The sermon reflects on the life and legacy of Thomas Watson, a 17th-century Puritan minister whose ministry exemplified faithful service amid persecution and personal suffering. Drawing from Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, the message emphasizes the enduring responsibility of church leaders to shepherd with humility, vigilance, and unwavering commitment to the full counsel of God. Watson's life—marked by scholarly rigor, pastoral compassion, and steadfast faith through the upheavals of civil war and the Great Ejection—serves as a model of enduring spiritual integrity. His writings, particularly A Divine Cordial and The Body of Divinity, are celebrated for their theological depth, practical application, and ability to comfort and strengthen believers in trials. The sermon underscores the vital importance of grounding Christians in sound doctrine through catechism, so they may remain steadfast amid life's storms, knowing that all things, even affliction and temptation, are ultimately ordered by God for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
