"Pursue . . . holiness—without it no one will see
the Lord." Hebrews 12:14
O sirs, shall the ambitious person pursue after his honors,
and the voluptuous person after his pleasures, and the
worldling pursue after his gain, and the wanton pursue
after his harlots, and the drunkard pursue after his full
cups, etc.; and shall not Christians much more pursue
after holiness?
O sirs, the way of holiness is . . .
the safest way,
the noblest way,
the sweetest way,
the cleanest way,
the pleasantest way,
the happiest way;
therefore hold on, and hold up in that way.
"Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her
paths are peace." Proverbs 3:17
We hold on in a way of holiness, notwithstanding
all the rocks and obstacles and difficulties that we
meet with in that way.
O sirs, in the face of all your sins and unworthiness,
God holds on in ways of mercy towards you; and why
then should not you hold on in ways of sanctity towards
Him? Shall Satan persevere in his enmity against holiness?
And shall wicked men persevere in their opposition to
holiness? And shall formalists persevere in their neglect
of holiness? And will not you persevere in your pursuit
of holiness?
Be the first to react on this!
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.