How can anyone REALLY claim that all things work together for good? This is the question Thomas Watson (1620-1686) addresses in his book All Things for Good. He wrote an entire book, one hundred twenty-seven pages on a single verse from Romans, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8.28). He wrote it in 1663, a year after the Act of Uniformity (sometimes called the Great Ejection) expelled two thousand Puritan preachers from their churches for refusing to comply with the worship directives of the Book of Common Prayer. Exiled Puritan pastors like Thomas were relegated to preaching in barns, homes, and open fields. Add to it that Thomas and his wife Abigail had seven children, four of whom died young. When you are banished from your church and bury four of your children, can you subscribe to Paul’s assertion that all things work together for good for those who love God?
Thomas’ original title for his book was Divine Cordials. He contended that all experiences, good and bad alike, are cordials, that is, medicine for the faithful. While some cordials are sweet and others are bitter, all of them can bring healing and strength to believers. It doesn’t mean God providentially causes calamity and pain. It conveys that God redeems everything, whether good or bad. Only a person who lives by trust in God’s promises can write with such confidence.
The following is an excerpt of a prayer Thomas offered in Parliament in 1662 before his expulsion for nonconformity: