"Truly, every man at his best state is altogether vanity."
Psalm 39:5
By Adam's fall, man has become a pile of dust, a puff of
wind; a dream; a shadow; a puff of smoke; a poor silly flea,
a worm, a debased soul, a curious nothing. Yes, man having
fallen from his primitive glory, has become altogether vanity,
says the prophet in Psalm 39:5, "Truly, every man at his best
state is altogether vanity." Truly, every man—not some man,
but every man at his best state, when he is in the height and
perfection of all creature comforts and contentments, is
altogether, not in some measure—but altogether, vanity—all
vanity. Since the fall of Adam every natural man in his best
estate is vanity; nay, every man is every vanity. Imagine
whatever vanity you will—fallen man is that. He is a
comprehensive vanity—he is an epitome of all vanity.
Man in honor, before his fall, was the best of creatures; but
since his fall, he has become the worst of creatures. By his
fall he is fallen below the very beasts which perish. He who
was once the image of God, the glory of paradise, the world's
ruler, and the Lord's darling—has now become a burden to
heaven, a burden to himself.
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Thomas Brooks (1608 - 1680)
Much of what is known about Thomas Brooks has been ascertained from his writings. Born, likely to well-to-do parents, in 1608, Brooks entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1625, where he was preceded by such men as Thomas Hooker, John Cotton, and Thomas Shepard. He was licensed as a preacher of the Gospel by 1640. Before that date, he appears to have spent a number of years at sea, probably as a chaplain with the fleet.After the conclusion of the First English Civil War, Thomas Brooks became minister at Thomas Apostle's, London, and was sufficiently renowned to be chosen as preacher before the House of Commons on December 26, 1648. His sermon was afterwards published under the title, 'God's Delight in the Progress of the Upright', the text being Psalm 44:18: 'Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Thy way'. Three or four years afterwards, he transferred to St. Margaret's, Fish-street Hill, London. In 1662, he fell victim to the notorious Act of Uniformity, but he appears to have remained in his parish and to have preached as opportunity arose. Treatises continued to flow from his pen.[3]
Thomas Brooks was a nonconformist preacher. Born into a Puritan family, he was sent to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He soon became an advocate of the Congregational way and served as a chaplain in the Civil War. In 1648 he accepted the rectory of St. Margaret's, New Fish Street, London, but only after making his Congregational principles clear to the vestry.
On several occasions he preached before Parliament. He was ejected in 1660 and remained in London as a Nonconformist preacher. Government spies reported that he preached at Tower Wharf and in Moorfields. During the Great Plague and Great Fire he worked in London, and in 1672 was granted a license to preach in Lime Street. He wrote over a dozen books, most of which are devotional in character. He was buried in Bunhill Fields.