"Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of
it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23
God's eye is mainly upon the heart. The heart is the
fountain, the root, the store-house, the great wheel
which sets all a-going; so therefore, above all keepings,
keep your hearts.
The highest and hardest work of a Christian lies with his
heart. To reform the heart, to keep the heart in a gracious
frame, is one of the best and hardest works in the world.
Oh what guards and double guards! Oh what watches
and double watches, should men put upon their hearts!
A man is to keep his eye, and keep his mouth, and keep
his feet—but above all keeping, he is to keep his heart.
A gracious heart is Christ's fort-royal. Now, against this
fort Satan will employ the utmost of his strength, art,
and craft. And therefore how highly does it concern every
Christian to keep a strong guard, a constant guard about
his heart!
Men should keep their hearts, as they keep a rich treasure
of money or jewels. Now, to preserve a rich treasure, what
locks, what bolts, what bars, what chains are made use of!
Our hearts are jewels more worth than all the kingdoms,
crowns, and scepters of this world. There are few men who
know how to value their own hearts as they should. What
are mountains of gold, and rocks of pearl—compared to the
heart, the soul of man! All our spiritual riches are in our
hearts. Oh then, what a guard, what a watch should a
man continually keep upon his heart!
It is one of the greatest and clearest evidences of
grace, for a man to make it his greatest business,
work, and concern—to keep his heart always . . .
in a gracious frame,
in a wakeful frame,
in a watchful frame,
in a tender frame,
in a believing frame,
in a repenting frame,
in a humble frame,
in a patient frame,
in a serious frame,
in a heavenly frame,
in a jealous frame.
"O Lord, my memory is weak, and my utterance is bad,
and my understanding is dark, and my gifts are low, and
my affections are flat, and my temptations are strong,
and my corruptions are prevalent. But You, who are the
great heart-searcher, You know that I would sincerely
have my heart in a better temper. I had rather have my
heart brought into a gracious frame, and kept in a gracious
frame, than to have all the riches of the Indies, than to be
an emperor, yes, than to be king over all the earth."
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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.