The Godly Man's Picture
Thomas Watson paints a detailed portrait of what a truly godly person looks like, laying out roughly two dozen inward and outward marks that distinguish a genuine Christian from a mere pretender. Written as an aid to honest self-examination, it presses the reader to test whether their religion is a heart-deep reality or only an outward show. Its blend of searching diagnosis and warm pastoral encouragement is why it remains one of the most widely read Puritan books on practical holiness.
Based on The Godly Man's Picture Drawn with a Scripture Pencil (1666)
Puritan quotes
Quotes by Thomas Watson
“Mercy is not like the sun to the fire, to dull it, but like the oil to the wheel, to make it run faster.”
“A gracious heart is like a piece of good ground that, having received the seed of mercy, produces a crop of obedience.”
“An idle person is the devil’s tennis ball, which he bandies up and down with temptation till at last the ball goes out of play.”
“Faith is the oil which feeds the lamp of hope. Faith and hope are two turtle-dove graces; take away one, and the other languishes. If the sinews are cut, the body is lame; if this sinew of faith is cut, hope is lame.”
“Believers are Christ’s garden; their graces are flowers; their savory discourse is the fragrant scent of these flowers.”
“Faith is a cure-all – a remedy against all troubles. It is a godly man’s sheet anchor that he casts out into the sea of God’s mercy, and is kept from sinking in despair.”
“Sinners desire Christ only for shelter. The Hebrews never chose their judges except when they were in some imminent danger. Godless persons never look for Christ except at death, when they are in danger of hell.”
“When the strings of the lute are snarled up, the lute is not fit to make music. So when a Christian’s spirit is perplexed and disturbed, he cannot make melody in his heart to the Lord.”
“An impatient man is like a troubled sea that cannot rest (Isa. 57:20). He tortures himself upon the rack of his own griefs and passions, whereas patience calms the heart, as Christ did the sea, when it was rough.”
“Men think it a shame to be ignorant of their trade, but no shame to be ignorant of God. There is no going to heaven blindfold.”
