PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks — Volume 6
Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680 · 323,388 words · 272 reading sections
Section 121
sore afflictions and sad sufferings that he brings upon them. Of such the prophet Isaiah complains, chap. xxvi. 11, ' Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see.' The hand, the power of the Lord was so remarkable and conspicuous in the judgments that were inflicted upon them, as might very well wring an acknow…
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' Nch. i. 4. So Mauriciiis the emperor justified God when lie saw his wife and chil- dren butchcrcil hefore his eyes by the traitor Pliocas, and knew that liim.sclf should soon after be stewed in his own broth, cried out, Just art thou, 0 Lord, and just arc all thy judgments! - (incry, 'law'? — G. ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] …
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[4.] Fourthly, Give me leave to inquire. Whether you loere friends or enemies to God's house, 2 Tim. i. 20 ; Num. xii. 7 ; Joshua i. 2. Now God's house is his church, and his church is his house : Heb. iii. 5, 6, ' And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant ; but Christ as a Son over his own house ; w…
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ready to depart on tlio morrow ; and continued liis speecli initil mid- night;' ver. 8, 'And liere were many liglit.s' {G)'. many lamps) ' in the upper chamber, whither they were gathered together ; ' ver. 9, * And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being IhHen inlo a deep sleep: and as Paul was …
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* AVeemes. Vol. i., Christian Synagogue, p. 110. •J21 London's LAMENTATIONS ON [Isa. XLII. 24, 25. iuo- were not in them, they -were but like other common places. The temple of Jerusalem sanctified the meetings of the saints, but the meeting of the saints sanctities our temples. Herod's temple at Jeru- salem was so s…
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is therefore called the holy place, Lev, xvi. 30, seq. And thirdly, There was a place which the high-priest might only enter into, and that but once a year, and that is called the holy of holies, the holiest place of all, Heb. ix. 3. But now since the death of Christ, there is no place in the world that is holier than …
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' Neh. xii. 27, 28; Ps. xxx. Title, A Tsalm and Song at the Dedication of the House of David. While the ark brought the plague, every one was glad to be rid of it; but when it brought a blessing to Obed-edom, they looked upon it aa worthy of entertain- ment. Many will own a blessing ark, a prosperous truth; but he is a…
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[4.] It is to comfort and encourage the people of God to patience and constancy in all their sufferings for Christ, seeing that it is the devil that is their grand enemy, and that makes, in his instruments, the highest opposition against them. A gracious man in the midst of all oppositions, as Chrysostom said of Peter,…
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civil trade. Doubtless there were many citizens who did drive a close, eecret, sinful trade, who had their by-ways and back-doors— some to uncleanuL'ss, others to merry-meetin<^s, and others to secret gaming. Now if thou wert one of them that didst drive a secret trade of sin, never murmur because thy house is burnt, a…
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* Remember that of Zeno, who said he never sailed better than when he suffered shipwreck. ^ Query, ' served God'?— Ed. 232 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25*. and restored the poor man his goods ; which made the poor man say, Kow I see tliat God may seem to sleep, but can never die. If God lias taken away a…
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234 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25. [1.] That tliou shalt never totally or finally lose thy God, Hosea ii. 19, 20. [2.] Thou shalt never lose tliy interest in Christ. Whatever thy outward losses are, yet thy interest in Christ still holds good, Rom. viii. 33, scq. [3. 1 Thou shalt never lose the Spirit …
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Ohj. 3. I would justify the Lord, I would say he is righteous, thougli my house be burnt up, and I am turned out of all ; but this troubles mo, 1 liave not an estate to do that good that formerly I have done. I was once full, but the Lord hath made me empty : I was once Naomi, i.e., beautiful, but now God has made me M…
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and he that swcarotli, as he tliat feareth an oath.' The privileges of the saints He [notj in temporals, but in spirituals and eternals, else religion would not be a matter of faith, but sense: and men would serve God not for himself, but for the gay and gallant things of this world. 1 Bjit, [2.] Secondly, There are a…
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240 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25. pensations, Jer. xxiv. 1-3, 5. The very self-same judgment that is as a loadstone to draw the righteous towards heaven, will be as a mill- stone to sink the wicked down to hell. The pillar of fire that went before Israel had a light side and a dark side ; the light side…
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want. No loss, no cross, no aflliotion will sit heavy npon a patient soul. Dionysius saith that this benelit he had hy the study of pliilo- sophy — viz., that he bore with patience all those alterations and changes that he met with in his outward condition. Now shall nature do more than grace ? shall the study of philo…
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' The poets bring in the feigned gods, each one content with his own office and estate — Mars with war, Minerva with sciences, Mercury with eloquence, Cupid with love, Jupiter with heaven, and Pluto with hell. ^ 'Dainties.' — G. 244 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25. though nothiiii^ will satisfy those men'…
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" Deut. viii. 16 ; Lev. xxvi. 40-42; Luke xiv. 11 ; Dan. v. 22. Augustine saitli that the first, second, and third virtue of a Christian is humility. If I were asked, saith he, what is the readiest way to attain true happiness, I would answer, The first, the second, the third thing is, humility, humility, humility: as …
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7. The seventh duty that lies upon those who have been burnt up, is to bless a taking God as well as a giving God ; it is to encourage themselves in the Lord their God, though he has strip2yed them of all their woi'ldly goods. Thus did Job when he had lost his all : ' The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; bless…
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0 Christians, it highly concerns you to bear all your losses cheer- fully and thankfully, ' In everything give thanks,' saith the apostle ; ' for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you,' 1 Thes. v. 18. Chrysostom speaks excellently : i ' This,' saith he, ' is the very will of God, to give thanks always…
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Sbiloh, but after it was taken and carried away by the Pbilistincs it was never brought back, and from that time Sbiloh lay ever after desolate, 1 Sam. iv. 10, 11. And tbis the Lord would have engraven upon their memories, and upon their hearts. Though stony hearts are bad, yet iron memories are good : Luke xvii. 32, '…
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are uncertain. Eiclies, like bad servants, never stay long with one master. Did not the citizens of London see their riches flying away from them upon the wings of the fire and of the wind, when their own and their neighbours' habitations were all in flames? 0 sirs, what cer- tainty can there be in those things which b…
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tinuing city, you may seek one to come, Heb. xiii. 14. RememLer I have destroyed your houses, that so you may make sure a house not made with hands, but one eternal in the heavens, 2 Cor. v. 1. I have taken away your uncertain riches, that so you may make sure more durable riches, Prov. viii. 18. I have spoiled many of…
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[6.] Sixtlily, Are there no burnt citizens that are very angry and impatient when they meet with opposition, disappointments, or pro- crastination in their earnest pursuing after the things of the worUi ? Balaam was so intent and mad upon the workl, that he desperately puts on upon the drawn sword of the angel. Num. xx…
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' Basil in XI>. Martyrs. In Queen Mary's time, when some offered a certain martyr money, he refused it, saying, I am go'ng to a country where money will bear no price. ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 259 things evidence, but this, that though God has fired many men out of their houses, yet the inordi…
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ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 261 is to come.' There is earth as well as heaven ; bread as well as grace ; and raiment as well as righteousness ; and the lower springs as well as the upper springs to be found in the precious promises, 2 Pet. i. 4. Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Joseph, and Job, …
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have forfeited God's primitive donation of all right in the creatures. Every wicked man in the world has forfeited his right to the creatures in Adam, and lies under that forfeiture. But to the glory of divine patience be it spoken, God has not sued out his forfeiture, God has not brought a writ of ejection against him…
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margin together, i A little blessed unto a man is better than all the world cursed. JSTow all the blessings and mercies that the wicked do enjoy, though they are materially blessings, yet they are formally curses ; as all the crosses that befalls a righteous man, though they are materially crosses, yet they are formall…
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to further mercies. When Kachel had a son, she called his name Joseph, saying, ' The Lord shall add to me another son,' Gen. xxx. 24. Every mercy that a righteous man enjoys may well he called Joseph, because it is a certain pledge of some further and greater mercy that is to be added to those the righteous man already…
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the sower. A dunghill-spirited fellow in our days, being by a neigh- bour excited to bless God for a rich crop of corn he had standing on his ground, atheistically replied, ' Thank God ! Nay, rather thank my dung cart !' I have read of a great cardinal, who, writing down in his diary what such a lord did for him, and h…
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' The poor heathen could say, I desire neither more nor less than enoug^h. For 1 m.iy as well die of a Hurfcif as of iuni>'er. ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 271 and a Christian may put them in suit when he will, and hold God to his word ; and that not only for his spiritual and eternal life, but al…
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^ Josephus. When Zelimus, [?] emperor of Constantinople, had taken Egypt, he found a great deal of tre.isure there ; and the soldiers asking of him what they should do Willi the citizens of Eu'vpt, having found a great treasure among them ; Oh, saith the emperor, hang ihcm all up, fur tliey are loo rich to be made slav…
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[1.] First, /;; /,s laicfid to desire earthly things, so far as they may ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 275 be furtherances of us in our journey to heaven.^ As a passenger when he comes to a deep river desii-es a boat, but not for the boat's sake, but that he may pass over the river ; for could he p…
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IsA. XLTI. 24, 25.] the late fiery dispensation. 277 Hosea xiv. 8 ; Isa. xxx. 22. Assuredly every gracious heart had rather be rid of his sins than of his sufferings: Job vii. 21, 'And why dost thou not take away mine iniquity?' — or lift up, as the Hebrew- runs, to note that though Job had many loads, many burdens up…
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IsA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 279 (5.) Sucli as make no preparations to meet Grod when lie is in the way of his judgments, Amos iv. 12. (6.) Such who are careless Gallios, that do not so much as mind or regard the warnings of God, the judgments of God, Isa. v. 12, 13. (7.) Such as put the evil day…
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13. The thirteenth duty that is incumbent upon those who have been burnt up, is to get a God for their portion, Ps. xvi. 5, and Ixiii. 26. You have lost youi- earthly portion, your earthly possessions ; oh that you Avould now labour with all your might to get God for your portion ! Ps. cxix. 57 ; Jer. x. IG ; Lam. iii.…
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15. The fifteenth duty that is incumbent upon those who have been burnt up, is to m'tke sure an abiding city, a city that hath founda- tions, ivhose builder and maker is God :^ Heb. xiii. 14, ' For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.' These words are a reason of his former exhortation to the belie…
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[8. J Eigiithly, None but freemen may trade, and keep open shop in a city ; so none shall have anything to do in heaven, but such whose name are written in the Lamb's book of life. Rev. xxi. 27. Believers are the only persons that are enrolled as freemen in the records of the heavenly city. [9 ] Ninthly, Cities are fu…
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[1.] First, Our day hath many privileges above theirs. Witness the honourable titles given to it by holy and learned men — as the queen of days, princess, principal, primate, a royal day, higher than the highest, the first-fruits of the days ; yea, saith Jerome, tlie Lord's day is better than any other common day, than…
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[5. 1 Fifthly, Consider, if you do not prepare yourselves beforehand for thcU day of the Lord, and all the duties of that day, lohat difference ivill there be beticeen you and the ivcyrst of hypocrites, formalists, super- stitious, or profane 2:)ersons, who rush upon holy duties as the horse rushefh into the battle? Do…
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3. Thirdly, You must sanctify the Sabbath, by looking upon the enjoyment of Sabbaths and ordinances as your great happiness, hy looking upon every duty as your dignity^ and by looking upon every ivork of that day as carrying a reicard ivith it, Prov. viii. 34, 35 ; Ps. xxvii. 4, xlii. 1-5, and Ixiii. 1-3. Ps. xix. 11, …
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[G.J vSixtiily and lastly, The children of Israel rose up early in the niwrninfi on the Sabbath-day, to offtr up burnt- offerings and peace- offerings to an idol, Exod. xxxii. 4-G. So ])apists, Turks, and heathens are early in the mornings at their devotions ; and the harlot ri.ses early in the morning to trepan the lu…
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[1.] First, There is the eye of observatioii and ijisjjectmi. God seeth Avhat uprightness and seriousness, what integrity, ingenuity, and fervency you have in his services. ' Mine eyes are upon all their ways,' Jer. xvi. 17. Ps. xvi. 8, ' I have set the Lord always before me.' Ps. cxix. 1G8, 'I have kept thy precepts a…
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9. Ninthly, You must sanctify the Sabbath, hy managhig all the duties of the day ivifh inioard. reverence, seriousness, and spiritnahiess, John iv. 23, 24. It is the pleasure of God that we reverence his sanc- tuary : Lev. xix. 3U, ' Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.' Twice in this c…
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[2.] The graciousness of their carriage : ' They came to eat bread with him before the Lord.' That is, saith Calvin on the text, in gloriam el honorem Dei, To the honour and glory of God. Grace must spice every cup, and be sauce to every dish, or nothing will relish well with him whose heart is set to sanctify the Sabb…
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[;").] Fifthly, TIds hath been tlie judgment of most Judiciom divines in all ages. In the C'ouncil of Mexiconi there was an assembly of ministers out of all nations in Christendom, and they ordained a canon concerning the Lord's day. The canon runs thus: ' We ordain that people keep the whole Lord's day holy, and that …
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tliroiigli the streets of Rome, and seeinj2^ many of the ladies playing with little dogs, monkeys, and baboons, asked them if tlie women in that country had no children ? So when men spend the Lord's day in play- ing, sporting, toying, or talking of this or that trifle, of this or that person, of this or that fashion, …
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■* Ps. cxxxix. 4; Isa. lix. 3; Jer. xxxiii. 24, and xliv. 25 ; Mai. iii. 16,17; Job xlii 7 Mat. xii. 37. 304 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25. actions and words, because God was everywhere, and bclicid all that was done and said. And Zeno, a wise heathen, athrmeth that God seeth and taketh notice of our ve…
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world comparable to those, for the power of godliness and heights of grace, holiness, and communion with God, who are most strict, serious, studious, and conscientious in sanctifying of the Lord's day. Such as are careless, remiss, light, slight, formal, and carnal upon the Sabbath- day, they will be as bad, if not wor…
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nearest the hij^hest pitch of misery. Is there not guilt enough upon all your hearts, and upon all your habitations, to expose them to as great a desolation as London lies under? A71S. Yes, yes. Why, then, do not you get off this guilt by frequent exercises of faith in the blood of Christ, or else prepare to drink of t…
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turns his bristles to all the world besides. The Jews have a saying, ' That since the destruction of Jerusalem, the door of prayer hath been shut up.' Oh that we had not cause to fear that, since the burning of London, the door of prayer both for ourselves and one another hath been too much shut amongst us ! Oh that al…
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For notices of Rainsborough— whose ' Funeral Sermon' composes the ' Glorious Daj' of the Saints' Appearance ' — see our Memoir, Vol. I. pp. xxx., xxxi. AVe there state that certain contemporary broad-sheets might be given here; but on re-examining them, they prove such poor doggerel as to be unworthy of reprint. The cu…
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My noble Lord, for the great things you have already done for this kingdom, the high praises of God are in the mouths of the saints, and the children unl)orn shall bless you, and bless God for you. And when the name of tyrants, malignants, neuters, and apostates shall rot, the memorial of your name shall be for ever pr…
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But, secondly, If the Lord Jesus Christ be a believer's life, then this serves to bespeak all believers highly to prize the Lord Jesus. Oh, it is this Christ that is thy life ; it is not thy husband, it is not thy child, it is not this or that thing ; neither is it this ordinance or that that is a believer's life, No ;…
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And it will be with all such ungodly wretches as it was wdth Bel- shazzar : Dan. v. 5, 6, ' In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace : and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance was ch…
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1. For the first, to move you to do gloriously, methinks here is a motive, that at last you shall he glorious. But to engage you a little, consider these four or five things to move you to do gloriously: — [1.] First, Consider tJie Lord hath done already very gloriously for you; therefore do you gloriously for God. Go…
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I answer : A soul may be said to do gloriously, 7?rs^, luhen their doing lies level luitli the glorious ride; ivhen men do suitable to a glorious rule. Those thoughts are glorious thoughts that are suitable to a glorious rule, and those words are glorious words that are suitable to a glorious rule, and those actions to…
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And then £igfim,Jifthli/, Men do gloriously when they rejoice under the sufferings that befall them for Christ : not only to bear suffer- ings, but to joy under sufferings, to rejoice under all afflictions and troubles that may befall them for Jesus Christ. So the apostle, 2 Cor. xii. 10, saith he there, ' I take pleas…
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And then, lastly, Men do gloriously when they believe the 'promise and rest on the promise, notwithstanding that 'providence seems to cross the promise. It is nothing, it is not to do gloriously, for a man to believe, and to love, and tlie like, when the promise is made good, when God is a-smiling and in a giving way ;…
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ously. That is a brave text : Daniel xi. 32, ' And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall be corrupted by batteries.' Mark the latter words, ' but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.' Oh ! take one that knows God internally, mystically, and spiritually, from union, and from being…
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church in Solomon's Song, viii. 14, * Make haste, my beloved;' or as the original has it, mi n~l3, 'Flee away speedily, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices.' Will you remember these two things, to engage you to be much in longing for this day, wherein the saints shall appear …
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.