PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks — Volume 5
Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680 · 375,900 words · 330 reading sections
Section 301
and after more and more of the presence of Christ, and after more and more communion with Christ? Ps. cxxxix. 17, 18, Ixiii. 1, 8, xxvii. 4, and xlii. 1-3; Exod. xxxiii. 13-16 ; Cant. i. 2. Fifthly, If Christ be not signally present with you, why are you so affected and afflicted with the dishonours and indignities, wr…
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abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings : ' ver. 12, ' So the Lord alone did lead him,' &c.i The eagle carries her young ones upon her wings, and not between her talons, as other birds do, openly, safely, swiftly ; and so did God his Israel, being choice and chary of them all the way, securing them als…
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world, who set themselves against the saints, can avert or avoid, avoid or abide. That God is a mighty God the Scriptures do abundantly evidence, and it appears also in the epithet, that is added unto El-, which is Gibbor, importing that he is a God of prevailing might. By Daniel he is called El-Elim, ' the mighty of m…
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[5.] Fifthly, Will the Lord be signally present with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers ? Then this may serve to justify the saints, and to encourage the saints to ivrite after this fair copy that Christ has set them. Oh visit them ! oh stand by them ! oh stick close to t…
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[6.] Sixthly, Will the Lord be signally present with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers ? Then never give way to hose slavish fears, Ps. li. 12, 13, and xlvi. 1-3; Mat. X. 28, &c. There are as many /ear nots in Scripture as there are fears. Take a taste of some of them : …
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of the Lord ; and why then should any of you be afraid to enter into an afflicted condition, where you shall be sure to meet the singular presence of the Lord, that will certainly turn your afflicted condition into a comfortable condition to you? Kev. xii. 11, and Heb. xi. 36-38. The great design of the Lord in afflict…
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[9.] Ninthly, Will the Lord be signally present with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers ? Then let me infer that unbelief, infidelity, and despondency of spirit in an evil day, does very ill become the people of God. Is the Lord pre- sent with you in your greatest trouble…
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[10.] Tenthly and lastly. Will the Lord be signally present with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers ? Then let the people of the Lord be very thankful for Ms presence with them in their greatest troubles, &c., Exod. xxxiii. 13-16 ; 2 Tim. iv. 22 ; Ps. xvi. 11. 0 sirs ! th…
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holiness, the peace, the grace, the comforts, the supports that always attends the gracious presence of the Lord with his people in their deep distresses, &c. Therefore let the high praises of God for ever be in their mouths, who enjoy this signal presence of God. The 46th Psalm is called by some Luther's psalm ; that …
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[2.] Secondly, To move you so to order, demean, and carry your- selves as you may enjoy the gracious presence of God with you in your greatest troubles and deepest distresses, consider that nothing can make up the want of this signal presence of God. It is not the pre- sence of friends, of relations, of ministers, of o…
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[3.] Thirdly, To move you so to order, demean, and carry yourselves as that you may enjoy the gracious presence of God with you in the greatest troubles and deepest distresses, consider that if you do not labour to demean, order, and carry yourselves so as that you may enjoy the favourable, signal, and eminent presence…
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with me, cany us not up hence;' ver. 16, ' For wherein shall it be known here, that I and my people have found grace in thy sight, is it not in that thou goest with us?' Cant.iii. 1, ' By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth, I sought him, but I found him not/ The presence of bad men is never desirable ; th…
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[5.] Fifthly, To move you so to order, demean, and carry your- selves, as that you may enjoy the gracious presence of God with you in your greatest troubles and deepest distresses, consider that in great troubles, deep distresses, and most deadly dangers, you ivill most need the favourable signal presence of God with y…
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tions that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary?' Isa. i. 2-4, 16, 18 ; Ezek. xviii, 31, and xxxiii. 11 ; Jer. iii. 13, 14. Of all sins, the sin of idolatry drives God farthest off from his sanctuary. When God goes off from a people, he goes not off rashly, he goes not off sud…
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"WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 569 12, * And behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you, 0 children of Israel/ Num. xxiii. 23, * Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel ; ' that is, t…
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judge yourselves, and speedily return to the Most High, Hosea vi. 1 ; Exod. xxxii. 9-15. Thus Peter did, and recovered the favourable presence of God presently. Mat. xxvi. 75 ; Mark xvi. 7. But if men will commit sin and lie in it, if they will fall and have no mind to rise, God will certainly withdraw his favourable p…
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hazard of honour ! Oh the damage of dignity ! how soon are we broken upon the soft pillow of ease ! Flies settle upon the sweetest perfumes when cold ; and so does sin on the best hearts, when they are dissolved and dispirited by prosperity. Oh how apt are the holiest of men to be proud and secure, and promise themselv…
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1 See my ' Unsearchable Eiches' of Christ, pp. 49-58. [Vol. iii. pp. 41-48. — G.j ' Hab. i. 16; lea. xlviii. 9, and xivi. 12 ; Hab. ii. 5, &c.J WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 575 tilings of God : Cant. v. 2, * I sleep, but my heart waketh ; it is the voice of my beloved that knocketli, saying, Open to me…
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all evil/ as the apostle speaks, and the darling sin of the nation, God is so provoked by it that he first smites, and then hides himself, as one that in displeasure, having left one to the evil and harsh usage of some other, withdraweth himself out of the way, and having shut him- self up in his closet, will not be se…
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under the rod.^ When the child is f reward under the rod, the father withdraws ; so here, Isa. Ivii. 17, ' I was wroth, I smote him ; I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart ;' Isa. xlvii. 6. Though I manifested my displeasure by giving them up to their enemies, and by laying them unde…
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^ This is evident throughout the whole book of the prophet Ezekiel. See ii. 4, 7-12. 580 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD man hath thus ever seen the Lord at any time, and that 'no man can thus see the Lord, and live,' John i. 18 ; 1 Tim. vi. 16; 1 John iv. 12 ; Exod. xxxiii. 20-23. And as great a favourite of Heaven as Mo…
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582 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD no, nor stir out of doors to enjoy an ordinance, &c. ! How many in our days, upon neglecting and despising gospel ordinances, have grown from naught to be very naught, and from very naught to be stark naught. He shall be an Apollo to me that can shew me one man in the world that ever gre…
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There are many that call upon God, but not in truth ; from these God stands at a distance, Prov. i. 28 ; Isa. i. 11-17 ; Deut. iv. 4 ; 2 John 4. There are others that call upon God in truth, in plainness and single- ness of heart; and these God are^ near, not only in regard of his essence, which is everywhere, but also…
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[7.] Seventhly, Keep humble, and lualk humbly loith your God, Micah vi. 8 ; Ps. xxv. 9. The highest heavens and the lowest hearts, are the habitation of God's glorious presence: Isa. Ivii. 15, ' For saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, wliose name is Holy ; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him…
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pleased with the fruitfulness of his people ia grace and holiness. Now certainly, the more God is pleased with any person, the more he will be present with that person. They coromonly have most of our presence that most please us. Enoch had this testimony, before his translation, that he pleased God, or gave God conten…
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(2.) Secondly, Know for your comfort, that there is ahvays some special favours and blessings annexed to tJds signal presence of God, as ' I will be with thee, and bless thee :' Gen. xxvi. 3, ' I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest:' xxviii. 15, 'I will be with him in trouble, and honour h…
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earth have such a power on their sides as the saints have. Consult these scriptures, 2 Kings vi. 16; 2 Chron. xxxii. 6, 7; Isa. viii. 9, 10 ; Num. xiii. 28, 30-33, and xiv. 9. No Christian can look upon the strong and mighty enemies of Zion in a scripture glass, but must behold them as weak and impotent persons. Who co…
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WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 593 he gives food to the hungry, he looseth the prisoners, he opens the eyes of the bhnd, he raises them that are bowed down, he loveth the* righteous, and this is more than all the rest. Sixthly and lastly, As he loves his people with a special love, with a peculiar love, s…
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Question. But how may a person that has lost this gracious presence of Grod, recover it again ? JRespome 1. First, Observe how you lost this 'presence of God, and labour to recover it by a contrary course. Did you lose it by sinful omissions ? then be more active in a way of duty. Didst thou lose the presence of God b…
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ment, oh then remember this is not the presence of God, this is not the presence of God ! Here is a gracious yoke-fellow, here are hope- ful children, here is a pleasant habitation, here is brave air, here is a gainful trade, &c., but what are all these to me, so long as my sun is set in a cloud, and God has withdrawn …
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.