The Doctrine of Repentance

by Thomas Watson

Origen calls confession, the vomit of the soul, whereby the conscience is eased of that burden did lie upon it: Now when we have vomited up sin by confession, we must not return to this vomit. What King will pardon that man, who after he hath confessed his treason, practiseth new treason? Thus we see how confession must be qualified.

Solomon speaks of a generation of men, Eccles. 9:3. Madness is in their heart while they live. So for men to love sin, to hug that which will be their death, to sport with damnation; Madness is in their heart.

3. A third means conducible to repentance, is, a settled determination to leave sin; not a faint velleity,26 but a resolved vow, Psal. 119:106. I have sworn that I will keep thy righteous judgements. All the delights and artifices of sin shall not make me forsworn. There must be no hesitation, no consulting with flesh and blood; had I best leave my sin or no? But as Ephraim, Hos. 14:8. What have I to do any more with idols? I will be gulled no more by my sins, no longer fool’d by Satan; this day I will put a bill of divorce into the hands of my lusts. Till we come to this peremptory resolution, sin will get ground of us, and we shall never be able to shake off this viper. No wonder if he be conquered by sin, who is not resolved to be an enemy to it. But this resolution must be built upon the strength of Christ more than our own; it must be a humble resolution. As David when he went against Goliath, he put off his presumptuous confidence, as well as his armour, 1 Sam. 17:45. I come to thee in the name of the Lord. So we must go out against our Goliath lusts in the strength of Christ. ‘Tis usual for a person to join another in the bond with

him; so being conscious of our own inability to leave sin, let us get Christ to be bound with us, and engage his strength for the mortifying of corruption.