing to feel sin."
- "We are never more precious in God's eyes than when we are lepers in our own."
- "When God bruises us with affliction, it is to enrich us with the golden graces and comforts of his Spirit. All is in love."
- "The greatest judgment God lays upon a man in this life is to let him sin without control."
- "If God turns to us, all things shall turn to our good, both mercies and afflictions; we shall taste honey at the end of the road."
- "England is an island encompassed by two oceans, an ocean of water, and an ocean of wickedness. O that it might be encompassed with a third ocean, that of repenting tears!"
- "Repentance is a continuous act. The issue of godly sorrow must not be quite stopped till death."
- "The Lord esteems no heart sound but the broken heart ... prayer is delightful to God when it ascends from the altar of a broken heart."
- "Let a man, said Augustine, grieve for his sin and rejoice for his grief."
- "God will not save us without repentance, nor yet for it. Repentance is a qualification, not a cause."
- "God is the supreme good, and our blessedness lies in union with him ... every step forward in sin is a step backward from God."
- "If men knew God in His purity and justice they would not dare go on in a course of sinning ... ignorance and lust are joined together."
- "We can harden our hearts, but we cannot soften them."
May 31, 2024
When speaking of the Puritans, I often hear phrases like "saturated with Scripture" or "they wring out every last drop from the simplest verses" - but I personally didn't find this book that insightful or theologically deep.
Watson certainly could write. I remember jokingly describing this book to my housemate as "Instagram quotes for old Reformed men". But aside from some moving quotes, I actually found myself surprised by the number of times I had to ask myself, "Is what I've just read actually biblical?" One criticism often levied at the charismatic crowd is that they get carried away with feelings and end up teaching nice ideas that are too loosely connected to scripture to be a sound application. I didn't expect to come away from so many phrases in this book with the same feeling - yes, I would find that the general flow of an idea was biblical, but there was often an extra sentence or analogy added in for dramatic effect that only really served to inaccurately simplify the idea.
I did really appreciate Watson's pleas for the reader to consider the gravity of his/her sin and how bad sin really is - I found that to be an admirable aspect of his teaching that has increased my desire to see sin as truly terrible. Somewhere between 2.5 to 3 stars.
...
"He that hides one rebel in his house is a traitor to the Crown, and he that indulges one sin is a traitorous hypocrite."
"He that returns to sin by implication charges God with some evil. If a man puts away his wife, it implies he knows some fault by her. To leave God and return to sin is tacitly to asperse the Deity."
"It is not falling into water that drowns, but lying in it. It is not falling into sin that damns, but lying in it without repentance..."
Watson certainly could write. I remember jokingly describing this book to my housemate as "Instagram quotes for old Reformed men". But aside from some moving quotes, I actually found myself surprised by the number of times I had to ask myself, "Is what I've just read actually biblical?" One criticism often levied at the charismatic crowd is that they get carried away with feelings and end up teaching nice ideas that are too loosely connected to scripture to be a sound application. I didn't expect to come away from so many phrases in this book with the same feeling - yes, I would find that the general flow of an idea was biblical, but there was often an extra sentence or analogy added in for dramatic effect that only really served to inaccurately simplify the idea.
I did really appreciate Watson's pleas for the reader to consider the gravity of his/her sin and how bad sin really is - I found that to be an admirable aspect of his teaching that has increased my desire to see sin as truly terrible. Somewhere between 2.5 to 3 stars.
...
"He that hides one rebel in his house is a traitor to the Crown, and he that indulges one sin is a traitorous hypocrite."
"He that returns to sin by implication charges God with some evil. If a man puts away his wife, it implies he knows some fault by her. To leave God and return to sin is tacitly to asperse the Deity."
"It is not falling into water that drowns, but lying in it. It is not falling into sin that damns, but lying in it without repentance..."
August 24, 2018
There were a lot of good things in this book, and I know it's a classic so who am I to criticize and all that. But I really struggled to get past the fact that Watson teaches that you ought to try and feel as bad as possible for good repentance, and I just think that's crazy. Your repentance isn't going to be more effective if you beat yourself up more, because that's you interacting with you, and repentance is an act between you and God. Good repentance is when the Holy Spirit brings conviction to us, and our feelings are a response to his conviction, and not to our own attempts at self-denigration. Plus, the intensity of your emotion is in general a really bad measure for spiritual progress.
So yeah, I thought that part was really weird, and more harmful than helpful.
So yeah, I thought that part was really weird, and more harmful than helpful.
January 4, 2024
This was one of the first Christian books I ever read, and at the time I really liked it. However, in retrospect, I think Watson's treatment of repentance is a bit lopsided. I recommend this book if you want to understand the Puritan/Westminster view of repentance. If you want to understand another perspective on repentance, which I believe completes the biblical picture, see Treadwell Walden's "The Great Meaning of Metanoia."
June 8, 2022
It was very thorough and concise, while also giving a full-rounded understanding as to what repentance looks like according to biblical standards. It was also incredibly encouraging while at the same time it was a kick in the teeth. Feels like an older saint with much wisdom walking a believer by the hand in exploring the matter of repentance out of a love for God. A must read for any Christian.
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