The whole of Scripture is but one entire love-letter,
dispatched from the Lord Christ to His beloved spouse.
Caecilia, a Roman maiden of noble parentage, always
carried the New Testament with her, that she might
still be a-reading in Christ's love-letter, and behold
the sweet workings of His love and heart towards His
dear and precious ones.
Augustine professes that the sacred Scriptures were
his whole delight.
Jerome tells us of one Nepotianus, who, by long and
assiduous meditation on the holy Scriptures, had
made his heart the library of Jesus Christ.
Oh! the mysteries, the excellencies, the glories which
are in the Word! Ah! no book to this book; none so useful,
none so needful, none so delightful, none so necessary to
make you happy and to keep you happy as this!
Ah! the Word of the Lord is . . .
a light to guide you,
a Counselor to counsel you,
a comforter to comfort you,
a staff to support you,
a sword to defend you, and
a physician to cure you.
The Word is . . .
a mine to enrich you,
a robe to clothe you,
a crown to crown you.
bread to strengthen you,
wine to cheer you,
a honeycomb to feast you,
music to delight you,
a paradise to entertain you!
Oh! therefore, before all and above all:
search the Scripture,
study the Scripture,
dwell on the Scripture,
delight in the Scripture,
treasure up the Scripture!
There is . . .
no wisdom like Scripture wisdom,
no knowledge like Scripture knowledge,
no experience like Scripture experience,
no comforts like Scripture comforts,
no delights like Scripture delights,
no convictions like Scripture convictions,
no conversion like Scripture conversion!
I exhort you to a speedy, serious, diligent,
and constant study of the Scripture.
Ah! you do not know how soon . . .
your blind minds may be enlightened,
your hard hearts softened,
your proud spirits humbled,
your sinful natures changed,
your defiled consciences purged,
your distempered affections regulated,
and your poor souls saved . . .
by searching into the Scriptures,
by reading the Scripture, and
by pondering upon the Scripture.
Ah! if you do not in good earnest give up yourselves
to the reading,
to the studying,
to the pondering,
to the believing,
to the practicing,
to the applying, and
to the living up to the Scripture—
Satan will be too hard for you,
the world will be too hard for you,
your lusts will be too hard for you,
temptations will be too hard for you,
deceivers will be too hard for you,
and in the end you will be miserable.
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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.