The Ten Commandments

by Thomas Watson

This fully annotated edition

• Original study notes for all 23 sections
• Theological introductions to each major subject
• Three reflection questions following every section

What does God require of us—and what does His law reveal about the human heart?

In The Ten Commandments, Puritan pastor Thomas Watson offers a profound, practical, and distinctly Christian exposition of the moral law. Moving beyond a simple list of prohibitions, Watson demonstrates how every commandment reaches the thoughts, desires, motives, words, and actions of the whole person.

Beginning with obedience, love for God, and the proper interpretation of the Decalogue, Watson examines each of the Ten Commandments in detail. He exposes the inward roots of idolatry, irreverence, anger, impurity, dishonesty, falsehood, and covetousness while showing the positive duties required by God’s law.

Watson then considers humanity’s inability to keep the law perfectly, the seriousness and consequences of sin, and the gracious way of salvation. His discussions of faith, repentance, Scripture, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer direct readers from the law’s conviction to the sufficiency of Christ and the transforming work of grace.

Biblically rich and remarkably practical, this classic work will help

• Understand the spiritual meaning of each commandment
• Examine the motives and desires of the heart
• Recognize subtle forms of sin and disobedience
• Connect God’s moral law with the gospel of Christ
• Apply Reformed theology to everyday Christian living

Ideal for personal study, family worship, Bible classes, small groups, pastoral ministry, and sermon preparation, The Ten Commandments remains one of the clearest and most searching Puritan treatments of Christian ethics and the moral law.

245 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1965

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Thomas Watson (c. 1620 - 1686) was an English, non-conformist, Puritan preacher and author. He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he was noted for remarkably intense study. In 1646 he commenced a sixteen year pastorate at St. Stephen's, Walbrook. He showed strong Presbyterian views during the civil war, with, however, an attachment to the king, and in 1651 he was imprisoned briefly with some other ministers for his share in Christopher Love's plot to recall Charles II of England. He was released on 30 June 1652, and was formally reinstated as vicar of St. Stephen's Walbrook. He obtained great fame and popularity as a preacher until the Restoration, when he was ejected for nonconformity. Not withstanding the rigor of the acts against dissenters, Watson continued to exercise his ministry privately as he found opportunity. Upon the Declaration of Indulgence in 1672 he obtained a license to preach at the great hall in Crosby House. After preaching there for several years, his health gave way, and he retired to Barnston, Essex, where he died suddenly while praying in secret. He was buried on 28 July 1686.

(Information from wikipedia.org)