"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned
you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through
the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass
through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When
you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the
flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your
God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior!" Isaiah 43:1-3
This divine presence is the greatest good in the world.
The people of the Lord should be very thankful for His
presence with them in their greatest troubles and deepest
distresses. O Sirs! this divine presence is a great mercy.
It is a special mercy, it is a distinguishing mercy, it is a
big-bellied mercy—which has many mercies in its womb.
It is a mercy-greatening mercy; it greatens all the mercies
we enjoy. It is a mercy-sweetening mercy; it sweetens
health, strength, riches, honors, trade, relations, etc.
It is a soul-mercy, a mercy which reaches the soul, which
cheers the soul, which lifts up the soul, which quiets the
soul, which satisfies the soul, and which will go to heaven
with the soul. Will you not be thankful for such a mercy?
Will you be thankful for temporal mercies—and will you
not be thankful for spiritual mercies? To enjoy the presence
of God when we most need it, is a mercy which deserves
perpetual praises. It is the greatest mercy in this world,
to enjoy the gracious presence of God in our great troubles
and desperate dangers. Therefore be much in blessing God,
and in admiring God—for His presence with you in a dark
and trying day.
"I will be with you; I will never leave you nor
forsake you." Joshua 1:5
"The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob
is our fortress!" Psalm 46:7
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present
help in trouble." Psalm 46:1
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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.