A humble person overlooks his own righteousness, and
lives upon the righteousness of the Lord Jesus.
The apostle Paul overlooks his own righteousness, and lives
wholly upon the righteousness of Christ: "I desire to be found
in him," says he, "not having a righteousness of my own."
Away with it! It is dross, it is dung, it is dog's meat! It is . .
a rotten righteousness,
an imperfect righteousness,
a weak righteousness, which is of the law.
But that which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is from God by faith—that is . . .
a spotless righteousness,
a pure righteousness,
a complete righteousness,
an incomparable righteousness!
And, therefore, a humble soul overlooks his own
righteousness, and lives upon Christ's righteousness.
Remember this—all the sighing, mourning, sobbing, and
complaining in the world, does not so undeniably evidence
a man to be humble, as his overlooking his own righteousness,
and living really and purely upon the righteousness of Christ.
Men may do much, hear much, pray much, fast much, and
give much, etc., and yet be as proud as Lucifer—as you may
see in the Scribes and Pharisees.
Oh! but for a man now to trample upon his own righteousness,
and to live wholly upon the righteousness of Christ, this speaks
out a man to be humble indeed. There is nothing that the heart
of man stands more averse to than this—of discarding his own
righteousness. Man is a creature apt to warm himself with the
sparks of his own fire, though he does lie down for it in eternal
sorrow! Man is naturally prone to go about to establish his own
righteousness, and to make a savior of it.
But a humble soul disclaims his own righteousness: "All our
righteousness is as filthy rags." In Revelation 4, the twenty-four
elders throw down their crowns at the feet of Christ. By their
crowns you may understand their gifts, their excellencies, their
righteousness; they throw down these before Christ's throne,
to note to us, that they did not put confidence in them, and
that Christ was the crown of crowns and the top of all their
royalty and glory. A humble soul looks upon Christ's
righteousness as his only crown.
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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.