The unbeliever never leaves his sin till sin first leaves him.
Did not death put a stop to his sin—he would never
cease from sin.
This may be illustrated by a similitude thus—
a company of gamesters resolve to play all night; their candle,
accidentally or unexpectedly, goes out, or is put out, or burns out.
Their candle being out, they are forced to give over their game,
and go to bed in the dark. But had the candle lasted all night,
they would have played all night.
This is every sinner's case in regard of sin—did not death
put out the candle of life, the sinner would sin still.
Should the sinner live forever, he would sin forever;
and, therefore, it is a righteous thing with God to
punish him forever in hellish torments.
Every impenitent sinner would sin to the days of eternity,
if he might live to the days of eternity.
I have read of the crocodile, that he knows no maximum size,
he is always growing bigger and bigger, and never comes to a
certain pitch of monstrosity so long as he lives.
Likewise, every habituated sinner would, if he were let alone,
be a monster, perpetually growing worse and worse.
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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.