The Unbloody Violence of the Christian Life: Thomas Watson Excerpt

Our latest Puritan Paperback volume is Thomas Watson’s Heaven Taken by Storm or The Christian Soldier, Showing the Holy Violence a Christian is to Put Forth in the Pursuit after Glory. It is an extended meditation on, and application of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 11:12: ‘The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.’ What follows is a short excerpt (found on pages 5 to 11 of the book) which provides a flavour of Watson’s theme and its urgency for us all.

This violence concerns men as Christians. Though heaven be given us freely, yet we must contend for it. ‘What thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might’ (Eccles. 9:10). Our work is great, our time short, our master urgent; we have need therefore to summon together all the powers of our souls, and strive as in a matter of life and death, that we may arrive at the kingdom above: we must not only put forth diligence, but violence. For the illustrating and clearing the proposition, I shall show,

1. What violence is not meant here:

This violence in the text excludes:

(1) An ignorant violence; to be violent for that which we do not understand. ‘As I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, to the unknown God’ (Acts 17:23). These Athenians were violent in their devotion; but it might be said to them, as Christ said to the woman of Samaria, ‘Ye worship ye know not what’ (John 4:22). Thus the Catholics are violent in their religion: witness their penance, fasting, dilacerating themselves till the blood comes, but it is a zeal without knowledge: their mettle is better than their eyesight. When Aaron was to burn the incense upon the altar, he was first to light the lamps (Exod. 25:7). When zeal like incense burns, first the lamp of knowledge must be lighted.

(2) It excludes a bloody violence, which is twofold:

First, when one goes to lay violent hands upon himself. The body is an earthly prison where God hath put the soul; we must not break prison, but stay till God by death lets us out. The sentinel is not to stir without leave from his captain, nor must we dare to stir hence without God’s leave. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 6:19); when we offer violence to them, we destroy God’s temple. The lamp of life must burn so long as any natural moisture is left like oil to feed it.

Secondly, when one takes away the life of another. There’s too much of this violence nowadays. No sin hath a louder voice than blood: ‘The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground’ (Gen. 4:10). If there is a curse for him that ‘smites his neighbour secretly’ (Deut. 27:24), then he is double cursed that kills him. If a man had slain another unawares, he might take sanctuary and fly to the altar. But if he had done it willingly, the holiness of the place was not to protect him. ‘If a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar that he may die’ (Exod. 21:14). Joab being a man of blood, King Solomon sought to slay him, though he caught hold of the horns of the altar (1 Kings 2:28, 29). In Bohemia formerly, the murderer was to be beheaded and put in the same coffin with him whom he killed. Thus we see what violence the text excludes.

2. What violence is meant here;

It is a holy violence. This is twofold.

(1) We must be violent for the truth. Here Pilate’s question will be moved, ‘What is truth?’ Truth is either the blessed word of God, which is called the ‘word of truth,’ or those doctrinals which are deduced from the word and agree with it, as the dial with the sun or the transcript with the original – such as the doctrine of the Trinity, the doctrine of the creation, the doctrine of free grace, justification by the blood of Christ, regeneration, resurrection of the dead, and the life of glory. These truths we must be violent for, which is either by being advocates for them or martyrs.

Truth is the most glorious thing; the least filing of this gold is precious. What shall we be violent for, if not for truth? Truth is ancient, its grey hairs may make it venerable. It comes from him who is the Ancient of Days. Truth is unerring, it is the star which leads to Christ. Truth is pure (Psa. 119:140), it is compared to ‘silver refined seven times’ (Psa. 12:6). There is not the least spot on truth’s face; it breathes nothing but sanctity. Truth is triumphant: it is like a great conqueror; when all its enemies lie dead, it keeps the field, and sets up its trophies of victory. Truth may be opposed, but never quite deposed. In the time of Diocletian, things seemed desperate, truth ran low; soon after was the golden time of Constantine, and then truth did again lift up its head. When the water in the Thames is lowest, a high tide is ready to come in. God is on truth’s side, and so long there is no fear but it will prevail. ‘The heavens being on fire shall be dissolved,’ but not that truth which came from heaven (2 Pet. 3:12; 1 Pet. 1:25).

Truth hath noble effects. Truth is the seed of the new birth. God doth not regenerate us by miracles, or revelations, but by ‘the word of truth’ (James 1:18). As truth is the breeder of grace, so the feeder of it (1 Tim. 4:6). Truth sanctifies: ‘Sanctify them by thy truth’ (John 17:17). Truth is the seal that leaves the print of its own holiness upon us. It is both speculum and lavacrum, a glass [mirror] to show us our blemishes, and a laver to wash them away. Truth ‘makes us free’ (John 8:32): it bears off the fetters of sin, and puts us into a state of sonship and ‘kingship’ (Rom. 8:14; Rev. 1:6). Truth is comforting: this wine cheers. When David’s harp and viol could yield him no comfort, truth did: ‘This is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me’ (Psa. 119:50).

Truth is an antidote against error. Error is the adultery of the mind: it stains the soul, as treason doth the blood. Error damns as well as vice. A man may as well die by poison as pistol. And what can stave off error but truth? The reason so many have been trappaned¹[Cheated or betrayed.] into error is because they either did not know or did not love the truth. I can never say enough in the honour of truth. Truth is basis fidei, the ground of our faith; it gives us an exact model of religion; it shows us what we are to believe. Take away truth and our faith is fancy. Truth is the best flower in the church’s crown. We have not a richer jewel to trust God with than our souls, nor he a richer jewel to trust us with than his truths. Truth is insigne honoris, an ensign of honour. It distinguishes us from the false church, as chastity distinguisheth a virtuous woman from a harlot. In short, truth is ecclesiae praesidium, the bulwark of a nation: it is said the Levites (who were the antesignani, the ensign-bearers of truth) strengthened the kingdom (2 Chron. 11:17). Truth may be compared to the capitol of Rome, which was a place of the greatest strength; or the Tower of David, on which there hung a thousand shields (Song of Sol. 4:4). Our forts and navies do not so much strengthen us as truth. Truth is the best militia of a kingdom. If once we part with truth, and espouse popery, the lock is cut where our strength lies. What then should we be violent for, if not for truth? We are bid to contend as in an agony ‘for the faith delivered to the saints’ (Jude 3). If truth once be gone, we may write this epitaph on England’s tombstone: ‘Thy glory is departed.’

(2) This holy violence is when we are violent for our own salvation. ‘Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure’ (2 Pet. 1:10). The Greek word signifies anxious carefulness, or a serious bearing one’s thoughts about the business of eternity; such a care as sets head and heart at work. In this channel of religion all a Christian’s zeal should run.

3. The third thing is, what is implied in this holy violence?

It implies three things: (1) Resolution of will; (2) Vigour of affection; (3) Strength of endeavour.

(1) Resolution of the will. ‘I have sworn and will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments’ (Psa. 119:106). Whatever is in the way to heaven (though there be a lion in the way), I will encounter it. Like a resolute commander that chargeth through the whole body of the army. The Christian is resolved, come what may, he will have heaven. Where there is this resolution, danger must be despised, difficulties trampled upon, terrors contemned. This is the first thing in holy violence, resolution of will – I will have heaven whatever it costs me – and this resolution must be in the strength of Christ.

Resolution is like the bias to the bowl, which carries it strongly. Where there is but half a resolution, a will to be saved and a will to follow sin, it is impossible to be violent for heaven. If a traveller be unresolved, sometimes he will ride this way, sometimes that; he is violent for neither.

(2) Vigour of the affections. The will proceeds upon reason: the judgment being informed of the excellency of a state of glory, and the will being resolved upon a voyage to that holy land, now the affections follow, and they are on fire in passionate longings after heaven. The affections are violent things: ‘My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God’ (Psa. 42:2). The Rabbis note here that David saith not, My soul ‘hungereth,’ but ‘thirsteth,’ because naturally we are more impatient of thirst than hunger. See in what a rapid violent motion David’s affections were carried after God. The affections are like the wings of the bird, which make the soul swift in its flight after glory. Where the affections are stirred up, there is offering violence to heaven.

(3) This violence implies strength of endeavour, when we strive for salvation as about a matter of life and death. It is easy to talk of heaven, but not to get to heaven; we must operam navare, put forth all our strength; nay, call in the help of heaven to this work.

4. The fourth thing is, how many ways a Christian must offer violence?

Four ways: he must offer violence:

I. To Himself;
II. To Satan;
III. To the World;
IV. To Heaven.

This is a taster of Thomas Watson’s exposition in our new Puritan Paperback, Heaven Taken by Storm, or, The Christian Soldier. 

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Featured image (visible when post shared on social media) is ‘Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still’ by John Martin (1789–1854). Credit: Yale Centre for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection.