Thomas Watson is one of my favorite Puritans to read. His works are very descriptive and have very concise and short illustrations. He puts repentance into 6 ingredients to be true repentance. Dear church, Jesus declares that unless you repent you likewise shall perish, so true repentance is a very serious question in the believer’s life. So, look at these 6 ingredients and with fear and trembling work it out with the Holy Spirit if indeed you are in a spirit of repentance. Pastor Mark
Sight for sin. “A man must first recognize and consider what his sin is, and know the plague of his heart before he can be duly humbled for it”
Sorrow for sin. “A woman may as well expect to have a child without pangs as one can have repentance without sorrow… he that can repent without sorrowing, suspect his repentance.”
Confession of sin. “In our confessions we tax (accuse) ourselves with pride, infidelity, passion, so that when Satan, who is called ‘the accuser of the brethren’, shall lay these things to our charge, God will say, they have accused themselves already; therefore, Satan, thou art non-suited; thy accusations come too late.”
Shame for sin. “Every sin makes us guilty and guilt breeds shame.”
Hatred for sin. “Till sin be bitter, Christ cannot be sweet.”
Turning from sin. Watson describes this as a “perpetual fast” from sin.