PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks — Volume 5
Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680 · 375,900 words · 330 reading sections
Section 121
there is no God, or at least not a God of that exact, precise, and im- partial judgment, as some men say and as others teach. i But now when God lets sinners see that he will not pardon sin without exact- ing the penalty of the law, either of the sinner or of his surety, then the sinner cries out, ' 0 the depth of the …
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^ 2 Cor. ii. 14 ; Gal. vi. 14; Eom. v. 1 ; Heh, iv. 15, 16; Ps. xxxii. 1, 2 ; Eom. iv. 7-11 ; Rom. iv. 3. If Christ's obedience be imputed to us, it must be so imputed as to be our righteousness before God ; no imputation below this will serve our turns, cheer our hearts, and save our souls. Rev. xiv. 8 ; Isa. Ixiii. 1…
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it were ridiculous to say that Adam's sin had more power to condemn, than Christ's righteousness hath to save ; and who but fools in folio will say that God doth not impute Christ's righteousness, as well as Adam's sin ? The apostle's parallel between the two Adams does clearly e\ddence that as the guilt of Adam's diso…
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3 Ps. Ixxvi. 7, and cxliii. 2; Job ix. 15, xxii. 2-4, and xxxv. 7. The saints are said (Rer. vii. 15) to be clothed in white robes, not because they had merited, or adorned them- selves with good works, but because they had washed and made white their robes in the blood of the Lamb. ■* i. 15, 3, 5. ii. 12, 5-7. iii. 11…
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Fi-equently and seriously consider that the word answering this im- puting is in the Hebrew Chashah, and in the Greek Xoyi^eadat, of wliicli the sum, as the learned say, comes to this, that though the words in the general signify to think, to reason, to imagine, &c., yet very frequently they are used to signify to acco…
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God to the uttermost fartliing^ and to take off all his judicial anger and fury. The mediatory righteousness of Christ is so perfect, so full, so exact, so complete, and so fully satisfactory to the justice of God, as that divine justice cries out, I have enough, and I require no more ; I have found a ransom, and I am …
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2. Secondly, Know for your comfort, that this imputed, this media- tory righteousness of Christ takes away all your unrighteousness. It cancels every bond ; it takes away all iniquity, and answers for all your sins, Isa. liii. 5-7 ; Col. ii. 12-15. Lord, here are my sins of omission, and here are my sins of commission …
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are discharged by him before God. Christ, in respect of the integrity and purity of his nature, being conceived without sin. Mat. i. 18 ; and in respect of his life and actions, being wholly conformed to the abso- lute righteousness of the law, Luke i. 35 ; and in respect of the pun- ishment which he suffered, to make …
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0 sirs ! if you think of your sins, and of God's wrath ; if you think of your guiltiness, and of God's justice, your hearts will faint and fail, they will fear and tremble and sink into despair, if you do not think of Christ, if you do not stay and rest your souls upon the mediatory righteousness of Christ, the imputed…
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^ Rom. viii. 33. lyKoKiaei, signifies in jus vocare, or call unto the law. It is a law- custom to clear men by proclamation. If one hath been indicted at the Assizes, and no bill brought in against him, there is an ' Oh yes' made, if any have anything to say against the prisoner at the bar, let him come forth, since he…
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begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads ; for your redemption draweth near/ This day is the most dreadful day that ever was in the world to all the ungodly ; but the just and faithful then shall be able to lift up their heads, to see all the world on a-light fire about them, and all the elements in …
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* 1 Ciiron. xxix. 9 ; Job xxvii. 4-6 ; Neh. xiii, 14, 22, 3 ; Isa. xxxviii. 31 ; Prov. ixi. 14 ; 2 Cor. i. 12 ; 1 Pet. iii. 3, 4, and v. 4. 244 NINE STRONG CONSOLATIONS THAT FLOW FROM Job xxix. 14, ' I put on righteousness, and it clothed me ; my judg- ment was as a robe and a diadem unto me.' Look, as sober, modest,…
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^ Look, as Adam conveys his guilt to all his cliildron, so Christ conveys his righteous- ness to all his : he was caput cum foedere, as well as the first Adam. 246 NINE STRONG CONSOLATIONS THAT FLOW FROM Batisfaction in. The rigliteousness the apostle speaks of in that scripture last mentioned, is not to be understoo…
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8. Eighthly, The imputed righteousness of Christ may serve to com- fort, support, and hear up the hearts of the people of God, from faint- ing and sinking under the seruse of the weakness and imperfection of their inherent righteousness. The church of old have lamentingly said, ' We are all as an unclean thing, and all…
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9. Ninthly and lastly. Know for your comfort, that imputed right- eousness will give you the greatest boldness be/ore God's judgment-seat. There is an absolute and indispensable necessity of a perfect righteous- ness wherewith to appear before God. The holiness of God's nature, the righteousness of his government, the …
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tribunal of God, clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, they shall then stand, rectus in curia ; they shall then be pronounced righteous, even in the court of divine justice, which sentence will fill their souls with comfort, and the souls of sinners with astonishment, Kev. XX. 12, and xii. 10. Suppose w…
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place, and stead; for he did lay down his life for us as a ransom. Now when one dies for another in way of ransom he does not only die for the benefit and profit of the ransomed but m the place, and room, and stead of the ransomed; and thus Christ died for us, as himself testifies : ' The son of man came to givehmaself…
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' This shews us the greatness of man's sin and of Clirist's love, of Satan's malice and of God's justice; and it shews us the madness and blindness of the popish relisjioii, which tells us that some sins are so light and venial as that the Bprinkling ot holy water and ashes will purge them away. CHRIST CONSIDERED AS A…
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Now from all these considerations, a child of God may form up this sixth plea as to the ten scriptures in the margin, i that refer to the great day of account, or to a man's particular account. 0 blessed God, Jesus Christ ivas a common person, a representative head : I am to he considered in him, loho is my surety, and…
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debt of another. For our debt he was made uuder the law, and so as a sacrifice, he stood in the stead of a sinner, and the sacrifice was to be offered for the man ; and so some exponnd that place, ' He was made sin for us,' 2 Cor. v. 21, that is, a sin-offering ; therefore he doth take our sins upon him as his own, Isa…
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elude, tliat tlie creditor is fully satisfied, when he gives in his bond to be cancelled. There are two ways of cancelling a bond, laceratione et liturd. Here it is blotted out, and can be read no more than if it had never been ; the obligatory power of the law as a covenant is taken away. God delivered his people from…
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^ When a man marries a woman, with her person he takes her debts and Batiafaction too ; BO does Christ when he takes ua to bo his, he takes our sins also to be his. THE SURETYSHIP OF CHRIST CONSIDERED OF. 261 for thy transgressions, and I was bruised for thy iniquities, Isa, liii. 4-8, 10 ; and therefore we are said …
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•^ Misprinted ' Monton.' A full account of Morton is to be found in Godwin dc PrcESulibus,' (ed. : Kichardson, p. 130.) He was John Morton, then Bishop of Ely, but afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury : and the above saying was probably uttered while the bishop was under Buckingham's wardship at Brecon, by command of Ri…
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' It was the saying of an eminent saint, on his death-bed, that he had much peace and quietness, not so much from a greater measure of grace than other Christians had, or from any immediate witness of the Spirit, but because he had a more clear understand- ing of the covenant of grace than many others, having studied i…
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but if they are lost, all is lost, and you lost and undone in both worlds.^ Christ, that only went to the price of souls, hath told us that one soul is more worth than all the world. Chrysostom well observeth, ' that whereas God hath given us many other things double — viz., two eyes to see with, two ears to hear with,…
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. ^ Mstin. The Stoic thought it was better to be a fool in the form of a man than ^^se i/the shape of a beast. ' C/.idbbes, vol. v. 144, and note hb, 154. Correct the reference in index of Sibbea "** 'er Ga.en from 54 to 154.— G. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 271 spiritual in its oLject ; it contemplates God and heaven. G…
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* DivitibiLS ideo pietas deest, quia nihil dtest, Rich men's wealth proves an hin- drance to their happiness, Eccles. v. 13 ; James v. 1, 2. * Riches are called thick clay, Hab. ii. C, which will sooner break the back than lighten the heart. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 273 He that is rich in conscience sleeps more sound…
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1 shall forbear giving of particular instances. But, [9.] Ninthly, Many take up in an outwa7'd change and reformation; they have left some old courses and sinful practices which formerly they walked in, &c., and therefore they conclude and hope that their condition is good, and that all is well, and shall be for ever …
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must part, or Christ and your souls can never meet ; sin and your souls must be two, or Christ and your souls can never he one ; you must in good earnest fall out with sins, or else you can never in good earnest fall in with a Saviour ; the heart must be separated from all other lovers, before Christ will take the soul…
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* The common cry of persecutors have been, Chrintianos ad Ltona : within the first three hundred years after Christ, upon the matter all that made a profession of the apostle's doctrine, were cruelly murdered. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 279 in sunshine weather, &c., these are still Satan's bond-slaves, and such as Chris…
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4. The fourth word of advice and counsel is this. Labour to he Tnore inwardly sincere than outwardly glorious. ' The king's daughter is all glorious within,' Ps. xlv. 13. Oh labour rather to be good than to be thought to be good, to live than to have a name to live, Kev. iii. 1, 15-17- Whatever you let go, be sure you …
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still on this side Jordan; having made their gold their god, they cannot think of parting with it. They would, if possible, carry the world out of the world. But what saith the apostle ? ' We brought nothing with us into this world, and it is certain'' — see how he asse- vereth and assureth it, as if some rich wretches…
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exalted, the Spirit pleased, religion adorned, the mouths of sinners stopped, and the hearts of saints rejoiced. He that shooteth at the sun, though he shoot far short, yet will shoot higher than he that aimeth at a shrub. It is safest, it is best, to eye the highest and worthiest examples. Examples are, (1.) More awak…
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1. First, Premise this with me, that God hath commonly dealt with man in the luay of a covenant ; that being a way that is most suitable to man, and most honourable for man, and the most amicable and friendly way of dealing w^th man. No sooner was man made, but God entered into covenant with him, ' In the day thou eate…
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[1.] First, Some derive it from "112, Barar, to purify, make clear, and to purge out dross, chaff, and all uncleanness; and to select, and choose out, and separate the pure from the impure, the gold and silver from the dross, and the pure wheat from the chaff. The reasons of this derivation are these two : — (1.) Becau…
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offered upon the altar. And in making of great and solemn cove- nants, men, in old time, were wont to kill and cut asunder sacrificed beasts ; and to pass between the parts divided, for a solemn testimony, or for the confirmation of the covenants that they had made, Gen. xv. 9, 10, 17.1 And as learned men have long sin…
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1 Jer. xxxi. 31, 33, 35-37; Ps. xix. 7; Rev. iii. 14 ; Isa. liv. 10. " Heb. viii. 6-10, and i. 4 j Luke i. 72 ; Rom. ix. 4, &c. ; Mat. xxvi. 28 ; Luke xxii. 20, &c. 292 THE COVENANT OF GRACE PROVED AND OPENED, word Berith, whieli is used in the law and the prophets, doth confirm our derivation of it from all the word…
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1 Socinians call for the word ' Satisfaction,' others call for the word ' Sacrament/ others call for the word ' Trinity,' and others call for the word ' Sabbath,' for Lord's day, &c. ; and thence conclude against Satisfaction, Sacraments, Trinity, Sabbath, for want of ex- press words, when the things themselves are pla…
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[3.] Thirdly, Consider the intention and use of the two eminent trees in the garden, that are mentioned in a more peculiar manner — viz., the tree of life and the tree of knowledge. The intended use of these two trees in paradise was sacramental. Hence they are called symbolical trees, and sacramental trees, by learned…
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Adam was invested and endowed with righteousness and holiness in his first glorious estate ; with righteousness, that he might carry it fairly, justly, evenly, and righteously towards man ; and with holiness, that he might carry it wisely, lovingly, reverentially, and holily to- wards God, and that he might take up in …
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[3.] Thirdly, God is often said to remember his covenant:^ Gen. ix. 15, ' I will remember my covenant, which is between you and me ;' Exod. vi. 5, ' I have remembered my covenant ; ' Lev. xxvi. 42, ' I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember ; …
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ever and ever,' Micah iv. 5. Persons in covenant with God will not only take a turn or two in his ways, as temporaries and hypocrites do, who are hot at hand, but soon tire and give in, but they will hold on in a course of holiness, and not fail to follow the Lamb, whitherso- ever he goes : Kev. xiv. 4, and xvii. 14 ; …
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greatest outward mercies and blessings that Christ confers upon us.^ If a man be under a covenant of grace, and doth not know it, how can he rejoice in the Lord ? How can he sing out the high praises of God ? How can he delight himself in the Almighty ? How can he triumph in Christ Jesus ? How can he cheerfully run the…
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^ Gal. iii. 10. Not only the covenant of grace, but the covenant of works also, is an eternal covenant; and therefore the curse of the covenant remains upon men unto eternity. There is an eternal obligation upon the creature, he being bound to God by an eternal law ; and the transgression of that law carries with it an…
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^ 5'he wotH''2°rfrj'il!' "^Vl"^' «°^«' ^«<^«""» amicitice, a covenant of friendship, couraeir ^^^SSeutrth:^wy^^' °^^°'' --P-""^o- t^-o^-^t, desire, d'is- THE COVENANT OF GRACE PROVED AND OPENED. 307 shall never cease, never be broken, nor never be altered. Now the covenant of grace is an everlasting covenant in a two…
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and for ours, that we ' shall be his people' — i.e., that we shall believe, love, fear, repent, obey, serve him, and walk with him, as he requires, Jer. xxxii. 38 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27 ; and thus the covenant of grace becomes an ' everlasting covenant ; ' yea, such a covenant as hath the sure or unfailable mercies of D…
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' Omnis vita est propter delectationem. Philosophers say that a fly is more excellent than the heavens, because the fly has life, which the heavens have not. 310 THE COVENANT OF GRACE PROVED AND OPENED, heart shall be against the holy covenant,' Dan. xi. 28, 30 ; he shall have indignation against the holy covenant, a…
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[5.] Fifthly, This covenant of grace, under which the saints stand, is sometimes styled a neio covenant : Jer. xxxi. 31, ' Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah :' Heb. xii. 24, ' And to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant,' &c.,…
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[6.] Sixthly, This covenant of grace, under which the saints stand, is sometimes styled a covenant of salt: Lev. ii. 13, ' Neither shaltthou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from the meat- offering,' &C.2 The salt of the covenant signifies that covenant that God hath made with us in Christ, who …
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Therefore it is said, Heb. vi. 17, 18, ' God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, con- firmed it by an oath ; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation,'! tV^vpay TrapaKXrjcnv, that is, a valiant, stron…
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justification, glorification; it is the highest link in the golden chain of salvation. What is the reason that God has entered into a covenant with fallen man ? it is from his eternal purpose. What is the reason that one man is brought under the bond of the covenant and not another ? it is from the eternal purpose of G…
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ment is of force after men are dead.' (2.) Negatively, in these words, * Otherwise it is of no strength.' Now from the affirmative and the negative, it plainly appears that a testament is made inviolable by the testator's death ; so Jesiis Christ hath unalterably confirmed this will and testament — viz., the new covena…
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1 Eom. xi. 33-36 ; 1 Cor. ii. 7 ; Eph. i. 8, and iii. 10 ; Ps. cxlvii. 5 ; lea. xl. 28 ; Rev. vii. 12. 320 THE COVENANT OF GRACE PROVED AND OPENED. up to the day of redemption? Ezek. xxxvi. 25-27; Luke xi, 13; Eph. i. 13. Here thou mayest find him in the covenant of grace. Dost thou, 0 sinner ! want grace, all grace,…
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* Though the covenant of redemption made to the fathers, and this which was given after, seem diverse, yet they are all one, and grounded on Jesus Christ, save that this ia called ' new ; ' because of the manifestations of Christ, and the abundant graces of the Holy Ghost, given to his church under the gospel, 2 Cor. i…
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And, 0 blessed God, I cannot but observe that in the new covenant thou hast engaged thyself to pardon all my sins : ' I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I re- member no more,' Heb. viii. 12 ; Jer. xxxi. 34. ^ Here are two things worthy of our notice : (1.) The reconcil…
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my sins no more. In the new covenant thou hast engaged thyself not only to forgive but also to forget, and that thou wilt cross thy debt- book, and never question or call me to an account for my sins ; that thou wilt pass an eternal act of oblivion upon them, and utterly bury them in the grave of oblivion, as if they h…
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^ Mat. xii. 31 ; Isa. Iv. 7 ; Jer. xxxi. 12 ; Ezek. xviii. 22 ; Ps. xxxii. 2 ; Eom. iv. 8. Now if God will not remember nor mention his people's sins, then we may safely and roundly infer that either there is no purgatory, or else that God severely punishes those Bins in purgatory which he remembers not. EVANGELICAL O…
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will be content if there be but uprightness in us, if there be but sincere desires to obey, if there be faithful endeavours to obey, if there be a hearty willingness to obey. Well, saith God, though I stood upon perfect obedience in the covenant of works, 2 Cor. viii. 12 ; yet now I will be satisfied with the will for …
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2 Cor. V. 10; Heb. ix. 27, and xiii. 17; 1 Pet. iv. 5. 330 THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION or redemption. We may present it to our understanding in this form : God the Father saith to Christ the mediator, I look upon Adam and his posterity as a degenerate seed, ' a generation of vipers,' of apostates andbacksHders, yea, t…
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^ Esth. V. 3 ; Mark vi. 23 ; Isa. xlix. 6 ; Mat. xxviii. 18 ; Phil. ii. 10, 11 ; Ps. xl. 6-8. * The Scriptures are called the Book of the Battles of the Lord, Num. xxi.—Riqjertus. 332 THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION is, the devil,' Heb. ii. 14. God, by way of threatening, told Satan that the seed of the deceived woman sho…
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.