#10 - The Godly Man's Picture

I just finished Thomas Watson's (the Puritan, not the golfer) The Godly Man's Picture. In it, Watson explains what godliness is, what a godly man looks / acts like, and how to become more godly. Watson has a very vivid style of illustrating his points. It makes for interesting reading.

Here are a few gems:

• The soul being so precious, and salvation so glorious, it is the highest point of prudence to make preparations for another world.
• He who is good only in some part is not godly. Grace is called 'the new man' (Col 3:10), not a new eye, or tongue, but a new man. He who is godly is good all over; though he is regenerate only in part, yet it is in every part.
• 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.
• A godly man reverences divine institutions, and is more for the purity of worship than the pomp.
• A servant is satisfied with his master's allowance...In this sense, a godly man is God's servant; he is willing to live on God's allowance; if he has only some left-overs, he does not grumble...When Christians complain at their condition, they forget that they are servants, and must live on the allowance of their heavenly Master. You who have the least bit from God will die in his debt.
• It is more honour to serve God than to have kings serve us.
• A godly person weeps because the sin he commits are in some sense worse than the sins of other men. The sin of a justified person is very odious: because he acts contrary to his own principles...The sins of the godly go nearest to God's heart. Others' sins anger God; these grieve him. The sins of the wicked pierce Christ's sides, the sins of the godly wound his heart.
• When we want direction, do we consult this sacred oracle [the Bible]? When we find corruptions strong, do we make use of this 'sword of the Spirit' to hew them down? When we are disconsolate, do we go to this bottle of the water of life for comfort? Then we are lovers of the Word! But alas, how can they who are seldom conversant with the Scriptures say they love them?
• Again, do we love the holiness of the Word (Psa 119:140)? The Word is preached to beat down sin and advance holiness. Do we love it for its spirituality and purity? Many love the Word preached only for its eloquence and notion. They come to a sermon as to a music lecture (Ezek 33:31, 32) or as to a garden to pick flowers, but not to have their lusts subdued or their hearts bettered. These are like a foolish woman who paints her face but neglects her health.
• A proud man complains that he has no more; a humble man wonders that he has so much...he does not say his mercies are small, but his sins are great. He knows that the worst piece God carves him is better than he deserves; therefore he takes it thankfully upon his knees.
• A child of God keeps two books by him: one to write his sins in, so that he may be humble; the other to write his mercies in, so that he may be thankful.
• If you wish to be thankful, get a heart deeply humbled with the sense of your own vileness. A broken heart is the best pipe to sound forth God's praise...A proud man will never be thankful.
• Though sin lives in him [the godly man], yet he does not live in sin...What is it to indulge sin? To give the breast to it and feed it...To indulge sin is to commit it with delight.
• This is one great difference between a child of God and a hypocrite. The hypocrite picks and chooses in religion. He will perform some duties which are easier and gratify his pride or interest, but other duties he takes no notice of: 'Ye pay tithe of mint and anise, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith' (Matt 23:23).

As is typical with these Puritan writers, there are times when it is difficult for me to read or understand Watson. But the chapters on humility, patience and loving the Word are worth the price of the book alone.

On a slightly related note, Emery has been growing in her interest to become a godly person herself. She recently prayed with Sandy about something and then said, "Mom, can you and I pray just by ourselves together everyday?" Also, she's been going to her room to pray by herself lately and says, "I'm acting like a Christian to practice for when I become an actual Christian."

Sandy also had a conversation with the boys and girl about going to heaven. Everyone was looking forward to it. The boys were especially excited about all the fun toys they were going to ask God for. But Emery said in a wonderfully sweet tone, "All I want when I get to heaven is to be with Jesus." Then she proceeded to take big bite of sandwich and munch happily away.

Thank God He gave me this girl!