Saving faith will make a man set his feet, where other
men sets their hearts. Faith looks with an eye of scorn
and disdain upon the things of this world. "What," says
faith, "are earthly treasures, compared to the treasures
of heaven? What are stones compared to silver; dross
compared to gold; darkness compared to light; hell
compared to heaven? No more," says faith, "What are
all the treasures, pleasures, and delights of this world
—compared to the influences of God's grace?"
Faith will make a man write 'worthless' upon the best of
worldly things; it will make a man trample upon the pearls
of this world, as upon dross and dirt, Hebrews 11:24-26.
Faith deadens a man's heart to the things of this world:
"I am crucified to the world, and the world is crucified to
me," says Paul, Phil. 3:8; Gal. 6:14. "This world," says faith,
"is not my house, my habitation, my home; I look for a
better country, for a better city, for a better home,"
2 Cor. 5:1-2. He who is the heir to a crown, a kingdom
—looks with an eye of scorn and disdain upon everything
below a kingdom, below a crown. Faith tells the soul that
it has a crown, a kingdom in reversion; and this makes
the soul to scorn the things of this world, 2 Tim. 4:8.
The view of Lucian is very interesting, who, going to the
top of a high mountain, saw all the affairs of men, and
looked on their greatest, richest, and most glorious cities,
as little birds' nests! Faith sets the soul upon the hill of
God, the mountain of God, which is a high mountain;
and from thence, faith gives the soul a sight, a prospect
of all things here below. And, ah! how like birds' nests
do all the riches, honors, and glories of this world look
and appear to those whom faith has set upon God's high hill.
Faith set Moses high, it set him among invisibles; and that
made him look upon all the treasures, pleasures, riches,
and glories of Egypt, as little birds' nests, as molehills,
as dross and dirt, as things that were too little and too low
for him to set his heart upon. Truly, when once faith has
given a man a sight, a prospect of heaven, all things on
earth will be looked upon as little and despised.
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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.