All Things For Good

Thomas Watson, the 17th century minister of St. Stephen’s Walbrook, believed he faced two great difficulties in his pastoral ministry. The first was making the unbeliever sad, in the recognition of his need of God’s grace. The second was making the believer joyful in response to God’s grace. He believed the answer to the second difficulty could be found in Paul’s teaching in Romans 8.28: God works all things together for good for his people. First published in 1663 (under the title A Divine Cordial), the year after Watson and some two thousand other ministers were ejected from the Church of England and exposed to hardship and suffering, All Things For Good contains the rich exposition of a man who lived when only faith in God’s Word could lead him to such confidence. Thomas Watson’s exposition is always simple, illuminating and rich in practical application. He explains that both the best and the worst experiences work for the good of God’s people. He carefully analyses what it means to be someone who ‘loves God’ and is ‘called according to his purpose’. All Things For Good provides the biblical answer to the contemporary question; Why do bad things happen to good people?

Publisher: Banner of Truth
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781800401068

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Thomas Watson (c. 1620-1686) was a Puritan preacher and author during the English Revolution and the Act of Uniformity. Watson’s works are a legacy that have continued to be a blessing to those who love sound, heart-searching exposition of the Scriptures.

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‘The title is taken from the familiar verse, Romans 8:28, a favorite verse of many. Watson breaks it down to its basic parts and discusses the meaning and application of each. Pointing out that this verse speaks with confidence as the Apostle Paul states that we know this, he starts out by looking at the What in the verse — what things work together for good? Well, first of all, the Best Things work for good to the godly, and secondly, the Worst Things work for good to the godly….In All Things for Good, Thomas Watson addresses his readers in a pastoral way, out of concern for their spiritual well-being. Like a doctor, he starts by presenting a picture of the healthy state of the Christian to encourage their hearts. He offers a checklist to help the reader maintain and improve in their spiritual health. He then provides some warning signs or symptoms that may indicate a problem, followed by a course of action to remedy the problem.’ Linda Gabriel