Tag Archives: Thomas Brooks

A whore’s forehead!

February 19, 2020 by Steve 2 Comments

Grace logoA whore’s forehead!

(Thomas Brooks, “The Privy Key of Heaven” 1665)

“You have a whore’s forehead, you refuse to be ashamed!” Jeremiah 3:3

“Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all!
 They do not even know how to blush!” Jeremiah 6:15  

They had sinned away shame–instead of being ashamed of sin. Continuance in sin had quite banished all sense of sin and all shame for sin; so that they would not allow nature to draw her veil of blushing before their great abominations. How applicable these scriptures are to the present time, I will leave the prudent reader to judge.

But what does the prophet do, now that they were as bold in sin, and as shameless as so many harlots; now that they were grown up to that height of sin and wickedness; now that they were above all shame and blushing; now that they were grown so proud, so hardened, so obstinate, so rebellious, so bent on self-destruction–that no mercies could melt them or allure them, nor any threatenings or judgments could in any way terrify them or stop them? The prophet goes into a corner, he retires into the most secret places, and there he weeps bitterly; there he weeps as if he were resolved to drown himself in his own tears. “I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears.” Jeremiah 13:17

In the times wherein we live, Hell seems to be broken loose, and men turned into incarnate devils! Soul-damning wickednesses walk up and down the streets with a whore’s forehead, without the least check or restraint. 

Ah, England, England! What pride, luxury, lasciviousness, licentiousness, wantonness, drunkenness, cruelties, injustice, oppressions, fornications, adulteries, falsehoods, hypocrisies, atheisms, horrid blasphemies, and hellish impieties–are now to be found rampant in the midst of you! Ah, England! England! How are the Scriptures rejected, God derided, and wickedness tolerated!

And what is the voice of all these crying abominations–but every Christian to his closet–every Christian to his closet–and there weep, with weeping Jeremiah, bitterly–for all these great abominations whereby God is dishonored openly. Oh weep in secret for their sins–who openly glory in their sins, which should be their greatest shame. Oh blush in secret for those who are past all blushing for their sins; for who knows, but that the whole land may fare the better for the sakes of a few, who are mourners in secret!

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That dead man or dead woman

July 5, 2019 by Steve 0 Comments

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That dead man or dead woman

(Thomas Brooks, “A Believer’s Last Day, His Best Day”)

“What the wicked dreads will overtake him;
 what the righteous desire will be granted.” Proverbs 10:24 

“The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
 but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.” Proverbs 11:23 

We should lament over that dead man or dead woman . . .
  whom Hell harbors,
  whom the devil devours,
  whom divine justice torments!

But let us rejoice over those departed believers whom Christ embosoms, and whom all the court of Heaven comes forth to welcome!

“Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end be like theirs!” Numbers 23:10 

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints!” Psalm 116:15

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Do not judge a minister . . .

March 22, 2019 by Steve 0 Comments

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Do not judge a minister . . .

(Thomas Brooks, “The Unsearchable Riches of Christ!“)

“If you point these things out to the brethren, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.” 1 Timothy 4:6 

It is sad to see how many preachers in our days make it their business to enrich men’s heads with lofty, empty, airy notions–instead of enriching their souls with holy truths. 

Fix yourself under that man’s ministry who makes it his business, his work–to enrich the soul, to win the soul, and to build up the soul; not to tickle the ear, or please the fancy. This age is full of such light, vain souls–who dislike everything but what is empty and airy.

Do not judge a minister . . .
  by his voice, nor
  by the multitude who follow him, nor
  by his affected tone, nor
  by his rhetoric and flashes of wit;
but by the holiness, heavenliness, and spiritualness of his teaching! 
Many ministers are like empty orators, who have a flood of words–but a drop of matter!

Some preachers affect rhetorical strains; they seek abstrusities and love to hover and soar aloft in dark and cloudy expressions, and so shoot their arrows over their hearers’ heads–instead of bettering their hearers’ hearts. 

Mirthful things in a sermon are only for men to gaze upon and admire. 

He is the best preacher, not who tickles the ear–but who breaks the heart!

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power!” 1 Corinthians 2:4-5

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A New Year’s Resolution

January 2, 2019 by Steve 0 Comments

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A New Year’s Resolution

(Matthew Henry)

“My times are in Your hand!” Psalm 31:15 

Firmly believing that my times are in God’s hand, I here submit myself and all my affairs for the ensuing year, to the wise and gracious disposal of God’s divine providence. Whether God appoints for me . . . .
  health or sickness,
  peace or trouble,
  comforts or crosses,
  life or death–
may His holy will be done!
All my time, strength, and service, I devote to the honor of the Lord Jesus–and even my common actions. It is my earnest expectation, hope, and desire, my constant aim and endeavor–that Jesus Christ may be magnified in me.

In everything I have to do–my entire dependence is upon Jesus Christ for strength. And whatever I do in word or deed, I desire to do all in His name, to make Him my Alpha and Omega. I have all from Him–and I would use all for Him.

If this should prove a year of affliction, a sorrowful year to me–I will fetch all my supports and comforts from the Lord Jesus and stay myself upon Him, His everlasting consolations, and the good hope I have in Him through grace.

And if it should be my dying year–then my times are in the hand of the Lord Jesus. And with a humble reliance upon His mediation, I would venture into the eternal world looking for the blessed hope. Dying as well as living–Jesus Christ will, I trust, be gain and advantage to me.

Oh, that the grace of God may be sufficient for me, to keep me always a humble sense of my own unworthiness, weakness, folly, and infirmity–together with a humble dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ for both righteousness and strength.

   ~  ~  ~  ~

“Remember that your life is short, your duties are many, your assistance is great, and your reward is sure. Therefore faint not, persevere in ways of holiness–and Heaven shall make amends for all!” Thomas Brooks

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The sword of His pure, infinite and incensed wrath!

October 30, 2018 by Steve 0 Comments

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The sword of His pure, infinite and incensed wrath!

(Thomas Brooks, “The Golden Key to Open Hidden Treasures”)

“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.” Isaiah 53:10 

To see God thrust the sword of His pure, infinite and incensed wrath through the very heart of His dearest Son, notwithstanding all His supplications, prayers, tears, and strong cries–is the highest manifestation of the Lord’s hatred and indignation of sin–which ever was, or ever will be!

It is true, God revealed His great hatred against sin . . . 
  by casting the angels down to hell, 
  by turning Adam out of paradise,
  by drowning the old world, and
  by raining hell out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, 
and by the various and dreadful judgments which He has been a-pouring forth upon the world in all ages. But all this hatred is butan emblem of hatred–compared to that hatred which God manifested against sin, in causing the whole curse to meet upon our crucified Lord!

It is true that God reveals His hatred of sin by those endless, easeless, and remediless torments, which He inflicts upon devils and damned men. But this is no hatred–compared to that hatred against sin, which God revealed when He opened all the floodgates of His envenomed wrath upon His Son–His own Son, His only Son, His Son who always pleased Him.

Suppose there was a father who had but one son–and he was such a son in whom he always delighted, and by whom he had never been provoked. Now suppose you should you see this father inflicting the most intensified pains and punishments, tortures and torments, calamities and miseries upon this, his dearest son. Would you not wonder at the cause of the father’s exercising such amazing, such matchless severity, fury and cruelty upon his only beloved son?

Now cast your eye upon the actings of God the Father towards Jesus Christ–and you will find that He has inflicted more and greater torments upon the Son of His dearest love–than all mortals ever have or could inflict upon others. God made all the penalties and sufferings that were due to us–to fall upon Jesus Christ. God Himself inflicted upon dear Jesus, whatever was requisite to the satisfying of His justice, to the obtaining of pardon, and to the saving of all His elect!

“He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

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The hell of Hell!

September 23, 2018 by Steve 0 Comments

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The hell of Hell!

(Thomas Brooks, “The Golden Key to Open Hidden Treasures“)

And as there are a diversity of torments in Hell–so the torments of Hell are everlasting. 

“Depart from Me, you who are cursed–into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!” Matthew 25:41

The sentence which shall be passed upon them–is eternal.

God Himself, who damns them–is eternal. 

The prison and chains which hold them–are eternal. 

The worm which gnaws them–is eternal. 

The fire which torments them–is eternal. 

Grievous is the torment of the damned–for the bitterness of the punishments. 
It is more grievous–for the diversity of the punishments. 
But it is most grievous–for the eternity of the punishments! 

If, after so many millions of years as there are drops in the ocean, there might be a deliverance out of Hell–this would yield a little ease, a little comfort to the damned. But oh, but this word, ‘Eternity! Eternity! Eternity!’–this word, ‘Everlasting! Everlasting! Everlasting!’–this word, ‘Forever! Forever! Forever!’–will break the hearts of the damned into ten thousand pieces! 

Suppose that the whole world were turned into a mountain of sand, and that a little bird would come once every thousand years and carry away one grain of sand from that heap. What an infinite number of years would be spent before this great mountain of sand would be fetched away! Just so–if a man should lie in everlasting burnings so long a time as this, and then have an end of his woe–it would give him some ease, some hope, and some comfort. 

But when that immortal bird shall have carried away this great mountain of sand–a thousand times over and over–alas, alas, sinful man shall be as far from the end of his anguish and torment as ever he was! He shall be no nearer coming out of Hell–than he was the very first moment that he entered into Hell! 

Suppose, say others, that a man were to endure the torments of Hell for as many years as there are . . .
  sands on the sea-shore,
  drops of water in the sea,
  stars in the heavens, 
  leaves on the trees,
  blades of grass on the ground
–then he would comfort himself with this poor thought, “Well, there will come a day when my misery and torment shall have an end.” 

But woe and alas! this word, “Forever! Forever! Forever!” will fill the hearts of the damned with the greatest . . .
  horror and terror,
  anger and rage,
  bewilderment and astonishment!

If the fire of Hell were terminable–then it might be tolerable. 
But being endless–it must needs be easeless, and remediless. 

The eternity of Hell–is the hell of Hell. 

The damned shall live as long in Hell–as long as God Himself shall live in Heaven!

“The reprobate shall have . . .
  punishment–without pity,
  misery–without mercy,
  sorrow–without support,
  crying–without compassion,
  mischief–without measure,
  and torment–without end!” 

“And they will go away into eternal punishment–but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:46 

All the pains, torments, curse, and wrath which were due to the elect–fell on Christ, until divine justice was fully satisfied! “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath–but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9 

Oh, exalt that Christ! Oh, extol that Savior–who has saved you from that eternal wrath!

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It is but a little sin!

August 6, 2018 by Steve 1 Comment

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It is but a little sin!

(Thomas Brooks, “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices!“)

“So that Satan will not outsmart us–for we are familiar with his evil schemes.” 2 Corinthians 2:11

“Ah!” says Satan, “It is but a little sin–a little pride, a little worldliness, a little lust, etc. You may commit it without any danger to your soul. It is but a little one; you may commit it, and yet your soul shall live.”

Consider, that there is great danger, yes, many times most danger–in the smallest sins. 
“A little leaven leavens the whole lump!” 1 Corinthians 5:6 
If the serpent sneaks in his head–he will draw in his whole body after him. 

Greater sins sooner startle the soul, and awaken and rouse up the soul to repentance, than lesser sins do. Little sins often slide into the soul, and breed, and work secretly and indiscernibly in the soul, until they come to be so strong, as to trample upon the soul, and to cut the throat of the soul!

Many are eternally undone by the ‘little sins’, as they call them, that are nourished in their own bosoms. 

A little hole in the ship, sinks it. 

A small breach in a dyke, carries away all before it. 

A little stab at the heart, kills a man. 

A little sin, without a great deal of mercy, will damn a man!

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Murder all his hearers at once!

October 12, 2017 by Steve 2 Comments

Murder all his hearers at once!

(Thomas Brooks, “The Crown and Glory of Christianity,
or, HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness”, 1662)

“The leaders of the people have led them down the path of destruction.” Isaiah 9:16

Take heed of settling yourselves under an unholy minister —of one whose life gives the lie to his doctrine. An unholy preacher is the greatest destroyer of the souls of men! He who preaches well—but lives bad—does what he can, to murder all his hearers at once! There is no greater bar to holiness, than ministers’ unholy lives. An unholy life mars the soundest and the sweetest doctrine. The sins of teachers are the teachers of sins!

An unholy minister is the greatest pest, the worst plague, and the greatest mischief—that can be to a people; for his enormities, his wickednesses, will have the strongest influences upon the souls and lives of men—to make them eternally miserable. 

His falls will be the fall and ruin of many; for people are prone to . . .

live more by examples—than by precepts;
mind more what the minister does—than what he says;
eye more how he walks—than how he talks.

Let a minister be ever so learned, solid, quaint, elegant, zealous, judicious, sententious, etc.—yet if he is carnal, covetous, worldly, vain, and loose in his life and walk, his hearers will rather slight and abhor the holy things of God.

When the preacher departs out of the way of holiness, the people will quickly wander from all that is good. He whose life is not a standing reproof to sin, will, by his life, encourage sinners more and more in a way of sin. There is nothing which keeps men so off from the love of holiness, and from the pursuing after holiness—than the unholy lives of their ministers.

“Watch your life and doctrine closely.” 1 Timothy 4:16

“Set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

“In everything set them an example by doing what is good.” Titus 2:7

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I Bequeath My Pastor’s Soul To The Devil!

June 28, 2017 by Steve 1 Comment

I bequeath my pastor’s soul to the devil!

(Thomas Brooks, “A Word in Season to Suffering Saints”)

“Covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5

Covetousness is explicit idolatry.

Covetousness is the darling sin of our nation.

Covetousness being idolatry–is highly provoking to God.

This leprosy has infected all sorts and ranks of men.

Whatever a man loves most and best–that is his god. The covetous man looks upon the riches of the world as his Heaven–his happiness–his great ALL.

His heart is most upon the world,
his thoughts are most upon the world,
his affections are most upon the world,
his discourse is most about the world.

He who has his mind taken up with the world, and chiefly delighted with the world’s music–he has also his tongue tuned to the same key, and takes his joy and comfort in speaking of the world and worldly things. If the world is in the heart–it will break out at the lips. A worldly-minded man speaks mostly of worldly things. “They are of the world, therefore they speak of the world,” John 4:5. The love of this world oils the tongue for worldly discourses, and makes men . . .

forget God,
neglect Christ,
despise holiness,
forfeit Heaven.

Ah! the time, the thoughts, the strength, the efforts–which are spent upon the world, and the things of the world–while sinners’ souls lie a-bleeding, and eternity is hastening upon them!

I have read of a greedy banker, who was always best when he was most in talking of money and the world. Being near his death, he was much pressed to make his WILL. Finally he dictates:

First, I bequeath my own soul to the devil–for being so greedy for the muck of this world!

Secondly, I bequeath my wife’s soul to the devil–for persuading me to this worldly course of life.

Thirdly, I bequeath my pastor’s soul to the devil–because he did not show me the danger I lived in, nor reprove me for it!

“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction!” 1 Timothy 6:9

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Bible reading…

April 2, 2017 by Steve 0 Comments

Bible reading…

by Thomas Brooks–

“Remember that it is not hasty reading, but serious meditation on holy and heavenly truths, that makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soul.

It is not the mere touching of the flower by the bee that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time on the flower that draws out the sweet.

It is not he that reads most, but he that meditates most, that will prove to be the choicest, sweetest, wisest, and strongest Christian.”

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The Dirty Lane!

March 16, 2017 by Steve 1 Comment

The dirty lane!

(Thomas Brooks, “Words of Counsel to a Dear Dying Friend”)

“For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
Look upon your dying day as a gainful day. There is no gain compared to that which comes in by death. A Christian gets more by death, than he does by life. To be in Christ is very good–but to be with Christ is best of all, “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far!” Philippians 1:23. It was a mighty blessing for Christ to be with Paul on earth–but it was the top of blessings for Paul to be with Christ in Heaven! Seriously consider these things:

By death you shall gain incomparable crowns!

A crown of life, Revelation 2:10, James 1:12.
A crown of righteousness, 2 Timothy 4:8.
An incorruptible crown, 1 Corinthians 9:24-25.
A crown of glory, 1 Peter 5:4.

There are no crowns compared to these crowns!

By death you shall gain a glorious kingdom! “It is your Father’s pleasure to give you a kingdom!” We must put off their rags of mortality–that we may put on our robes of glory! There is no entering into paradise–but under the flaming sword of this angel, death–who stands at the gate.

Death is the dirty lane through which the saint passes . . .

to a kingdom,
to a great kingdom,
to a glorious kingdom,
to a peaceful kingdom,
to an unshaken kingdom,
to a durable kingdom,
to a lasting kingdom, yes,
to an everlasting kingdom!

Death is the dark, short way, through which the saints pass to the marriage-supper of the Lamb!

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Repentance

August 10, 2015 by Steve 1 Comment

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“Repentance is the vomit of the soul.”

Thomas Brooks

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