"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God.
The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the
peoples on the face of the earth to be His people,
His treasured possession." Deuteronomy 7:6
God makes . . .
many rich, and
many great, and
many honorable, and
many mighty, and
many wise, and
many noble, and
many beautiful, and
many successful—
whom He will never make holy.
But in making you holy—God has made you spiritually
great, rich, honorable, wise, and beautiful, etc. Holiness
is a singular fruit of God's special favor and love.
God has a common favor and love for all men, yes,
for the worst of men; witness that common preservation,
and common protection, and common provision—which
He grants to them. But God has a special love and
favor—and this runs out only to His holy ones.
Holiness is a divine beam, a heavenly drop, a
choice pledge of God's special favor and love.
O sirs! though the world may slight you, and enemies
revile you, and friends disfavor you—yet let this support
you, let this rejoice you—that you are God's treasured
possession!
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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.