PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks — Volume 5
Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680 · 375,900 words · 330 reading sections
Section 241
little reckoning or account of their lives, liberties, relations, or estates, when they stood in competition loith Christ, or his truth, loorship, ivays, ordinances, interest, or with their profession of the Christian faith. Witness that glorious testimony that the apostle gives of them, ' They would not* accept delive…
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440 A GENERAL EPISTLE yea, and by others in great place, and by the judge himself, that they would take pity of themselves, their wives, and children ; yet would they not be induced and entreated by so many, and great ones, so to be affected with the love of this life as to forbear the confession of our Saviour, and t…
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chain as his fellows did, esteeming this rebuke of Christ more glorious than the ensigns of St Michaers order, i It was an excellent saying of Prudentius, ' Their names/ saith he, ' that are written in red letters of blood in the church's calendar, are written in golden letters in Christ's register, the book of life,' …
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ministers and suffering saints are as leaders ; they courageously and victoriously make the onset, and other Christians, by their pious examples, are pricked on to follow them so far as they are followers of the Lamb. But, ]2. Twelfthly, Consider, TJiat all the sufferings aiid persecutions that you meet with on earth …
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ceeding glad ; for great is your reward in heaven : for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you : ' Luke vi. 22, 23, ' Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye …
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1 Mat. xiii. ; 2 Tim. i. 15, 16; 1 Tim. i. 19, 20 ; 2 Tim. iv. 10, 14-16. TO ALL SUFFERING SAINTS. 447 and Abed-nego, would rather bum than bow, they would rather suffer than sin, which was an evident proof of their sincerity and ingenuity ; they would be Nonconformists, though court, city, and couatry cried up confo…
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2. Secondly, Look upon death as a remedy, as a cure. Death will perfectly cure you of all corporeal and spiritual diseases at once : the ^ This second Epistle is headed ' Some Words of Counsel to a Dear Friend,' viz., Mrs Drinkwater, named on page 1. Cf. the General Epistle prefixed. — ti. ' rioXXtD /jLaWov Kpeiffaov…
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[4.] Fourthly, You shall gain a glorious welcome, ajo^jful luelcome, a wonderful ivelcome into heaven. By general consent of all antiquity, the holy angels and blessed Trinity rejoice at the sinner's conversion ; but oh, what inexpressible, what transcendent joy is there, when a saint is landed upon the shore of eterni…
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[6.] Sixthly and lastly, You shall gain a clear, distinct, and full knowledge of all great and deep mysteries, 1 Cor. xiii. 10, 12. The mystery of the Trinity, the mystery of Christ's incarnation, the mystery of man's redemption, the mysteries of providences, the mysteries of prophecies, and all those mysteries that re…
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king of desires ; it will make you not only willing to die, but even long to die, and to cry out, ' Oh that I had the wings of a dove, to fly away, and be at rest ! ' At death you shall have an eternal jubilee, and be freed from all incumbrances. Now sin shall be no more, nor trouble shall be no more, nor pain nor ailm…
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1. First, There is a general presence of God, and thus he is pre- sent with all creatures: 'Whither shall I flee from thy presence?' 3 Ps. cxxxix. 7. Empedocles, the philosopher, said well. That God is a circle, whose centre is everywhere, and whose circumference is no- where. God is included in no place, and excluded …
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5. Fifthly, There is a judicial or wrathful 'presence of the Lord; and thus he is present with wicked men, sometimes blinding of them, sometimes hardening of them, sometimes leaving of them to their own heart's lusts, sometimes giving them up to their own heart's lusts, sometimes filling their faces with shame, and the…
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mistress that, harlot-like, ' hunted for his precious life,' his injurious master that, without any desert of his, imprisoned him, the tumul- tuating Egyptians, that pined with hunger, perhaps spake of ston- ing of him, and the envious courtiers and enchanters that spake evil of him before Pharaoh, to bring him out of …
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WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 463 tresses, and most deadly dangers. Now to this question I shall give' these twelve answers : — (1.) First, The Lord does manifest his favourable, signal, and eminent presence with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, hy rais…
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faith gets above all fears, and disputes, and says, Deliverance will cer- tainly come, redemption is at hand. Num. xiii. 30, ' And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it ;' chap. xiv. 9, ' Only rebel not ye. against the Lord, neither f…
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WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 467 with their injurious malice, said, that the lions should now be fed, and then they cast in to see when they were gorged, whether they could likewise escape : but this being done, they were suddenly destroyed, before they came to the bottom of the den, Dan. vi. 24. To wha…
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every lasli into a happy lesson. In this psalm the Holy Ghost useth six arguments to prove that a man is blessed who is chastened. [1.] Because he is instructed by being afflicted, as here. [2.] Because the end why God lays affliction on his people is to give them rest from the days of adversity, ver. 13. [3.] Until th…
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1 iradrjiiaTa /xa^Tj/xara, Nocumenta documenta. 470 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD (3.) Thirdly, The Lord doth manifest his favourable, his signal, his eminent presence with his people, in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, hy raising, str-engthening, and acting,'^ their suffering grace…
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Domitian, the author of the second persecution against the Chris- tians, having drawn a catalogue of the names of such as he was to kill, in which was the name of his own wife and other friends ; upon which ^ History of the Couneil of Trent, page 417. 472 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD he was, by the consent of his wife…
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^ The apple of the eye is the tenderest piece of tlie tenderest part. Hebrew, Ishon of Ish, dspupilla of pupa, because therein appears the likeness of a little man, or because a man is to be prized above all other creatures, as so God esteemeth his people above all the world, Heb. xi. 38. 474 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GO…
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(6.) Sixthly, The Lord doth manifest his favourable presence, his signal and eminent presence with his people, in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, hy encouraging, imhold- ening, animating and heartening up his people in the midst of all their troubles, distresses, and dangers, and h…
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The German knight, in his apologetical letter for Luther against the pontifical clergy, saith, ' I will go through with what I have under- taken against you, and will stir up men to seek their freedom. I neither care nor fear what may befall me, being prepared for either event, either to ruin you to the great benefit o…
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enter without the ruffling and pulling oflf her feathers. Let the proud enemies of the church look to themselves, for this bramble bush will vex, prick, wound, tear, and put them to the worst, when they have done their worst. In all the ages of the world this bramble bush, the church, hath been a cup of trembling unto …
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of his church, will secure her from being greatly moved in the midst of all those great dreadful confusions that are abroad in the world. Hence the church is called, Jehovah shammah, ' The Lord is there,' Ezek. xlviii. 35. His presence in heaven, makes it heaven, and his presence in the church, makes it happy and safe.…
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A gracious spirit is raised by opposition. The more opposition it meets with in a way of duty, the more resolute he is for it. So far is he from being afraid of the threatenings of men, of the frowns of men, or of losing this man's favour, or of incurring such a man's displeasure, that his spirit riseth far more for it…
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sniifF ; more than a man at first, and less than a woman at last.' In all the ages of the world, the heads, the wits, the hands, the hearts, and the tongues of the wicked have been engaged against the just ; they have been still a-plotting and devising mischief against the favourites of heaven, as if rebels could meddl…
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Here was a mighty preference of God in raising Esther's heroical courage and resolution above all those visible dangers that did attend her attempt of going in to the king against the known law of the land. And the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre, chap. v. 2. He did not kick her out of his presence, as some …
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* Courtiers shift their sails to the fitting of every wind. A cubit was half a yard at least. In those parts they had trees very small, or they might piece one to another ; but why so high a gallows, but for the greater disgrace to Mordecai, and terror to all that should slight the king's grand favourite. WITH HIS PEO…
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(9.) Ninthly, The Lord doth manifest his favourable, signal, and eminent presence with 'his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, by his sympathising with them in all their troubles, trials, distresses, dangers, as you may clearly see hy consulting the choice scrijytiires in th…
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deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, than formerly they have had. Isa. xxvi. 16, ' Lord, in trouble have they visited thee ; they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.' ' They poured out their still prayer/ 1 The Hebrew word Laxihus signifieth properly a soft or low kind of muttering which can …
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on horseback, it is by the cross, said Bradford. Hoseaii. 6, 'There- fore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.' By afflictions, difficulties, and dis- tresses God hedges up his people's way. Well, what then? Mark, ver. 7, ' I will go and return to my first hu…
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[1.] First, None can be so against us os to hurt us or harm us; there- fore Aquinas well expounds that Quis contra nos? i.e., Quis efficaciter? and others, Quis Icesive et prevalenter? Who can be against us, so as to hurt us ? Dan. iii. 25, 27, and vi. 22. Acts xviii. 9, ' Then spoke the Lord to Paul in the night by a …
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tempests the church will stand fast, because it stands upon a rock, Ps. cxxix. 2. God is on Zion's side, and the enemies of Zion must first pre- vail against Zion's God before they can prevail over Zion herself. Zion's God will be a wall of fire about her, and therefore Zion's enemies shall never prevail over her, Zech…
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^ Kissing was an outward token — (1.) Of great and entire affection ; (2.) Of submissire reverence ; (3.) Of willing and ready subjection. WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 497 Idolaters used not only to bow and kneel before their idols, but also to kiss them, according to that Hosea xiii. 2, ' Let the men …
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WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 499 together for good.' The wicked know not this secret, as the Philis- tines understood not Samson's riddles, Judg. xiv. 12-14 ; but we know that all the world sliall not hinder the cross from working for our good. (2.) From a description of them that love God, they are ' c…
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* Nunquam minus solus, <jnam cum solus, never less alone than when alone, said the heathen ; and may not a saint say so much more, that has communion with Father, Son, aud Spirit ? My God and 1 are good company, said famous Dr Sibbes. WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROITBLES. 501 Moses frequently did ; and to ' dw…
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quiet in the greatest combustions ; freed, if not from the common de- struction, yet from the common distraction. A good conscience is an impregnable fort. It fears no colours ; it will enable a man to stand against the fiercest batteries of men and devils. A good conscience will fill a man with courage and comfort in …
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their minds, let them bring their minds to their means ; a little will serve our turn till we get to heaven, till we come to our Father's house : ' For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.' There are five negatives in the Greek ; i I read not the like throughout the New Testament. In that this promi…
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[10.] Tenthly, ' If God be with us, who can be against us?' I answer, None, so as to hinder the springs of joy and comfort from rising and flowing in their souls : Ps. Ixxi. 20, ' Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth;' ver. 21…
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[4.] Fourthly, Another print of divine displeasure is this, that the Lord makes it a universal scarcity upon all kind of foods and sup- ports of life. Here is the * staff of bread' broken, and ' the herds and flocks fail,' and the refreshing of the wine-press, ' the seed and the vine, and the fig-tree and the olive-tre…
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maliciously, habitually, studiously, resolutely, wilfully, delightfully, deadly, d/juapTiav ov Troiel^ 'He does not make it his work to sin,' he cannot follow his lusts, as a workman follows his trade, ' for his seed remaineth in him.' ' The seed of God,' the seed of grace, is an abiding seed. Grace in itself is certai…
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[12.] Twelfthly, ' If God be with us, who can be against us?' I answer. None, so as to deprive us of our inward peace, rest, and quiet. Though it thunder, and lighten, and rain, and blow abroad, yet a man may be at peace and rest and quiet at home, A man may have much trouble in the world, and yet rest and quiet in his…
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ously upon him as ever. Under this word Dl^li', Shalom, the Jews comprehend all peace, prosperity, and happy success. When the worst of men have done their worst against the people of God, yet the issue shall be peace, prosperity, and happy success. ' My peace I give unto you ; ' that is, that ' peace with God and peac…
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514 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD ever be able to dissolve tbis union ; and herein lies the peculiar tran- scendent blessedness of this union above all other unions. They all may cease, be broken, and come to nothing ; every one of them is soluble: the head may be separated from the members, and the members from the head…
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First, Of his crown of righteousness : 2 Tim. iv. 8, ' Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shaU give me at that day ; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.' It is a metaphor, say several, [Estius, Scultetus, &c.,] from the custo…
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Secondly, There is no power nor policy on earth or in hell that can deprive a Christian of his crown of life : James i. 12, ' Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him,' * The crown of life,' that is eternal l…
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thens in their Olympics had their cups, and garments, and crowns that were the rewards of the conquerors ; yea, if a horse did but run a race and won, he had a cup or a crown ; and thereupon Theocritus saith, ' See what poor things the world glories in, that brute beasts are taken with ; their conquerors are crowned, a…
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corruptible.' He alludes to the Olympic exercises ; now running and wrestling were two of the Olympic games. Now in these Olympic games the reward was only a corruptible crown, a crown made up of laurels, or olive-branches, or oaken-leaves, or of flowers and herbs, or at the highest of silver and gold, which soon faded…
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things in this world. All things on earth are fading, but the crown of glory never fadeth away. Thus you see why heaven and the glory above is expressed by a crown. Sometimes it is called a crown of righteousness, to note the grounds and rise of it ; sometimes it is called a crown of life, because it is only to be enjo…
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(17.) Seventeenthlj and lastly, ' If God be with us, who can be against us ? ' I answer, None, so as to hinder our growth in grace, or the thriving and flourishing estate of our precious and immortal souU. The troubles, afflictions, persecutions, and sufferings that the saints meet with in a way of holiness shall but f…
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the wine of Lebanon : ' Mai. iv. 2, ' But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing under his wings ; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as the calves of the stall : ' Ps. i. 3, ' He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season : his…
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go for yours, &c. In Queen Mary's days,i not of blessed but of abhorred memory, the people of God met — sometimes forty, some- times a hundred, sometimes two hundred — together. The fiery per- secutors of that day sent in one among them to spy out their practices and to give information of their names, that they might …
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the Chaldee paraplirast hath it, Victor helloriim, an overcomer of battles. Now eminent warriors, mighty warriors, famous warriors, they always stick closest to their soldiers in their greatest dangers, as all know that have read either Scripture or history. Now the Lord is such a man of wars, such a famous warrior, as…
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delights in his people, and therefore he will be signally present with his people, both in the fire and in the water, both in the fire of per- secution, and in the waters of affliction. God loves the persons of his people, and he loves the presence of his people, and he loves the graces of his people, and he loves the …
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in the water ; that is, in those various trials and troubles that they are incident to in this world, Isa. liv. 5 ; Ps. ciii. 13, 14 ; Exod. xv. 3 ; Mai. iv. 2 ; Mat. ix. 12 ; Ps. xxiii. 1. When should a husband be with his wife, but when she is in greatest troubles ? and a father with his child, but when he is in deep…
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[9.] Ninthly, The Lord will be signally present with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, because they loont leave him, hut stick close to him, and to his interest, gospel, and glory ; and will cleave fast to his zvord, ivor- ship, and ways, in their greatest troubles, dee…
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[10.] Tenthly, The Lord will be signally present with his people- in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, that they may he joyful and cheerful under all their troubles, and that they may glory in all their tribulations, Mat. v. 12; Luke vi. 23. It is good to have a patient spirit, but i…
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1. First, That Clwist is many times really pi'esent when he is seemingly absent: Gen. xxviii. 16, 'And Jacob said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not/ Choice Christians may have the presence of Christ really with them when yet they may not be kindly sensible of his presence, nor yet affected with it, P…
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2. The second proposition is this. That the favourable, signal, and eminent presence of God ivith his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, is only to he extended to his covenant-people, to tlwse tliat are his people by special grace : Jer. xxxii. 38, ' And they shall be my peo…
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was ready to faint, Christ circleth her with amiable embracements ; ' His left hand is under her head, and his right hand doth embrace her.' It is an allusion to their conjugal and mensal beds, on which the guests are so bestowed, that the first laid his left hand under the head of him that was next, and put him so in …
1,275 wordsSource & rights
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.