Whatever has the least appearance of evil, shun it, as you
would do a serpent in your way, or poison in your food.
To venture upon the occasion of sin, and then to pray,
'Lead us not into temptation,' is as to thrust your finger
into the fire, and then to pray that it might not be burnt.
There is no conquest over sin, without the soul turning
from the occasion of sin. It is impossible for that man to
get the conquest of sin—who plays and sports with the
occasions of sin. God will not remove the temptation to
sin, except you turn from the occasion of sin. It is a just
and righteous thing with God, that he should fall into the
pit—who will adventure to dance upon the brink of the pit;
and that he should be a slave to sin—who will not flee
from the occasions of sin.
As long as there is fuel in our hearts for a temptation,
we cannot be secure. He who has gunpowder about
him had need keep far enough away from sparks!
To rush upon the occasions of sin is both to tempt
ourselves, and to tempt Satan to tempt our souls!
It is very rare that any soul plays with the occasions
of sin—but that soul is then ensnared by sin!
It is seldom that God keeps that soul from the acts
of sin, who will not keep off from the occasions of sin.
He who adventures upon the occasions of sin, is as he
who would quench the fire with gasoline!
Ah, souls, often remember how frequently you have
been overcome by sin, when you have boldly gone
upon the occasions of sin! Look back, souls, to the
days of your vanity, wherein you have been as easily
conquered as tempted, vanquished as assaulted—
when you have played with the occasions of sin.
As you would for the future be kept from the
acting of sin, and be made victorious over sin,
oh! flee from the occasions of sin!
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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.