PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks — Volume 4
Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680 · 287,548 words · 250 reading sections
Section 181
* Augustine writ his 49th ep. to one called Deo gratiat. 326 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14. all thy mercies look, were it not for holiness ! It is the want of holi- ness that makes all a man's mercies look as ill-favoured as Pharaoh's lean kine, and it is the fruition of holiness that makes all a m…
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1 Hosea vi. 3; 1 Thes. iii. 12, 13 ; 2 Pet. i. 5-10; Phil. iii. 14-16; 2 Pet. iii. 17, 18 ; 1 Thes. iv. 1. » Rev. ii. 10, 17 ; Jude 20 ; 1 Cor. ix. 24 ; Heb. xii. 1, 4. « ' Obstacles.'— G. 328 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14. holiness ? and shall wicked men persevere in their opposition to holi- ness…
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Secondly, Because this is to accuse the blessed Scripture of insuffi- ciency ; for if the Scripture be a sufficient rule to order, guide, and direct us in all matters of worship, then how dost thou, 0 man ! de- tract from the sufficiency of the Scripture, who minglest thine own or other men's inventions with divine ins…
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ship, but let Baal plead for Baal ; and though all the world should wander after the beast, yet don't you wander ; and though every fore- head should have the mark of the beast upon it, yet do you abhor his mark, and whatever else it be that does but smell and savoiu- of the beast. It is observable that in kings' and p…
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HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 333 SO mucli holiness as will bring you to happiness, or with so much holiness as will keep wrath and your souls asunder, or hell and your souls asunder, or eternal ruin and your souls asunder. The exhorta- tion in the text, ' Follow peace with all men, and holiness,' Heb. xii. 1…
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They had dispute upon dispute, which of them should be accounted greatest ; they had often sharp contests among themselves, which of them should have the greatest honour, the best office, and the highest perferment in Christ's earthly kingdom ; and indeed their thoughts, heads, and hearts were so taken up about an outw…
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HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 337 to enjoy him as much as I can whilst I live. When one of the martyrs was offered riches and honours if he would recant, he gave this excel- lent answer, Do but offer me somewhat that is better than my Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall see what I will say to you.i When Valens t…
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^ Cant. ii. 11, 12 ; Jer, viii. 22, xlvi. 11, and H. 8. * Plutarch in vita Pomp. He B. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 339 all the angels in heaven, and all the men on earth, in arms at his pleasure ; and in the power of this God, raised holiness will enable a m an to glory all the day long. Where holiness is weak,…
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raise all Italy ''t kept both great favour and places under Henry the Eighth, a Papist, foot or with On^"^*^ *^® Sixth, a Protestant, and under Queen Mary, a Papist, and ' a Protestant, and being asked how he could do so, he answered Cant. 11. 11, 12 ; Jer. -, billow and not the oak. Heb. XII. 14] AND BEAUTY OF HOLIN…
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[2.] Secondly, The prayers that have been put up upon this very account, do clearly evidence the same. Certainly the people of God would never have prayed for higher degrees of grace and holiness, if they had not been attainable. Now it is very observable that the spirits of the saints have run out much this way, as is…
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Christians — viz., babes, children, young men, and old men."'- Noah was not a babe, nor a child, nor a young man, but an old man in grace and holiness ; and therefore he is said to be perfect. There are several forms in Christ's school, some higher, some lower. Now he that is in the highest form may be said to be perfe…
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[4.] Fourthly, It is possible for you to attain to higher degrees and pitches in holiness than any yet you have reached unto ; witness the praises and thanksgivings that has been offered up to God upon their oxicounts tvho have attained to a very great heigld of holiness. Take a few Scripture instances for the clearing…
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to build them up ; it is not only to convert them, but also to edify them ; it is not only to begin a work of holiness, but also to perfect and carry on a work of holiness ; and therefore the word is not only compared to seed, that begets holiness in men's hearts, but also to wine and milk and strong meat, that helps f…
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deemed, so all saints are equally called ; one saint is as much called out of the kingdom of darkness as another, and one saint is as much called to Jesus Christ as another, 1 Pet. ii. 9 ; in vocation God looks with as favourable an eye upon one as he does upon another. And as all saints are equally called, so all sain…
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God he is, doubtless, the more he is beloved of God. It is like- ness both in nature and grace that always draws the strongest love. Though every child is the father multiplied, the father of a second edition, yet the father loves him best, and delights in him most, who is most like him, and who in feature, spirit, and…
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more beloved shall that man be of God. The highest communion is always attended with the highest love. But, fiftlily and lastly, the more holy any man is, the more actually ripe and fit for heaven that man is. A Christian at first conversion is but rough cast, but as holi- ness is increased, so he comes more and more e…
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(5.) Fifthly, To provoke you to endeavour after higher degrees of holiness, consider that the more holiness thou hast, the more he ivill give thee. At first God gives holiness where there is none, and where this holiness is improved, there God will be still augmenting and in- creasing of it. Do thou but make it thy bus…
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(7.) Seventhly, To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness, consider that the more holy any person is, the more the Lord will reveal and manifest himself, and his mind and will, unto him, John xiv. 21, 23; Hosea vi. 3. Ezekiel was a man of eminent holi- ness, and a man that had glorious visions, and deep…
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Germany all his days ; he knew what was done in heaven by that which God had done in his own heart, and accordingly it fell out. The martyr that was burnt last in Smithfield, told the people that they should be of good comfort, for he was fully persuaded that he was the last that should suffer under Queen Mary, and so …
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358 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, KARITY, [HeB. XII. 14. easily, the more pleasantly, and the more delightfully will it walk, yea, run, yea, fly in all the ways of God's commands. Every yoke of Christ is easy, and every command of Christ is joyous to a man that is eminent in holiness.^ Now the more any man delights and t…
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' 2 Pet. iii. 18 ; 2 Cor. vii. 1, and xiii. 11 ; Col. ii. 7; Heb. vi. 1; 1 Cor. xv. 6ff; Judo 10. * Charles the Fifth had this for his motto, Ulterius, Go on further. 360 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14. in the sky, nor a stone in the centre, nor a bullet in a gun, which is always equal ; but holines…
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more bold than any other's holiness — made Daniel not only as bold as a lion, but also to daunt the lions with his boldness. Luther was a man of great holiness, and a man of great boldness : witness his standing out against all the world ; and when the emperor sent for him to Worms, and his friends dissuaded him from g…
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(12.) Twelfthly, To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness, consider that the more holiness any man attains to, the more serviceable and useful lie will he in his generation. David was a man eminent in holiness, and as eminently serviceable in his generation : Acts xiii. 36, ' For David after he had ser…
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SO famous among the Athenians for his justice, that he was called Aristides the Just, &c., [Plutarch.] 0 Christians, it is your highest honour and glory in this world, to be so eminent and famous for holi- ness, that men may point at you, and say, there goes such a one the wise, and there goes such a one the humble, an…
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(15.) Fifteenthly, To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness, consider how the men of the toorld do study and strive to abound and increase in worldly blessings. Oh, what ado is there among worldlings to lay house to house, and field to field, to make a hundred a thousand, and a thousand ten, &c., Isa. …
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his church, to that of Solomon's, which is mentioned in ver. 11, and though doubtless Solomon's vineyard was one of the rarest, choicest, and fruitfullest vineyards in all Judaea, yet it was wonderful inferior to Christ's vineyard ; and that partly because Christ's vineyard cost liim a dearer and a greater price, even …
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Secondly, That the beatifical vision shall be seen by all the saints, and communicated to all the saints ; they shall all have a happy and blessed fruition and possession of God. All the vessels of glory shall be filled to the brim with a clear sight of God, and with a full enjoy- ment of God ; and yet doubtless, for a…
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[3.] A third scripture is that 2 Cor. ix. 6, ' But this I say. He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly ; and he which soweth bounti- fully shall reap bountifully.' A sparing liberality shall be attended with a sparing reward, and a bounteous liberality shall be attended with a bounteous reward. Look, as the harv…
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here promised, yet we may safely and easily gather from the descrip- tion of it that there shall be different degrees of glory in Christ's king- dom of glory. The apostles followed Christ through great tribula- tions and afflictions, and they continued with him in all his temp- tations ; they forsook all to wait on him…
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374 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14. faithful prophets of the Lord, as the ambassadors of God, they shall be highly interested in the favour of God, and as nobly be rewarded by God. I might produce several other scriptures that sound to the same purpose as these seven do, but enough is as good as a fe…
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1 Contempt of Christ and his gospel is worse than sodomy. 376 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14. reserved for them. ' Give him his portion with hypocrites ; ' for number and weight there are no torments in hell to the torments of hypocrites. Counterfeit sanctity is double iniquity, and therefore it is …
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Now we know, though parents love their children well, and wish all their children well, and do for all their children well, yet commonly they love them most, and provide for them best, that resemble them most. Parents cannot but love those children most, and lay up for them most, who have most of themselves in them ; a…
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[3.] Thirdly and lastly, I answer. That as it is true that the merits and satisfaction of Christ is the ground and foundation of our reward, and that alone ivhich makes our works capable of a reward, so it is as true that our ivorks are the subject of reward, and this is most agree- able to the compact that ivas made b…
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[3,] Thirdly, If the penny that every one had in the parable be meant of glory, then it will roundly follow, that murmurers shall be saved and glorified as well as others, for the murmurers had their penny as well as the rest : ver. 10-12, ' But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more, an…
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Secondly, Chrysostom's counsel on the text should be eyed and followed. Saith he, ' We should not strain every particular of a parable, but only consider the scope of Christ in the propounding of it, and accordingly apply it.' We look not on every particular colour in a well-drawn picture, but on the whole piece ; so w…
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never be but a puny, a dwarf in holiness. The more sensible we are of our own weakness and emptiness, the more pleasure God will take to fill us with his own fulness, and to perfect in us the work of holi- ness. But, [2.] Secondly, If ever you would perfect holiness, if ever you would attain to higher degrees of holin…
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that they had imitated and not envied, 2 Cor. x. 10. These labour to darken and obscure others, that their own sun may shine the brighter. These labour to lessen others' reputation, hoping thereby to greaten their own ; these admire themselves and contemn others ; these look upon themselves as the greatest doctors, and…
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a flame. 1 Look, as fire is preserved and maintained by blowing and stirring of it up, so holiness is preserved and maintained in the soul by being stirred and blown up in the soul. The habits of grace and holiness are like dull coal-fires, which, if they are not now and then blown and stirred up, will certainly die an…
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' And Constantine, that great emperor, made it his constant practice, aa Eusebiua reports, to shut up himself daily in a secret place in his palace, where he went to private prayer. 2 Compare these scriptures together, Mat. xiv. 23 ; Mark vi. 46 ; Luke v. 16, and vi. 12; Mat. xxvi. 26, 36, 39, 42, 44; Luke xxii. 32, 4…
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[8.] Eighthly and lastly. If ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness, then dwell much upon the holiness of God. Oh, be still a-musing, be still a-pondering upon the holiness of God. Certainly, if there be any means under heaven to raise you up to higher degrees of holiness, it is this ; and therefore keep a…
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Thirdly, As God is unmixedly holy, so God is universally holy. He is holy in all his ways, and holy in all his works ; his precepts are holy precepts, and his promises are holy promises, and his threatenings are holy threatenings, his love is a holy love, and his anger is a holy anger, and his hatred is a holy hatred, …
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Fifthly, As God is infinitely holy, transcendently holy, superlatively holy, so God is originally, radically, and fundamentally holy. The divine nature is the root, original, and spring of all holiness and purity. All that hoUness that is in angels and men flows from God, as the streams from the fountain, as the beams …
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Eighthly and lastly, As God is continually holy, so God is exemp- larily holy? He is the rule, pattern, and example of holiness : 1 Pet. i. 15, ' Be ye holy, as I am holy.' God's holiness is the great example and pattern of all that holiness which is in the creatures. God's holi- ness is the copy that we must always ha…
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0 sirs ! it is an argument of a very great measure of holiness, when troubles and difficulties vanish upon the sight of a promise, when all things work quite cross and contrary to sense and feeling. Now for a man to embrace a promise, to hug a promise, to kiss a promise, and to draw content and satisfaction from a prom…
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a man of a most violent, bitter, passionate spirit) had woefully wronged him, and reviled him, yet, saith he, let Luther hate me, and in his wrath call me a thousand times devil, yet I will love him, and honour him, and acknowledge him a choice and precious servant of God. Mr Foxe, that writ the ' Book of Martyrs,' was…
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[5.] Fifthly, The more extensive a man's obedience is to divine commands, the greater measure of holiness that man hath attained to. Caleb had a very great measure of the spirit of holiness upon him ; 404 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14. and he is said to have followed the Lord fully, or as the Hebre…
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I remember a notable sajdng of Ambrose, speaking of Samson, Vin- cula solvit Jiostium, &c.* Saith he, he brake the bonds of his enemies, but he could not break the bonds of his own lusts ; he choked the lion, but he could not choke his own wanton love ; he set on fire the harvest of strangers, and himself being set on …
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I have read of one Cosmus Medici, a rich citizen of Florence, that he confessed to a near friend of his that he built so many magnificent structures, and spent so much on scholars and libraries, not for any love to learning, but to raise up to himself the trophies of fame and renown. And many of the Romans have done ve…
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heart : try me and know my thoughts ; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.' '^ The psalmist knew that God had an eye upon him, both at home and abroad, both at bed and at board, both in public and in private, both in his family and in his closet ; he knew that God had an eye in …
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the eunuchs, and given him a great deal of heart-room there, yet upon no terms would he defile himself with the king's meat, or comply with the requests of the prince of the eunuchs. It argues a great deal of holiness for a man to deny his temporal self, to dethrone his temporal self, when he stands upon the advantage …
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ment equal to a Colossus, yet be ignominious ; inscribed on tlie hospital gates, yet go to hell ; written in the front of his own house, yet another come to possess it. All these are but writings in the dust, or upon the waters, where the characters perish so soon as they are made ; they no more prove a man happy than …
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HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 415 Jesus Christ? &c. Then, without all peradventure, thy name is written in heaven, and thou art the person that hast the greatest cause in the world to joy and rejoice. ^ Again, the holy Christian is the best Christian in the world, nay, he is such a one ' of whom this world i…
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Again, there are no persons under heaven that take any real plea- sure, delight, content, and satisfaction in God, but those that are holy, Ps. iv, 6, 7. The worldling takes pleasure and delight in his bags, and the ambitious man in his honours, and the voluptuous man in his pleasures, and the malicious man in his reve…
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tliee, and all the blessings of the lower springs shall be blessed unto thee ; and all the blessings of the throne shall be blessed unto thee, and all the blessings of the footstool shall be blessed unto thee.i And as all thy blessings shall be blessed unto thee, so every estate and every condition shall be blessed unt…
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There are two ways whereby we may know fire to be real fire, and that differences real fire from painted fire, or from imaginary fire ; the first is by the heat of it, and the other is by the flame of it. Now, though sometimes it so falls out that the fire do not flame, yet at that very time you may know it to be real …
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the hope of eternal life.' Holiness is an infallible forerunner of glory ; it is the firstfruits of that eternal happiness and blessedness that God hath laid up for his children in the highest heavens. And oh, what cause of joy and gladness should this be to every holy heart 1 What though thou shouldst never have a goo…
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[8.] Eighthly, If thou art a holy person, if thou hast that real holi- ness, without which there is no happiness, then know for thy comfort, that all things shall be sanctified unto thee : Tit. i. 15, ' Unto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure ; but even their mi…
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[10.] Tenthly, If thou art a holy person, if thou art one that hast that real holiness, without which there is no happiness, then know for thy comfort, that all thy duties and services are very pleasing, delight- ful, and acceptable to the Lord, Acts x. 4 ; Mai. iii. 3 ; 2 Tim. ii. 21 ; and this roundly follows upon th…
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certainly preserve it and maintain it, — Christ cannot neglect himself, he cannot be wanting to himself. Now holiness is himself' ; and there- fore if there be but a spark of holiness in a dunghill of corruption, Christ will certainly own it, cherish it, and preserve it. He that is once really holy shall be for ever ho…
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[12.] Twelfthly and lastly, If thou art a holy person, if thou art one that hast that real holiness without which there is no happiness, then know for thy comfort that all things shall ivork together for thy good: Rom. viii. 28, ' And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are…
1,208 wordsSource & rights
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.