1 Peter 5:4 "You will receive the crown of glory that
will never fade away,"—as the garlands faded, with
which the conquerors at games, races, and combats
were crowned—which were made of herbs, leaves,
and flowers.
A crown imports perpetuity, plenty, dignity.
A crown is the height of human ambition.
A believer's crown, his inheritance, his glory, his
happiness, his blessedness—shall be as fresh and
flourishing after he has been many millions of years
in heaven—as it was at his first entrance into it.
Earthly crowns are like tennis-balls, which are
bandied up and down from one to another, and
in time wear out. When time shall be no more,
when earthly crowns and kingdoms shall be no
more, yes, when the world shall be no more—a
Christian's crown of glory shall be fresh, flourishing,
and continuing.
All the devils in hell shall never wrangle a believer
out of his heavenly inheritance, nor deprive him of
his crown of glory. The least thing in heaven, is
better than the greatest things in this world. All
things on earth are fading—but the crown of glory
never fades away.
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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.