In a world that will not tolerate the mention of sin, and in churches where it has been defined only in generic, sociological terms, one could make a good case that “repentance” is one of the least used words in the English language today.

Repentance is essential to true Christianity—Jesus Christ himself said that if we do not repent, we will perish—and there are few better guides that have existed in this or any other area of spiritual experience than Thomas Watson. He was well-versed in 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.

“Watson makes clear what repentance really is: ‘True leaving of sin is when the acts of sin cease from the infusion of a principle of grace, as the air ceases to be dark from the infusion of light.’ Watson writes in a clear, practical, and yet penetrating manner.”