I can’t recall who recommended this book to me but I am sure thankful it ended up on my shelf. The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson is a wonderful exposition of what it means to be a true man of God according to the Word of God.
Overview
There is simply too much in the book to write a short report on but I will do my best. Watson gives 24 characteristics of a godly man as the main part of his book. They include things like: “A godly man is a PRAYING man” and “A godly man is a HUMBLE man” or “A godly man is a lover of the WORD.” Each of these 24 characteristics is broken down by a few pages of scripture exposition with lots of examples and symbols, lots of which come directly from the Bible which I deeply appreciate.
He ends the book with 4 other sections:
- Exhortation to Godliness
- Help to Godliness
- Motives to Persevere in Godliness
- Mystical Union between Christ and His People
This last section was such a blessing to my soul. It wrapped up the entire book in a beautiful intimacy with Jesus. Right before I finished the book I asked God in my morning prayer to increase my love for Jesus and my longing for Him. Directly after my prayer I began reading the last few lines of this book (which I had no idea what they were going to be) and through the sovereignty of God they answered my prayer:
“To inflame your love towards Christ, consider:
- Nothing else is fit for you to love. ……
- He is worthy of your love. ……
- How fervent is Christ’s love towards you! …..”
Praise God!
Quotes
As there was simply too much in the book to give a more detailed explanation without making this at least 100 pages I will submit to laying out a good amount of quotes from the book that I highlighted during my reading.
“Godliness puts a man in heaven before his time”
“A man has no more power to make himself godly, than to create himself”
“A godly man holds no more than he will die for”
“Many take Christ as Jesus – to save them; but refuse him as Lord – to rule them”
“The Scripture reveals Christ to us – but the Spirit reveals Christ in us”
“When Christians complain at their condition, they forget that they are servants”
“He [the godly man] not only has a few transient thoughts – but leaves his mind steeping in the Scripture”
“God’s love is a box of precious ointment, and it is only the Spirit who can break this box open, and fill us with its sweet perfume.”
“A humble soul is emptied of all swelling thoughts of himself. Bernard calls humility a self-annihilation… A humble man has lower thoughts of himself than others can have of him”
“The more knowledge a humble Christian has, the more he complains of ignorance; the more faith a humble Christian has, the more he bewails his unbelief.”
“It is better to lack anything, rather than humility”
“A Christian is better after prayer. He has gained more strength over sin, as a man by exercise gets strength”
“It is better to have God approve, than the world applaud.”
“The Greek word for saint, hagios, signifies a man taken away from the earth. A person may live in one place – yet belong to another… Every day is Ascension Day with a believer.”
“To be godly and earthly is a contradiction”
“We shall never go to heaven when we die – unless we are in heaven while we live.” (This is one of my favorites)
“Many have tears in their eyes and complaints in their mouths – but few have harps in their hand and are blessing and praising the name of God.”
“We repay God’s blessings – with service.”
“We give thanks when we live thanks”
“We must love them because they are saints, not out of self-respect because they are affable or have been kind to us.”
“A godly man will as soon live without food, as without prayer”
“God does not judge our duties by their length – but by love”
“Augustine says that his mother Monica travailed with greater care and pain for his spiritual birth than for his natural birth.”
“If men would step aside a little out of the noise and hurry of business, and spend only half-an-hour every day thinking about their souls and eternity, it would produce a wonderful alteration in them!”
Quotes from “The Godly Man’s Picture” by Thomas Watson