PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks — Volume 3
Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680 · 327,831 words · 286 reading sections
Section 181
' Mere particular actions do not conclude, either way, the estate of the soul. An hypocrite may do some good act, and an upright person may do some sinful act. A man must give in judgment for or against himself, according as the habitual purpose and temper of his heart stands, &c. ^ Qu. 'premises^? — Ed. So-i A CABINE…
1,351 wordsSECTION 182Section 182
Ans. Yon may certainly know whether your obedience be the obe- dience of faith or no, by these following particulars : [1.] First, That obedience that springs from faith is a full obe- dience, a universal obedience. David did look upon his universal obe- dience as a special testimony of his uprightness : Ps. cxix. 6, …
861 wordsSECTION 183Section 183
above gold, yea, above fine gold.' Ver. 159, ' Consider how I love thy precepts." Ver. 167, ' My soul hath kept thy testimonies ; and I love them exceedingly.' (5.) In respect of valuation or esteem, he highly values all the commands of God, he highly prizes all the commands of God, as you may see by comparing these sc…
971 wordsSECTION 184Section 184
Secondly, If your obedience springs from faith, then you will en- deavour to obey God in relative commands as well as in absolute cotti- mands. You will not only hear, and pray, and read, and meditate, and fast, and mourn, but you will labour to be good in your relations, both as a husband, a father, a master, a magist…
1,043 wordsSECTION 185Section 185
to lust after her;' there is the spirit of the command, Mat. v. 21, 22, 27, 28. The pharisees of old did not look to the spirituality of the law, but only to the letter of the laAv ; they rested wholly upon an outward conformity to the law. When their hearts were full of hellish lusts, they were all for the outside of …
703 wordsSECTION 186Section 186
Cain offer sacrifice ? and yet God had no respect to him, nor to his offer- ing, because his sacrifice was not offered up in a right manner, his offering was not offered up by a hand of faith ; he offered his offering, but because he did not offer himself as an offering to God, his offering was rejected by God,' Gen. i…
1,221 wordsSECTION 187Section 187
(3.) Thirdly, Our obedience must be grounded and bottomed upon a divine command, because of that great comij^tion, pollution, blindness, and darkness which is upon our minds and understandings, which tvould can'2/ us to what not, if we tvere not to steer our Christian course by divine commamls. Col. ii. 20-22. The apos…
777 wordsSECTION 188Section 188
work, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works ; and the last to be more than the first.' The angel of the church of Thyatira is commended, (1) first, for his love ; (2) for his charity ; (3) for his faith ; and (4) for his patience. And in the general course of his life, he daily became mor…
703 wordsSECTION 189Section 189
[4.] Fourthly, That obedience that springs from faith is the ohedi- ence of a son, not of a slave ; it is a free, voluntary, evangelical obedi- ence, aud not a legal, servile, and forced obedience : Ps. ex. 3, ' Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holi- ness ;' in the Hebrew, it is w…
1,345 wordsSECTION 190Section 190
Chap. II.] a cabinet of jewels. 347 [6.] Sixthly, That obedience that springs from faith is a constant obe- dience ; it is a fixed and, resolved obedience. !Not in respect of practice and continued acts, 'for in many things we offend all.' ' There is not a just man upon the earth, that doth good and sinneth not.' ' Wh…
1,301 wordsSECTION 191Section 191
^ Interesting notices of all these in Clarke, as before, ml nominibus. — G. Chap. II.] a cabinet of jewels. 349 Sixthly, No terrors, no threats, no reproaches, no afflictions, no op- positions, no persecutions, no bonds, no banishments, no dangers, no deaths, shall deter them or affright them from their obedience, as…
1,192 wordsSECTION 192Section 192
(4.) Fourthly, That they may imitate the Lord Jesus Christ, that they may be the more conformable to Christ their head, luho pro- poses his holiness to believers as a pattern for them tofoUoiv, as a copy for them to write after: 1 John ii. 6, ' He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also to walk even as he walk…
1,024 wordsSECTION 193Section 193
(9.) The ninth and last, though not the least, end, is the honour and glory of the great God. God's grace is the spring, and God's gloiy is the end of all a Christian's obedience. God's glory is the ultimate end, the primary end, the universal end, the sea to which all a Christian's actions, like so many rivers, move a…
1,080 wordsSECTION 194Section 194
TV. Foiirtlily, A gracious heaii is an unifcri'm heaH. Ubiquity' is a sure evidence of integrity. He that is truly good, will be good in bad times, and in the worst of places. Principles of grace and holiness are lasting, yea, everlasting; they are not like the morning cloud, nor the early dew, Ps. cxix. 112 ; 1 John i…
1,332 wordsSECTION 195Section 195
' Joshua xxiv. 15 ; Ps, cxii. 7 ; Mai. iii. 6. The poor heathen coukl say, that change of place causeth not any change of mind, &o. : Coelum non animun mutant qui trans mare currunt. — (Horat. lib. i. ep. xi.) * See Index sub voce for other references to this. — G. ^ = 'tipple.' — G. SoQ A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. I…
745 wordsSECTION 196Section 196
evil and con-upt qualities, yet is there some one usually that is para- mount, more powerful and prevalent, that swayeth and sheweth forth itself more eminently and more evidently than any other of them do ; and from this, therefore, more frequently and apparently discovering itself, is the denomination wont to be give…
684 wordsSECTION 197Section 197
pack, begone, I will never have any more to do with you, Isa. xlvi. 6.' And so in thatlsa. ii. 20, 'In that day,' that is, in the day of his people ; ver. 17, * A man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to Avorship,to the moles and to the bats.' In the day when Go…
738 wordsSECTION 198Section 198
that he may be avenged on his bo.som lusts, on his complexion sins, which have put out his two eyes, which have so blinded him that he has not for a long time been able to see God, or Christ, or the things that belong to his external, internal, or eternal peace. The next of kin in the law was always the avenger of bloo…
1,378 wordsSECTION 199Section 199
1 1 Peter ii. 3, 4 ; 2 Chron. xxx. 18, 19; Mat. vii. 8; Ps. xlii. 1, 2, Ixiii. 1. &c. 2 Augustine. Wliere tliero are sincere desires of grace, there are the seeds of grace, the conception of grace, the buds of grace. Chap. II.] a cabinet of jewels. 361 frustrate the desire that himself hath there wrought. Let no man…
1,176 wordsSECTION 200Section 200
[1.] First, Because grace is above the reach of nature. 1 Cor. ii. 14, ' But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' The water riseth no higher than the springs from whence it came ; so natural …
1,009 wordsSECTION 201Section 201
Now, by these short hints, it is evident enough that wicked men do not, nor cannot sincerel}^, seriously desire grace. Certainly, such that are ' poor in spirit,' and that mourn for their spiritual defects, and that hunger and thirst after grace and holiness, after a righteousness imparted and a righteousness imputed, …
1,325 wordsSECTION 202Section 202
* Let thy desires be before God, ' and he which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly ;' thy desire is thy prayer, and if thy desire be continual, thy prayer is con- tinual, &c. 366 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. IL they would stir up in the heart extrordinary flames of admiration and love. I might say much more of g…
1,174 wordsSECTION 203Section 203
[8.] Eighthly, Ko raan can sincerely desire all grace, every grace, or the whole chain of graces, hut he that has true grace, 2 Peter i. 5-9 Vain men, when they are under some outward or inward distresses, may, to serve their present turns, desire, in a cold, formal, customary way, patience, or contentation, or meeknes…
940 wordsSECTION 204Section 204
profession be never so glorious, let him be never so abundant in the performance of duties, let his desires after this and that good thing be never so strong, yet if his ends be wrong, all his pretensions and per- formances are but beautiful abominations. Did David pray three times a-day ? So did the pharisees. Did Dav…
708 wordsSECTION 205Section 205
of it. Let me give a little further light into tins particular, by this similitude : A man is bound for the East Indies, and shapeth his course thitherward, but by the way is put often off by cross winds to the west- ward ; he is by contrary winds compelled to put into divers harbours, and to make some stay by the way …
725 wordsSECTION 206Section 206
golden vine which never withereth. All gracious desires are such golden, desires as never wither. Take a Christian when you will, and where you will, and among whom you will, and in what condition you will, and still 5'^ou shall find his heart full of gracious desires. Oh that I had grace ! Oh that I had much grace ! &…
1,205 wordsSECTION 207Section 207
[13.] Thirteenthly, No man can truly love grace in another, but he that Jios true grace in his own soul, 1 John iii. 10. No man can love a saint as a saint but he that is a real saint. No man can love holiness in another but he that has holiness in his own soul. No man can love a good man for goodness' sake but he that…
989 wordsSECTION 208Section 208
(2.) Secondly, True love to the saints is appreciating. A gracious soul sets the highest price and the greatest value and esteem upon those that are gracious, Ps. xv. 4. He honours them that fear the Lord ; he looks upon the wicked as lumber, but upon the saints as jewels ; he looks upon the wicked as dross, but upon t…
1,277 wordsSECTION 209Section 209
' No unregenerate person hath a love to all the saints, for though he seems to love some, yet he loathes others ; he is guilty of sinful partiality, having the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons. They seem to love the rich, and despise the poor, James ii. 376 A CABINET OF JEWEI.S. [ChAP. IL demn tha…
1,121 wordsSECTION 210Section 210
(5.) Fifthly, Our love to the saints is right, when we love them best and most in whom the spiritual and supei^natural causes of love are mx)st sparkling and shining. Where grace draws the affections, there the more grace we see, the more we shall love : Ps. xvi. 3, ' My goodness extendeth not to thee, but to the saint…
985 wordsSECTION 211Section 211
beating, it will still be workiDg and running out to the person beloved. True love will not fawn upon a Christian when high, and frown upon him when low ; it will not kiss him upon the throne and kick him upon the dunghill. The grounds and causes of their love are constant, viz., God's commands, their spiritual relatio…
1,101 wordsSECTION 212Section 212
[15.] Fifteenthly, That soul that dares not say that his condition is good, yet can say in truth of heart before the Lord, that he ivould not change his condition ivith the vain, caimal, formal, and prof ane Tnen of the world, for ten thousand worlds ; that man is certainly for heaven, and lieaven is certainly for that…
1,357 wordsSECTION 213Section 213
[18.] Eighteenthly, Canst thou tmly say, in the presence of the great and glorious God, that is the searcher of aU hearts, that thou hast given up thy heart and life to the rule, authority, and government of Jesus Chnst? and that thou hast chosen him to be thy sovereign Lord and King, and art truly willing to submit to…
1,073 wordsSECTION 214Section 214
0 sirs ! though heart defilement is least taken notice of, yet heart defilement is the worst defilement, and the most dangerous defilement in the world. Heart defilement is spiritual defilement, and spiritual defilement is the defilement of devils, which of all defilement is the most hateful, odious, and pernicious def…
1,093 wordsSECTION 215Section 215
(2.) ' Th}'^ lieart.' By the heart we are not to understand that par- ticular vital member of the body that in common speech we call the heart. Heart is not here taken properly for that noble part of the body which philosophers call the primwni vivens et ultimum moriens, the first that lives and the last that dies. But…
1,247 wordsSECTION 216Section 216
Sixthly, Men should keep their hearts, as a fond father keeps his only child. The fond father will still keep his child within doors, he will still have him under his eye, and in his presence, that so no hurt, no harm may befall him day or night. Our eye should be still upon our hearts, or else they will give us the sl…
1,255 wordsSECTION 217Section 217
He that makes it his business to watch, and weep, and sigh, and groan most over his own heart, he doubtless is in a gracious estate. He that makes it his work, his daily work, his greatest work, his work of works, to keep a continual guard upon his heart, he certainly is in a blessed estate. He that laraentingly cries …
1,344 wordsSECTION 218Section 218
1 . First, is contrition w grief of heart for sins committed. Now this is called sometimes godly sorrow, 2 Cor. vii. 10 ; and sometimes a contrite spirit, Isa. Ixvi. 2 ; and sometimes a broken and contrite heart, Ps. li. 17 ; and sometimes the afflicting of our souls, Lev. xvi. 29 ; and sometimes the humbling of the he…
1,049 wordsSECTION 219Section 219
servant ; nor he does not cry out, Take away the enemies of thy servant, but, Take away the iniquity of thy servant ; nor he does not say. Take away the pestilence from the land, but, Take away the iniquity of thy servant. But now when Pharaoh was under judgments, he never cries to the Lord to take away his sins, his p…
1,313 wordsSECTION 220Section 220
[5.] Fifthly, Godly sorrow is a lasting sorroiv, it is a durable sorrow. As long as a Christian continues sinning, he cannot but continue mourn- ing. David's sins were always before him, Ps. li. 3, though his Absalom Chap. III.] a cabinet of jewels. 395 nor his Bathsheba were not ever before him. Godly sorrow will ev…
742 wordsSECTION 221Section 221
the soul, are all near, very near unions ; yet, that between a sinner and his sin seems to be a nearer union, Observable is the story of Phaltiel. You know when David had married Michal, Saul injuriously gave her to another ; but when David came to the crown, and sent forth his royal commands that his wife should be br…
1,045 wordsSECTION 222Section 222
Again, the more a man apprehends of the love of God, and of the love of Christ, and the more a man tastes and is assured of the love of the Father, and of the love of the Son, the more that person will grieve and mourn that he has offended, provoked, and grieved such a Father, and such a Son. Remember this, as a man's …
1,214 wordsSECTION 223Section 223
Thirdly, ' Yea, ivhat indignation^ or stomach, dyavaxrjjff/g, wrath unto grief. It notes the very rising of the stomach with rage, and a being angry unto fretting, fuming, and sickness. Again, it notes the very height of anger and rage. The true penitent is not so exceeding angry with himself for anything, as he is ang…
1,112 wordsSECTION 224Section 224
Seventhly, ' Yea, what revenge.' The true penitent revenges himself upon himself for his sins, not by whips and scourges, as the papists do, but by buffeting the flesh, and bringing it into sulyection by fasting and prayer, and by crossing of his lusts, and loading of them with chains, and by drawing the sword of morti…
1,283 wordsSECTION 225Section 225
' Confessing penitents are under the promises of forgiveness, &c. Turn to that Job xxxiii. 27, 28, and ponder upon it. Prov.. xxviii. 13, ' He tliat covers hia sins shall not prosper ; but he that confesseth and forsaketh shall have mercy,' &e. Chap. III.] a cabinet of jewels. 403 I am merciful, saith the Lord. Only …
1,264 wordsSECTION 226Section 226
' Job xxxi. 33. Wo are but flesh and blood, says one ; it is my nature, siiya a second ; 1 cannot help it, says a third ; I am not the first, says a fourth; it was bad company drew me, says a fifth ; if it be a sin, I am .sorry for it, says a sixtii ; if it bo naus;ht, I cry God's mercy, says a seventh. And tints wicke…
779 wordsSECTION 227Section 227
1 Tim. i. 13. And more you have of this in that Acts xxvi. 10, 11, ' Which thing I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests ; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them ; and I punished them oft in every synagogue, and com…
713 wordsSECTION 228Section 228
(5.) Fiftlily, The true penitent does not only distinctly and particu- larly confess his sins, but he does verij highly aggravate his sins, by confessing not only the kinds and acts, so far as he knmvs and renieTn- bers them, but the circumstaMces of them also, Pa. xxxii. 5, Lev. xvi. 21. There are sometimes some circu…
1,319 wordsSECTION 229Section 229
he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women, committed them to prison.' Fourthly, Though he had cast them into prison, yet if he had given them but some liberty in a prison, as Joseph had, and as others have had, and as himself once had when he begot Onesimus in his bonds, Philem. …
1,309 wordsSECTION 230Section 230
bosom, and therefore whilst confessions are in his mouth, you shall mostly find either tears in his eyes or sorrow in his heart. And indeed, true confession of sin is many times rather a voice of mourning th-an a voice of words. Sometimes a penitent man's eyes will in some sort tell what his tongue can in no sort utter…
1,299 wordsSECTION 231Section 231
' Compare these scriptures together, Jer. vi. 15. viii. 12; Zeph. iii. 5; Isa. iii. 9, xlii 23 ; Heb. vi. 6. Caligula used to say of himself, that he loved nothing better in hirasi! tlian that he could not be ashamed, &c. =* =; ' without shame.' Cf. Richardson s. v. — G. ' Augustine, Confess, lib. ii. cap. a. Chap. I…
721 wordsSECTION 232Section 232
forsakes the benefit of his confession. And indeed, there is no real confession of sin, where there is no real forsaking of sin. It is not enough for us to confess the sins we have committed, but we must peremptorily resolve against the committing again the sins we have con- fessed. We must desire as freely to forego o…
1,295 wordsSECTION 233Section 233
[4.] Fourthly, Express records and instances of forgiveness unto such as have repented and turned from their sins: 2 Sam. xii. 13, 'And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord ; and Nathan 1 Fulgent, de Rem. pecat. lib. i. cap. 12. 416 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. III. said to David, The Lord hath also …
1,276 wordsSECTION 234Section 234
[1.] First, It is to no purpose for a man to turn from some sins, if he does not turn from all his sins : James L 26, ' If any man seem to be religious, and bridle not his tongue, butdeceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is in vain.' This at first sight may seem to be a hard saying, that for one fault, for one f…
1,032 wordsSECTION 235Section 235
[2.] Secondly, God has so connexed the duties of his law one to an- other, that if there he not a conscientious care to walk according to all that the laiv requires, a man hecorties a transgressor of the ivhole kivj, according to that of St James, chap. ii. 10, ' Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in on…
1,195 wordsSECTION 236Section 236
makes way for a greater, and so do little sins make way for greater. Satan and our own hearts will be modest at first, and therefore they are often in a combination, first to draw us to lesser sins and then to greater, and so from sins less obnoxious to sins more scandalous, till we come to be abominable to God, hatefu…
1,237 wordsSECTION 237Section 237
[6.] Sixthly, The princiiile of regeneration, and seed of gra^e, which God lays into the soid of every jjenitent person at first conversion, is a universal pHnclple, a pr-incijjle tJiat sj)reads itself over all the faculties of the soul, and over all the m,eiiibcrs of the body, 1 Thes. v. 23 : Ps. xlv. 13, ' The king's…
863 wordsSECTION 238Section 238
hate evil.' Pro v. viii. IS, ' The fear of the Lord is to hate evil' Amos V. 15, ' Hate the evil and love the good.' Ps. cxix. 104, * Through thy precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way.' Ver. 128, ' Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right ; and I hate every false wa…
1,387 wordsSECTION 239Section 239
Ans. 1. (1.) First, In the cdienation and imvard aversation and drawing off of the soul from the love and liking of all sin, and from all free and voluntary subjection unto sin, the heart being filled with a 420 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. III. loathing and detestation of all sin, Ps. cxix. 104, 128, as that which is…
1,294 wordsSECTION 240Section 240
Now a true penitential turning from all sin lies in these six things, and therefore you had need look about you ; for if there be any one way of wickedness wherein you walk, and which you are resolved you will not forsake, you are no true penitents, and you will certainly lose your souls, and all the great and glorious…
1,292 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition from Internet Archive OCR; OCR may contain recognition errors. Included as historical Christian writing, not Scripture.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.