PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks — Volume 5
Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680 · 375,900 words · 330 reading sections
Section 61
^ i)e arte bene moriendi. [Qu., 'Baronius' ? — G.] ^ As before, * asbestos.'- G. THAT THERE IS MOST CERTAINLY A HELL. 119 judgment ; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Kaca, shall be in danger of the council ; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire,' — G7\, to, or in the Gehenna of f…
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^ Whether the word Raca be Hebre-w, or as some say Syriac, or as others say Chaldee, it matters not; for all agree in this, that it is a word that notes scorn and contempt, &c.— Vide Lapide, Weemes, &c., on the Judicial Law of Moses, and Dr Field, 'Of the Church. ' 2 Query, ' void ' ?— Ed. THAT THERE IS MOST CERTAINLY…
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sword, knows no difference betwixt robes and rags, betwixt prince and peasant. ' All flesh is grass,' Isa. xl. 6. The flesh of princes, nobles, counsellors, generals, &c., is grass, as well as the flesh of the meanest beggar that walks the streets. ' The mortal scythe,' saith one, ' is master of the royal sceptre, it m…
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^ Spirits, that is, the souls departed, not men, but spirits, to keep an analogy to the 18th ver., ' Christ suffered, being made dead in the flesh, and made alive by the Spirit ; in which Spirit he had gone and preached to them that are now spirits in prison, because they disobeyed, when the time was, when the patience…
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Nero, that monster of nature, having once slain his mother, had never more any peace within, but was astonished with horrors, fears, visions, and clamours which his guilty conscience set before him and suggested unto him. Imo latens in prcedio, famiUares suspectos habuit, vocem humanam horruit, ad catuli latratum, gall…
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^ Who would give, saith Bernard, to my eyes a fountain of tears, that by my weeping here I may prevent weeping and gnashing of teeth hereafter. Some devout personages have caused this scripture to be writ in letters of gold upon their chimney-pieces. — Bishop of Belly in France in his ' Draught of Eternity.' [Camus, as…
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And as there are diversity of torments in hell, so the torments of heU are everlasting. Mark, everything that is conducible to the tor- ments of the damned is eternal. 1. God himself that damns them is eternal, Deut. xxxiii. 27; 1 Tim. i. 17. 2. The fire that torments them is eternal, Isa. xxx. 33, and Ixvi. 24 ; Jude …
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Suppose, say others, that the torments of hell were to end, after a little bird should have emptied the sea, and only carry out her bill- full once in a thousand years. Suppose, say others, that the whole world, from the lowest earth to the. highest heavens, were filled with grains of sand, and once in a thousand years…
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[7.] Seventhly, In all things natural, and supernatural, there is an opposition and contrariety. There is good, and there is evil ; there is light and darkness, joy and sorrow. Now as there are two several ways, so there are two distinct ends : Heaven, a place of admirable and inexpressible happiness, whither the good …
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1. First, then. Oh labour to set up God as the great object of your fear. This grand lesson Christ commands us to take out, ' Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell ; yea, I say unto you, fear him,' Mat. x. 28. Chris…
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[4.] Fourthly and lastly. As wrath to come is pure wrath, so wrath to come is everlasting wratli : Rev, xiv, 11, ' And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.' ' Would to God,' saith one, [Chrysostom,] ' men would everywhere think and talk more of hell, and of that eternity of extremity, that they sh…
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them ! Ah sirs ! do not envy wicked men's grapes, do not envy their riches, their honom-s, their greatness, their offices, their dignities ; for they shall one day pay dear for their things. High seats to many are uneasy, and the downfall terrible : ' How art thou fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer, son of the morning ! ' I…
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^ The whole Turkish empire is nothing else but a crust cast by our Father to his dogs, and it is all they are likely to have, let them make them merry with it, said Luther. ^ OF THE PLACE WHERE HELL IS. 141 nobly attended and bravely courted ? or because he saw him go up the ladder with a gold chain about his neck an…
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In hell there 's nothing heard but yells and cries ; In hell the fire never slacks, nor worm never dies. But where is this hell placed ? ' My muse, stop there : Lord, shew me what it is, but never where ! To worm and fire, to torments there, No term he gave, they cannot wear.^ Look, as there are many that please them…
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all heavenly happiness and blessedness ; and that they should be ex- pulsed out of the blessed presence of" God, who is mentium lumen. It is usual among the Greeks by a comparative to set forth the superlative degree. By outer darkness we are to understand the greatest darkness that is, as in a place most remote from a…
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* Not that all that are hanged should be damned, for the contrary appears in that Luke xiiii. 43. Neither is hanging in itself, or by the law of nature, or by civil law, more execrable than any other death. OF THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST. 147 are redeemed from the curse because Christ was made a curse for us ; he remitt…
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8. Eighthly, He that did feel and suffer the very torments of hell, though not after a hellish manner, was God man. Christ participates of both natures, being @edv6p(07ro<i, God and man, God-man. Such a mediator sinners needed. No mediator but such a one who hath in- terest in both parties, could serve their turns or s…
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(1.) First, Jehovah is one of the incommunicable names of God, which signifies his eternal essence. The Jews observe that in God's name Jehovah, the Trinity is implied. Je signifies the present tense, ho the preterperfect tense, vah the future. The Jews also observe that in his name Jehovah all the Hebrew letters are …
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Now this glorious name is given to Jesus Christ : Kev. i. 8, ' I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.' 3 This kind of speaking is taken from the Greek alphabet, in which language John wrote this book. A, called Alpha by them, bein…
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(4.) The fourth name or title which denotes the essence of God is El Gibbor, the strong and mighty God. God is not only strong in his own essence, but he is also strong in the defence of his pec^le, and it is he that giveth all strength and power to all other creatures, 2 Chron. xvi. 9. There are no men, no powers, tha…
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4. Fourthly, Christ's eternal deity, co-equality, and consubstantiality with the Father may be demonstrated from his divine properties and attributes. I shall shew you for the opening of this that the glorious attributes of God are ascribed to the Lord Jesus. I shall begin, — (1.) First, with the eternity of God. God …
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(3.) Thirdly, As the attribute of God's omniscience is ascribed to Christ, so the attribute of God's mnnipresence is ascribed to Christ ; Mat. xviii. 20, ' Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them ;' and chap, xxviu. 29, 'I am with you alway, even to the end of the world.' He…
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The argument lieth fair and undeniable. The all things that were created by Christ, Paul reduceth to two heads, visible and invisible ; but Zanchius addeth a third branch to this distinction, and maketh it more plain by saying that all things that were made are either visible or invisible, or mixed — visible, as the st…
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^ This is a clear and full evidence that Jesus Christ is, and must be more than ^tXos AvOpuwos, mere man, or j'et a divine man, as Dr Liishington styles him in Heb. vii. 22. [In his anonvmous ' Expiation of a Sinner, in a Commentary upon the Epistle to the Hebrews.' 1646. Folio.— G.] 162 Christ's eternal deity proved.…
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^ So tliat he touched Christ his feet, as the word'yowirerw;' signifies; not kneeled, as the word is translated, Mark i. 40. This leper came to know Christ was God, 1. By in- spiration ; 2. By the miracles which Christ did. 164 Christ's eternal deity proved. shall be whole.' He acknowledges the leprosy curable by Chr…
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•^ Never did any mere creature challenge to himself the honour due to God, but miscarried and were confounded. Witness tlie angels that God cast out of heaven, 2 Pet. ii. 4; and Adam tliat he cast out of paradise, Gen. iii. 22-24 ; and Herod, whom the angel smote with a fatal blow, Acts xii. 23 ; and those several Pope…
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Now concerning the manhood of Christ, the prophet plainly speaks : Isa. ix. 6, ' Unto us a child is born, and unto us a son was given.' Parvulus, a child, that noteth his humanity ; Filius, a Son, that noteth his deity. Parvulus, a child, even man of the substance of his mother, born in the world. Mat. i. 25 ; Filius, …
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It is a metaphor taken from mechanics, who do artificial!}',! fit one part of their work to another, and so finish the whole ;, God fitted liis Son s body to be joined with the deity, and to be an expiatory sacri- fice for sin : 1 Pet, ii. 24, * Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,' &c. The word …
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THE MANHOOD OF CHRIST PROVED. 171 the devil stirred up the storm, hoping thereby to drown Christ and his disciples, as he had destroyed Job's children in a tempest before, Job i. 18, 19 ; but though Satan had malice and will enough to do it, yet he had not power ; yea, though Christ slept in his human nature, yet was …
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ings were the sufferings of his soul, which was now beset with sor- rows, and lieavy as heart could hold : John xii. 27, ' Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say ?' The Greek word signifies a vehe- ment commotion and perturbation ; as Herod's mind was troubled when he heard that a new king was born. Mat. ii. 3 ;…
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(4.) Fourthly and lastly. Our Lord Jesus Christ took our infirmi- ties upon him. When Christ was in this world he submitted to the common accidents, adjuncts, infirmities, miseries, calamities, which are incident to human nature. For the opening of this, remember there are three sorts of infirmities ; (1.) There are si…
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man. Christ's office, as mediator, was to deal with God for man, and to deal for God with man. Now that he might be fit for both these transactions, for both i)arts of this office, he must partake of both natures. That he might effectually deal with God for man, he must be God, ' If a man sin against the Lord, who shal…
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^ I confess the word fiecxirrjs is given to Moses, in that Gal. iii. 19, but Moses was but a typical mediator, and you never find that Moses is called a mediator in a way of re- demption, or satisfaction, or paying a ransom ; for so dear Jesus is the only mediator : so the word fjLecirrjs is used in that 1 Tim. ii. 5; …
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[3.] Thirdly, If Christ he not God, yea, God-man, then we shall never he able to ansiver all the challenges that either divine justice or Satan can make upon us. Whatsoever the justice of God can exact, that the blood of God can discharge. Now the blood of Christ is the blood of God, as I have evidenced in the second r…
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[5.] Fifthly and lastly, TJiat Christ's sufferings and merits might he sufficient, it ivas absolutely necessary that he should be God. The sin of man was infinite, I mean infinitely punishable ; if not infinite in number, yet infinite in nature, every offence being infinite, it being committed against an infinite God. …
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2. Secondly, If Jesus Christ be God-man, very God and very man, then lohat high cause have we to observe, admire, loonder, and even stand amazed at the transcendent love of Christ in becoming man ! Oh ! the firstness, the freeness, the unchangeableness, the greatness, the matchlessness of Christ's love to fallen man in…
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petty services, but in sucli services as are high and honourable, noble and weighty ; and will you imagine that ever the great and glorious God would have sent his Son, his own Son, his only-begotten Son, his bosom Son, his Son in whom his soul delighted before the foundations of the earth was laid, to redeem poor sinn…
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* We laugh at little children to see them part with rich jewels for silly trifles, and yet daily experience tells us that multitudes are so childish as to part with such rich and precious jewels as their immortal souls for a lust, or for base and unworthy trifles ; of whom it may be truly said, as Augustus Caesar said …
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5. Fifthly, Is Jesus Christ God-man ? is he very God and very man ? Oh, then, honour him above all. Oh, let him have the pre- eminence, exalt him as high as God the Father hath exalted him. It is the absolute will of the Father that ' all should honour his Son, even as they honour himself:' 2 for he having the same nat…
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had imprisoned Peter, and slain James with the sword, he went down to Caesarea, and there he made sports and shows in honour of Csesar ; and, on the second day, being most gorgeously apparelled, and the sun shining very bright upon his robe of silver, his flatterers saluted him for a god, and cried out to him, ' Be mer…
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and sturdy that you cannot hear together, nor pray together, nor sit at the table of the Lord together, though you all hope at last to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven? Mat. viii. 11. Shall one heaven hold you at last; and shall not one house, one bed, one table, one church, hold you" h…
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should be a staflf to support us, and a cordial to comfort us in all our sorrows and miseries. It is between Christ and his church as it is between two lute strings that are tuned one to another ; no sooner is one struck but the other trembles :i Isa. Ixiii. 9, 'In all their afflic- tions he was afflicted.' These words…
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10. Tenthly, Is Jesus Christ God-man ? is he very God and very man ? Then from hence you may see the excellency of Christ above man, above all other men, yea, above Adam in innocency. Christ, as man, was perfect in all graces: Isa. xi. 1, 2, 'And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall…
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else his soul can never be saved : how can such a person venture his soul, his all, upon one that is but a mere creature ? Certainly, a mere man is no rock, no city of refuge, and no sure foundation for a man to build his faith and hope upon. Woe to that man, that ever he was born, that has no Jesus, but a Socinian's J…
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^ "Whether the work of man's redemption could have been wrought without the suffer- ings and humiliation of Christ is not determinable by men; but that it was the most admirable way which wisdom, justice, and mercy could require, cannot be denied. - THE DIVINITY AND HUMANITY OF CHRIST. 199 could noways beseem him. An…
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Now thus you have seen, (1.) That the sufferings of Christ have been free and voluntary, and not constrained or forced. (2.) That they have been very great and heinous. (3.) That the punishments which Christ did suffer for our sins, were, in their parts, and kinds, and degrees, and proportion, all those punishments whi…
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low as hell, wbo can understand it ? Heaven, through its glory, could not contain him, man being miserable, nor hell's torments make him refrain, such was his perfect matchless love to fallen man. That Christ's love should extend to the ungodly, to sinners, to enemies that were in arms of rebellion against him, Kom. v.…
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204 SEVEN INFERENCES FROM THE CONSIDERATION torments of hell come upon me, so I may win Christ. Love made Jerome to say, 0 my Saviour, didst thou die for love of me ? — a love more dolorous than death ; but to me a death more lovely than love itself. I cannot live, love thee, and be longer from thee.i George Carpenter…
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3. Thirdly, Then in the sufferings of Christ, as in a gospel-glass, you may see the odious nature of sin, and accordingly learn to hate it, arm against it, turn from it, and subdue it. Sin never appears so odious as when we behold it in the red glass of Christ's sufi'erings, Ps. cxix,, civ., cxiii., cxxviii., and Eom. …
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Suppose a man should come to a table, and there should be a knife laid at his trencher, and it should be told him, This is the very knife that cut the throat of your child or father ; if this person should use this knife as any other knife, would not every one say. Surely this man had but very Httle love to his father …
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the Father put upon our Lord Jesus Christ when he gave all power in heaven and in earth unto him, and set him down at his own right hand? Mat. xxviii. 13; Heb. i. 13; Eph. i. 20. 0 sirs! will you value men according to their titles, and will you not highly value our Lord Jesus Christ, who has the most magnificent title…
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5. Fifthly, Let the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ wo7'k us all into a gracious luillingness to embrace sufferings for his sake, and clieer- fully and resolutely to take up his cross and follow him, Mat. xvi. 24. Did Christ suffer, who knew no sin ; and shall wq think it strange to suffer, who know nothing but sin…
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fculltn ^hTP"'' ^''"'" *" °ft«°^' ^-^y ^^^"^ ^"'^ed down^saith lertuUian the more they grew. • I am in prison tiU I am in prison" smd one of the martyrs. ■ I am the mimeetest man Z thfs S office of suffering for Christ that ever was appointed t^it ' lid ble Id ChrSnsnuttod:»rh'7''' "^f *«»?.•; '"L we,, miny thouini few…
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6. Sixthly, Hath Jesus Christ suflfered such great and grievous things for you? Oh then, m all your fears, doubts, and conflicts with enemies, within or without, Jiy to the sufferings of Christ as your city of refuge. Did Christ endure a most ignominious death for thee ? Did he take on him thy sinful person, and bear t…
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afflictions, fears, doubts, conflicts, and disputes, be persuaded to keep a fixed eye upon crucified Jesus ; and remember that all he did he did for you, and that all he sufifered he suffered for you ; and this will be a strong cordial to keep you from fainting under all your inward and outward distresses, according to…
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^ A Christian's plea from the passive obedience of Christ. God did insist on it, that our surety should pay down the whole debt at once, and accordingly he did, Heb. x. 10, 12. 218 OF THE IMPUTED EIGHTEOfSSESS OF CHRIST. Son, being made flesh, hath suffered death for sin in the flesh • th^ aSout'of ff' ^'^ '' '""^'^…
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[2.] Secondly, As the first part of justification consists in the pardon of sin, so the second part of justification consists in the acceptation of the sinners person as perfectly righteous in God's sight, pronouncing him such, and dealing with him as such, and by bringing of him under the shadow of that divine favour …
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X. 11, 14, 17, 18. An earthly prince that is just, holds himself bound to iniiict punishment impartially upon the malefactor or his surety. It stands upon his honour ; he saith. It must be so, I cannot do other- wise. This is true much more of God, who is justice itself. God, ' who is great in counsel and excellent in …
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^ Exigitur, as Junius and some others read it. 224 OF THE IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. will never stand with the unspotted justice and righteousness of God to require such debts of us, which Christ, by shedding his most pre- cious blood, hath discharged for us, Rom, iii. 25. Mark, the male- dictory sentence of de…
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3, Thirdly, The only matter of man's righteousness, since the fall of Adam, wherein he can appear with comfort before the justice of God, and consequently whereby alone he can be justified in his sight, is the obedience and suffering of Jesus Christ, the righteousness of the mediator. There is not any other way imagina…
1,262 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition from Internet Archive OCR; OCR may contain recognition errors. Included as historical Christian writing, not Scripture.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.