There is infinitely more evil in the least sin—than
there is in the greatest miseries and afflictions that
can possibly come upon you! Yes, there is more evil
in the least sin—than there is in all the troubles that
ever come upon the world; yes, than there is in all
the miseries and torments of hell! The least sin . . .
is an offense to the great God;
is a wrong to the immortal soul;
is a breach of God's righteous law;
cannot be washed away but by the blood of Jesus;
will shut the soul out of heaven, and
shut the soul up as a prisoner in hell forever and ever!
The least sin is rather to be avoided and prevented—
than the greatest sufferings. If this cockatrice be
not crushed in the egg—it will soon become a serpent!
Sin, if but thought on and pondered—
will break out into action—
action into custom—
custom into habit—and then
both body and soul are lost irrecoverably to all eternity!
The least sin is very dangerous!
Caesar was stabbed to death with a small needle;
Herod was eaten up by small worms;
Pope Adrian was choked with a gnat;
a mouse is but little, yet kills an elephant if he gets up into his trunk;
a scorpion is little, yet able to sting a lion to death;
though the leopard be great, yet he is poisoned with a head of garlic;
the least spark may consume the greatest house;
the least leak will sink the greatest ship;
a whole arm has been gangrened by a pick of the little finger;
a little opened door may betray the greatest city;
a pinch of poison diffuses itself into all parts, until it strangles
the vital spirits, and turns out the soul from the body.
If the serpent can but wriggle in his tail by an evil
thought, he will soon make a surprise of the soul—as you
see in that sad instance of Adam and Eve.
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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.