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.