It is ten thousand times a greater judgment and
affliction—to be given to a fretful spirit, a froward
spirit, a muttering spirit under an affliction—than
it is to be afflicted. This is both the devil's sin, and
the devil's punishment. God is still afflicting, crossing
and vexing him; and he is still a-fretting, repining,
vexing, and rising up against God. No sin like the
devil's sin; no punishment like the devil's punishment.
A man were better to have all the afflictions of all the
afflicted throughout the world at once upon him—than
to be given up to a froward spirit—to a muttering,
murmuring heart under the least affliction. When you
see a soul fretting, vexing, and stamping under the
mighty hand of God, you see one of Satan's first-born,
one who resembles him to the life. No child can be so
much like the father, as this froward soul is like to the
father of lies.
Though he has been in chains almost this six thousand
years, yet he has never lain still one day, nor one night,
no, nor one hour in all this time—but is still a-fretting,
vexing, tossing and tumbling in his chains—like a
princely bedlam.
He is a lion—not a lamb;
a roaring lion—not a sleepy lion;
not a lion standing still—but a lion going up and down.
He is not satisfied with the prey he has already gotten—
but is restless in his designs to fill hell with souls.
He never lacks . . .
an apple for an Eve,
nor a grape for a Noah,
nor a change of clothing for a Gehazi,
nor a wedge of gold for an Achan,
nor a crown for an Absalom,
nor a bag of silver for a Judas,
nor a world for a Demas!
If you look into one company, there you shall find
Satan dishing out his meat to every palate. If you
look into another company, there you shall find him
fitting a lace to every shoe. If you look into a third
company, there you shall find him suiting a garment
to every back. He is under wrath, and cannot but be
restless. Here, with Jael, he allures poor souls in with
milk—and murders them with a nail! There, with Joab,
he embraces with one hand—and stabs with another!
Here with Judas, he kisses—and betrays! And there,
with the whore of Babylon, he presents a golden
cup—with poison in it! He cannot be quiet, though his
chains be always on!
And the more unquiet any are under the rebukes of
God, the more they resemble Satan—whose whole life
is filled up with vexing and fretting against the Lord.
Let not any think, says Luther, that the devil is now
dead, nor yet asleep; for as he who keeps Israel, so
he who hates Israel, neither slumbers nor sleeps!
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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.